Choosing Courses

2. Choosing Courses • Choosing which university or college to go to can be a life-changing decision. Do as much research as possible so that you choose the right course for the right reasons. • You can apply to any course which interests you, but consider the entry requirements first. Some courses require particular qualifications, others require an admissions test. • When choosing a university or collegeLook at as much information about the different universities and colleges as possible and attend open days. • Choosing a courseLook at courses that match your interests and abilities. • Entry requirementsResearch what skills and qualifications are needed to start a course, and check individual entry requirements. • Admissions testsResearch details of admissions tests that are used by some universities or colleges for specific courses.

3. Deadlines • Once you have decided which course you wish to undertake and at what Universities you are ready to begin your application. Deadlines There are three different deadline dates:- • 15 October - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all professional medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses, and for all courses at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. • 15 January - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for all courses except those listed above with a 15 October deadline, and art and design courses with a 24 March deadline. • 24 March - application deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applications for art and design courses except those listed with a 15 January deadline. Applying after the deadlineApplications received by the above deadlines are guaranteed to be considered by the universities and colleges. Applications received at UCAS after the deadlines, up until 30 June, will only be considered by the universities and colleges if they still have vacancies for the course(s) you have selected.

4. Overview of Apply Apply is an application system that allows you to apply online for courses at universities and colleges in the UK. You'll be asked to complete the following sections:- • Registration • Personal details • Additional information (UK applicants only) • Student finance • Choices • Education • Employment • Personal statement • Reference • View all details • Declaration • Pay and send

5. Registration You register to use Apply, the online application system • When you register, you provide personal details, like your first names, last name, title, gender, date of birth, address, telephone numbers and email address. These details will be transferred to your application and you will not be asked to enter them again. • You can change any of these details when completing your application. What registration involves • The registration process generates a username and you create your own password, which you need to log in to your application. Make a note of your username and password and keep them in a safe place - Apply is case sensitive so write the details exactly as they are shown on screen. • When you register, you'll be asked to choose four security questions and enter relevant answers. If you need to contact UCAS, you will be asked these questions to check your identity, so make the answers individual and memorable. • Applying through a school, college or centre: The BUZZWORD is FARMER. This buzzword links your application to your centre so that your referee can write and attach their reference. Once you've completed your application, you send it to your referee who adds the reference, checks and approves your application and sends the completed application to us. To start your application: • Go to this www.ucas.co.uk and click on Apply • Click on register/log in to Apply • Follow the online instructions to register and enter your personal details • Choose a password, select four security questions and enter relevant answers • Write down the username on screen and your password; you'll need these every time you log in.

6. Personal Details Your personal information will be sent to your chosen universities and colleges • Your title, gender, name and address and date of birth will be filled in automatically with the details provided when you registered. Further personal details • You are asked for extra information so that the universities and colleges can decide what tuition fees you should be charged and what entitlements you might qualify for. They need to know your residential status, where/whether you will be looking for funding and/or sponsorship, and if you have any special needs or disabilities which they would need to consider. • As part of their duty of care to all applicants/existing students they will also need to know if you have any relevant criminal convictions. You are asked to tick a box if you have a relevant criminal conviction. If you don't, please leave the box blank. Entering an email address • Your email address needs to be verified before you can send your application to UCAS. When you enter your email address, you will be sent an email with instructions on what to do. • If you provide an email address, UCAS can send emails when the status of your application has changed, e.g. when a university has sent UCAS its decision. These emails won't list the actual changes or give any decisions; they will tell you to log in to the Track Service to view any changes. • Your email address will be seen by UCAS and the universities and colleges, so please make sure that it does not cause offence. Nominated access • You can choose to nominate someone, e.g. parent/guardian/adviser, who can discuss your application with UCAS and the universities if you're unavailable. • This section of your application is not compulsory - you don't have to nominate anyone. If you do, you enter their name and their relationship to you.

7. Additional Information Extra information required by the universities and colleges • This section is only available in Apply to applicants who are permanently resident in the UK. You are asked to enter the following details:- • Ethnic origin and national identity - you can also select a dual national identity • Activities in preparation for higher education - you can enter details of up to two activities such as summer schools or taster courses • Care, parental education and occupational background - choose your responses from the drop-down lists or enter the details in the boxes. • You can also select to receive written communications in Welsh from UCAS and Welsh universities and colleges from this screen. • Your national identity reflects how you choose to classify yourself. It's different from ethnicity and nationality and can be based on many things, like culture, language or ancestry/family history. If you prefer not to provide this information, you can select 'I prefer not to say' from the list of options. Your answer to this question won't affect how your application is considered by universities or colleges as this information isn't given to them until after they've decided whether to offer you a place or not. • The activities in preparation for higher education take place at all times of the year, and may go under another name, such as summer schools, Saturday university, campus days, summer academies, taster courses and booster courses. If you've not taken any courses, leave the related sections blank. These activities don'tinclude attendance at open days. • The care and parental education questions are optional. Universities and colleges may have different policies as to if, when and/or how the information may be used. For example, it could be for statistical monitoring purposes at the application stage, or to identify applicants that need further support. • The occupational background question is mandatory but, if you prefer not to give this information, you can enter 'I prefer not to say' in the text box. This information will not be passed to your chosen institution until they have given you an unconditional offer that you have accepted as your firm choice. This information will be used for statistical monitoring.

8. Student Finance • If you will be applying for student finance to help with tuition fees for your course and living costs, you can make the process easier by allowing UCAS to share some of your application details with your student finance company. • UCAS share your information with the Student Loans Company. This information will be used by the Student Loans Company in connection with any finance application which you may choose to make in the future. • When the application process for student finance opens, if you have requested a reminder UCAS will contact you by electronic means to tell you to log in to your UCAS application and opt in to share your details with the student finance company. Your application for student finance will then be pre-populated with information from your UCAS application, such as personal details and course choice. This will make applying for a student loan much quicker. • You can opt out of this process at any time once we have processed your UCAS application.

9. Choices You can choose up to five choices and there's no preference order • Your application will be sent to all chosen universities and colleges at the same time. Each university and college will only see details of their course or courses that you've applied to. They won't see your other choices until you've received your final decision. You don't have to add five choices • There's space for five choices, but you don't have to use them all - you can apply for just one if you know exactly where you want to go. • Only add choices you're sure about - if you wouldn't be happy going to one of them, see if there's somewhere else, or apply to fewer choices: you don't have to fill up the space. • If you apply to fewer than five choices, you can add more later if you want to (but be aware of the deadlines for adding choices). This can be useful if you find a new course after you've sent your application to UCAS. Course combinations that you can have • A maximum of four courses in any one of medicine/dentistry/veterinary medicine/veterinary science. • Universities of Oxford and Cambridge:2013 entry: one course at either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. The exception to this has changed: if you will be a graduate at the start of the course and you're applying for graduate medicine (course code A101) at the University of Cambridge, you can also apply to medicine (course code A100) at Cambridge, in addition to being able to apply to graduate medicine (course code A101) at the University of Oxford. No other combinations are permitted.Some applicants will need to complete an additional application form in order to apply. For full information about applying to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, please visit their websites at www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses/ or www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/ • You can use your remaining choice(s) for any other subject. For example, if you apply to four medicine courses, you could still make one choice for veterinary medicine. However, be aware that your personal statement will be sent to all universities and colleges you've chosen. There are different application deadlines for some courses, universities and colleges make sure you research these. Additional requirements • Some courses require an admissions test. It's your responsibility to find out whether your course(s) need you to take one, and to register by the relevant deadline. Go to the http://www.ucas.com/students/choosingcourses/admissions/ to find out more. • If you're applying for medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery or certain other health courses, UK health authorities recommend you should be immunisedagainst Hepatitis B before you start training. Universities and colleges may also ask you for certificates to show that you're not infected. Check the immunisationand certification requirements with your universities and colleges. • Some courses in fields such as social work will need you to undergo a check through the Criminal Records Bureau. Check with your universities and colleges for their requirements and advice on how to fulfill them. Criminal convictions declaration • As part of your application you will be required to declare whether you have any relevant unspent criminal convictions. The help text in Apply explains what is classed as a relevant unspent conviction. • In addition, some courses have entry requirements which might require you to disclose further information regarding any past criminal activities, and may also require a criminal records check. If you choose a course that requires this information, you'll be asked to tick a box if you have any spent or unspent convictions or other punishments that would show up on a criminal records check. There's full help text in Apply to explain what is classed as a spent or unspent conviction.

10. Education Completing the education section • Universities need to know where you've studied and which qualifications you're taking/have taken. You fill in details of your schools or colleges, then list your qualifications, one by one. You must include all schools, colleges and universities that you have attended since the age of 11, even if you withdrew from your course. There is space to enter up to 10 centres. • For each school and college, you provide details of: all qualifications for which you have accepted certification from an awarding organisation, even if you're retaking all or part of the qualification all qualifications for which you are currently studying or awaiting results. All qualifications must be entered, even if you received an unsuccessful grade, if you are still waiting to take the final exams or if you are waiting for the results. • If you've taken any qualifications with the AQA exam board and don't have your certificate, AQA can supply you with a Statement of Results, which will be accepted in the same way as a certificate. Further details are available in the Past Results Service PDF on the AQA website . • OCR can also provide you with a Certifying Statement of Results, an official document that acts as a certificate equivalent. Please visit the OCR website for more information and to download the relevant application form How to enter qualifications • Add details of all of the schools, colleges and universities that you've attended, then click on the 'add qualification' link below each one and enter the qualifications you've taken, or are currently taking, at that centre. • If you can't find your qualification name in the list, try looking under the country where you completed the qualification (for example, France - French Baccalaureate). If you still can't find it in the list, click 'O' in the A-Z list and select the relevant 'other' option. • If you're re-sitting a qualification you need to enter it twice: once as a completed qualification with the grade achieved and once as a qualification with the result 'Pending'. • All qualifications have to be entered manually - you can't copy and paste in transcripts. • Don't send any examination certificates or other papers unless asked. Units/modules • You must enter units/modules for some qualifications, but for others it's optional - in Apply, check if there's an asterisk next to (it will be displayed as 'module/unit *'): if there is, you need to add these details. If they're optional, check the Entry Profiles in Course Search to see if universities want your units or module results and add them if they do. Your highest level of qualification • You'll be asked to select the highest level of qualification you will have before you start your course. This doesn't include the course you're applying to - it's just about the qualifications that you'll complete before starting the course. For you it will be: Below honours degree level, e.gAS and A level, Scottish Higher and Advanced Higher, GCSE, Irish Leaving Certificate, International Baccalaureate.

11. Employment • Tell your chosen universities and colleges about your paid employment experience • Enter details of up to five employers, including company name and address, a description of your job, and start and finish dates. You'll also be asked to say whether you worked full- or part-time. This includes weekend and holiday jobs. • If your work experience has been unpaid, please include the details in your personal statement. • If you've had more than five jobs and you think that more information would benefit your application, send the full details to your universities and colleges once your application has been processed by UCAS. Or you can provide more details in your personal statement. • If you've not had any paid work experience, you can leave this section blank, but you will need to mark it as complete.

12. Your Personal Statement Tell the universities and colleges why they should choose you! • The personal statement is your opportunity to tell universities and colleges about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study. You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment, and above all, ensure that you stand out from the crowd.

13. Key Points • Explain why you want to study the course you are applying for. If you mention your personal interests and hobbies, try to link them to the skills and experience required for the course. • The personal statement could be used as the basis for an interview, so be prepared to answer questions on it. • This may be your only written work that the course tutor sees before making a decision: make sure it is organised and literate. Get the grammar, spelling and punctuation right. A statement filled with errors will give a negative impression of your skills and the effort you have put in to being accepted. The Undergraduate Admissions Manager at The University of Nottingham explained: • 'These types of skills are the basics that academics will expect from someone at this level of education. Incorrect spelling, poor grammar and punctuation can make a poor impression on the reader. For courses such as English, these skills are of paramount importance.' • Writing about yourself is probably not something you do very often, so you might need to practise writing in this particular style. It is a good idea to list your hobbies and achievements, and then you can decide which ones demonstrate your strongest skills and personality.

14. What To Include • Most courses have an Entry Profile that you can view - these explain what the university is looking for in their students and what qualifications or experience you'll need for the course. Check these because they'll give you some ideas about what to include in your statement.

15. What To Include Continued.. Writing about the course: • Two of the most important things to include are: • why you're applying for the course you've chosen: this is particularly important when you're applying for a subject that you have not studied before. Tell the university the reasons why that subject interests you, and include evidence that you understand what's required to study the course, e.gif applying for psychology courses, show that you know how scientific the subject is. • why you're suitable for the course: tell the universities the skills and experience you have that will help you to succeed on the course. Also think about: • how your current or previous studies relate to the course(s) that you have chosen • any activities that demonstrate your interest in the course(s) • why you want to go to university or college. Some of the reasons why applications are unsuccessful are:- • Personal statement did not strongly support their desire to study their chosen degree. • Personal statement did not show sufficient understanding, relevance or knowledge about the course they were applying for. • They failed to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and interest in the subject in their personal statement. • There is a lot of competition for places on the course and their personal statement and experience was not as strong as other applicants this year. • Application form (including personal statement, reference and predicted grades) did not evidence accurate understanding of or motivation for subject. • Unsuccessful as they did not expressed a strong enough interest in the subject area in their personal statement. This should give you an idea of how important it is to show why you want to study the course and what you can bring to it - especially because it might be compared with other applicants applying for the same course.

16. What To Include Continued… Skills and achievements • Universities like to know the types of skills you have that will help you on the course, or generally at university. They also like to see if you've been involved in any accredited or non-accredited achievements. • Include:- • Non-accredited skills and achievement which you have gained through activities such as: • ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network) awards,for example, Universities Award • CREST awards • Diploma of Achievement • Duke of Edinburgh Award • OCNW Level 3 Certificate in Personal Development for Progression(previously known as the Liverpool Enrichment Programme) • vInspired Awards • Villiers Park Scholars and Residential Programmes • WorldWide Volunteering Certificate of Volunteering Achievement • Young Enterprise. • Accreditation achieved for any activities in preparation for higher education, for example through the ASDAN Aimhigher Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE qualification). • Any other achievements that you are proud of, eg reaching grade 3 piano or being selected for the county cricket team. • Positions of responsibility that you hold/have held both in and out of school, eg form prefect or representative for a local charity. • Attributes that make you interesting, special or unique.

17. What To Include Continued…. Hobbies and interests • Think about how your hobbies, interests and social activities demonstrate your skills and abilities. If there's anything that relates to your course or to the skills needed to complete a higher education course, include it - the more evidence the better. • To make your application strong you need to link your extra-curricular activities to your proposed course of study. Your statement will be more convincing and personal if you write about why an experience, activity or interest makes you a good candidate for the course. Include enough additional information to make it interesting and to demonstrate your own interest. Rather than making a statement such as:- • 'I enjoy tennis' try to provide context and show what you have learnt • 'I play tennis twice a week with a club that plays in local competitions and I play in both singles and doubles matches. Doubles matches requires good team working, an ability to support your partner, to devise a game plan but be able to adapt it as required and fast reactions. I enjoy the social side of the club and take responsibility for organising the social activities and fundraising events. This gives me an opportunity to develop my organisational and planning skills. Fitting in all these activities while keeping up with my academic studies demands good time management and I think I do that very well.' Work experience • Include details of jobs, placements, work experience or voluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to your chosen course(s). Try to link any experience to skills or qualities mentioned in the Entry Profiles. For example, rather than just saying :- • 'I spent two weeks working at a department store. I enjoyed speaking to customers and helping them with their enquiries' you could say • 'I spent two weeks managing customer enquiries at a department store. I learnt how to interact with customers and handle complaints. The experience highlighted the importance of positive communication between a business and its customers, and taught me how to manage difficult enquiries effectively. I would like to develop this skill further by studying a degree in public relations.' Future plans • If you know what you'd like to achieve after completing a university course, explain how you want to use the knowledge and experience that you gain. For example: • There is nothing I would want more than to pursue the adult nursing course, I am ambitious and determined and I feel I have the qualities needed for this challenging and rewarding career. I would love to have the opportunity to play an active part in maintaining or improving peoples’ health and wish to embark on this inspiring and fulfilling career.

18. Dos and Don'ts When Writing Your Personal Statement • Docreate a list of your ideas before attempting to write the real thing. • Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy. • Do ask people you trust for their feedback. • Do check university and college prospectuses, websites and entry profiles, as they usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate. • Do use your best English and don't let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement. • Do be enthusiastic - if you show your interest in the course, it may help you get a place. • Don't feel that you need to use elaborate language. If you try too hard to impress with long words that you are not confident using, the focus of your writing may be lost. • Don't say too much about things that are not relevant - if you think that you are starting to, take a break and come back to your statement when you feel more focused. • Don't lie - if you exaggerate you may get caught out at interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement. • Don't rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything - proof read as many times as possible. • Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out. • Don't expect to be able to write your personal statement whilst watching TV or surfing the internet - this is your future, so make the most of the opportunity to succeed.

19. Additional Pointers Applying to multiple courses • Remember that you only write one personal statement so it will be used for all your choices. Try not to mention a university or college by name, even if you're applying to only one university - your personal statement cannot be changed if you apply to a different place later. • If you're applying for a joint degree you will need to explain why you are interested in both aspects of this joint programme. • If you're applying for different subjects or courses, you need to identify the common themes and skills that are relevant to your choices. For example, both mathematics and law are subjects where you have to think logically and apply rules. You may like both subjects because you enjoy solving problems, using theory and natural or man-made laws to come to a correct conclusion. • If your chosen courses can't be linked by a common theme, think about your reasons for applying to such varied courses - it might be useful to speak to a careers adviser to get some guidance. • If you mention a subject in your personal statement and are applying to other courses, you may be asked by the university or college for additional information about why you have chosen alternative courses. Applying to another choice later • If you apply to other choices after sending your application (e.g. you add a choice, or apply through Extra or Clearing your original personal statement will be sent to the university, but you can contact the university and ask if they will accept a revised statement. If they agree, you can send a new one to them. Attention-grabbing • Some statements start with quotes, some include jokes, some set out to be unusual or eye-catching. Sometimes it works, but it might have the opposite effect to what you hoped. The admissions decision maker may not share your sense of humour so be careful when trying to make your statement stand out. Write what comes naturally • Which of the following examples would you write? a) Objective consideration of concrete evidence compelled me to realise the phenomenon was not unprecedented.b) I realised this often happened. This is not a serious example; but it shows that good writing is often concise, which is very helpful when you have a limited word-count. • In your personal statement you need to put your meaning across directly and simply. You can do this by keeping your sentences to an average of 12-20 words, and using English in a way that is natural to you. Avoid sounding either over-familiar or over-formal and write to get yourself and your message across clearly. Check that each sentence adds something new, otherwise it is just adding to the word count rather than adding value. • The quality of your writing reflects the quality of your thinking. Show that you know your strengths and can outline your ideas clearly. Use words you know will be understood by the person reading your statement; you might find it easier if you imagine you are talking to them across their desk. In fact, you can sometimes spot where your statement doesn't work well by reading it aloud.

20. Size and Presentation Structure and format • Think about the structure of your statement - it needs to look and sound good. A bad statement can say a lot, so make sure you check spelling and grammar as well. • 'The presentation of the personal statement is of critical importance to demonstrate use of English language and grammar at a standard suitable for entry to higher education.' How to provide your personal statement • You can enter up to 4,000 characters (this includes spaces) or 47 lines of text (this includes blank lines), whichever comes first. You do not have to use all the space provided. When you save text, the system will tell you how many characters are still available or if you have used too many characters. You can preview your statement after you have saved it. • Please note that you cannot use italics, bold or underlining in your personal statement - the system will automatically remove these when saved. This will not disadvantage your application. It is recommended that you prepare your personal statement offline using a word-processing package and copy and paste it into the Apply system. Whether you are typing your statement directly into the box, or amending a statement that you pasted in, you should click 'save' regularly because Apply will time-out after 35 minutes of inactivity. The countdown on the screen displays how much time you have left before it times out.

21. Pay & Send Checking • Once you have completed all sections you will need to make an appointment with your tutor to go through everything one last time. • Once you have has your application checked you will need to Pay & Send. You will need access to a credit or debit card.UCASaccept UK and international Visa, Visa Debit, Delta, MasterCard, JCB, Maestro, and Electron. At the moment UCAS do not accept American Express or Diners Club cards. How much will it cost? • If you apply to more than one course, university or college, the cost is £23 for the 2013 entry application cycle. If you only apply to one course at one university or college, you pay £12 for 2013 entry. Your welcome letter from UCAS will explain how you can add more choices later (if you have paid the single application fee and add further choices, you pay a further £11).

22. After You Have Paid & Sent • After you have paid and sent your application is sent to the schools section on UCAS. • The school will then attach your reference to your application. • Once this has been done your application will be checked during a meeting between you and the Head of Sixth or Key Stage 5 Manager. • If you need to make any amendments your application can be sent back to you to make the necessary changes. Once you have made the amendments you click on pay & send again (you do not have to enter the card details again or pay again this will just send the application back to the school). • When you and the member of staff checking your application are 100% happy that everything in is perfect the school will send your application to UCAS. • Once the school has sent the application to UCAS it cannot be retrievedso you need to be 100% sure before it is sent.

23. Similarity Detection UCAS Similarity Detection Service • This guide is designed to help UCAS applicants understand our similarity detection process. All personal statements sent to UCAS are tested for similarity. • There are some example personal statements on the internet that have been used by applicants, in some cases word for word. The service UCAS use, is called Copycatch, it finds statements that show similarity, works out how much of the statement may have been copied, and reports the findings. It helps admissions staff at universities and colleges judge applications, and it is the institutions who decide what action, if any, to take regarding notified cases. • Research has shown that the majority of UCAS applicants do write their own personal statements. However, the number making use of other people's material was high enough to justify the introduction of the Similarity Detection Service. What the Similarity Detection Service does • Each personal statement is checked against: • a library of personal statements previously submitted to UCAS • sample statements collected from a variety of websites • other sources including paper publications. • Each personal statement received at UCAS is added to the library of statements after it has been processed. What happens if a personal statement has similarities? • Any statements showing a level of similarity of 10% or more are reviewed by members of the UCAS Similarity Detection Service Team. • Applicants, universities and colleges are notified at the same time by email when an application has similarities confirmed. • Admissions tutors at individual universities and colleges decide what action, if any, to take regarding reported cases. Eliminated words • The Copycatch process ignores commonly used words that many applicants use in their statements such as 'and', 'so' and 'with'. • Copycatch also ignores a selection of commonly used words and phrases including 'Duke of Edinburgh' and 'football'. The verification process • Copycatch identifies sentences in a personal statement that are matched to other personal statements already held in the Copycatch system. • Levels of similarity are checked by trained staff who decide whether you and the institutions you are applying to need to be informed that similarity has been found. • The universities and colleges you are applying to decide on the significance of the results and what action, if any, to take. • Your personal statement will not be compared to your earlier applications, if you have applied in previous cycles or schemes.

24. Similarity Detection Continued.. Notification that a report has been sent to the universities and colleges • If Copycatch finds a significant level of similarity in your personal statement and the Verification staff at UCAS decide to inform the institutions you have applied to, UCAS will let you know by email (if you have a verified email address). This email includes instructions on how you can view what Copycatch has found in Track, and gives you a link to frequently asked questions for further advice and guidance. • The report sent to you is identical to the report sent to the institutions. It displays your personal statement marked up to identify sentences similar to others in the Copycatch system. How UCAS show matches with other statements • UCAS use four colours (see below) to indicate significant matches with other statements and grey to show sentences which have not been found to match. • Within matched sentences, words which are different from the one matched with it by the program are highlighted in black. Underlined black is used to show that the word is related but not identical. • What the sentence colours mean • Red is used for the sentences from the most matched statement.Blue is used for the next best match if there are least three sentences.Pink is used for the third best match if there are at least another three sentences.Brown is used for any other matches if there are at least three sentences. • Grey is used for sentences for which no match has been found and for very short sentences, which don't get checked. Examples • I grew up in a city near the sea and have always been fascinated by marine life. • If you had written this sentence and found it shown in red as above when you checked the notification report, it would mean that it had been exactly matched to a personal statement stored in the Copycatch library. • I grew up in a town near the sea and have always found marine life fascinating. • If the sentence you had written was marked in your report like the one above, it would mean that: • town and found were not in the matched sentence • fascinating was not found as an exact match but is similar enough to the equivalent word in the matched sentence to be identified by underlining.

25. Similarity Detection Continued.. The dates on the matched personal statements • At the bottom of the marked up personal statement, the number of sentences matched to library or internet sources is shown in the same colour as that used to mark up the sentences. • The date shows how long this personal statement has been in the UCAS collection. It does not mean that this particular statement was the one used as the source for the current personal statement. • Both may be taken from a source outside the library, or there may be other related files inside the library which have not been shown because there was no additional matched information. The dates on the matching web sources • The number of web source sentences is shown in the same way, but here the date means either the date it was posted to the website, if known, or the date when the web source was identified by UCAS. Again, it does not necessarily mean that the file was the actual source. • As a feasibility study discovered, some web sources are very popular, and may appear on more than one website, or have been used in a modified form in a personal statement within the UCAS collection.

26. What you need to know after making your application Once we have sent your application to your chosen universities and colleges, you wait to hear from them. The time it takes for decisions to be made varies but even if you have applied very early, universities and colleges have until early May to decide. How to track the progress of your application • Track is an online system that allows you to follow the progress of your application. You can see what's happening with your application, like whether you've received any offers and the replies you've made. • You can use Track once you've received a welcome letter from UCAS. UCAS will send it to you after they’ve processed your application. Log in to Track with your Personal ID, which is printed on your welcome letter, and the same username and password you used when completing your application in Apply. • Your choices may be displayed in a different order than you expected - this is because UCAS generate a random order when they process your application. The displayed order of your choices does not indicate any preference order - your application will be sent to all your chosen universities and colleges at the same time. • When each university or college makes a decision about your application, the details will be shown on Track. If you supplied a valid email address on your application, UCAS will email you when a decision has been made. To protect confidential information, the email will not contain the actual decision: you'll still need to go to Track to check the details. • You can also use Track to accept or decline offers and change some personal details, such as your postal address, telephone number and email address. Security • For security reasons, Track will timeout after five minutes of user inactivity. When you've finished using Track, log out by clicking on the 'log out' button and then close down your browser. This means that no one else can access your details. Track will suspend access to your application if you cannot log in to your application after five attempts - it will reset within 24 hours. • Many internet browsers have a built-in feature which allows you to save your password. If you use this, it will let anyone else using that PC log in to Track and view your details. For this reason it is recommended that you do not use this feature.

27. Interview Tips Many universities and colleges (particularly popular ones, running competitive courses) want to meet you and find out whether you'd cope with the demands of your chosen course before making you an offer. More and more are calling potential students to interview before making a conditional or unconditional offer of a place. Policies vary greatly and some universities interview only selected or borderline applicants and some do not interview at all. There's lots you can do to prepare for the big day - from having a mock interview to arming yourself with information about the university and the course. Top tips: • The when's and where's: Make sure you know where you need to be and when, and make any necessary travel and accommodation arrangements in advance. Visit the university or college website for maps and directions and make sure you know exactly where on campus you need to be. If you need more information get in touch with the university or college. • Knowledge is power: Be sure to read the prospectus and look on the university's or college's website - the more you know about it and the course you have applied for, the keener you'll seem. Make a list of questions you'd like to ask, perhaps the kind of things the prospectus doesn't tell you. • Know your application: Make sure you're familiar with what you put in your application - this is all your interviewer knows about you so far so he or she will probably ask you about some of the things you've mentioned. • Be familiar with 'hot topics' in your subject area: You may well be asked about them, and don't forget to read the newspapers too. Interviewers commonly ask for your views on the issues of the day. • Practice makes perfect: A mock interview might be a good idea. Why did you choose this course; what do you enjoy most on the course you are currently studying and why did you choose this university are typical things you might be asked. Ask a teacher or careers adviser to run through a mock interview with you. • Get a good night's sleep: You won't perform your best without one! • At interview • Interviews are always nerve-wracking as you don't know what you're going to be asked. Just be yourself, be enthusiastic and be sure to 'sell' what you have to offer as a student on your chosen course. • Interviewers are looking for students who show an interest, who can think independently and consider new ideas. • They are looking for students who will thrive well on their course and enjoy a varied academic life alongside their outside interests.

28. Interview Tips Continued… • Dress appropriately: Although you probably won't need to wear a suit to interview, show your interviewer you are taking things seriously by dressing smartly (smart trousers and a shirt or blouse will do the trick). • Arrive in good time: Take any contact numbers just in case the worst happens and you get delayed on the way to your interview. • Body language: Be aware of your body language in the interview room - don't slouch or yawn; sit up and look alert. Make sure you are giving off all the right signals. • Stumped?: If you don't understand a question ask for it to be repeated or rephrased. Make good guesses or relate your answer to something you do know something about. • Expect the unexpected: While interviewers aren't trying to trick you, some will want to see how you react under pressure. A surprise test or exercise isn't unheard of so stay calm and think clearly. • Ask questions: While your interviewer needs to find out about you by asking lots of questions, you'll come across as enthusiastic if you ask appropriate questions too. Use the interview as a chance to find out answers to your questions that weren't answered on the website or in the prospectus. • Next steps • An interview is as much a chance for you to check out a university or college, as it is for them to check you out so take some time to reflect and improve. • Make notes: While the questions and your answers are still fresh in your mind, make some notes. If you're going to other interviews similar questions may crop up and it will be useful to compare responses. • Self-appraise: Think about what went well and what you can improve on. Start thinking about what you felt comfortable answering and what left you struggling. Come up with some answers that you are confident in, should similar topics crop up next time. • Sit back and wait: Once we've heard from the university or college, we'll let you know in Track if you were successful or not. If you receive an offer it may be conditional on you receiving certain grades.

29. Types Of Offers Decisions sent by universities and colleges • Conditional offer • A conditional offer means that the university or college will offer you a place if you meet certain conditions, which are usually based on your exams. • You may be asked to achieve specific Tariff Points (e.g. 200 points from three A levels) or grades in named subjects (for example, B in chemistry, C in physics). You might need to get specific grades in the individual units that make up these subjects. • You must meet the conditions of your offer by 31 August 2013 in the 2013 entry cycle, unless otherwise agreed by the university or college. If you're taking a winter exam, the offer might ask you to meet the conditions by an earlier date. • One or more of your offers may be a joint conditional offer, for example, a degree and HND. When your exam results are published, the university or college will decide which part of the offer is most suitable for you. • Each offer is specific to your qualifications and circumstances. • Unconditional offer • An unconditional offer means that you have met all the academic requirements and the university or college is happy to accept you. The university or college will contact you if they need proof of your qualifications. They might have other requirements, like financial or medical conditions, that you need to meet before you can start the course. • Withdrawn application • A choice can be withdrawn by you or the university or college. The reason will be displayed in Track. It may be withdrawn because you didn't respond to any letters or emails from the university or college, or because you didn't attend an interview. • Unsuccessful application • This means that the university or college has decided not to offer you a place on the course. • Universities and colleges can decline an applicant for many reasons, one of which could be that the course is full, so it may not be based on the quality of your application. The university or college may provide a reason for their decision either when they send the decision through, or at a later date. If no reason is shown in Track, you can contact the university or college to see if they will discuss why you were unsuccessful.

30. How and when to reply to your offers On Twitter? • Use the #ucasreplieshashtag to find the latest information from UCAS and other students. • If UCAS have received decisions from all of your choices and you have at least one offer, UCAS will email you to let you know there has been a change to your application, and ask you to look at Track. If you haven't provided a valid email address UCAS will send you a letter which will ask you to reply to your offers. Replying to your offers • You reply to each offer in one of the following ways: • firm acceptance • insurance acceptance • decline. Firm acceptance • Your firm acceptance is your first choice - this is your preferred choice out of all the offers you have received. You can only have one firm acceptance. • If you accept an unconditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college, so you must decline any other offers. UCAS will send you a letter which will explain whether there is anything else you need to do. • If you accept a conditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college if you meet the conditions of the offer. You can accept another offer as an insurance choice. Insurance acceptance • If your firm choice is a conditional offer, you can accept another offer as an insurance choice. Your insurance choice can be conditional or unconditional and acts as a back-up, so if you don't meet the conditions for your firm choice but meet the conditions for your insurance, you will be committed to the insurance choice. You can only have one insurance choice. • The conditions for your insurance choice can be higher than your firm choice, but be aware that if you're not accepted by your firm choice, it's unlikely that you will be accepted for an insurance choice that requests higher grades. • You don't have to accept an insurance choice - if you're not sure about any of your other choices once you have accepted a firm choice, you're not obliged to accept one as an insurance option. Decline • Once you have decided which offer to accept firmly, and which (if any) to accept as an insurance, you must decline all other offers. If you don't want to accept any of the offers, you can decline them all. You will then be eligible to use Extra or Clearing, depending upon your circumstances. There are four combinations of offers and replies • Unconditional firmonly - you've firmly accepted an unconditional offer. You cannot have an insurance choice. • Conditional firm only - you've firmly accepted a conditional offer. • Conditional firm + conditional insurance - you've firmly accepted one conditional offer and accepted another conditional offer as an insurance. • Conditional firm + unconditional insurance - you've firmly accepted a conditional offer and accepted an unconditional offer as an insurance. How and when to reply to your offers • Use Track to reply to your offers. Your reply date will be displayed in Track. Your reply date is based on when UCAS receive the last decision from your choices, so it might be different to other people's. If you don't reply by the date given, your offers will be declined.

31. How and when to reply to your offers Points to remember when replying to your offers • Try to attend open days or visits before you decide, but remember to reply by the deadline. If you are visiting a university or college after your reply date, please contact the university or college for advice. • Think carefully before you decide which offers to accept because once you accept an offer, including an insurance offer, you are committed to that course (or courses). • You can reply to offers without waiting to hear back from all your choices. You can cancel all outstanding decisions and reply to the offers that you have received using Track. But you must be certain about which offers you wish to accept, as once you have made your replies you will not be able to reverse any withdrawals. • If you are replying to a joint conditional offer, e.gfor a degree and HND, you are replying to the whole joint offer - when your exam results are published, the university or college will decide which part of the offer is most suitable for you

32. What If I Haven’t Received Any Offers? All is not lost if you have not received any offers. • If you have applied through UCAS, used all five choices on your application and aren't holding any offers, you might be able to apply through Extra for another course. In Extra, you can apply for any course with vacancies. Extra is open between the end of February and early July. In Extra, you apply for one course at a time using Track. Am I eligible? To use Extra you need to have: • already made five choices • received decisions from all these choices, and • either had no offers or declined all the offers you have received. N.B. If you decline your offers and add an Extra choice, you will not be able to accept any of your original choices later. How does it work? • If you are eligible for Extra, a button will appear on your Track screen which you can use to apply for a course in Extra. Course Search will tell you which courses have vacancies - an 'x' will be displayed next to any available courses. Before you apply, try to contact the university or college to make sure that they can consider you. • Check Course Search to see if there is an Entry Profile for the course because some will tell you what the university or college looks for in their students and might also have case studies from students who have taken the course. • Choose a course and enter the details in Track. UCAS will then send your application to the university or college, one choice at a time. • When you apply to a university or college in Extra, they can view details of choices you made when you originally applied. Choosing a course • Research the courses before deciding which to apply for. If you applied for high-demand courses originally and were unsuccessful, you could consider related or alternative subjects. Ask for advice from your tutor, subject teachers, careers library. • You can only apply for one choice through Extra at a time, so please make sure the place is still available before you add it. Once you add an Extra choice it cannot be changed until 21 days have passed. What happens next? • If you are offered a place, you can choose whether or not to accept it. If you accept an offer, you are committed to it, which means that you cannot apply anywhere else. You will need to reply to your offer by the date shown in Track. • If you decline an offer, or the university or college turns you down, you can apply for a different choice through Extra (time permitting). Your Extra button in Track will be reactivated. You can also apply for a different choice if you haven't received a decision from your Extra choice within 21 days of applying to them. • If you don't get an offer in Extra, don't worry! You can apply through the Clearing process, which gives you another opportunity to apply for vacancies.