Parents’ evening presentation

Help your son or daughter through the UCAS process

Tuesday 25th June 2019

HE Parents’ Meeting

Introductions

• Pepe Di’Iasio - Headteacher

• Gillian Hemming – Deputy Headteacher

• Charlotte Cooper - Director of Sixth Form

• Nina Lockyer - Vocational Co-ordinator

• Christine Flintoft-Howe - Elite University Mentor

• Laura Finney – Support & Guidance Counsellor

• Jill Edwards - Post-16 Advisor & SEN

Co-ordinator

• Shereen Hutton- SHU

• Adam - NCS

Gillian Hemming Charlotte Cooper

Laura Finney

Jill EdwardsNina Lockyer

Christine Flintoft-Howe

Introductions

Why higher education?Opportunities while studying:

• chance to study a subject they are passionate about

• achieve a qualification that could lead to their chosen career

• gain confidence, independence, and important life skills that will widen their prospects

• make lifelong friends

With a degree:

• the opportunity to follow their career path

• better job prospects

• many employers target graduates

• higher earning potential

Increasing numbers of students attending university

• Last year 77% of students were awarded places at their first choice university

• 25% of Wales High students were awarded places at elite universities such as York, Warwick and Durham

• 48% of students were offered unconditional places

2016 2017 2018

University 98 92 75

Further Education 6 10 21

Apprenticeships 19 11 21

Employment 10 16 12

Gap Year 7 17 8

Job Seeking 0 0 0

Other 0 0 0

Totals 140 146 137

Percentage of

students going to

University

70% 66% 54%

Higher Education Parents’ Meeting

• The applicant’s journey and how you can help:

• Research, Open Days and UCAS Conventions

• Personal statements & the importance of extra-curricular

activities/work experience

• Offers and replies – how this works

• What happens on Results Day August 2020

• How Wales High School supports your son/daughter through the UCAS process

The UCAS journey

Choosing the correct course

UCAS VIDEO – TOO LARGE TO E-MAIL

• Start at www.ucas.com• Search tool – to look for providers, courses, and minimum entry

requirements. NEW- filter courses based on tariff points.

• Open days– a great way to explore campuses and facilities.

• UCAS higher education exhibitions – useful to see different universities and colleges, and explore options.

• Learn from others – student videos, blogs, and case studies.

• Compare universities against each other using Unistats: www.unistats.com

• Consider Labour Market Information- i.e. the current economic and employment situations. https://careersyandh.co.uk

Research – it’s free

How can you support the research process?

• Download the 2020 UCAS Parent Guide from the UCAS websitehttps://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/ucas-undergraduate-advice-parents-and-guardians

• Offer to attend open days with them as you may have a different perspective. https://www.opendays.com/

Visit

www.ucas.com/parents

• Sign up to the monthly UCAS Parents’ Newsletter

https://www.ucas.com/parents-signup

Research - other things to consider

• Finance – course fees, grants, travel and living costs.

• Travel – to and from home.

• Accommodation – university halls or private residences?

• Study Abroad options- cost and opportunities.

• Sandwich course- course fees and possible location.

Living away from home...

Sheffield Hallam Finance

The UCAS application

How does Wales High support our students in the UCAS process?

• Guidance Counsellor who provides support and writes a references to accompany the application.

• Regular weekly briefings to provide updates. Your son/daughter’s attendance at these is essential.

• Super Learning Days 1 and 2 dedicated to UCAS process.

• In-school deadlines for completion of different aspects of the UCAS process.

• Support available from all members of the Sixth Form Team.

Key features of

the UCAS scheme

• Your son or daughter can make up to

five choices on one application.

• The 2020 applicant fee is:

• £20 for one choice

• £25 for up to five choices

• Applications received by the key

deadlines are given equal

consideration.

• ‘Invisibility’ – universities cannot see

where else students have applied.

UCAS received 604,030applications

2m offers made

In 2019...

Making the application

Apply is the UCAS online application system.

Each applicant has six sections to complete:

• personal details

• student finance (UK and EU only)

• choices

• education

• employment

• personal statement

Once a student submits their application, the reference is added and it is sent to UCAS

who pass it on to the university

This starts now!

The personal statement• The only section your son or daughter has

control over.

• Their only chance to market themselves individually.

• One personal statement for all choices.

• Max. 4,000 characters, 47 lines.

• Min. 1,000 characters.

• No spelling/grammar check.

• No formatting.

Personal statements are so important, make sure your son or daughter includes:

• academic achievements, past and present

• interests in the chosen subject area

• knowledge of the subject and enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus

• what they enjoy about studying

• details of their independent study skills

The questions universities and colleges will ask:

• Have they chosen the correct subject for the right reasons?

• Do they have a range of interests?

• Does the personal statement confirm their interest in the subject?

• Have they studied independently?

• Are they motivated and committed?

• Do they possess good numeracy and literacy skills?

Personal statement – start early

• Personal statements should stand out – tutors receive

over 200 per week!

Your son/daughter will already have a lot to support their personal statement if they

have taken part in these…• RAG challenge

• Volunteering at school events e.g.

parent’s evenings

• Sporting activities

• Year 7 mentoring

• Mental Health Ambassadors

• E-mentoring scheme

• School Council

• Sixth Form Committee

• Super Learning Day activities

• Linacre Institute

• Zanzibar Expedition

• Any work experience recently

undertaken

NCS - Rotherham

Key dates and deadlines

Now!• Applicants can register and start to complete their application. Research

universities/courses. Attend UCAS Convention.

By end of summerterm

• Students to have met with their guidance counsellor in school to discuss options/personal statements.

26th September2019

• Super Learning Day 1 – focus on UCAS form and personal statements.

15th October 2019• Deadline for Oxford and Cambridge AND Deadline for courses in Medicine,

Dentistry and Veterinary Sciences.

20th November 2019

• Super Learning Day 2 – focus on completion of UCAS form and personal statements.

Before Christmas

• Personal Statement finalised and application completed to be forwarded to the Sixth Form Team. Payment made to the Finance Office. All UCAS applications to be completed and submitted to school.

15 January 2020• Deadline for most undergraduate courses

Universities and colleges will review:

• personal statement

• reference

• qualifications

• admissions test results

• interviews

• portfolios

• auditions

An admissions tutor may make one of three decisions:

• unconditional offer (Sixth Form Contract)

• conditional offer

• unsuccessful

Providers may also offer a place on an alternative

course

Decision-making by course providers

• The number of English, Welsh and Northern Irish university applicants receiving at least one such offer has jumped in recent years, according to UCAS.

In total, over 87,540 applicants received at least one unconditional offer in 2018 – over 1/3 of all 18 year old applicants.

In 2013, this number was just 2,570.

If a university makes an unconditional offer, does that mean they really want me?

To some extent, yes. Your UCAS application –including your personal statement –obviously impressed them.

BUT universities will also want to avoid empty spaces on their courses, and making you an unconditional offer can be seen as one such tactic to woo you.

In recent years, the restrictions on how universities recruit students have been lifted, meaning universities are competing to entice students. Unconditional offers could be viewed as one such tactic:

Unconditional offer = less end-of-year pressure?

• Is the idea of accepting a university place that won't be affected by your final grades enough of a reason to accept an unconditional offer?

• While accepting a university place that won't be affected by your final grades is certainly appealing – especially if it arrives while you're buried in revision, exams and assignments – how will this change how much effort you put in to your studies? Be honest...

In 2018, 67% of those who

held an unconditional offer

as their first choice missed

their predicted grades by

two or more grades

(compared to 57% of

conditional first choice

holders).

I have an unconditional offer. What should I do?

• Don't rush your decision: wait until you've received all your offers. Usually, you'll need to make a decision by May.

• Review all your options: take some time to revisit all your course and university options, and consider them equally. Perhaps take a trip to see them again, in person. .

• Weigh up that guaranteed offer: if you really had your heart set on a different university, don't move on from that 'first love' yet, just because they’re proving a little harder to get.

• Get a fresh perspective: talk to teachers, careers advisers and even admissions officers at the university which has made the offer.

Replying to offers• When your son or daughter receives decisions from all of their choices they will need to make their replies by a set date.

• They can then hold a maximum of twooffers:

• Firm – their first choice. If they meet the conditions of the offer they will be placed.

• Insurance – acts as a back-up choice and only comes into play if they are not placed with their firm choice.

• If your son or daughter fails to reply to their offers by the deadline date, all offers will be automatically declined.

If they do not receive any offers they can make an

additional choice through the Extra scheme

Then we wait….

Confirmation – What happens on results day?

• Exam results are published – many are passed electronically to universities by UCAS.

• Admissions staff check if the applicant has met the conditions of the offer. There are four possibilities:

1. If a student meets the

conditions of their firm choice.

It’s time to celebrate!

2. If a student doesn’t meet the conditions of their firm choice, but meets the conditions of their insurance choice (which should be lower), they will be placed at their insurance choice. It’s also time to celebrate!

3. If a student has not met the conditions of their firm or insurance choice (or no insurance), they will be entered into a process known as Clearing.

4. If a student meets and exceeds the conditions of their offer, they are eligible for Adjustment. This provides an opportunity for them to reconsider where and what to study whilst still holding their firm offer.

Where can I access information?

Use www.waleshigh.com

Where can I access information?

Use www.waleshigh.com

Where can I access information?

Use www.waleshigh.com

What should your son/daughter should be doing now?

• Research• Extra curricular activities• Work experience• Go to open days

• Go beyond the syllabus• Focus on this year’s studies• Meeting with their

Guidance Counsellor

Bursary• The fund is made available from the government through its funding

body – Education Funding Agency (EFA) for 16-19 year olds - to provide assistance to students whose access to, or completion of, education is inhibited by financial constraints or barriers. This can only be applied for if the student is 100% sure they are returning to Wales in September. 3 months of financial evidence is required.

Any questions…