Emily
Creak
MY
STORY
Education
Berkhamsted
School
University
The University of
Nottingham
Degree
BA Hons Law with
Spanish 2:1
Emily
Creak
THE
FACTS
Tuition
Fee Loan
£9,000
Maintenance
Loan
£6,904
Full Time Students
Live with parents
£6,750
£8,200
Part Time Students
Live away (outside London)
£10,702
Live away (in London)
£9,391
Overseas part of course
MORE
FACTS
Repayment
£21,000
9%
EXAMPLE
£25,000
9% of £4,000
= £30 Per Month
Interest Rates
Inflation +3%
(Retail Prices Index)
whilst studying
From April after
study – interest will
vary depending on
salary
MORE
FACTS
OTHER SUPPORT
DEPENDANTS GRANT
DSA
BURSARIES SCHOLARSHIPS
University websites
www.gov.uk/unimoney
www.unistats.direct.gov.uk
www.studentroom.co.uk
www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
THANK
YOU
A Parents’ Guide to UCAS
Oriel High School
in partnership with UCAS development
Wednesday 21st October 2015
Setting the scene
 Central organisation through which applications are processed
for entry to full-time higher education (HE) courses in England,
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
 UCAS operate on behalf of all full-time higher education courses
at member institutions
Setting the scene
 319
327 Universities / Colleges
 60,000+
50,000+ course
Excellent website for students and parents
Gaining a university place has two stages
University
2.Self presentation


UCAS application
Institutional selection
1. Research
Experiential research
 Obtain a real ‘feel’ for the institution, subject, course, career:

HE Conventions

Institution Open Days

Taster Courses

Subject specific events

Career Fairs

Summer Schools
Online research tools
Paper based research
 In the LIBRARY : UCAS progression guides
 Prospectuses: In the study room
Key features of admissions scheme
 Maximum of 5 choices
 Some choice restrictions:

Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4 choices

Oxford or Cambridge
 Simultaneous consideration
 ‘Invisibility’
 Fee for 2016 - £23
Key dates
When to apply
 1 September-
Annual opening date for
applications
 15 October-
Closing date for Oxbridge/Dentistry/
Medicine & Veterinary
 15 January-
Advisory closing date for UK
students 6pm
 24 March -
Closing date for some Art and
Design Courses
 ORIEL requires a minimum of 2 weeks to turn your
application around before the deadline
The application form is completed online and in
sections
 Personal details (allows them to allocate you access)
 Education (all exams taken to date & those pending)
 Employment and activities preparing students for
university
 The Personal Statement!
Personal Statement
ABC RULE
Good
What you’ve done
Activity
Better
What skills it has given you
Benefit
Best
How these relate to your course Course
Once the form is submitted…
What happens next?
 Form is submitted to UCAS
 UCAS sends form to all choices on the form
 Applicant may need to:

Attend an interview

Send a portfolio of work

Sit an admissions test
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

Insurance
 Any remaining offers must be declined
Track
 Enables the student to
follow the progress of your
application (24/7, access
via password)
 Quickest way to find out
about new offers
 They use this to reply to
offers
If you have no offers…UCAS Extra
 Service available from 26 February to the end of June
 Applicants eligible for Extra:

Used all 5 choices

All choices unsuccessful, cancelled or offers declined
 Course vacancies listed on UCAS website
 Allows additional single choices, entered and considered
one at a time
Confirming your place
 1. Exam results are issued to you
 2. Admissions staff check if you have matched the conditions of
their offer
 3. If yes, you will be sent an official confirmation of your place
 4. Time to celebrate!!
Clearing
 Available from Results Day
 UCAS will give a ‘clearing code’ once all institutions have
posted their decision
 Remember not to panic; thousands of people are placed
each year
 UCAS website will have live places; Students must be
available as they can start calling before they get their
code
 We will support them!
Adjustment
 If a student meets and exceeds the conditions of their
FIRM CHOICE they can try to secure a place at an
institution with those higher entrance criteria
 They HOLD their current place
 They can call around institutions they may not have
applied to and try to secure a place
Support offered in Sixth Form
 Personal Development Programme workshops:
Year 12
October:
Introduce research; student finance input
November:
Research tools workshops
January- March:
Making choices
March- April:
Higher Education Fair
June & July:
Residential trip to UEA
Registering for UCAS/ Writing your
Personal Statement
Money Matters, planning for financial independence
July:
Transition Interview
Complete MOOC ‘Preparing for University’
Throughout the year:
‘Competitive Courses and Institutions’ Support
1-1 tutorial
Support offered in Sixth Form
Year 13
September:
Personal Statement draft Completed before return to school
PS workshop help available every afternoon in tutorial
UCAS assembly
1-1 tutorial with Mrs Slayford to check application
October:
Early deadline support
Understanding Offers & how to reply to them
Student Finance explained
February:
Understanding Extra, Clearing & adjustment
Applying for your student finance
August:
Results Day Support (ongoing as necessary)
Keeping you
informed; the
importance
of the
6th form app.
Questions
Clair Denman
Assistant Headteacher, Oriel
High School
Sixth Form