Factors for successful applications Matt Hill Professional Development Officer.
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Transcript of Factors for successful applications Matt Hill Professional Development Officer.
Factors for successful applications
Matt Hill Professional Development Officer
Contents Personal statements What’s involved Top tips Do’s and Don’t’s Examples
Referencing Importance of referencing Examples Things to avoid Predicted Grades
Research
The Personal Statement
You will write a 500 word personal statement
What sparked your
interest in your chosen
degree subject?
What would your
friends/family say about
you if they were writing
your statement?
Have you had a
conversation with people
already studying in the
field?
Where do you see
yourself in 10 years
time?
Has anyone motivated
you? If yes, who and
how?
Have you faced any
challenges in your school
work? Did it change you?
What is your favourite
book, film or hobby?
How has it influenced
you?
What has been your
biggest achievement and
why?
List any prizes you have
won – inside or outside
school
Getting started – questions to ask yourself
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
Example format for a personal statement
Opening SectionProvide insightful reasons for choosing the subject
Demonstrate commitment to the subject(this section should be at least 70% of statement)
Middle SectionOpportunity for the writer to identify themselves
as a reflective and mature individual with appropriate skills,
knowledge and attitudes
Final SectionNeeds to be ‘punchy’ and leave the reader with a firm impression of a strong desire to
study the subject chosen
Activity
Benefit
Course
Activity
Benefit
Course
What you’ve done
What skills it has given you
How these relate to your course
Personal Statement ABC Guide
Good
Better
Best
Structured, clear, concise, precise
Avoid waffle, slang and inappropriate language
Check GRAMMAR and SPELLING GRAMMAR SPELLING
‘So what?’
… I am working towards my Duke of Edinburgh Gold
award and will be undertaking a hike in the Brecon
Beacons. This has taught me a lot of skills.’
1
“ I am not a mind-reader – to win me over I need the applicant to explain more fully the skills they have gained ”
‘So what?’
… During my Duke of Edinburgh Silver award trip my team ran
short of provisions. As a result I am assuming responsibility for food
and drink for our forthcoming Gold Award trip. I have developed a
spreadsheet which details our precise requirements and I am
confident that my organisation will enable the team to perform at its
peak during the challenge.’
2
“ This is much better – she is obviously not afraid of responsibility, is organised and a true team player ”
Tip for students – avoid ‘list addiction’
I enjoy watching football, I enjoy canoeing and surfing, 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.
Select key activities to expand on
I have been an active member of a Teesside debating society for the
last two 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
student.
Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is.
All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful
people, who are not like you. Admit to being
useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For
other men, I yearn. For you I have no feelings
whatsoever. When we are apart, I can be forever
happy. Will you let me be. Yours, Gloria
Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is
all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful.
People who are not like you admit to being
useless and inferior. You have ruined me for
other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings
whatsoever when we are apart. I can be forever
happy – will you let me be yours? Gloria
Punctuation
Things to avoid
Intellectual Pretensions
Misdirected humour
No mention of future aspirations
/ direction
Committing GBH on English
language
‘I so don’t want to miss this
opportunity’
‘I have been interested in
History from the get-go.’’
Reference Writing
An admissions tutor is house hunting
(S)he wants it to be detached, two-storeys and have at least
3 bedrooms
Together, you and your student are going to build one and try
to sell it to the admissions tutor
But...
So are lots of other staff and student teams...
Your student builds the ground floor
...and a very nice job they make of it too!
Do you see where I am going?
(...This is their Personal Statement!)
It is now up to the referee to build the 2nd storey
But who supplies the bricks and joists and tiles and mortar etc?
The subject tutors or teachers (via their subject reports)
...Only, sometimes, there is a shortage of materials for the referee to
build with...
...But (s)he does
the best (s)he
can in these
circumstances!
Even when there are enough materials...
The subject teacher/tutor sometimes doesn’t pay any
attention to the student’s work...(I’m too busy to look – anyway, I know the student quite well...)
If they had paidattention to howthe student hadbuilt the groundfloor, they couldhave workedtoward a moreharmoniouswhole
..and even triedto fill in any gapsif the ground floorbuild quality wasa little bit lacking
So now YOU’RE the admissions tutor
Which of the houses presented to you would you buy?
The one that’s not finished, with 1 almost completed bedroom and no roof, partly patched together with tarpaulin?
The one whose second storey has asevere identity crisis?
Or the one that looks like it is a balanced,harmonious, sturdy and homely structure?
Performance in individual
modules or course
components
Any additional
preparation by student in
support of application
Motivation and suitability
for the chosen HE course
Exploring the subject
beyond the bounds of the
school or college
curriculum e.g work
experience, volunteering
Ability to work hard and
keep to deadlines
Are assignment results a
fair reflection of ability?
Student powers of
analysis and as an
independent learner
Academic and practical
skills specific to your
subject
Writing references – what would universities like to know?
Attainment in comparison
to rest of BTEC group
Writing an effective subject report
…Sharon is a highly competent student of History. Her
factual understanding is immediate and her
contributions in class are thoughtful.
1
Needs flesh putting on the bones!
Writing an effective subject report
…Sharon is a highly competent and perceptive student of History. Her
written work benefits from a commendable economy of delivery, and a
relevant, direct approach. Her factual understanding is immediate even
when the issues are complex (such as the events leading up to the downfall
of Apartheid in South Africa, which she has researched with diligence) and
her thoughtful contributions in class and insightful coursework
show her to have a healthily sceptical mind; very useful in a
historian.
2
This is definitely now pressing the right buttons for me!
Style – example 1
X is an outstanding young man; were I to pour out a stream of
superlatives it would be no more, no less than he deserves. He is
this year’s Head Prefect; I can only say that it is an exceptional year
group and yet he has stood out. He has a buoyancy and energy and
a natural sense of care for others that make it a privilege to know him.
He simply loves life, people, school, everything, and though he makes
major commitments to all sorts of things, he does all that he undertakes
supremely well. (I saw him purely by chance, miles away from school,
during the summer holidays – he was at the seaside accompanying a
group of disabled people who were on a day out, and that is absolutely
typical of him.)
Source: Writing References for Higher Education, Sue Jones
Some admissions tutors’ responses The style is too rococo for some tastes and may obscure
the excellence of the candidate
Could be described as “over the top.” This would put me
off (I’d probably offer the candidate an interview out of
interest!)
Very verbose…lots of superlatives
I feel that the author is trying to hide something – it is so
fulsome!
The style of this reference annoys me.
Style – example 2
X is someone of whom we are very proud. She is an exceptionally hard
working and committed pupil who is popular with both staff and students
and has gained their respect for her friendly and responsible attitude.
She has an excellent record of attendance and punctuality; she is
mature, well motivated and conscientious as well as being meticulous in
her organisation of herself and her studies.
X has held some positions of responsibility with success. She took on
the responsibility as captain of the school sports day athletics team
displaying excellent organisational skills. She has been consistently
supportive of her form’s and the school’s charity events and has
personally raised money for charities.
Some admissions tutors’ responses
Clearly written and easy to read
I prefer this plain nature of words and style
Is a little brusque, but conveys an air of objectivity, and is
very close to the ideal from a stylistic point of view
The perfect structure, style and content. It takes 15
seconds to read and I know that the applicant fulfils all my
requirements
Red card offences
Over the top eulogising…
… and when he is not working towards World Peace,
he enjoys learning languages from scratch, writing
symphonies and playing a standard of golf that Tiger
Woods can only dream about.’
Reference writing: Don’ts
Use it to promote school or college
Directly mention one institution by name
Paste in information on the wrong student!!
Reference writing – the practicalities
The applicant can get the reference if they wish
£10 for a copy of their whole application
This means that parents could read the reference
Can’t use Bold, Italics, Underlined or Foreign characteristics
47 lines of text or 4000 characters – including blank lines and spaces
Save as you go – it will timeout after 35 minutes
Practical guide to writing references:
http://www.ucas.com/advisers/apply/about_apply/writingreferences
Predicted Grades
Universities appreciate
reliability – there is less
than a 55% exact match on
3 A-Level predictions Underestimated grades can
result in no offer being
made Overestimated grades can
result in clearing
• 47% of predictions are too optimistic and 9% are too pessimistic
• If predicted grades are vastly different to AS grades – explain why.Source: Writing a UCAS reference: hints and tips.
University of Exeter
Research
How to choose the right course
Every year there are thousands of students who ask the
same question: what should I study?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Which subjects interest me?
What are my talents?
What job would I like to do after university or college?
Which academic skills would I like to improve?
Tariff statistics
Use of Tariff for 2010
entry requirements:
81% of institutions
using the Tariff
65% of courses using
the Tariff
UCAS Higher education conventions
More than 50 higher education conventions held every
year throughout the UK
The conventions bring together universities and colleges
within the UCAS scheme to inform and guide prospective
university and college students
They are designed mainly for 16-year-old and 17-year-old
students (Year 12, Lower Sixth or Scottish Higher students
in Scotland)
Annually around 250,000 people attend the events
Social Media
UCAStv
yougo
Official UCAS Facebook page
Twitter.com/ucas_online
Youtube.com/ucasonline
Subject Choices
Subjects that give applicants the
most options - Facilitating
subjects:
Mathematics and Further Maths English Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) Geography and History Languages (Classic & Modern)
• By choosing facilitating subjects you are not restricted to applying for degree courses which require certain subjects
• Students who take one non-facilitating subject do not generally experience any problems applying to a Russell Group university
• There is no set definition of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ subjects and down to individual university interpretation so applicants MUST check course search.
Source: Informed Choices: A Russell Group guide to making decisions about post-16 education. Russell International Excellence Group