WHY APPLY TO UNIVERSITY/ HIGHER EDUCATION?

1. WHY APPLY TO UNIVERSITY/ HIGHER EDUCATION?

2. An opportunity to continue to study something you enjoy Alternatively, an opportunity to start studying a course which is new to you Degree level qualifications increasingly necessary for better paid jobs Increase your earning power when you leave university. New experiences New opportunities A transition between school and work FOR

3. Delays earning money Financial concerns Pressure on parents’ finances You may have had enough of academic study You may want time off before you decide AGAINST

4. WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SHOW? • Researchers at the LSE and London Institute of Education studied two groups of students through school and university and beyond. Published 2003 • The graduates had higher employment rates • They were healthier, happier, less likely to experience depression

5. They were more likely to be politically active and less likely to be sexist or racist • Graduates live in homes of an average value of £153,00 compared with £101,00 for non-graduates • Graduates own cars of an average value of £6,200 compared with £1,700 • Graduates’ children do better in school • Graduates are more likely to have a sense of well being and positive feelings about themselves

6. RESEARCH DETAILS: ‘Changing Britain: Three Generations at the Turn of the Century’, 2003 Ed. Elsa Ferri, John Bynner and Michael Wadsworth Institute of Education Publications ISBN 0 854 4736506

7. CHOOSING A COURSE

8. TYPES OF COURSE • VOCATIONAL: prepares you for a specific career area such as Medicine or Vet Science • SEMI-VOCATIONAL: prepares you for a broad career area such as Business Studies • NON-VOCATIONAL: has no particular connection with a career such as French, History or Sociology

9. TYPE OF QUALIFICATION • DEGREES: usually last 3 or 4 years but could be longer eg Medicine, Architecture • HND or DipHE or FOUNDATION DEGREE: usually last two years but can often be converted into a degree • SPECIALIST QUALIFICATIONS: offered by, for example, music colleges

10. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS • Check the grades/UCAS points you will need to get accepted. Be realistic about what you can achieve • Check that there are no GCSE subjects or other qualifications required • Check on matriculation, ie that you have the basic qualifications needed to apply to the university

11. Choose something you will enjoy studying for at least three years Check the content of the course carefully in the prospectus or on the university web-site Look at what will be covered after the first year eg option courses Type of assessment How will the course affect your career plans? Be careful: courses with same title may cover different things THINGS TO REMEMBER

12. Prospectuses Web-sites for the HE institution and the department you want to apply to. UCAS ‘Big Guide’ (Careers room) UCAS web-site: www.ucas.com Subject Staff/Tutors/ Connexions www.unistats.com www.studentbook.org www.educationguardian.co.uk/universityguide2009 SOURCES OF INFORMATION

13. CHOOSING A UNIVERSITY

14. How competitive will it be? How traditional or innovative will it be in its teaching and assessment methods? Is it college based eg Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, York? Campus university in the country eg Lancaster or town/city based eg Manchester Study, library, computer facilities? Sport and recreation facilities? TYPE OF INSTITUTION

15. How much does it cost? Can all first years be accommodated? How far is accommodation from place of study? Self-catering or meals provided? Ease of travel from accommodation to place of study eg public transport What accommodation is available for second and third years? ACCOMMODATION

16. Choosing the right course is by far the most important consideration when applying to HE BUT you will be living in your chosen town or city for at least three years Is it a pleasant environment to live in? Does it give me the opportunity to develop my interest/ hobbies outside the course? How far is it from home? LOCATION

17. THE UCAS APPLICATION PROCESS

18. Most universities, apart from Oxbridge, Teaching and Medicine courses, will not interview you so the UCAS form is all they will see of you Choose 5 institutions, BUT four for Medicine, Vet Science/Medicine and Dentistry Take particular care with the Personal Statement and ‘sell’ yourself Make sure that your form is checked carefully Get your form in as early as possible KEY POINTS

19. Those applying pre-A level should receive offers from Higher Education institutions These may be in the form of A level grades or points Some may be called for interview By the end of April (in most cases) you must inform UCAS which offer you wish to accept as a FIRM and which as an INSURANCE offer. The Insurance Offer should be the lower of the two If you fail to reach your offers you can go through ‘clearing’ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

20. A 120 POINTS B 100 POINTS C 80 POINTS D 60 POINTS E 40 POINTS THE UCAS TARIFF: GCE AND VCE A LEVEL

21. Eliminates most common mistakes On screen help available Personal Statement can be pasted in Faster processing of your form BUT: Check course codes Be careful that you get the Local Authority in which you live correct Make sure that information about exams already taken and about to be taken is accurate ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONUCAS Apply online

22. 15 OCT: Deadline for Oxbridge, Vet Med/Sci, Med, Dent applications 15 DEC: NMAS Nursing deadline 15 JAN: Advisory UCAS deadline including Art Route A 1 JAN-24 MAR: Applications for Art Route B but 7 Mar is advisory deadline 18 MAR: ‘UCAS EXTRA’ posts places for those without offers 30 JUN: Changes to UCAS form deadline 20 SEPT: Last date for clearing applications KEY DATES