UCAS 2016 Gap Applicant Day Paul Ingham September 2015

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1 UCAS 2016 Gap Applicant Day Paul Ingham September 2015

2 BEFORE YOU CHOOSE COURSES Research use Course Search Tool. Enter Subject, 2016 entry and that you live in England to show all possible courses. Look at UCAS 2015 Clearing - if there are still places left then the grades accepted will be lower than they advertise. A good hint for a 2016 application For the National Student Survey and comparisons of entry qualifications to courses - University prospectuses use with caution, more recent information will be on websites. Offers and Rejections data via Start-All Programs- Departments-Careers-Offers and Rejections, searchable for last 3 years.

3 APPLYING TO UCAS Use the Green folder information read it ALL! Stick to internal deadlines given in folder. We will check only once. Applications returned with mistakes take longer to process. Have ready the information you will need on courses and from MY UCAS dates of attendance at previous schools, GCSE subjects, grades and exam boards. Temporary computer username and password = ucas and gapyear. Your references have been written already. BUT It is important your tutor knows what you are applying for in order to write an appropriate reference. See your tutor and discuss any resit intentions and your intended course..

4 Applying to UCAS Your tutor will explain the method of working they are using with post results applicants. You will need to book extra appointments with your tutor for the personal statement and choices checks. There will be post results applicant surgeries on Tuesday 15 th September and Thursday 15 th October 1pm 6.30pm in the Careers office. Please book time off work to attend these times when we prioritise post results applicants.

5 FREQUENTLY MADE MISTAKES Entering your surname in the Previous surname box. Having an embarrassing address on the form. Area of Permanent Residence not always the postal address county. Must be the same answer as Student Support Arrangements eg Cambridgeshire. Residential Category choose A. Unless not a UK/EU citizen. Fee Code choose 02. (unless NHS Bursary course) NOT 01 Private Finance. Agree to share data with student loan company. Student Support Arrangements know the County to which parents pay council tax. Student finance is arranged by Student Finance England applications should open in November. Use Dennis Cat s application in the UCAS booklet. Have it open as you complete online frequent mistakes are highlighted in boxes

6 GAP YEAR and PERSONAL INFO Deferred Applications if you want to secure a place at university in 2017, after a second gap year. Maths applicants possibly unwise? Unless involved in Year in Industry Disability give details so the university will meet your needs. Answer No disability if this is the case. Ethnicity, nationality choose whether to give this Summer schools can be entered Parental background choose whether to declare

7 COURSES Be logical don t have odd combinations of subjects in your application. Your personal statement has to have a focus. Applicants to Medicine, Dentistry and Vet Science can choose only 4 courses. They can leave the 5 th place blank or choose an alternative eg. Bio Chemistry, Pharmacy, Bio Medical Science. Most other students will make 5 choices, but you can leave one blank and use it later if you wish. As a post results applicant you can telephone departmental admissions and ask whether an unconditional offer is likely, given your known results. This won t work for Oxbridge, MDV and interview based courses. Remember to have some dead certs in the five. See Offers and Rejections data. You must choose places you would be happy to live in for 3 years or more don t go by reputation alone. Choose Firm and Insurance carefully, having seen both. Whichever you make Firm should be making an unconditional offer unless you are taking resits.

8 EDUCATION LIST BOTH A and AS LEVEL FOR EACH COURSE REMEMBER THE AS YOU DROPPED IN THE L6 REMEMBER WORLD DEVELOPMENT and other UPPER SIXTH AS COURSES. ENTER ADMISSIONS TESTS

9 EDUCATION AS DATE = 06/2014 A LEVEL = 06/2015. YOU CAN ENTER AS and A2 MODULE GRADES, BUT DO NOT HAVE TO. SEEK ADVICE ON WHETHER THIS IS WISE. CAMBRIDGE WILL ASK FOR THIS INFORMATION SEPARATELY. DO NOT ENTER THE SAME MODULE IN AS AND A2. YOU CANNOT DECLINE AN AS OR A LEVEL GRADE all results must be entered. If resitting you will have Actual and Pending results and will gain a second A level result in the subject if they go up a grade.

10 EDUCATION Ensure the examination board details are accurate. STEP Cambridge and Warwick and Imperial want this for Maths applicants. Double Award and GCSE Short Courses enter separately to other GCSE courses. Dance and Music qualifications enter from the examinations menu OR Other on the courses section of UCAS Apply. Extended Project - universities like it as a sign of extended research and study. Well worth mentioning in statement. Certificated 06/2015.

11 PERSONAL STATEMENT Make it personal. Adapt the suggested format to your circumstances. Make the reasons for applying to the course a strong opening paragraph. Remember you go to university to read a subject not to do it. Give examples of reading beyond the set books. Give relevant examples of work experience, field courses, talks, visits. Give skills you have developed IT, working with others, research, statistics, discussion, performance. Do not download any material into your statement. See intranet Start-All Programs-Departments -Careers- Personal Statement Examples for 200 example personal statements, Art to Zoology.

12 Personal It s personal but think of the reader What do the admissions tutors look for? Check faculty websites admissions criteria will be very clear. Note the skills and qualities they look for. Consider how you meet them, but

13 How do you write once for several universities Medicine the 5 th choice won t mind What aspects are essential for all courses? Don t describe their subject they know what it is. Why do you want to study it? Joint honours courses - fine to say why you love both. So be consistent don t have odd choices of subject

14 Durham Good tips and an alternative statement facility Durham website tips Most universities do not offer an alternative statement facility. If you apply for Biomedicine/science and it is clear you have applied for and really want Medicine you may be asked to submit an alternative statement to some universities.

15 Checks UCAS anti plagiarism software looks for similarities in statements both new and from previous years. Avoid sites that sell statements Don t copy and paste from websites Or share ideas on good phrases Exeter checklist

16 AFTER YOU APPLY Offers will not all come in together some universities do not reply until March. You can nominate a parent to reply to offers for you if you will not be in the UK and have no internet access. You do not have to respond to any offer until you have had them all. A reply by date will then be given to you. As a post results applicant you should be choosing which university to go to - unless Oxbridge etc. Negotiate! You can ask a university to defer entry after you have applied. They may agree, but have a good gap planned. Visit your favoured universities at least once more before deciding on your firm open days are offered in autumn and spring to help. Apply for funding before you go to university probably live from February. Support grants and bursaries are available for students on low income but also as rewards for academic excellence. See university websites, UCAS and Student Finance England.

17 What to do next continued Note and stick to deadlines. Contact Exams Office for resits. Complete your UCAS application check it carefully and ask family and friends to check it against the model version. Mistakes = delays. Have your Personal Statement checked by family, subject staff and your tutor.

18 What to do next continued Print 2 copies of your UCAS form using View All and keep one copy. Hand the other copy in to Careers in the Green folder. Note Deadlines are the LAST day for handing in. Early Applicants Oxbridge and MDV applicants hand in by 16 th September. Handing in before a deadline speeds up checking last date 16 th October.

19 Admissions tests required? contact Exams office The application process is now OPEN for the November BMAT/MAT and Oxford University admissions tests. Ensure that you have read all the information about the test available from If you wish to take the test at Hills Road Sixth Form College complete the online application form. Before you start, you will need a credit/debit card for payment. All further correspondence will be via , use your home address on the application form. If you have any further queries or questions please contact examadmin@hillsroad.ac.uk. Telephone

20 Questions? Answers: If in doubt contact the admissions office of the university. Remember you are in a strong position as a post results applicant. BUT be realistic and ensure at least 1 unconditional offer will be made to avoid an unwanted second gap year.

21 Finally.. NOW Book a time to see your tutor Go to Greenhalgh computer areas to do reference request and set up UCAS. USERNAME: ucas PASSWORD: gapyear See your tutor, discuss intentions and personal statement. Agree a time to meet again. FUTURE: When all the form is completed, check again for errors..hand in form in Green folder, ask for advice and a quick check before departing. Good Luck! But with careful planning and research, who needs luck?