ucas presentation 2014
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UCAS Presentation 2014TRANSCRIPT
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
UCAS Presentation
11th June 2014
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
What has already happened?
In Year 11:
• Morrisby tests
• ‘Informed choices’
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
What has already happened?
In the Lower Sixth:
• Two sessions early in the Michaelmas Term
• Lecture given by member of staff at Glasgow
University
• Opportunity to discuss application process with
Upper Sixth
• Lecture about opportunities to study abroad
• Space on each student’s portal to jot down
thoughts and relevant experience
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Supporting the UCAS process
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
UCAS – who we are and what we do
▪ Organisation responsible for processing and managing all applications to
full-time higher education (HE) courses in the UK
▪ We operate on behalf of all full-time courses at universities and colleges
▪ Number of institutions
▪ Number of courses
370
37,000+
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Explore your options
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Why higher education?
▪ Increase potential earnings*
▪ Better career prospects
▪ Benefit the wider community
▪ Social and cultural reasons
▪ More independence, self-confidence and responsibility
▪ Personal challenge
▪ Broadens interests and knowledge
▪ Better health
▪ It can be immense fun!
*Source: Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, 2006, in Universities UK, Research Report, The Economic Benefits
of a Degree
The benefits of higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
The applicant journey
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Why it is important to understand the journey
▪ Applying to UK HE can be a highly competitive process
▫ For applicants
▫ For universities and colleges
▪ Knowing how the UCAS process works will help you to:
▫ Support your son or daughter in a timely manner
▫ Better understand what happens, why, when and how
▫ Interpret applicant and university behaviour
The competition for university places
68.0%
69.0%
70.0%
71.0%
72.0%
73.0%
74.0%
75.0%
76.0%
77.0%
78.0%
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Acceptances Unplaced Acceptance rate
Acceptances
495,596
6.6%
Applicants
677,373
3.6%
The new ucas.com
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Choosing a university or college
▪ Universities and colleges are not all the same, nor is it easy to put them
into simple categories
▫ University v college
▫ Large v small
▫ Old v new
▫ Taught v research
▫ Selective v recruiting
▫ Campus v city v rural
▫ Near v far
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Researching a university or college
▪ There are different guides and league tables that can help, but check the
criteria as the data may illustrate aggregate rather than specific details
▫ Some universities may post league tables on their websites which
highlight their courses at number one
▫ Assess what are the most important criteria for you
▫ Compare aggregate v subject specific
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Exploring the subject options
▪ Once an applicant knows roughly what they
want to do and the type of study they’re
looking for, they may still find lots of courses to
choose from in the subject they want to study
▫ Is it a subject they’ll enjoy?
▫ Does it utilise and challenge their skills?
▫ Will it lead to a qualification that helps them
move nearer to their chosen career
▪ Compare course providers and locations
▪ Compare course content
▪ Check the entry requirements for the courses
being considered
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Key Information Sets
// unistats.direct.gov.uk
▪ National Student Survey
▪ Employment information
▪ Course accreditation
▪ Learning and teaching
▪ Course assessment
▪ Entry requirements
▪ Contextual data
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Key features of the application process
▪ Applicants can only make 1 application per cycle
▪ Maximum of 5 choices
▫ Primarily realistic, but also aspirational and backup choices
▪ Some choice restrictions:
▫ Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4
▫ Oxford or Cambridge
▪ Simultaneous consideration
▪ ‘Invisibility’
▫ A single personal statement
▪ DEADLINES
The UCAS calendar – key application dates
▪ Apply available for student registration
▪ First date for receipt of Apply applications
▪ Early ‘on-time’ deadline:
▫ Medicine, Veterinary and Dentistry
▫ Oxford or Cambridge
▪ Deadline for all other ‘on-time’ applications
▪ Some Art and Design courses
Mid-June
Mid-September
15 October
15 January
24 March
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Making a UCAS application
Personal details
Additional information
Student finance
Choices Education
Employment
Personal statement
Referee responsible for final section:
▪ Reference UCAS Universities / colleges
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Finance
▪ http://www.direct.gov.uk/student-finance
▪ http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
From the admissions tutors...
STRONG personal statements are ones that have been well-researched,
carefully prepared and worked upon to eliminate errors and maximise
effect.
They demonstrate reflective thinking, showing that the applicant has spent
time working out what information is most relevant and important to
include.
They use concrete supporting evidence to demonstrate assertions rather
than simply state or tell.
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Transparent selection process
▪ Qualifications
▫ Past, present and future
▫ Predicted grades for ‘pending’ qualifications
▪ Personal statement
▪ Reference
▪ Interview
▪ Piece of written work
▪ Portfolio
▪ Audition
▪ Admissions tests
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Decision making by institutions
▪ Admissions tutors may initially make one of four decisions:
▫ Unconditional offer
▫ Conditional offer
▫ Invitation
▫ Rejection
▪ Or recommend:
▫ A place on an alternative course
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Decision making by institutions
▪ Conditional offers based on whole of 6th Form programme
unless specifically excluded:
▫ UCAS Tariff
e.g. 380 points
or
▫ Exam grades
e.g. A*AA at A level
or
▫ Combinations
e.g. A*AA including
grade A* in English
GCE A level
Grade Tariff Points
A* 140
A 120
B 100
C 80
D 60
E 40
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Applicant replies to offers
▪ Once the final decision has been received, a maximum of two offers may
be held
▪ Applicants have a choice of three reply options:
▫ Firm acceptance
▫ Insurance acceptance
▫ Decline the offer
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
What happens now?
11th – 27th June Individual interviews with ER or CLS
12th June Talk by the Headmaster on personal statements. Students
begin drafting statements
13th June Visit to University of Lancaster
18th June Morning at University of Liverpool
19th June Log on to UCAS and enter personal information. Complete first
draft of statement and give to reference writer.
26th June Work on second draft of personal statement
By 2nd July Subject and co-curricular references written by staff
2nd – 4th July Visit to Oxford and Cambridge University Open Days
14th August AS results day
14th – 29th August Student interviews and/or email correspondence with CLS
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
What happens now?
1st – 8th (or 29th*) Sept Individual interviews with reference writers
1st (or 8th*) Sept Second typed draft of personal statement to be seen
by referee
11th/12th Sept Further work on statements and rest of application
19th Sept (or 17th Oct*) UCAS form completed by student
3rd Oct (or 10th Nov*) References written and forms sent to UCAS
* For students with 15th Jan deadline
At the heart of connecting people to higher education
Questions?