www.le.ac.uk

The UCAS Applications ProcedureSam Winter

Applying to University

• Choosing Your Course/ Institution

• The UCAS Application Process Outline

• The Personal Statement

Choosing a course

• Aquaculture and Fisheries Management

• Brewing and Distilling

• Bulgarian Studies

• Crime Scene Science

• Dairy Herd Management

• Midwifery

• Medical Product Design

• Floriculture

• Gambling Studies

• Golf Studies• Parasitology• Peace and Conflict

Studies• Physics with

Australian Studies• Veterinary Nursing

with Practice Management

• Theatre Lighting• Viticulture and

Oenology• Yacht and Powercraft

www.ucas.com

Course Considerations

• Entry Requirements

• Content and structure

• Teaching styles

• Opportunities

• Prospects

• Departmental strengths

• Reputation??

Which university?

• Stay at home or move away

• Large institution or specialist college

• Campus or city location

• Academic facilities

• Reputation

• Accommodation

• Students’ Union/ social life

www.le.ac.uk

Essential Research• Prospectuses

• League Tables?

• Independent Guides

Open Days• Summer / Autumn

• Before you apply

• See if you like the subject

• See if you like the place

UCAS Process Outline

UCAS Application

• UCAS = Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

• 5 choices of course/ university

• ALL applications are now done online – www.ucas.com

– Don’t have to do it all at once!

– Draft personal statements

– No handwriting

– Tracking of applications

• Apply Information @ www.ucas.com

UCAS 201110,000 fewer places, 16.5% increase in applications!

• Start your application - 14th June 2010

• Processing of applications - September 2010

DEADLINES– Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry, Vets - 15th October 2010 – Most courses - 15th January 2011

• BUT your school will have its own deadline

• Entrance tests? LNAT / UKCAT / GAMSAT / BMAT

• Gap Year? Apply for deferred entry

A little interlude for a couple of tips

• Universities are usually clear about entry requirements.

They say what they want/ don’t want

• Don’t try and “second guess” or read between the lines

• If you are unsure, ask the question! Universities are not

ivory towers!

• Do not be put of by scaremongers, doomsayers, “I read

on studentroom/ Facebook that…”

University Decision

• 3 responses to your application

– Unconditional Offer

– Conditional Offer

– Reject

• Interview?

• Most universities will invite offer holders for another visit

Your Decision – Late April• Firm Choice – Must be the place you really want to go to!

• Insurance Choice – Must also be a place you want to go

Must be a VERY strong likelihood of you making the offer

• Decline ALL other offers

UNIS ARE NO LONGER ‘FLEXIBLE’ WITH ENTRY REQUIREMENTS!

DO NOT TRY ‘CLEVER’ TACTICS!

Results day• You can track your application online

• If unsure, phone the University hotline

• Clearing

– Hotlines and newspaper guides

• Adjustment period

– Exceeded expectations

– Any places left?

– You won’t necessarily have visited the university

APPLY 15th Oct

DECIDE late April

Research Open Days

Prospectuses Guides

APPLY 15th Jan

March – Sept

Results

• Dentistry • Medicine • Vet Science • Oxford • Cambridge

Interviews/offers & Visit Days

October January April August October

Start

Personal Statements

(All about you in 4000 characters)

What Admissions Tutors are looking for• A clear well written UCAS application form

• Why have you chosen this subject??

• An understanding of the subject

• Current Studies

• Aspirations

• Enthusiasm

• Work Experience, Volunteer Work

• Extra-curricular activities

• Evidence of relevant skills

Avoid….• Defining the subject

• Too much “gushing”

• Embroidering the truth

• Being too quirky

– Conscientious, not wacky

Please ensure…• Check it before you submit it

(presentation, spelling and grammar)

• Suitable email addresses

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Check it!!

“…I am working with a software developer on an application to be used in hospitals

(Do I need to talk about this job? It’s quite technical could I talk about that?)”

“…and played for the Junior American Football team. (is all this cr*p relevant or not?) (Should I mention I was head pupil in Yr 9?)”

From the horse’s mouth “A good personal statement should make

it clear why the candidate wants to read their particular subject and supply concrete evidence of that enthusiasm. It should reflect the distinctive style and characteristics of its author…The worst statements are polished but boring.”

Nicholas Shrimpton

Vice-Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University

Education Guardian

From the horse’s mouth II

“You should check that your personal statement is expressed in accurate and logical English. You should write in a clear and coherent manner, and are advised to avoid pomposity and platitudes, and not to make strained attempts to appear funny or different.”

Entry Profile on UCAS website from Bristol University

Accept or Reject?!

“From watching and reading Sherlock Holmes, Cracker, CSI and Crime watch, my interest in criminology has developed. Criminology has always had a glamorous image but it is more than that it deals with criminals and supports the justice system. Criminology is all about crime and punishment. It is an exciting inter-disciplinary subject which draws on Sociology, Psychology and Law to help examine how crime is defined, why people commit crimes, and how society responds to crimes.”

Criminology

“..out of the darkness loomed the silent majesty of the Forum.' A bit cheesy I know but I wanted to convey the excitement I felt on visiting Rome. That first evening, I walked the Appian Way and there stood the Forum. It was real! For the last 5 years or so, I have had a fascination for the Roman Empire and especially for its military history. I have often pondered on how the political map of today has been set by the decisions military leaders took on the battlefield a thousand years ago.”

History

“Examination of any quality newspaper will probably demonstrate that more of the headlines address economic problems than any other topic. The importance and relevance of economics and related disciplines to the modern world have led me to want to pursue the study of the subject at a higher level. I am particularly interested in the behaviour of firms and organizations from an economic standpoint. During my study, I have come across many real life complexities and, while attempting to apply theoretical ideas, I have developed a keen interest in analyzing and understanding how the world of business is influenced by economics.”

Economics

“Examination of any quality newspaper will probably demonstrate that more of the headlines address economic problems than any other topic. The importance and relevance of economics and related disciplines to the modern have led me to want to pursue the study of the subject at a higher level. I am particularly interested in the behavior of firms and organizations from an economic standpoint. During my study, I have come across many real life complexities and, while attempting to apply theoretical ideas, I have developed a keen interest in analyzing and understanding how the world of business is influenced by economics.”

Websites

www.studential.com

www.thestudentroom.co.uk

www.getintouni.com

I am fascinated with dentistry because I love to network and build computers.

If I spoke these words aloud, many people would scratch their heads and appear confused. At first glance, this statement appears absurd. On a closer look, however, it makes perfect sense.

When I work on computers, I must operate within a tiny space inside a computer cache, taking extreme care to avoid damaging the delicate equipment. As a dentist, I will also perform my duties within the smallest of spaces, using tiny instruments on fragile surfaces.

Of course, there is a crucial distinction between building a computer and providing dental care. While both fields allow me to employ my manual skills, only one has the significant interpersonal component that I seek in a career. While I am grateful to the computer technician who corrects glitches in my operating system, I have far more gratitude to the orthodontist who straightened my teeth as a child…

Dentistry

£ 129.9

9!!

www.le.ac.uk

Don’t Cheat• 5% of applicants “borrow” from websites

• 234 applicants - dramatic chemistry set incident

aged 8

• 370 applicants – “a fascination with the human

body”!

• 175 applicants – “an elderly or infirm grandfather”

UCAS anti-plagiarism software – Similarity Detection

Websites

www.studential.com

www.thestudentroom.co.uk

www.getintouni.com

www.ucas.com

Don’t forget the reference!!!

Thank you for listening and the best of luck with your

applications!

Useful Websites• www.ucas.com

• www.ucas.tv

• www.yougo.co.uk

• www.??.ac.uk

• www.unistats.com

• www.offa.org.uk

• www.push.com

• www.unionview.com