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Higher Ed Update. Year 12 February 2011. UCAS Offers for 2011. Use of A*s in offers: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial … Top universities: offers 1-2 grades up on last year 5+ A*s at GCSE in most competitive subjects e.g. Medicine Imperial College – A levels in one sitting!
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Higher Ed Update Year 12 February 2011
UCAS Offers for 2011 • Use of A*s in offers: Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial … • Top universities: offers 1-2 grades up on last year • 5+ A*s at GCSE in most competitive subjects e.g. Medicine • Imperial College – A levels in one sitting! • Some universities/courses don’t accept re-sits
UCAS Offers for 2011 • Extension of aptitude tests e.g. STEP papers • Extra-curricular/work experience considered within entry criteria • Little change in offers of some local and popular universities: Portsmouth, Brighton, etc.
“Informed Choices” (VLE) • Russell Group – top 20 universities • ‘Facilitating’ subjects: Maths, English, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, Languages • ‘Soft’ subjects “subjects with a vocational or practical bias” • Subjects required for different degree courses – invaluable • How subject choices can affect your future career options –extremely useful.
Vocational Courses & Universities • Access Agreements • No correlation between high achievement at degree level and traditional academic access routes • Common advantages to applied learning as a pathway to Higher Education were highlighted: • Firmer acquisition of time-management skills during KS5 rather than it being something they had to adapt to in the first year at university • Greater experience of and aptitude for presentational and collaborative work • Ignoranceabout applied learning routes continues to be an obstacle for parents, students and some HE institutions. E.g. Music student • Foundation Degree programmes • have been a very successful innovation in places like Oxford Brookes. • Funding arrangements unclear
£££ • Government cuts to university grants 2011-12 of 9.5% • Government will fund extra 10% increase in places 2011-12 but not 2012-13 • Tuition fees expect to raise university income by 10% by 2013-14 MONEY WILL BE VERY TIGHT FOR YOUR YEAR OF ENTRY!
What it all means for you • WORK EXPERIENCE – now an urgent priority • Extra-curricular activities • Extended Project Qualification? • Higher Education Research • VLE resources: is HE really for me? • Record detailed research about courses. Discuss with mentor • University visits