UCAS

UCASHandbook2010[1]

UCAS Handbook

2010-2011

Key deadlines 2010-2011

Thursday 24th June 20101. Complete all areas of the UCAS form, with the exception of yourPersonal Statement and Course Choices

2. Complete first draft of your Personal Statement in Microsoft Word(maximum 4000 characters). Give or send a copy to your tutor.

Wednesday 8th September2010Internal deadline for CUKAS(students applying to music colleges only)

Wednesday 15th September2010Internal deadline for applicants for: OxfordMedicineVeterinary ScienceVeterinary Medicine

Cambridge Dentistry Dental Hygiene

Wednesday 29th September2010

‟„Advance internal deadlinefor applicants who wish for their form to be sent before half term

Wednesday 20th October 2010 Internal deadline for all remaining applicants

3Introduction

We have tried to bring together in this booklet a whole host of informationregarding the university application process through UCAS (the Universities and

UCASHandbook2010[1]Colleges Admissions Service). There is a lot of information contained in it –too much to take in over a single read – but it can be referred to as you reacheach stage in the application process. This document should help you to stayfocused and in control of your decisions over the next few months and we hope itwill lead to your success in attaining a place on your ideal course at yourpreferred university.

Useful websites

www.ucas.com http://www.purepotential.org/ www.studentroom.co.ukwww.aimhigher.ac.uk/http://www.unistats.com/*based on data from the National Student Survey; includes student satisfactionratings

www.connexions-direct.com/www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinancehttp://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/p!eXbLc*a rather clumsy web address, but this page, actually designed for universitygraduates,will give you an idea of your options after a degree in your chosen subject.

www.timesonline.co.uk*has a fairly comprehensive ‘good university guide’ section of the website, buthas recentlybecome a subscription site!

Useful people

Who Contact Details Where To Find Them

Your Tutor

Miss BurnsUCAS Coordinator [email protected]

Mr. Smith

Rm 138 at (and before) tutor timeMusic RoomOld Hall StaffroomOxbridgeCoordinatorMrs. [email protected] Rm 161Old Hall StaffroomLRC Manager [email protected] LRC New Hallor Senior Study

4Top tips for success

1. Research carefully. Use the internet, order prospectuses, email or

UCASHandbook2010[1]‟telephone universities if you have a specific question that isn t answered in

the prospectus.

2. Be realistic. Match course choices to your grade or points profile.‟There s no point

applying to universities requiring three A grades when you are predicted BCC.

‟3. Don t rush. Work well in advance of deadlines – a Personal Statementtakes a long time to perfect and should not be done the night before thedeadline.

‟4. Be in the right place at the right time. Meet your tutor when you resupposed to, in the agreed location.

‟5. Use the computer rooms at tutor time and lunch times. There ll be staffand other students available to help out with your queries.

6. Carefully select the open days you attend. Open days are your chance toexplore the institution where you may spend three years of your life and youropportunity to talk to people already there.

Your UCAS Username: (created at registration)

Your UCAS Personal ID: (available when you first log in)

Write down your password somewhere secure – in a Microsoft Word document and on‟your mobile „phone – it s a real hassle if you lose this!

5

UCASHandbook2010[1]The UCAS calendar

Date EventEarly-May 2010 Course search for entry 2011 firstbecomes available

‟Mid-June 2010 „Apply 2011 system first becomesavailable

‟Monday 21st June 2010 UCAS Parents EveningTuesday 22nd June 2010 Range of seminars on HE related issues; SebJones from Staffordshire Uni Wednesday 23rd June 2010 Higher EducationConference at Staffordshire University (Stoke Campus) Thursday 24th June 2010 Work with your tutor directly on your application1. Complete all areas of your UCAS form (except for your PersonalThursday 24th June 2010Statement and Course Choices)2. Complete first draft of your Personal Statement in word (maximum4000 characters). Give or send a copy to your tutor.July 2010 CUKAS online application becomesavailable(for Music students applying to Conservatoires only)Thursday 19th August 2010 AS results day. Collect from college from 10.30am.Discuss your AS results with tutors and teachersMake decisions about college courses and re-sitsSeptember 2010



Wednesday 29th September2010Enter AS results into UCAS formDecide which HE courses are going to be appropriate following your ASresults and A Level predicted gradesInternal deadline for CUKAS applicants (students applying to Music colleges)Internal deadline for applicants for:Oxford Cambridge Medicine Dentistry Dental HygieneVeterinary ScienceVeterinary Medicine

‟„Advance internal deadlinefor applicants who wish for their form to be sent before half term1st October 2010 External deadline for CUKAS applicants(for Music students applying to Conservatoires only)Wednesday 20th October2010 Internal deadline for allremaining applicantsMonday 25th – Friday 29thOctober 2010 HALF TERM HOLIDAYMonday 20th December –Monday 3rd January CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYJanuary 2011 Some AS re-sits and A Levelexaminations take placeUCAS deadline for “on-time” applications. Applications after this deadline willSaturday 15th January 2011still be accepted but will be considered as “late” applications and thereforegiven lower priorityEnd of February 2011 UCAS Extra first becomes availableThursday 24th March 2011 UCAS deadline for some Art & Design courses

UCASHandbook2010[1]Early May 2011*date to be confirmedEarly June 2011*date to be confirmedStudents must confirm course choices if they received all offers by 31stMarchStudents must confirm course choices if they received all offers after 31stMarchThursday June 30th 2011 Online application for 2011 closesA Level Results day:Collect results from collegeThursday 18th August 2011*provisional dateBring in your UCAS username, password and personal ID together with contactdetails for your firm and insurance universities

‟Don t book a holiday on or after results day in case you need to gothrough the Clearing system.Thursday 18th August 2011 UCAS Clearing opensSeptember/October 2011 Commence your university course

6Understanding the UCAS process

The UCAS form explainedThe UCAS form is completed online and sent to all universities on your behalf byUCAS. You are responsible for filling in the application form but your tutor canbe a great help to you and will answer any queries you have about how to fill itin. It is imperative that you visit your tutor in one of the computer roomsfrequently during tutor periods in order to get the form completed accurately.

The form contains several sections:

‟„Personal Details – personal information such as address, date of birth, email,financial arrangements;

‟„Additional Information – this section asks you about your ethnic origin,‟national identity, whether you ve been in care and also about your

‟ ‟parents /guardians occupational and education background. There is also anopportunity in this section to enter details of specific activities you haveundertaken to prepare for higher education, such as summer schools;

‟„Choices – this is where you enter the university and course codes of thecourses for which you wish to apply. You will be able to apply to five coursesonly. Institution codes are normally a letter and two numbers, whilst coursecodes are usually four digits long and a mixture of letters and numbers;

‟„Education – contains details of schools where you sat formal examinations(your GCSE, AS, A Level, BTEC and OCR qualifications) and any otherqualifications that may be relevant;

‟„Employment – here you can record details of part-time jobs;

‟„Statement – this is where you enter your Personal Statement once it isfinished (draft and re-draft it in Microsoft Word first!);

‟„Reference – you have no access to this – your tutor is responsible for writing‟your reference and does so via the „Staff section of the UCAS website. With the

reference your tutor will also provide predicted grades.

Please note that some universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge and somespecialist drama and music colleges for example, require a separate applicationform to be sent to the university as well as the UCAS form itself. Do yourresearch to see if this affects you!

UCASHandbook2010[1]The cost of applyingIf you apply to 2-5 courses the total cost will be £21. If you apply to 1 courseonly the cost will be £11.We request that payment is done online, direct with UCAS, via a debit or creditcard.Some specialist drama and music colleges will require a further application oraudition fee.

‟Westwood s application processWestwood College has quite a complicated system for processing UCAS

‟applications. It may seem that there s a lot of fuss over proof-reading, makingchanges and sending the form backwards and forwards at least twice in the

‟process, but it is vital to get the form right – there s a lot of stiffcompetition out there and many university tutors to impress. So, be patient and

‟ ‟understand that although you may think your work is „done , it probably isn t. Itcan take up to a week to process a UCAS application once you have finished your

‟part of the form – this will be much longer if you haven t taken the care to do‟ ‟it right in the first place. When your form is „done as far as you re concerned,

you must continue to visit your tutor to keep up-to-date on where your form is(with a Senior Member of Staff, with Miss. Burns, back with your tutor) so thatyou can make changes when it does come back to you.

7This page outlines the process that happens at Westwood to prepare, check andsend your UCAS application form.

Completing your application formFill in the routine parts of the formWrite your Personal Statement in Microsoft Word and, when complete, paste itinto the formFinalise and enter your course choicesEnsure all parts of the form are complete, checked and saved; proof-read itcarefully

‟Mark each section of the form as „complete (tick box at the bottom of thesection)

‟Select „Send to Referee . You will be asked for payment at this point. Pleasepay by debit or credit card; the site has a secure “https” payment system (ifthis poses a problem see Miss Burns). Note that ‘sending’ your form does notactually send it to UCAS – it just makes it available for the reference to beadded.

Once your application form is completed‟Once you have „sent your form print it off, place it in a specially printed

UCAS envelope (your tutor has these) with the front cover filled in and give itto your tutor *at this stage the form has not ‘gone’ to UCAS – it can bereturned for you to make amendments and re-sent as necessary with no furtherchargeEnsure your tutor has a copy of your exam certificates or statements of resultsfor all qualifications that need to be verified (GCSE, AS Level, possiblyothers). Your tutor will check through your qualificationsYour tutor will enter the reference and predicted grades, print these off andput them inside the envelope with your application formThe UCAS envelope must then be given to Miss Burns who will pass it to a SeniorMember ofStaff for proof-readingThe proof-read form and UCAS envelope will then be returned to your tutor viaMiss BurnsKeep in close touch with your tutor at tutor periods – at some stage (from thenext day to a week later) the form will come back to your tutor with errors

UCASHandbook2010[1]highlighted.

Amending your application formYour tutor will return your form to you, both the paper version in the envelopeand the online versionIt is now your responsibility to make the changes indicated

‟Have another detailed proof-read – take your time to ensure it s totally correct‟Mark all sections as complete once again and „send to referee a second time

*you will not be charged again – the system knows you have already paidYour tutor will also make any changes recommended to the reference and then markyour

‟application as „complete via the UCAS websiteSign the form on the UCAS envelope to show that you have made the necessarychanges and pass it to your tutorYour tutor will also sign the form on the UCAS envelope to show that the changeshave been madeForward the UCAS envelope to Miss BurnsMiss Burns will then send your application to UCAS. Your tutor is not able to dothis.

The UCAS Points Tariff explained‟Many universities make a „points offer of a place. The points are calculated

from your A Level grades, but also include any subjects you have studied to ASLevel only. The points awarded for each grade are as follows:

A Level Grade PointsEquivalentA* 140A 120B 100C 80D 60E 40AS Level Grade PointsEquivalentA 60B 50C 40D 30E 20

‟Some students will have studied for a „double-award at AS or A Level, in whichcase the points for the two grades you are awarded will combine to give you anoverall points tariff for that subject (e.g. AB grades in a double award = 220points).

Additionally, some other qualifications will count as part of your UCAS Tariff.The following examples show some of the points available for Music Exams and forBTEC and OCR National awards:

Music Grade PointsEquivalentGrade 7 Practical(Distinction) 60Grade 7 Practical

BTEC NationalCertificate (Level 3)

UCASHandbook2010[1]

OCR NationalDiploma (Level 3)

Points Equival ent(Merit) 55Grade 7 Practical(Pass) 40Grade 6 Theory(Distinction) 15Grade 6 Theory(Merit) 10Grade 6 Theory(Pass) 5D Distinction 240DM M1 200MM M2 160P1MP P2 120PP P3 80

Other qualifications that commonly gain students additional UCAS points includespeech and drama exams, dance exams, some horse riding qualifications and manymore. Do your research – find out which qualifications will gain you UCAS pointsand how many via the Tariff section on the UCAS website:

http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/

Don’t assume that an institution will accept points from these additionalqualifications: do check the entry profile information and/or contact theuniversity directly to confirm.

Deferring your entryIf you plan to go to university after taking a gap year you can apply for

‟„deferred entry . This means that you will make your application during Year 13but the universities will offer you a place to start in September 2012 ratherthan 2011. If you choose to take a year out before going to university do planyour gap year carefully and make reference to your plans in your PersonalStatement. To defer a course you simply need to select the later startdate as you enter your course choices.

10Other services offered by UCAS

UCAS ExtraThis is for students who have been rejected by all five initial course choices,or who wish to decline all offers. You can apply to one more course which stillhas vacancies through the UCAS Track system. The Extra system is available fromlate February.

UCAS ClearingClearing is used by students who have not secured a place at university becausethey did not achieve the required grades to meet the conditions of the offer.Clearing opens mid-August (after the publication of results) and runs until lateSeptember. The Clearing system matches vacancies on courses with suitablyqualified students, but you will need to be more flexible about where and what

‟ ‟you study. Don t plan a holiday on or just after results day – you ll need togo to the university to make sure the course and location are right for you.Interviews may even be conducted over the telephone.

UCASHandbook2010[1]

What is a degree?‟A degree is a three or four year course which will gain you a bachelor s degree

on successfulcompletion. There are a range of different titles for undergraduate degreequalifications, for instance:

BA (Bachelor of Arts) BSc (Bachelor of Science) BEd (Bachelor of Education) BEng (Bachelor of Engineering)BMus (Bachelor of Music) BN (Bachelor of Nursing)

There are also a range of levels that can be awarded for your degree:

First Class Honours2:1 Upper Second Class Honours2:2 Lower Second Class HonoursThird Class Honours

‟Ordinary (often an „unclassified award)

‟Some universities offer four year courses labelled „M (master). These include:

MSci (Master of Science) MPhys (Master of Physics)MEng (Master of Engineering) MChem (Master of Chemistry) MMath (Master ofMathematics) MMus (Master of Music)

Other types of Higher Education courseThe majority of undergraduates will follow a degree route through university;however, there are a range of other courses available that might be more suitedto your present qualifications and your future aspirations. Have you considered:

Foundation Degree – a two-year vocational course combining study and work-based‟learning. Leads to a FdA or FdSc award. Can be followed by a one-year „top-up

to give you a full degree award.

Certificate of Higher Education – the first year of a degree course;

HND (Higher National Diploma) – a two-year course which, if completed with highgrades, can lead to the third year of a degree;

HNC – a qualification which enables you to study whilst working in a relatedindustry.

For some of these qualifications you may need to apply directly to theinstitution rather than through UCAS.

11Specific institutions and specialist subjects

Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge)Mr. Fox/Mr. Smith will help you prepare all aspects your application – pleasesee themYou can apply to only one college at EITHER Cambridge OR Oxford – not bothThere is an early application deadline of Wednesday 15th September internally sowe can process all applications well ahead of the external deadline of 15thOctoberThere may be a separate application form and an additional application feeFor some subjects you will need to send in a sample of workTo study some subjects at Oxford or Cambridge you will need to take aptitudetests. These are as follows:

UCASHandbook2010[1]

Subject Institution TestEnglish Literatureand associated coursesPhilosphy, PoliticsOxford ELAT (English Literature Admissions Test)www.elat.org.uk

TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment)and Economics OxfordHistory and Historyjoint honours OxfordModern andMedieval Languages Cambridgewww.tsa.cambridgeassessment.org.uk HAT (History Aptitude Test)www.history.ox.ac.ukMML (Modern Medieval Languages aptitude test)www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/mml/tests.htmlMathematics Cambridge STEP (Sixth Term Examination Papers)www.maths.cam.ac.uk/undergrad/admissionsinfoComputer Science, Natural Sciences, Engineering and Economics

Cambridge TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment)www.tsa.cambridgeassessment.org.uk

MedicineYou can apply to only four universities for Medicine – usually your fifth choicewill be BiomedicalSciences, Forensic Science or something similarYou may need to sit either the BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) OR the UKCAT(UK ClinicalAptitude Test) entrance test to gain a place at some institutionsTo find out about how and when to register for these tests go to www.bmat.org.ukor www.ukcat.ac.ukwww.onexamination.com/ukcat is an online resource to help you prepare for UKCATThere is an early application deadline of Wednesday 15th September internally sowe can process all applications well ahead of the external deadline of 15thOctober.

DentistryYou can apply to only four universities – usually your fifth choice will beBiomedical Sciences or something along those linesYou may need to sit the UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) entrance test to gaina place at some institutions to study DentistryTo find out about how and when to register for this test go to www.ukcat.ac.ukwww.onexamination.com/ukcat is an online resource to help you prepare for UKCAT.There is an early application deadline of Wednesday 15th September internally sowe can process all applications well ahead of the external deadline of 15thOctober.

12Veterinary Medicine and SciencesYou can apply to only four universities – usually your fifth choice isBiomedical Sciences, ForensicScience or something along those linesYou may need to sit either the BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) OR the UKCAT(UK ClinicalAptitude Test) entrance test to gain a place at some institutionsTo find out about how and when to register for these tests go to www.bmat.org.ukor www.ukcat.ac.uk

UCASHandbook2010[1]There is an early application deadline of Wednesday 15th September internally sowe can process all applications well ahead of the external deadline of 15thOctober.

LawYou may need to sit the LNAT (National Admissions Test for Law) entrance test togain a place at some institutionsTo find out about how and when to register for this test go to www.lnat.ac.uk

MusicIf you wish to study music at certain conservatoires you must apply through theCUKAS system provided by UCAS http://www.cukas.ac.uk/There is an early deadline of 1st October (externally). You will need tocomplete your application form by Wednesday 8th September so we can ensure youmeet the external deadlineYou will be invited to audition for which there will be a chargeYou may also have to fill in a separate application form.

Art & Design coursesFor some Art & Design courses there is a later external application deadline of24th March 2011. Applicants must check carefully whether the courses for whichthey are applying have an externaldeadline of 15th January or 24th March. Clearly, if even one of your coursechoices has a deadline of15th January we must ensure your form is sent well in advance of this date.

Access ProgrammesThese are Higher Education (HE) courses designed to develop skills foruniversity study in students who do not have the right qualification profile toenter onto a degree course. Some Access to HE courses provide preparation for

‟ ‟particular HE programmes (e.g. „Access to Teaching , „Access to Nursing , „Access‟ ‟to Social Science ); others are more general („Access to HE ) and can lead to a

variety of studies in HE. Courses include study of a combination of specificsubjects relevant to the progression route as well as more general skills,usually including English, Mathematics and IT. For more information seehttp://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/ or the UCAS website.

Non-UCAS Art, Drama and Dance CollegesWhilst several of these are now accessible through the UCAS system, there aremany that are not. You need to apply directly to these institutions and youmight find that there is no financial support available through governmentagencies such as the Student Loans Company. Diplomas in the Performing

‟Arts subjects (available at LIPA or LAMDA for example) often don t qualify forfinancial support and can be very costly.

13Completing the UCAS form

‟Specific points for the „Personal Details section of the form‟The most problems seem to occur with the „About You section – basically because

‟ ‟you don t know the answers to some of the questions posed as you ve never done

UCASHandbook2010[1]anything like this before. The following points should help you with this partof the form.

Enter your address once only – you should enter a postal address only if this isdifferent from your home address. If you have registered using your UCAS Cardnumber then this will probably be completed for you.

Email address – enter one that you regularly use and can access easily from‟anywhere. If you have an email address that s a little rude, offensive or

immature you should consider getting yourself a new address, bearing in mindthat university tutors are going to see it!

Country of Birth, Nationality and Residential Category – the majority ofWestwood students will have been born in the United Kingdom, will be a UKNational and are resident as a UK National/EU Citizen. If you think you need toenter different information, please check carefully.

Receiving information from UCAS – carefully read the wording of the questions‟asked here, or you will find that you have said you don t wish to receive any

post. We recommend that you request to receive information by both email andpost, but probably not by SMS, although this is up to you. Enter UCAS as a

‟ ‟„friend within your email account so messages from them aren t sent to junkmail.

Fee Code – this will be “02 UK, ChI, loM or EU student finance services” foralmost every student. This means that the Student Loans Company will beresponsible for determining your financial provision (this does not mean theywill give you lots of money, but that they will identify how much you are

‟entitled to, what your parents contributions should be, etc.)

Student support arrangements – this will be “Staffordshire”, regardless of whereyou live, because you are currently educated in Staffordshire.

Nominated access – identify a trusted parent or other relative who can speak toUCAS on your behalf should you be unable to speak to them yourself. You cannominate upto two people.

*Please note that these points are based on our findings with last year’sapplication forms. There may be other small ‘quirks’ in this year’s system thatwe are unaware of at the time of going to print. Your tutor will be keptinformed of relevant information and developments and will pass these on to youduring tutor period. Make sure you attend to keep yourself well-informed!

‟The „Choices section

The institution code is a three figure code made up of a letter followed by twonumbers (e.g. TheUniversity of Aberdeen has the code A20)

The course code is usually four figures long and is often made up of acombination of letters and numbers (e.g. straight Physics courses have the codeF300)

Course codes tend to be broadly the same across all universities (e.g. searchingfor F300 will pull up 42 Physics courses across the country)

Courses which combine two different subject areas often have a close similarity‟to the „pure

subject code (e.g. Physics with Astrophysics has the code F3F5)

You should enter a campus code from the options provided (there may only be oneoption if the institution has only one campus).

You should enter the start date of your course: 2011 to start next year or 2012for deferred entry.

UCASHandbook2010[1]

14‟The „Education Section – AS, A Level and BTEC subject and module titles

This page will allow you to keep a record of your subject and module titles. Ifyou are studying for a vocational qualification, such as a BTEC, you need toenter your module titles only – ignore the AS and A Level subject columns. Youshould also add in your predicted grades (refer to your SPC, talk to your tutorand subject teachers) and, later, update it with the actual grades attained.This will help you to identify which courses you are likely to be eligible forin terms of your academic achievement.Module titles can be found on the college intranet via: My Computer>SharedDocuments>UCAS>GCE A Level Module Titles

AS Subject Module Titles Date of ResultsMonth/Year

ExamBoard

PredictedGrade(whole AS Level)Grade Achieved (individual modules)

Grade Achieved (whole AS Level)

15

A Level Subject Module Titles Date of ResultsMonth/YearExam

UCASHandbook2010[1]BoardPredicted Grade(whole A Level)Predicted Points

What is your overall points profile likely to be?

(Include any AS subjects you intend to drop and any points from otherqualifications.)

16‟The „Education section - other qualifications

There is a whole raft of other qualifications that you can include on your UCASapplication form – some of which could also provide you with UCAS points,depending upon whether a university accepts them. These include dance, music,drama and horse riding qualifications. Check the UCAS site for full details,then compile a list below of other qualifications you can put on the form.Remember that you need a certificate as proof of the qualification, which yourtutor will need to see.

Qualification Level Awarded Date Awarded (month/year) Awarding Body Centre Number*your teacher will know thisUCAS pointsif relevantExampleGrade 7 Violin Merit March 2006Associated Board of the RoyalS243 55

UCASHandbook2010[1]School of Music

‟It is only the most recent qualification in each „subject that you need toenter on the application form, i.e. you need only enter Grade 5 Ballet even ifyou have been awarded Grades 1-4 in the past, but you would enter Grade 4 Tap as

‟a qualification in a separate „subject .

To find out if your qualification will provide you with UCAS points refer to thefollowing page of the UCAS website:

http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/

17‟Your „Personal Statement

Introducing you to the Personal StatementThis part of your application is really what sets you apart from all otherapplicants – the qualifications on other parts of the UCAS form are just dataand say little about you, your interests, personality and values. You reallyMUST sell yourself and make yourself sound interesting whilst remaining truthful– be passionate and enthusiastic about the subject for which you are applying.Additionally, universities will study it to gauge your ability to communicatethrough writing, so it needs to be accurate grammatically, should use correctpunctuation and should demonstrate quite a wide vocabulary.

Top tips for your Personal Statement

Write it in Word. This will allow you to play around with it much more easilythan the UCAS site. Only paste it in when you think it is ready. The maximumlength is 4000 characters (single letters, punctuation, spaces).

The Statement must be your work – UCAS runs plagiarism identification softwarewhich will detect whether the content of your Personal Statement matches that of

‟someone else s application.

‟Don t make it up – you could be asked to talk about aspects of your experienceat interview, which you will find very difficult if you have only writtensomething because it sounds good and have no personal experience or

‟understanding of what you ve written.

‟ ‟Don t use words that you don t know or understand – if you have used Microsoft

UCASHandbook2010[1]Word to suggest synonyms (alternative words with the same meaning) checkthoroughly that it does actually have the same meaning or you risk sayingsomething thoroughly inaccurate or totally hilarious.

Be patient – if your tutor suggests refinements, do invest time in makingimprovements.

‟Don t let someone else write it for you – whether this is your tutor, your mum,your big brother or your best friend, they are not you!

Search deep – think really hard about what you want to say, what you believe in,what more you want to learn, what you can offer.

‟ ‟You can t improve something that doesn t exist! Get your first draft written as‟soon as you can and don t worry too much in the early stages about the exact

‟structure or vocabulary used – it s just the starting point and not the finishedproduct but it will give you something to work on.

‟“Big yourself up” – it s really hard celebrating yourself, but you must standback, look at your achievements objectively and be prepared to share them withyour audience.

Proof-read it, then proof-read it again at a different time of day, then asksomeone else to proof- read it for you and then – go on, push the boat out –proof read it again yourself. Also read it out loud to someone else. Read it on

‟paper rather than via the computer – you ll see the mistakes more easily.Remember, if you send off your Personal Statement with grammatical, punctuationor spelling mistakes you run the risk of being rejected.

‟Remember that admissions tutors at universities can t give masses of time toeach form. It is said that they read an application in just four or five minutesand rely on their gut reaction. Your Statement needs to impress and must be

‟clearly written so that tutors don t need to re-read it to understand meaning.

18Structuring your Personal StatementA suggested structure for your Personal Statement is as follows:

Paragraph 1 – arguably the most importantPunchy startCommunicate your passion for the subject for which you are applying anddemonstrate why you would be good at itAny particular areas that you wish to learn more about?Wider-reading related to the subject that you have undertaken independently ofyour college studiesPotential careers after your studies

Paragraph 2Enjoyment of and commitment to current subjects – pick out topics and state whyExplore the skills you have acquired through your AS and A Level studies andrelate these to yourHigher Education course choice

Paragraph 3 (could be split into two paragraphs)Detail any courses, lectures, work experience, field courses, music exams,sporting achievements, interests etc. that relate directly to your subject anddiscuss what skills/experiences they have provided you with.Other experiences in or out of school that demonstrate a range of differentskills but are not directly related to your chosen subject e.g. part time work,hobbies, interests, music/sport exams or qualifications, Duke of Edinburgh,Gifted and Talented group, helping younger or less able

UCASHandbook2010[1]students with work, field courses/trips, playing in a band, dancing, chess,extracurricular activities in or out of school (shows, orchestra, Westfest,sport etc), cinema, reading, socialising.For each activity state the skills you have acquired and how these are useful.It is also good to stress that you understand the need to have a range of

‟hobbies that enable you to relax and to be a well-balanced person – you don twant to make yourself sound like a dull workaholic!

‟Paragraph 4 – vital to „sealing the dealA final few sentences to stress to the admissions tutors why you want to studythis subject and why you will make an excellent university student.It is worth demonstrating that you have researched your application thoroughly.

‟Keep using the same words? Here s some useful vocab…

enthusiastic, passionate, desire, commitment, focused, dedicated,well-motivated, self-motivated, conscientious, intelligent, hardworking,independent, trustworthy, thrive on the challenge of….., reliable, goodtime-management skills, well- organised, honest, communication skills,excellence, high standards, interpersonal skills, sociable, open-minded,leadership qualities, good listener, ambitious, active learner, participation,sense of humour, realistic, logical, mature, well-respected, inquisitive,fascinated by…, responsible, inspired by…

There is a page on the UCAS website which provides further advice on yourPersonal Statement.

19Thinking about your current subjectsUse this page as a way of examining your thoughts about the subjects you arecurrently studying.

What is it about this subject that inspires you?

Why did you choose it?

AS Subject:

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Which areas of the subject do you particulary enjoy

What challenges have you faced in this subject? How have you overcome thesechallenges?

What skills have you developed in this subject that are transferrable to HigherEducation?

20Examining your personal skills and attributes‟It s always difficult to evaluate yourself and to think objectively about what

you do well. The following chart is designed to get you thinking about your‟skills (things you re able to do well), your attributes (aspects of your

character) and particular strengths.

Curricular, extra-curricular or work activity

Coaching junior football team

English LiteratureSkill/Attribute/Strengths

Skills: clear communication; people-management Attributes: fair; approachable;friendly; inspire trust Strengths: organising and motivating othersSkills: textual analysis; discussion and debate; thinking skillsAttributes: logical thought; open-minded; good listenerStrengths: clear communication; getting others to expand on their ideas

UCASHandbook2010[1]

21Grammar and style: a few notes

1. ApostrophesThere are two main uses of the apostrophe. The first is to indicate that wordshave been abbreviated. The apostrophe is inserted in place of the missing

‟ ‟ ‟letters: cannot – can t; we will – we ll; let us – let s.

The second use is to indicate possession. In this case it always goes with the‟ ‟owner: Emma s bike; the dog s kennel. It can be complicated if there is more than

one owner. If this applies, then the apostrophe goes after the last letter of‟the plural: the dogs kennel. So, you can work out how many owners there are

by looking at where the‟apostrophe is positioned. However, some nouns in English don t end in s when

they becomeplurals. Common ones are men, women and children. But the rule still applies:put the apostrophe

‟ ‟after the last letter of the plural: the children s books; the women s cars.Other problems focus on y

‟ ‟– ies plurals. Think hard. The lady s coat; the ladies coats. Same rule.

Never form plurals by adding apostrophes. Some students want to write things‟like: the lorry s

‟went down the road. Don t!

‟2. How to refer to the names of books. You ll often want to mention books,plays or film titles in your Personal Statement. Put the title in speech marksand remember to use capital letters as appropriate: „Lord of the

‟Flies . Usually, key words (here, Lord and Flies) are capitalised. Smalljoining words (of, the, in, at etc) are lower case. Obviously, the name of theauthor is in capitals.

3. Which version of the word? There is a difference between practice (which isa noun) andpractise (which is a verb). The same applies to advice (noun) and advise (verb).

4. Agreement. The subject and the verb must agree. What??? If the subject isplural (the girls) then the verb must also be plural (the girls are tryinghard). Some students write things like: the time and effort I put into my workis considerable.

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5. Balanced sentences. Although your statement is relatively brief, you shouldtry to write as fluently as possible. A simple sentence in English normallyfollows the pattern of subject, verb, object. That is, a person or thing actsupon someone orsomething else. The girl wrote the essay. Children like sweets. Obviously, ifall of your statement consists of simple sentences it will become veryboring. So, you can make the sentences complex by adding extra sections(called clauses). These clauses are normally signalled by the use of a comma atthe beginning and end. A clause that would develop one of the examples abovemight be inserted thus: The girl, who was very bright, wrote the essay. In thiscase thecommas act almost like brackets to show how the extra information iscompartmentalised.

226. Punctuation. Be careful to add all the full stops that come at the end ofsentences. On occasion, you might also want to break up a long sentence byadding a semi-colon (;). This punctuation mark sits somewhere between a commaand a full stop in terms of its impact and it can be very impressive when used

‟accurately. But it s all a matter of judgement. I have a keen interest inthe theatre; I am also an avid reader. A colon (:) also breaks up a sentence andoften relates directly to information that follows it, sometimes introducing alist. I love studying architecture of all kinds: Gothic, modern, Classical,Renaissance. Notice that each item is separated by a comma.‟It s not a good idea to finish a list with etc. or to begin it with e.g..

. , ;: ? !

7. Capital letters (see also Point 2, above). Proper nouns are capitalised.As well as the names of people, places, key events (the French Revolution) andperiods (the Restoration) you will find that many subject disciplines are alsomarked by capitals (Biological Science) as are module titles (The Struggle forIdentity).

‟8. Common errors. Many students try to write a lot as one word. It s actually‟two words! Don t be tempted to string together your writing by inserting lots

‟of and… Similarly, aim to vary your sentence structure. Don t start eachsentence with I… or Then… Alternatives could involve the use of an adverb:Occasionally, Recently, Alternatively. If you start with However, it must befollowed by a comma.

‟9. Spellings. Avoid Americanisms such as words ending with „ize . The English‟ ‟spelling is with an „s instead of a „z , e.g. organise. Also be careful with

subject-specific vocabulary – these may not be recognised by the spell-check inMicrosoft Word.

Using spelling and grammar checks‟Don t always trust Microsoft Word when spell and grammar checking. Take its

advice, but be aware that the software does not understand the context of yourwriting. I have seen a Personal Statement where the candidate talked about being

‟on the „collage council . The word is spelt correctly, but it is the wrong word

UCASHandbook2010[1]‟ ‟– I m fairly certain the candidate meant „college council . Similarly, the

grammar check in Microsoft Wordonly scratches the surface and rarely pulls up errors in longer and moresophisticated sentences.

‟ ‟Don t use text „speak‟We ve become lazy with spelling, capitalisation and punctuation as a result of

texting – remember that this‟ ‟is a formal piece of writing so „gr8 , „i , etc. will not wash.

For more support and even tasks to challenge your understanding of grammar andpunctuation, visit theBristol University webpagehttp://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/skills/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm

23

Researching your courses: keep a record‟It s worth checking for any GCSE requirements such as particular grades or

Higher papers versus Intermediate.

Compiling a credible list of potential courses and institutions will enable you‟ ‟to compare them at-a-glance. It s also important to make sure you re considering

a course for the right reason – usually because the course content is just what‟you re after – so completing the last column should help you to focus on the

‟merits of particular courses. If you re totally stuck as to a potential course,‟search for the „Stamford Test via the UCAS website; complete the Stamford Test

questionnaire and relevant courses will be suggested to you – these could make agood starting point for your research!

UniversityCode Course Title

CourseCodeTypical Grades/Points range offeredOther info.e.g. grade B in particular subject required; whether General Studies is accepted

Reason for considering this course

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24Higher Education fairs

‟If you re not careful, these can turn into a car-boot sale for collectingprospectuses, free pens, carrier bags and any other gimmick the universities

‟wish to throw at you. It s important to do a bit of preparation before you goalong. Decide:

which institutions you need to talk to;what questions you really need to have answered;which prospectuses will actually be of use to you;

‟take your „UCAS Card with you so you can book prospectuses to be sent to you.

Open days

How to make the most of open days…

‟ ‟1. Don t go to every open day that s offered in advance of applying – narrowthem to courses and locations which genuinely interest you.

2. Many open days will be during the school term – try to avoid going to toomany as you will miss valuable lessons in your A Level courses. If you need to

‟miss lessons it s better to be out of college in July rather than September.Alternatively go in the summer holiday.

‟3. If you can t make the scheduled open days email the university to see if youcan arrange avisit on another day to suit you.

4. Ask questions – talk to the admissions tutors and current students.

5. Stay into the evening – be sure the town/city is right for you as well asthe course.

Speak to the admissions tutors about:How the course breaks down – are there compulsory and optional areas? How wellstudents achieve?What students go on to do after completing the course?What pastoral support is available from the course tutors – how well will you belooked after?

Talk to current university students about:What they enjoy about the course, the university and the town.

‟ ‟How well supported they feel; it s very important that you re not left to yourown devices too much.Access to study facilities such as library resources and I.T. suites.Accommodation. Are there Halls of Residence for all first years? What happensafter first year –university Halls and houses or private rental? Is accommodation close to the

UCASHandbook2010[1]university? If not, are the transport networks good, affordable and accessible?Are there suitable shops in the accommodation areas? How far are the Halls fromtown?The cost of living. How much do they spend on accommodation? Is transportnecessary and, if so, is it expensive? Are food and drink prices in the areahigh?Extra-curricular activities. What else can you get involved in whilst atuniversity? Are there good sports and gym facilities? What arts groups (music,drama, art) take place? Is there a film club?Social life. What facilities are provided by the Union? What are the town barslike?Are there any town/gown issues? Some towns can be negative towards the studentpopulation.Beyond the university and town. What else is there to do? If you likehill-walking and rock climbing then the Norfolk coast might not suit you!

To find out about open days search the university websites (there are links tothese from the UCASwebsite) and refer to the Open Days publication which is kept in the SeniorStudy.

25Interviews

You must prepare thoroughly if you get invited to interview. Your tutor and/oryour subject teacher will give you mock interviews. Be prepared to answerquestions like the following:

1. What attracts you to this particular course? Why do you want to come here?Refer to resources, reputation, quality of teaching or research, particularaspects of the course that appeal.

2. Why do you want to study…? You need to show your enthusiasm and that youreally care about the subject – have evidence to back up what you say.

3. What do you think is the value of studying….?

4. What do you expect to gain from your time here, apart from a qualification?And what can you offer to the course/university/college/department/student life?

5. Why did you choose to do AS/A Levels/a Vocational course?

6. I see you are interested in…How did you get involved? What do you get fromit?

7. What do you think society gains from people studying….?

8. If the subject is new to you…What have you done to find out about….? Why doyou wish to study it? What have you read about….?

9. For vocational courses: What qualities make a successfuldoctor/engineer/teacher, etc.?

10. Tell me something about your school, college, sixth form.

11. Specific questions about your Vocational/AS/A Level course may be asked.They often start by asking about what you have been studying recently.

12. What play/film/television drama have you seen recently? What books have youread?

‟13. What grades do you expect in you re A Level course or vocational A Level?They will probably have your grades in front of them and are testing yourself-awareness!

14. Why do you want to go to university?

‟15. Where do you see yourself in five or ten years time?

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16. What do you think are your major strengths and/or weaknesses?

You may be asked to discuss aspects of your Personal Statement – re-read this asyou prepare for interview!

Also prepare two or three questions yourself that you can ask at the end of theinterview – these could be related to course content, to the facilitiesavailable, to career prospects.

Think carefully about what you will wear for the interview and about your bodylanguage.

Take your time to think about the question you have been asked – your thinking‟time in an interview may seem to go on forever, but in reality it s only a

matter of seconds whilst you gather your thoughts and structure your answer.

‟Be ready to „think on your feet . You never know what questions might come yourway – a recent applicant for Medicine was asked, “How do medical soapscontribute to public understanding of or confusion about medical issues?”

26Making your final choices

‟Once you have received all your offers it s time to make the all important‟decision of which will be your 1st or „firm choice (“CF”) and which your 2nd or

‟„insurance choice (“CI”). You must make the right choice for the right reasons,which can seem bewildering. Revisit everything you have learnt from readingprospectuses and talking to people at open days. Remember that you will bestaying in that place and on that course for three years, maybe more if youcontinue onto further study or find a graduate job in the area. Ask yourselfagain about:

Which course best suits you? This should be your primary concern.

Which location meets your requirements, in terms of geographical situation andfacilities?

What extra-curricular opportunities are available so that you can becomeinvolved in all aspects of university life and widen your network of friends?

What social life is on offer – you need to get out and meet people.

Remember: course first, place second.

‟„Gut reaction‟ ‟You may have visited one university and it just „felt right, you and it „gelled

and you could easilysee yourself there for the next three years.

‟„Weighing it up‟If you didn t feel such a strong reaction when you visited your universities,

you may find it useful to write yourself a pros-and-cons list to help you focuson your specific needs, e.g.:

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UNIVERSITY THE PROS THECONS

University of Outer HebridesThe course is just what I want

The offer is just right for my predicted grades

etc.Not easy to get to by public transportSmall town location etc.

‟DON T…‟Go where your friends are going because you are afraid you ll miss them.

Be afraid to move far away – you can talk to people whenever you like nowadaysvia MSN,email, mobile „phone and networking sites.

The wrong decision?‟If you realise you ve made the wrong choice three weeks into the course, talk to

your university tutor. The university will invariably want to keep you and willprobably offer another course if places are available.

27Work experience

Work experience is absolutely vital for several courses. These include Medicine,Dentistry, Veterinary, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Law and Teaching.Without work experience your application may not even be considered. Mrs. Dawsoncan help you to organise appropriate work experience. She also has excellentcontacts at Keele University for students pursuing Nursing and otherhealth-related courses.

Voluntary work in appropriate institutions is also highly valuable; assisting ata care home for the elderly or at a school for people with learning or physicaldisabilities will develop interpersonal skills which will be directlytransferable to Nursing and Social Work.

Medlink courses or similar programmes are excellent preparation for Medicineapplicants. Mrs. Baker has more information, or visit www.medlink-uk.com/

Wider reading

‟Increasingly, admissions tutors are looking for evidence of students widerreading; university courses often require a large amount of independent study sothey want to make sure you are interested enough and resourceful enough to findbooks to read in order to widen your knowledge in your subject area. You shouldalso try to refer to your wider reading in your Personal Statement. Yourteachers and the LRC Manager will be able to recommend suitable books, and theLRC Manager can help you search for reading lists provided by the universities.

Gap year

If you have chosen to take a gap year there are a range of options available to

UCASHandbook2010[1]you. You may choose to work for a few months before going on a life-changinground-the-world trip. You could become involved in a volunteer programme, orextend your skills by studying a further or different type of qualification at alocal college. Perhaps you might work abroad on a summer camp having

‟ ‟„earned some pennies over the winter months. It s also perfectly acceptablenowadays to take a year out purely for financial reasons.

Do bear in mind that gap years can be expensive, depending on what you choose to‟do. Volunteer programmes abroad are not usually free – there s accommodation,

food and transport to pay for and, for some countries, visas to travel. Clearly,having a job during a gap year will enable you to save for university, but ifyou are living at home your parents may quite justifiably charge you rent andyou may need to fork out for private or public transport.

Universities feel that gap years can add experience and therefore maturity ifthey are well planned, although they can also lead to loss of study skills. Planwisely and check that the universities will accept a gap year application.

If you do choose to take a gap year you may find the following websites useful:

www.connexions-direct.comwww.gapwork.com www.gap-year.com www.statravel.co.uk www.greatgapyears.co.uk www.bunac.org www.campamerica.co.uk www.vso.org.uk

28Student finance

UK arrangements for student finance have recently changed. Application is nowdone online through www.direct.gov.uk. This website also provides a range ofinformation about the cost of your university education and the financialsupport available.

Here are some basic points regarding student finance:

To cover the cost of the yearly tuition fees every student is entitled to aTuition Fees Loan.You will need to pay this back at the end of your course.

To pay for your accommodation and living expenses whilst at university you canapply for a Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant. This is means-tested(based upon the household income of your family home) so varies from person toperson. If you receive a grant you do not need to pay this money back.

You can apply for a Student Loan which is a maintenance loan to help you to payfor the cost of living; it is means-tested. You will need to pay this back atthe end of your course but only by a small amount each month once your earningsreach £15,000 per annum. The amount you pay back is linked to how much you earn.

Some students may be eligible to apply for special bursaries, scholarships orawards, for example if you are the first member of your family to attenduniversity, have significant financial constraints, or are particularly giftedor talented in the subject for which you wish to apply. If you are lucky enoughto be awarded such financial support you do not have to pay it back. It is wellworth searching for bursaries and scholarships available at your choseninstitutions, finding out what makes you eligible and how you should apply.There is a link to bursaries and financial support for each course via the

‟„Course Search facility on the UCAS website.

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Some students with disabilities may also be eligible for extra funding.

Financial support will not be provided for some Art, Drama, Dance and Musiccourses at non- UCAS institutions. In these circumstances you will have tosupport yourself entirely.

Mr. Dooley holds a finance meeting during Year 13 to provide more detailedinformation about student finance.

Support from the LRC Manager

The Senior Study and LRC contain many valuable sources of information such asprospectuses and textbooks. Our Learning Resource Centre Manager, Mrs. Barber,will help you search for relevant information and course details. She can alsorecommend wider reading materials and point you in the direction of journals(professional magazines about your subject) which you will encounter once youare at university. The Senior Study also holds details of all university opendays.

29‟Think „out of the box

Have you considered joint, dual or combined honours?Did you know that there are all sorts of degree courses available that you maynot have heard of, let alone considered? These include Brewing and Distilling,Off-Road Vehicle Design, Perfumery and Salon Management.

When to apply – some statistics

‟Your application will be ready when it s ready, but it is best to apply as earlyas you can because places fill up. The later your application is sent to theuniversities, the more applications are being read (and possibly read less well)by admissions tutors. With fewer places available later in the UCAS season,admissions tutors may become more critical of applications and discard yoursmore readily. The 2010-2011 application season is likely to be more competitivethan before because places are fewer.

To give you a perspective on the numbers of applications made, the total numberof applicants in2009 was 639,860 making applications for a total of 2,387,415 courses:Westwood students represented a mere 0.016% of these applicants. A total of481,854 applicants were accepted onto courses. (Source: UCAS Media)

For courses starting in 2010, over 16,000 applicants had sent their forms to‟UCAS by the time the first Westwood student s application was sent on 5th

October. By the end of January 2010, when the last application was sent byWestwood, over 555,000 applications had been sent to UCAS.

A balanced opinion

League tables tell you all sorts of different things about a university.

UCASHandbook2010[1]Different league tables will often provide you with conflicting information.

‟Always dig a little deeper – don t take them on face value and question how the‟data was compiled. Similarly, think about an institution s strengths in

delivering your particular course. In some cases the university might not havethe strongest of reputations, but the teaching in your subject may be amongstthe best in the country and the facilities second to none.

You should also remember that prospectuses and other publications arebeautifully produced, glossy and snazzy marketing tools.

‟Bear in mind that some universities are „recruiter universities that want tofill places – perhaps they need to market the institution particularly hard?

‟Others are „selector universities where competition for places is highlycompetitive – do they need to go to the same lengths to attract candidates orcan they rely on reputation alone?

To develop a balanced opinion you need to undertake thorough research via arange of resources and attendance at open days is vital.

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UCASHandbook2010[1]

UCAS

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