An Introduction to Higher Education

1. An Introduction to Higher Education

2. PLANNING AHEAD?DECISIONS? Year 12 • Employment • Training/Apprenticeships • College • Volunteering • Year 13 A2 Year 13 • University UK & Abroad • Sponsored / Work Based Degree • College/Foundation Degree/Technical & Vocational Learning • Employment • Employment with training • Apprenticeship • Gap year/Volunteering

3. GOOD ADVICE GOOD DECISIONS • Guidance sessions • Mentor • School Careers Advisor • Tutors/Heads of Year/ Head of Post 16 • Personal interviews • Careers library • FROG (careers website links) • Visiting speakers • Parents

4. HIGHER EDUCATIONReasons to apply to university? • Increase qualification levels • Employment prospects • Future earnings • Personal development • Social life & Social facilities • New friends • New interests/skills • Live away from home • Develop independence

5. HIGHER EDUCATIONReasons NOT to apply to university? • Cost and potential debt • Immediate entry to paid employment • Separation from friends • Remain close to family • No job guarantees • Won’t get the grades • Not ready • Need a break from studying

6. The UCAS System • 5 choices • 4 choices for Vets, Medics, Dentists, plus 1

7. School Deadlines • Medics, Vets, Oxbridge By or before Friday 4th October to meet 15th October UCAS deadline • All other UCAS applicants by Monday 4th November. Early Application is beneficial to student and school.

8. Things To Remember • Each course at every institution will apply its own criteria for entry. • Specific course entry requirement will depend on the demand for the course, and may change from year to year. • Courses with the same title are not necessarily the same. • Application can be made for different types of courses (but care needs to be taken). • It is wise to consider one or two courses that are below predicted grade level.

9. RESEARCH • Websites • Prospectus • Open days • Student shadowing • Taster courses • Work experience • Heads of Year/Tutors • Parents • Higher Education Conferences

10. Key Variables • Course subject options, combinations and flexibility • Assessment by examination, dissertation, project, practical work experience, on line…… • Leading to first degree qualification, professional qualification or requiring further qualification.

11. What Are Universities Looking For? • Interest/commitment (“passion”) • Qualifications • GCSE –actual • AS – actual (at the moment) • A2 –predictions • Personal statement • Reference

12. Increasing Chances • Extra-curricular and enrichment activities. • Involvement in school and out-of-school life. • Relevant work experience; work shadowing. • Part-time employment. • University visits, open-days, summer schools, student shadowing. • Awards, rewards, certificates, commendations. • Evidence of key skills. • Personal experiences, qualities and attributes.

13. Cambridge Oxford Imperial College London School of Economics Bristol Warwick Durham University College London St Andrews Edinburgh Most Competitive Universities

14. UNIVERSITY RANKING (www.completeuniversityguide.co.uk)

15. Most popular universities applied to by KEVI students 2012/13

16. Last Year’s UCAS Final destinations (2012 Cycle) University number of students • Northumbria 36 • Newcastle 13 • York 7 • Leeds 7 • Newcastle College 5 • Oxford 5 • Sheffield 5 • Lancaster 5 • Leeds Met 4 • Manchester Met 4 • Teesside 4 • York St John 4 • Durham 4 • Loughborough 3 • Nottingham 3 • Birmingham 3 • Bath 3 • Sunderland 3 • Sheffield Hallam 2 • Cambridge 2 • UCL 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Edinburgh Napier 5 • Edinburgh 4 • Stirling 3 • Aberdeen 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- • Various Others 37

17. Most Popular University Courses Chosen by King Edward’s Students 2012 • Business/Economics 20 • Psychology/Criminology 14 • Sciences 11 • Nursing & Midwifery 10 • Education 9 • Journalism & Media 7 • Medicine 8 • Engineering 5 • English 5 • Graphic Design 5 • History 5 • Sports 4

18. Most Competitive Subjects • Vet Science • Medicine • Dentistry • Physiotherapy • Midwifery • Psychology • Law • English Literature • History • Aeronautical Engineering • Architecture

19. Examples of Psychology Courses • Animal • Applied • Applied Social • Behavioural Science • Business • Clinical • Cognitive • Cognitive Science • Communications • Computing • Counselling • Developmental • Education • European Social • Experimental • Forensic • Health • Human • Occupational • Social • Sport

20. Example: Human Psychology (Aston University) • Human Psychology ( 3 year full time) • Human Psychology (4 year sandwich) • Psychology and Public Policy and Management • Psychology and …… • Biology • Business • Chemistry • Computer Science • French • German • Sociology

21. UCAS Dates • Registration onto the apply system – July – Sept 2013 • Applications –Sept 3rd– Jan 15th • Oxbridge Vets & Medics – must be in by October 15th • School submission dates have to be earlier. • UKCAT, BMAT & LNAT examinations October / November. • University specific tests usually October/November

22. Grade/Point offers • Institutions can offer places by required grades (B-B-C) Or • by required points (260 points)

23. OFFERS A2 LEVEL Grade ‘A*’=140 points Grade ‘A’ = 120 points Grade ‘B’ = 100 points Grade ‘C’ = 80 points Grade ‘D’ = 60 points Grade ‘E’ = 40 points AS LEVEL Grade ‘A’ = 60 points Grade ‘B’ = 50 points Grade ‘C’ = 40 points Grade ‘D’ = 30 points Grade ‘E’ = 20 points No double counting Points or Grades offer.

24. UCAS Offers • A maximum of 2 offers may be held after final decision has been received. • There are 3 replies that can be made. • F = Firm Acceptance • I = Insurance Acceptance • D = Decline • If an unconditional offer is firmly accepted no other offers may be held.

25. Aspiration v Realism • It is essential to apply for courses that are in line with predicted grades • Predicted grades cannot be negotiable • Make one or two choices below predicted grades • Always remember “insurance” choice

26. No Offers • UCAS EXTRA • Clearing Don’t get Grades Clearing

27. Tuition Fees for 2013/14 • Any university or college will be able to charge fees of up to £9,000. • Universities are able to charge higher contributions up to a limit of £9,000, subject to meeting conditions on widening participation and fair access through student bursaries. It is up to universities and colleges to decide what they charge and whether or not there will be different fees for different courses. • Realistically all universities are charging between £6,000 and £9,000 with many at the upper end. • Universities in Scotland and Wales have similar fee charges to those in England.

28. Tuition fees • Access to university will be free at the point of entry, with repayments of loans for fees only occurring following graduation and entrance into employment. • The threshold at which graduates will have to start paying their loans  will be £21,000 at pre-tax annual earnings. Graduates will then pay back 9% of their income each month above that level. Any outstanding debt will be wiped out after 30 years. • It is still currently possible to pay university fees up front in order to avoid accruing any debt.

29. Student Loan repaymentsource:www.gov.uk/student –finance/repayments

30. University Bursaries These differ from university to university. They enable universities to target appropriate financial help. Sometimes they are used as encouragement to apply to a particular university. It is the students responsibility to find out about and apply for a bursary. Bursaries can offer between £300 - £3000.

31. Will I get a grant? • Students from families with incomes of up to £25,000 will be entitled to a full grant of up to £3,354 and those from families with incomes up to £42,611 will be entitled to a partial grant (sliding scale). • The maximum Maintenance loan for 2013/14 is £5,500 (living away from home, outside London). Living at home is up to £4,375 dependent on household income.

32. Living Costs: estimated and variable Up to £7000 per year for a student living away from home. To cover such things as: • Rent or hall fees • Household and general bills • Food and drink • Travel • Entertainment • Books, stationery and other course needs • Clothes • Contingency fund (Parents!)

33. For most subjects the chances of getting a job are about the same A significant proportion of graduate job vacancies do not specify any subject at all Quality of degree is important: students with first class honours are very rarely unemployed whatever subject they study Graduate Employment

34. Starting salaries can be in the region of between £20,000 - £40,000 dependent on the job But remember not all graduates get graduate jobs as soon as they finish their degree What do graduates earn?

35. Alternatives to UCAS applications • Apprenticeships leading to HE qualifications • Apprenticeships • Study abroad • Getting work

36. Ernst & Young, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Proctor & Gamble are all big employers within accounting and taxation offering various ways to help people get into the financial professions. • Balfour Beattie employ school/college leavers in construction and engineering related jobs with the chance to study a degree part time while working for the company.

37. Studying in Europe • Fees can be cheaper • Particularly in the Netherlands there are English speaking courses YOU NEED TO BE THOROUGH IN YOUR RESEARCH • What are the entry requirements? • How long will the course be? • Is there a foundation year? • Is there a requirement to undertake work experience? • Will there be student accommodation? • What will the living and travelling costs be?

38. So far • Assembly guidance programme • Group and one to one advice sessions • HE Convention • University visits: Lancaster, York, Newcastle, Northumbria • School university visits: Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, Edinburgh Napier, Cambridge,Oxford. • Student shadowing • Open Day visits

39. Extended Registration Programme • UCAS Course search / Russell Group Universities/ Foundation Degrees • Apprenticeships & Study Abroad • Online resources available through Northumberland Library Service / UCAS preparation/Open days • UCAS course search in further detail and initial HE intentions

40. COMING UP…….. KPMG presentation Newcastle College presentation Leeds University talk Careers HE Guidance UCAS Registration – July – Sept Visits from other universities to be confirmed Summer Schools Personal Interviews Open Days Taster Courses Pure Potential See adverts in the SFC

41. Some useful websites • www.studentworld.co.uk and www.hero.ac.uk which shows location of all UK Higher education institutions. • www.universitiesuk.ac.uk for university research quality ratings. • www.aimhigher.ac.uk provides a complete guide to higher education in England • www.studyinscotland.org for Scottish University information • www.wales.ac.uk for the University of Wales • www.thetimesonline.co.uk and www.education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide for examples of league tables • www.uni4me.com which gives a view of what it’s like to be a student • www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk will give ranking and bursary information. • www.whatuni.com • www.notgoingtouni.co.uk Distance Learning: For Gap years, foundation degree programs, apprenticeship vacancies, gap year jobs, distance learning courses & distance learning • www.prospects.ac.uk Official Graduate Careers Website