Beginners Guide to UCAS. Setting the scene HE provision in the UK including: 4 Northern Irish HEIs...

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Beginners Guide to UCAS

Transcript of Beginners Guide to UCAS. Setting the scene HE provision in the UK including: 4 Northern Irish HEIs...

Beginners Guide to UCAS

Setting the scene

HE provision in the UK

including:

4 Northern Irish HEIs 20 Scottish HEIs 280 English/Welsh HEIs

300 plus UCAS institutions,

The applicant journey

1

2

3

4

5

6

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8

9

10

▪Applicant researches where to study

▪Registers online with UCAS Apply

▪Completes form and processes payment

▪Academic reference added by school / college

▪School / college sends form electronically to UCAS

▪UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs

▪HEIs submit decisions (offer or unsuccessful)

▪Applicant views decisions on Track

▪Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance)

▪HEIs confirm places when results are released

Key features of admissions scheme

Maximum of 5 choices

Some choice restrictions:

Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4 choices

Oxford or Cambridge

Simultaneous consideration

‘Invisibility’

Application fee for 2014 - £23 or £12 for single choice

The electronic application cycle

School or college registers as an online

Apply centre Appointed ‘Apply Coordinator’ sets up

staff and centre details and creates

buzzword

Student registers using buzzword and

fills in application Completed application is forwarded

(electronically) to tutor

Tutor checks completed applications

within staff area and adds reference Completed applications are sent to

UCAS

If application contains errors

or omissions, tutor can return

form to student

School / Centre Perspective

School / Centre Perspective

August Register on UCAS

website – enter personal

details Research potential

universities and courses PSE 1 – input from

Universities PSE 1 -Support to begin

writing personal

statement

School / Centre Perspective

September All personal details entered Courses / universities

entered (if known) First draft of personal

statement completed –

Principal Teacher of

Guidance will provide

feedback Pay UCAS! (£23, £12 for

single choice)

School / Centre Perspective

October Courses / universities

entered Final draft of personal

statement prepared in

light of feedback Final draft of personal

statement submitted

after October holiday

School / Centre Perspective

November

December

Courses / universities

confirmed Application completed!

Pupil receives feedback

and amends online

application (if required).

School / Centre Perspective – Key Dates

Tuesday 23rd September Early Applicants – Personal Statement to Mrs MacKay

Thursday 25th September First draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher

Tuesday 15th October Deadline for early applicants (Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Oxbridge)

Friday 24th October Final draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher

Wednesday 15th January Deadline for most courses

Tuesday 24th March Deadline for some Art and Design courses

Student / applicant perspective

Experiential research

Obtain a real ‘feel’ for the institution, subject, course, career:

HE Conventions Institution Open Days Taster Courses Subject specific events

Compose your Future Design your Future Examine your Future

Career Fairs

Filling out the application online

Getting started

Registration only takes 10 minutes (max)

Use the school/college ‘buzzword’

No need to pay at registration stage

Should already have been completed in PSE

(Tuesday)

15 October: Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Oxbridge applications

15 January: Deadline for all courses except those with 15 October and 24

March deadline

24 March: Deadline for some art and design courses

Important dates

What information will I supply?

Applicants are asked to complete the following sections:

Personal Details

Additional Information (UK applicants only)

Choices

Education

Employment

Personal Statement

Having checked the above, referee will then add:

A Reference

The Personal Statement

You will write a 500 word personal statement

What admissions staff tell UCAS they are looking for in a personal statement

Evidence of:

Independent study skills Self-awareness Motivation and commitment An understanding of the course Good numeracy and literacy Essay writing Research skills Time management skills Enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus

Supported through PSE, support from Guidance Teacher

Top Tip – avoid ‘list addiction’

I enjoy watching football, I play netball for Fife schools, I sing in the

choir, I belong to the debating society, I am taking part in the Duke of

Edinburgh Award scheme, I work in Tesco on Saturdays and I shop

for my Granny on Monday after school.

Be selective (i.e. amplify key activities)

I have been an active member of the debating society at school for

the last three years. This has proved really interesting as I have had

the chance to research and defend viewpoints that I would normally

not agree with; an exercise which I’m sure will prove valuable as a

Law degree student.

Error ‘hot spots’

Failure to check entry requirements

Qualifications (eg. SQA results)

missing, or incorrectly named, on form

Wrong student support fee code

Email address not verified

Ticking criminal conviction box

Forgotten to register for admissions

test Nominated access

Once the form is submitted…

What happens next?

UCAS sends form (simultaneously) to all choices on the

form

Applicant may need to: Attend an interview Send a portfolio of work Sit an admissions test

University and college decisions

Admissions tutors can make one of three decisions: Conditional Offer Unconditional Offer Unsuccessful

Applicants then keep a maximum of two offers: Firm Insurance

Any remaining offers must be declined

Conditional offers

Can be expressed in:

UCAS Tariff points 305 points

Grades AAAB in Scottish Highers

a combination of both 305 points, including a B in Maths

UCAS Tariff

Points system used to report achievement

Provides comparisons between applicants with different types of qualifications and volumes of achievement

Tariff =

Highers Tariff Points

A 80

B 65

C 50

D 36Please read the conditions of th

e offer

carefully and if you have any queries speak

to the institution.

Student / applicant perspectiveSchool / Centre Perspective

Tracking progress

Student Track

Student Track

Enables your students to

follow the progress of their

application (24/7, access

via password)

Quickest way to find out

about new offers

Students can reply to offers

If no offers received…UCAS Extra

Operates from 25 February to July 6

Applicants eligible for Extra: Used all 5 choices All choices unsuccessful, cancelled or offers declined

Course vacancies listed on UCAS website

Allows additional single choices, entered and considered

one at a time

Adviser Track

Why was Adviser Track developed?

Requested by Apply Centres to:

View applications after submitted

Centres continue to support students through the application process

Communicate with groups and individuals

Launched 2009

Confirmation (1)

1. Exam results are issued (Scottish Qualifications early August, by letter,

email or text)

2. Admissions staff check if the applicant has matched the conditions of

the offer

3. If yes, the applicant will be sent an official confirmation of their place

4. Time to celebrate!!

Confirmation (2)

Adjustment period

What is it?

Five day window of opportunity to seek place at

another university or college

Eligibility

Results must have exceeded CF offer and

subsequently been made UF

Clearing

The stage at which all ‘unplaced’ applicants are

finding a place at institutions that have

vacancies.

The applicant journey

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

▪Applicant researches where to study

▪Registers online with UCAS Apply

▪Completes form and processes payment

▪Academic reference added by school / college

▪School / college sends form electronically to UCAS

▪UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs

▪HEIs submit decisions (offer or unsuccessful)

▪Applicant views decisions on Track

▪Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance)

▪HEIs confirm places when results are released

School / Centre Perspective – Key Dates

Early Applicants – Personal Statement to Mrs MacKay

Monday 23rd September

Thursday 26th September First draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher

Tuesday 15th October Deadline for early applicants (Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Oxbridge)

Monday 21st October Final draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher

Wednesday 15th January Deadline for most courses

Tuesday 24th March Deadline for some Art and Design courses