Year 12 Parents’ Information Evening The UCAS Process

1. Year 12 Parents’ Information EveningThe UCAS Process An introduction for Parents

2. Higher Education • Planning to enter a specific graduate profession • Enjoyment of one or two subjects that you want to study at degree level • Experience • What type of course would be best Year in Industry, year abroad, assessment methods

3. Universities and Colleges Admissions Service • The central organisation through which applications are processed for entry to Higher Education (HE) • They operate on behalf of all full time courses at higher education providers (HEPs) • Number of HEPs 370 • Number of courses – in excess of 37,000!

4. Be aware • It’s a competitive process • Nearly 1/3 of applicants received 5 offers • Unconditional offers • It’s a buyer’s market!

5. Getting started • http://www.ucas.com/ • Register • Buzzword: green18

6. Choosing a degree subject • Subjects specific to a career • Subjects you are already studying or something new • Something that interests you • Ask yourself: • What do you enjoy now? • What are you good at? • What skills do you have? • How many subjects do you want to study? • What do you want to do after and how does it pay?

7. Researching courses • http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/explore-your-options/how-choose-course

8. What’s in a course name? • Modern languages: literature or society or linguistics • English: Shakespeare or 20th century • Geography: physical or human • History: political / military or social / cultural • Specialisms that reflect the department’s research interests • Use the course content section of the website to check the period of literature studied • Can be caught out

9. Year 12 student experience • Promoted courses such as Medlink, Vetlink, • Speakers from universities on a range of topics relevant to post 18 education • Visit to Manchester for HE convention • Partnership Trough People apprentice scheme – Year 13 PDS

10. The student experience after study leave • PDS preparation • Important to attend remaining sessions to: • Register with UCAS • Request references • Information about out of school interests Next PDS focus: • Personal Statement

11. School deadlines • CUKAS – Friday September 22nd 2017 • Oxbridge, Vets, Dentist & Medics - Friday 29th September 2017 • Remaining UCAS – Friday 20th Oct 2017

12. Important external deadlines • CUKAS - from mid-July to 1st October • Oxbridge, Medics, Vets and Dentists applications - October 15th 6.00pm • All other courses - January 15th 6.00pm • Art and Design - deadlines vary • 6pm deadlines!

13. Frequent problems • Too laid back • Absence from school • Errors • Difficulty in recording qualifications

14. Solutions • Encourage more strong early applications = offers. • Parents knowledge of our system can move things along at home! • The tutor approved printed version of the form must be produced for a fair processing order

15. Personal Details

16. Financial Arrangements Some courses are coded NHS 05 - department for public health

17. Activities in preparation for HE

18. Choices

19. Course Choices • Specific requirements • Are additional entrance exams needed • BMAT, ELAT etc • Are they realistic • Alternative grade offers with EPQ • Aim too high and the choice may be wasted • Aim too low and the course may be boring • Insurance choice – entry requirements

20. Course Requirements Business Birmingham AAB Bedfordshire CDD Economics LSE AAA Sussex BBB English Bristol AAA Hull BBB French Southampton AAB Kent BCC Mechanical Eng Imperial College AAB Kingston CCC

21. Competition for Places Applications Places Ratio UCL 33,612 3,575 9 Warwick 34,684 3,891 9 Birmingham 40,722 5,751 7 Bath 19,786 2,906 7 York 21,543 3,511 6 Nottingham 44,760 7,358 6 Cambridge 15,923 3,470 5

22. Getting the Qualifications Right! • Tutors have lists of all exam boards • Refer to certificates and statement entries • It’s worth spending time on this • We don’t send forms to UCAS with incorrect qualifications

23. Listing qualifications Include all A2 and AS subjects Re-sits and U grades must be declared

24. Science, RE and ICT • Triple science usually ok • Alternatives - science and additional science, take care with dates • RE – we now offer full and short courses • ICT - These have a separate category

25. RE - Click on the short course option

26. Employment You can add up to five employers, enter contact details carefully

27. The Personal Statement

28. What to Include • The reason for the subject choice • What you enjoy about that subject now • Interests around the subject • what you do that is relevant to the subject or career • what you have read, over and above course texts, that relates to the subject • Skills relevant to your subject choice • writing, debating, problem solving, technical or mathematical expertise (remember the earlier slides) • Achievements and experience, at school and elsewhere • Work experience and employment

29. A good personal statement….. • 70% why they are applying for the course • Shows motivation, commitment and enthusiasm • Analyses experiences and skills (including work experience) and relates them to the course or subject • Is grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes • Is specific, honest and positive • Is their OWN WORK

30. Areas to Include • Evidence of independent study skills • Self-awareness • Motivation and commitment • An understanding of the course • Good numeracy and literacy • Good essay writing skills (if appropriate) • Research skills • Good time management skills • Enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus

31. What not to say…. The world is becoming increasingly global (Economics) I enjoy the theatre and used to go a couple of times a year (Drama) I am a keen reader and committed to the study of human behaviour through TV soaps (Psychology) My interest in medicine stems from my enjoyment of ‘Casualty’ and other related TV series (Medicine) I always wanted to be a Physiotherapist or a primary school teacher (Physiotherapy)

32. Exemplar Personal Statement • From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Black Death, the consequences of early history have captivated and encouraged historians to question facts we thought true, to further expand their understanding on topics previously only theorised about.From a very early age I have loved to take part in history. I have sixteen years of re-enacting experience with the sealed knot, as part of Colonel Richard Bagot's regiment, which has inspired passion, fascination and excitement about the past. I have a large amount of background knowledge about many periods in history from the everyday life of peasants gained from living the experience and informing others to the political background of monarchs gained in classrooms.Developing skills that will be useful for studying history is an important part of my school life and I took Extended Project so as to expand upon my analysis, research and evaluation skills.

33. To summarise…. • Research courses and locations thoroughly • Entry requirements - read the small print • Don’t waste your choices by not checking GCSE requirements as well as A levels needed • Course content - check this and relate to your personal statement • Meet all deadlines

34. Subjects that interview • We need to see all students intending to apply for early application courses • Nursing and Teaching courses always interview • Pharmacists, engineers and architects are also frequently interviewed • Sessions will start soon!