11th March 2015

Research shows employers want young people with

• a good knowledge base

• sound communication skills

• the ability to work with others

• the ability to analyse problems

• the confidence to think for themselves

HE develops these and other transferable skills, which can give an edge in the fast-changing world of employment.

Medicine

Dentistry

Architecture

Teaching

Engineering

Health & Social Care professions

A higher education qualification is essential for many careers including

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/careers/what-do-graduates-do/

Improves career prospects and can enhance long-term financial success.

http//:www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/careers/what-do-graduates-earn/Financial gains usually far outweigh

costs in student loans incurred in completing a higher education course.

The ‘graduate premium’ differential is greater for graduates in STEM subjects and economics-related disciplines than for arts & humanities graduates.

• Sponsored Degree Programmes

• School Leaver Programmes

• Apprenticeships

• Work (with training)

• College

• Gap Year

Sponsored Degree Programmes

• Asda

• Barclays

• CapGemini

• Ernst & Young

• Experian

• KPMG

• Nestle

• PWC

• The Environment Agency

• National Grid

• Rolls Royce

• Airbus

• Balfour Beatty

• Jaguar Land Rover

School Leaver Programmes• BBC

• NHS careers

• Microsoft

• Next

• Cancer Research

• BA

• The Army

• The Met Police

• Sainsburys

• BP

• Santander

• Deloitte

• Lidl

• Unilever

• Mars

• Visa

• Allianz

• Royal Mail

• Baker Tilly

• Whitbread

• Tata Steel

• RBS

• M&G Investments

• Atkins

• Aviva

• TUI

• Travis Perkins

• CGI

• BDO

• Wilmott Dixon

• TNT

• Iceland

• ITV

• Debenhams

Apprenticeships

• Intermediate (level 2)

• Advanced (level 3)

• Higher (level 4)

• The cap of £9000 tuition fees has been removed and institutions that demonstrate excellent teaching can increase tuition fees in line with inflation.

• NHS bursaries for midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational health, speech therapy are no longer available

• The maintenance grant (non-repayable) has been replaced by the ability to take out an increased maintenance loan (re-payable)

• Think beyond just carrying on a favourite A Level subject.

• Check Career requirements – and possibilities. Use the careers library, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Buck or go online! http://www.prospects.ac.uk/options_with_your_subject.htm

• Talk to your teachers, tutors, family and friends. They are often good sources of honest advice

General - free www.UKCOURSEFINDER.COM

http://search.ucas.com/

Centigrade – paid-for personal report

http://www.coa.co.uk/programmes-and-aptitude-tests/centigradeUcas

Degree: a (usually three- or four-year) course where graduates obtain a Bachelors or Masters degree, e.g. BA, BSc, BEng or masters MA, MSc, MEng.

Higher National Diploma(HND) or Foundation degree (FdA, FDSc): a two-year course, which can lead to the third year of a degree (1 yr top up)

Fast track – 2-year intensive courses leading to e.g. BA, LLB - Watch for new courses!

• Read the prospectus and explore the website. You will spend a long time and a lot of money there. Make sure it is what you want!

• Visit Open Days. http://opendays.com/See for yourself how straightforward the journey is and whether you like the accommodation. You may need to reserve your Open Day place online!

League tables are available from

UNISTATS http://unistats.direct.gov.uk/

Newspapers e.g. the Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/education/universityguide

Remember - you will be receiving teaching from the institutions. Look at this grade in particular and also the number of tuition hours.

•www.thestudentroom.co.uk

• University of Birmingham

• University of Bristol• University of

Cambridge• Cardiff University• Durham University• University of

Edinburgh• University of Exeter• University of Glasgow• Imperial College

London• King's College London• University of Leeds• University of Liverpool

• London School of Economics & Political Science

• University of Manchester• Newcastle University• University of Nottingham• University of Oxford• Queen Mary University of

London• Queen's University Belfast• University of Sheffield• University of Southampton• University College London• University of Warwick• University of York

•Look on http://search.ucas.com/ or use the online or paper prospectus

•More popular courses ask for higher grades

•Grades or points equivalent?

•Some courses such as teaching and healthcare require work experience.

•Some courses require you to take exams or tests in addition to your A

AS/BTEC

PointsEPQ A Level/BTEC

Points

Grade A* 28 56

Grade A 20 24 48

Grade B 16 20 40

Grade C 12 16 32

Grade D 10 12 24

Grade E 6 8 16

A* for 90% of the UMS in A2 units only

What can I apply for if I have predicted grades of ABB at A level and my 4th AS at grade C?

UCAS points

A-level A = 48 pts, B = 40 pts

AS level C = 12 pts

Total = 48 + 40 + 40 + 12 = 140 pts

Choice 1 A*AA Aspirational

Choice 2 AAA Aspirational

Choice 3 136 points Solid

Choice 4 120 points Solid

Choice 5 112 points Safe

May 2016 2017 UCAS undergraduate search tool goes live15 October 2016Deadline for applications to Oxford, Cambridge and courses in medicine and most veterinary medicine/science 15 January for all other applications, though some courses may still have places after that date.15 January 2017Deadline for the majority of UCAS undergraduate courses

Unifrog

How to Research CoursesLook online at www.ucas.com

Database of every HE Course at every HEI in the UK

Match course entry requirements with expected grades

To compare universities and courses visit www.unistats.direct.gov.uk

One application per admissions cycle

Application fee £23

Maximum five choices (some restrictions)

Nominated access option

Simultaneous consideration

Universities cannot see the other choices

Maximum of five choices

Some choice restrictions:• Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max four • Oxford or Cambridge

Simple application cost: • 1 choice - £12 • 2-5 choices - £23

Application is entirely online

Simultaneous consideration

• 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

• What makes them stand out in an exciting and positive way

• Show enthusiasm for the course they are applying for • Give supporting evidence to back this up.

• Extra curricular activities and relevant work experience.

• Skills they can use on the course, leadership, communication,• E.g. team work

• Encourage them to ask you for more ideas.

• Allow plenty of time.

www.ucas.com/personalstatement