Supporting Parents and Students through the UCAS process

The Applicant Journey

1 2 3 4 5 6

Choosing courses

ApplyingStarting

Uni / CollegeNext stepsOffers Results

Experiential research

▪ Visiting an institution, convention or

subject-specific exhibition can prove

invaluable when making decisions

▪ Obtain a real ‘feel’ for the campus,

course, subject, career

▫ UCAS conventions

▫ Open days

▫ Taster courses

▫ Summer schools

▫ Subject specific events

▫ Career Fairs

Forms of research

▪ UCAS website▪ Course search▪ UCAS TV▪ Stamford Test

▪ UNISTATS

▪ Yougofurther.co.uk

▪ Institutions websites

▪ Publications

▪ Talking to tutors,

UCAS and the

institutions

▪ Number of institutions

▪ Number of courses

309

50,000+

The provision of higher education in the UK

Things to consider when making your choices

What to study Where to study Do I meet the criteria – target grades/AS results Content of course Facilities Finance Life after university Travel Social activities

Speak to UCAS or the individual institution

This is UCAS.com

Course Search Qualifications / grades / subjects

Finance

Course content

Selection process How long they take to make a decision Admissions tests Interviews Auditions What they look for in the personal statement

Institutions own websites

Important dates

October 15th

Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry and Oxbridge

January 15th

Main deadline

March 24th Some Art and Design courses

FCC expect you to complete your section by beginning of

December Takes Sixth Form Tutor Team approx 2 weeks

to then add reference and send tom UCAS

Applying

Cost = £11 / £22

Read the information carefully

Do it early

Do not give anyone your login details

Keep record of login details, password etc

Applicant completes:Personal detailsChoicesEducationEmploymentPersonal StatementAdditional information (UK only)

School completes:Reference

Why should I apply early?

Institutions will have more time to consider your

application if its submitted early as they will have fewer

applications to view

If you are unsuccessful with your initial choices you can

use Extra

You can concentrate on your school work

Only apply early if you know what you want to apply for

Final figures for 2010: 637,773 Figures as at 21 May 2011: 647,008 (+ 1.4%)

Extra starts mid February

One less thing to worry about

Otherwise you will have wasted your choices

Track

Enables you to follow the progress

of your

application (24/7, access via

password)

Quickest way to find out about

new offers

You can reply to offers online

Important that you keep up to date

with your application

Number of choices

Up to 5 choices Oxford OR Cambridge If applying to study Medicine, Vet

Science/Medicine up to 4 choices.

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 (1st choice) Insurance (2nd choice)

How your offer may look

▪ Grade offer:▫ This offer is subject to you obtaining Merit, Merit, Merit in

your BTEC National Diploma

▪ Tariff offer:

This offer is subject to you obtaining 240 UCAS Tariff

points

▪ Tariff and grade offer:▫ This offer is subject to you obtaining 240 UCAS Tariff points

including a distinction in the Building Services Science unit

Please read the conditions of th

e offer

carefully and if you have any queries speak

to the institution.

UCAS Tariff

Points system used for many qualifications including:

A Levels

BTEC (e.g. DDD = 360 points)

Diplomas (Progression Diploma grade A = 300)

Tariff =

GCE A Level Tariff Points

A* 140

A 120

B 100

C 80

D 60

E 40

What happens next

▪ Get your results

▪ If successful:▫ Wait to hear from your institution

▪ If unsuccessful:▫ Clearing process

▫ Year out

▫ Re-sits

▫ Work experience

Questions?