The UCAS Applications Procedure
Sam Winter
www.le.ac.uk
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
• Golf Studies
• Parasitology
• Peace and Conflict
Studies
• Physics with Australian
Studies
• Veterinary Nursing with
Practice Management
• Theatre Lighting
• Viticulture and
Oenology
• Yacht and Powercraft
• Gambling Studies
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
Essential Research
• Prospectuses
• League Tables?
• Independent Guides
www.le.ac.uk
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 2011
10,000 fewer places, 16.5% increase in applications!
• Start your application
- 14th June 2010
• Processing of applications
- September 2010
DEADLINES
– Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry, Vets
– Most courses
- 15th October 2010
- 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
Research
Open Days
Prospectuses
Guides
Interviews/offers
& Visit Days
March – Sept
October
January
April
APPLY
15th Oct
APPLY
15th Jan
DECIDE
late
April
•
•
•
•
•
Dentistry
Medicine
Vet Science
Oxford
Cambridge
Results
Start
August
October
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
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?)”
www.le.ac.uk
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?!
Criminology
“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.”
History
“..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.”
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 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.”
“Examination of any quality
newspaper will probably
demonstrate that more of the
headlines address economic
problems than any other topic
The importance and relevance
economics and related discipli
to the modern have led me to
want to pursue the study of th
subject at a higher level. I am
particularly interested in the
behavior of firms and
organizations from an econom
Websites
www.studential.com
www.thestudentroom.co.uk
www.getintouni.com
Dentistry
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…
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
www.le.ac.uk
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