GCE-BTEC News - February 2011

8/7/2019 GCE-BTEC News - February 2011

1/12

February 2011

UK Universities

up fees in 2012Tuition fees will be almost tripling in

autumn of 2012, rising to 9000 per year for

many undergraduate courses, following recent

Government legislation. What impact this will

have on HE applications this year and next is not

known.

Last year just over 400000 students gained places

on undergraduate courses at UK universities. This

includes the additional 10000 extra places the

Government funded because of the unprecedented

number of applications last year. The

Government has agreed to continue to fund these

additional places this year but this funding will be

withdrawn in 2012.

UCAS has released early figures showing that

the number of students submitting applications

before Christmas is up by 2.5% on last years

number. What is interesting is that although the

total number of applications is up on last year, the

number of applicants who are under 18 has

actually dropped slightly. With government cut

backs in funding for higher education this comingyear, down by about 400 million for university

teaching and research, there will inevitably be

fierce competition for fewer places.

The unanswered question is how will the fee

hike influence applications from EU countries,

and Greece in particular, given the very bad

economic climate prevailing? Some applicants

will certainly look for alternatives in countries

like the Netherlands, the Czech Republic or even

Italy where more and more universities are

offering English language undergraduate courses

in a whole range of disciplines from Business and

Engineering to Medicine. Most, however, will

probably continue to go to the UK especially if

the HE institutions in Britain manage to retain

and improve on their quality and reputation.

Applicants from Greece will continue to prefer

quality institutions if they know they will be

getting their moneys worth, even if it will costthem more. What needs to be stressed is that

applicants who gain a place on an

undergraduate course this year will retain the

present fee status and so will not have to pay

the increased fees in subsequent years, for as

long as they remain on the course!


2/12

GCE/BTEC Department Doukas School. 151 Mesogion St. 15126 Marousi . 2106186025. www.doukas.gr2

INTERVIEW with MARK WOODCOCKEdexcel European Development Manager for Vocational Programmes

Mark Woodcock visited Athens recently to promote Edexcel programmes and Vocational Centres at the British Councils

annual Education UK fair. He visited Doukas School and willingly answered questions put to him by two of our BTEC

Foundation Diploma (Art & Design) students Natassa Stamouli andAfroditi Sakka.

What is the purpose of your visit to Athens?

I am Edexcels regional manager for Western Europe and I am here to work with schools like Doukas,

and Colleges and Private Universities, and to participate in the British Council Fair on the 13th

and 14th

November and we are going to be supporting and representing our schools and colleges there.

Can you tell us a bit more about Edexcel and your role within the organization?

Sure. Edexcel is the UKs largest awarding organization. We are not involved in any training - we

basically award qualifications. We have 4 million registrations every year with students at 7000 centres

in 85 countries around the world. My role is to support schools, colleges and universities to develop

academic qualifications, but more especially vocational qualifications like the BTECs, which are my

baby.

So what exactly are BTEC qualifications?

The BTEC qualification is an interesting qualification because it is unique to Edexcel and it is a

qualification that focuses on experience so you are work ready when you achieve the qualification. So it

is not academic in the sense that most academic qualifications are based on an exam at the end of the

programme. A BTEC qualification has to be really practical for the learners so exams are almost

irrelevant in that sense. So instead of exams you have to do practical work, practical coursework,

practical projects, practical, practical, practical,Basically that is what a BTEC is. We have 1.1

million learners registered in over 900 subject areas and 5000 different qualifications across the world.

We work with schools, colleges, and companies even, because they see the value of the BTEC.


3/12


How important do you think the BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art & Design is in preparing and

getting students into Higher Education Art courses?

It is very important because it does 2 things. It has the academic weight to give you access to top

universities in Art & Design, so it provides you with the academic weight, or academic muscle, for that

first step. On the other side it has a vocational and professional weight which gives you the practical

experience to be good or excellent in Art & Design but also to acquire the skills that employers want

when you go into a company either as a junior intern or as a ready employee. So it gives you the best of

both worlds.

So vocational qualifications in Art, like the Foundation Diploma, differ quite a lot from academic

qualifications like GCE A-level Art or IB HL Visual Art?

Well traditionally what would happen with an academic qualification is that you would always have an

exam at the end of it. But it depends on how the school teaches it. Youve got schools that teach A-levels

and GCSEs but still have a very practical approach in the classroom. But the syllabus remains very

rigid. Whereas on the vocational type of qualification the end result is the practice and this is being

recognized by academic institutions as well as satisfying the needs of industry and the employer. With

any vocational qualification, including the Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, there is more

flexibility in the learning outcomes for the learners. This increased flexibility meets the need of the art &

design industry because it keeps the qualification relevant and fresh each time, every year. Some areas

of Art & design may remain static from year to year, but many applied arts, e.g 3D Design, are verydynamic and the syllabus needs to be refreshed each year. So the practical, vocational experience is

very important as it allows you keep up by always working within the current technological context.

Students in London were protesting yesterday over government plans to raise university tuition

fees. What is your opinion of the Governments plans and do you think increased fees will result in

fewer university applications?

I think it is a tough question for anyone to answer. Were in a terrible situation in the UK, in a terrible

mess. And the Government has to clean it up and there are various ways of doing this. Youve got some

universities in Britain who have taken steps, a bit like in Greece, of cutting back jobs, giving early

retirement packages in an attempt to cope with the lack of cash. Raising the fees is another way of

coping with budget deficits. The problem is that in the coalition Government, youve got the LiberalDemocrats who always promised throughout their election campaign that they would never increase the

fees. So people are feeling a little bit disappointed that actually the Liberal Democrats havent been

able to enforce that, whereas people expected it from the Conservatives. I think that people are still

going to invest in education, despite that. In a way the recession has been very good for education

related business because people have come out of jobs and gone into doing MBAs and management or

marketing courses, or actually totally changing their careers. If they were an accountant or banker for

20 years and they had a passion for photography or lets say Art & design, they would take up their

salary package and set up a business. I think it is still a good time for education but now universities

have to deliver on quality if they are going to raise the fees and that is going to be the biggest challenge

I think. Now that was a very long answer to a very difficult question.

Yes, but if they do raise fees then how will students who do not have the means to afford thehigher fees be able to continue their education at HE level?

There are loans and scholarships available. I have always said that the UK could do a lot more to

attract global talent. Those in power both within the EU and outside it, can do a lot more to attract this

talent. I think that scholarships are a great way of doing it. Unfortunately we are very weak on this in

the UK and dont seem to have the motivation that they would have, in America, for example.

Scholarships are a long term investment. So there are scholarships and there are loans and also there

are agreements that could be put in place for students who are in families on a household income of less

than 17000. But whatever happens one of the biggest issues, and this is already a big problem in the

UK, is that people are graduating from university heavily in debt. So once you go into work, for the first


4/12


10 years of your working life you will be actually paying back debt. Which means you cant invest in a

mortgage, you cant invest in a family, or you can but with great difficulty. So, yes, there is help but you

need to look for it and hopefully Doukas can help you with it.

What are your impressions of our School?

Well I have been to lots of schools in Greece, mostly in Athens, and the impression straight away is that

it has fantastic facilities and it has a nice location. So my first impressions are fantastic. What are your

impressions of the School?

Natassa: I think that the most important thing for me is that the school has a great art department. I

have been a student here since I was 5 years old and I have seen how the school has developed. Earlier

the art department that existed in the Lykio was very primitive with just one art teacher but today I

think the school has the best art department of any school in Greece. I know this because I talk to

students from other schools and they have nowhere near the facilities, nor the level of support that we

enjoy from the numerous art tutors that we are privileged to have.

Mark: I think that one of the things that impressed me about your school is that for Art & Design you

have got so many specialists working in one programme. Actually you are very lucky because I know

very few schools, and I work in many other countries and not just Greece, that have so many specialists

for a small programme. You know, for 28 students, its a heavy investment. Youve got a photography

specialist, a 3D specialist, a ceramics specialist,..

Natassa: a metal specialist, a glass specialist,

Mark: Its pretty good. I think you are very lucky

indeed. And on a second point I spoke to someone

at the hotel yesterday and I asked him about

Doukas School and he said great things about it. So

your school has a great reputation outside as well,

which is always good. Because that is one of the

things I do when I go to a country. I always ask the

local people about the schools I am to visit. I say,

you know, what do you think about such and such aschool? What do people say about it? What do you

know about it? Things like that. And I think that is

where you get the real truth. I dont think you get it

from the students in the school, even though I am

not questioning your judgement, nor do I think that

you get it from the teachers. You ask outside to see

what the reputation is like. And it seems your

school has an excellent reputation. So good, my

impressions are very good, all across.


5/12


6/12


Despite all that, I couldn't help but think: "Are we even allowed to talk about expensive shoes with suchexcitement in these hard times of financial recession? Well, that's what I'm doing now, aren't I? I won't analysethis one because I think that we're all aware of the magical powers that a pair of shoes can hold. No crisis willever change that. Besides, there's no better investment.

In case you wonder if I eventually bought the Celine shoes, I'll have to say, with no remorse whatsoever, thatI did. They had conquered my thoughts, not to mention all the to-do lists I tried to produce (Buy dog food,check; Buy Celine shoes, pending...), so the actual purchase of the shoes was one way to solve the existingproblem. When I brought them home, I opened up the all-white box in a very slow manner. A great sense ofanticipation travelled through my body. I peered at the bright red colour of this pleasant sin through the box's

crack and when I finally removed the lid, my fingertips felt the texture of the suede straps. What a ritual! Anyremnant of reasonable doubt dissolved into the rich and warm red. And so I realised that searching for a needlein the hay would be much easier than searching for a sensible explanation of our "natural" tendency to idoliseshoes. Besides, reason is not always desirable. We have to lean towards the other side every now and then.

* Effie Efthymiadi is a full-time student on our Foundation Diploma (Art & Design) course who is interested in Fine Art, Historyof Art and Creative Writing. This article was written in response to an ELLE magazine competition.

UCAS Design your future EventLondon 23 - 24 November 2010

Our BTEC Foundation Diploma students attended this years UCAS Design your Future event in London.UCAS organises annual subject-specific exhibitions like this to focus on particular subject areas, such as art and

design, media, and performing arts. Their aim is to provide key information on specialist subjects in a variety

of ways, such as workshops for discussing portfolios, talks from institutions that are leaders in featuredsubjects, and UCAS workshops that explain how to apply.

2010 was the twelfth year that UCAS have organised the extremely popular and unique Design your future

exhibition. The 2 day event gave our students the opportunity to speak to representatives from many art colleges,to visit the stalls, pick up literature and attend a number of interesting workshops. It gave them a real opportunity

to consider their options and be able to decide what and where to study within art and design in a lively and

stimulating exhibition environment.

Over 100 art & design colleges took part in the exhibition and it was a wonderful opportunity for our students tobe involved in an exciting experience with thousands of like-minded art & design applicants.


7/12


Why take GCE A-Levels?Doukas School has been running a GCE A-level programme for over 25 years. During this

period hundreds of students have gained access

to top ranking UK universities on the strength oftheir A-level grades. Most of them have been

students from other schools who have taken

advantage of the fact that it is an afternoon and

evening programme, as have many mature

students who have other daytime activities.

Quite a number of overseas universities,

including UK ones, will accept students who

have other international or national

qualifications that would give them access to

HE institutions in their own country, including

the Greek Apolytiro Lykiou.

Yet, in Greece, students are still opting to do A-levels on top of their Greek Lykio studies to improve

their chances of gaining entry to the university of their choice in the UK. So are they doing the right

thing going to all this extra trouble and expense? Will A-level qualifications truly make a difference?

The answer is a resounding yes to both questions!

The reasons are numerous and rather straightforward. GCE A-levels:

Have a high academic reputation and international recognition. Are much more familiar to UK course selectors than any other qualifications. Provide specialisation and depth that few other qualifications can match. Allow students to choose subjects they are interested in, and need for university entry.

Are taught in English and are products of the Anglo-Saxon educational ethos. Are modular in nature and each subject unit is examined separately. Allow subject units to be sat for twice a year and any number of resits is possible. Can be achieved over one or more years and some even before applying for a university place. Are graded from E up to A* and so allow admissions tutors to be as selective as they like. Are the best stepping stones for more advanced qualifications like AEAs and STEP exams. Are the best academic preparation for HE studies ensuring a smooth transition to university. Can easily be taken alongside vocational qualifications, like the BTEC Foundation Diploma. Are a prerequisite for entry to very competitive courses and top universities where other

qualifications, like the Apolytirio, are either not accepted at all, or at best, only in combination

with A-levels.

With the right guidance and motivation students wishing to seek a place on the most competitive under-graduate courses in the UK will have a definite edge with A-level qualifications. This will become even

more important in the trying times ahead as university funding is cut, fees go up and competition for

places becomes fierce. Dont think twice the GCE route is the sure path to HE studies in the UK.

Every year Doukas School manages to get GCE students into top universities:

Myrto Aspioti (Modern Foreign Languages - Cambridge2010), Panagiotis Charalampopoulos

(Mathematics Cambridge 2010), Markos Valsamis (Medicine Cambridge 2009), Alexandros

Efthymiadis (Mathematics Warwick 2009), Vasilis Dandis (Physics Oxford 2007), and many

more have gotten into Imperial, Bath, LSE, UCL and Kings. This is a tradition we intend to continue.


8/12


Applying to high-ranking courses?

A-levels can give you a

competitive edge

GCE A-levels give you a definiteadvantage, especially if you intend

applying to top academic courses. Just

read below what universities like Oxford,Cambridge, LSE, Warwick and Imperial

have to say about undergraduate entry

requirements to Medicine, Engineering,Mathematics and Economics.

Mixing Qualifications

Cambridge University has no reservations in

accepting applicants with a mixture of academic

qualifications. In fact they encourage students to

mix their qualifications as a way of strengthening

their application:

Were happy to consider applicants who are

taking a combination of qualifications drawn

from different examination systems, for instance a

mixture of Advanced Highers and A levels or of Alevels and IB Higher Level subjects, provided that

the individual qualifications are considered

acceptable and the subject requirements for the

appropriate course are met. If a conditional offer

is made it will normally ask for achievement in

line with typical offers made to applicants taking

a single type of qualification. However, the exact

details of such conditional offers will inevitably

depend on the individual circumstances of the

application.

Maths at Cambridge

Typical A level offer A*AA + STEP

Essential: A level Mathematics and AS Further

Mathematics.

Highly Desirable: A level Further Mathematics,

Physics.

STEPnormally required.

Engineering at Cambridge

Essential: A level Mathematics andPhysics.

Highly desirable: a thirdmathematics/

science/technology A level.

If your school or college is able to offerFurther

Mathematics, youre strongly encouraged to

study this. If its not available or youve

recognised its desirability too late, wed advise

you to do as much additional pure maths and

mechanics as possible, eg by taking stand-alone

modules or Further Mathematics AS level. You

might also consider taking STEP Mathematics;some Colleges may make this a mandatory part of

a conditional offer.

Engineering at Oxford

Candidates are expected to have Physics and

Mathematics to A-level, Advanced Higher, or

Higher Level in the IB or any other equivalent.

Inclusion ofMathematics Mechanics modules is

highly recommended. Further Mathematics can

be helpful to students in completing this course,

although it is not required for admission.

Economics at Cambridge

Given the increasingly technical nature of

economic theory, it is now essential that

applicants have A level Mathematics (or

equivalent). Economics and Further

Mathematics are considered useful preparation

but are not essential. A level Business Studies can

be helpful if you are unable to take Economics.


9/12


Economics at LSE

The study of modern Economics requires a broad

range of knowledge and skills, with maths, in

particular, being a necessary tool for analysis. A

level Mathematics (or equivalent) is therefore a

compulsory requirement for all courses within the

Economics Department at LSE.

In addition to Maths, the selectors prefer to see

subject combinations which indicate that you

possess both analytical and writing abilities.

Subjects which appear as common post-16

choices are Economics (although not a required

subject); Physics; History; Chemistry; English

and Government and Politics.

An additional qualification in Further Maths, at

any level, if offered, is welcomed as an

indication of mathematical ability. However weare aware that not everyone has the opportunity

to follow a Further Maths course and find it

helpful if applicants and/or their referees can

indicate whether or not the applicant's school or

college offers Further Maths classes. Please note,

however, that Further Maths, if taken as a full A

level, is generally seen as an 'additional' or

fourth subject, rather than a substitute for one of

your three main subjects. Thus a combination of

Maths, Further Maths and one other subject is

not seen as providing the required breadth of

knowledge and skills.

Mechanical Engineering at

Imperial

The normal entry requirements for all our

courses are at least three suitable subjects at A-

level. We require A* in Maths, A in Physics and

one other A grade subject. We prefer further

Maths, Chemistry or Design as the third A-level.You also need a pass grade B at GCSE in English

Language or equivalent.

While these are our normal requirements, we are

always willing to consider qualifications other

than GCSE and A-levels. Scottish Advanced

Highers or Scottish Highers plus CSYS and the

International Baccalaureate are well-established

alternatives.

Electrical Engineering at

Imperial

Standard entry requirements are:

A* in Mathematics, A in Physics and A in

Further Mathematics at A-level.

Medicine at St Andrews

The Greek Apolytirion is not accepted but may

be considered if an average grade of 18.5 has

been obtainedand study is supplemented with 3

A levels, or a further year of science study such

as a Foundation programme or first year of a

Bachelor of Science degree.

Queen Mary

The Apolytirion can be accepted for entry to somedegree courses, but many departments will also

ask foradditional A levels or a UK Foundation

Course.

Mathematics at Warwick

For October 2011 entry most applicants will

receive our standard offer:

A*(M) A*(FM) A2 or A*(M) A(FM) A1

(M) (FM) denote Mathematics and Further

Maths.

1 and 2 denote grades in a Maths STEP paper.

Distinction in AEA is accepted in place of grade 2

in STEP.

Learning Further Maths, and solving STEP

problems will prepare you better for a

mathematics course at university.

Further Maths: You should take as many Further

Pure and Mechanics units as possible.

GCE qualifications allow you to choose

subjects of interest to you and the university

you wish to apply to such as: Further Maths,

Mechanics modules, AEAs and STEP, Art &

Design or Economics. If you have GCSEs or

the Greek Apolytiro you only need 2 or at

most 3 A-levels to be considered for a place at

any university in the UK. And you could

complete them in one year!


10/12


BTECFoundation

DiplomaFor Art, Design or

Architecture Studies

Did you know that entry to top Art & Designcourses in the UK very often require candidates

to have successfully completed the FoundationDiploma (Art & Design) qualification? The more

competitive London Colleges, and not only, have

it as a course prerequisite?

Did you also know that the BTEC Foundation

Diploma (FAD) programme is offered at both

Level 3 (A-level standard) and Level 4 (First year

university standard) as from this year?

And did you know that Doukas School has been

offering this Edexcel programme for the last 3

years with outstanding success, both in terms ofstudent satisfaction and in getting students into

the Art College of their choice?

This explains why the programme has literally

taken off this year with 7 full-time students

completing the course in one year, and 6 part-

time students doing it over two years. This

breakthrough has been achieved with virtually no

publicity and has relied purely on word-of-mouth.

The FAD (and the Short Courses that we offer) is

supported by 10 experienced specialists who are

professionals in their fields (graphic design,

fashion & textiles, ceramics, metal & jewellery,

glass, 3D and architectural design, historical &

contextual lectures, life drawing, etc).

Course StructureThe FAD course encourages students to

experiment, to be prepared to make and learn

from mistakes, to develop their research skills

and ability to conceptualise and contextualise

their work. It is designed to provide them with the

experience needed to discover their own personal

creative interests and to prepare them for their

portfolio and university application. The intention

is to provide them with the appropriate

framework and the opportunity to reach that level

of creative maturity and independence that willenable them to cope with the demands of a

specialist degree course at university art school.

The course is split into 3 stages:

Stage One ('Exploratory')

This stage is 'diagnostic'. Students are introduced

to a wide range of art and design specialisms,

working procedures and media experiences.

Stage Two ('Pathway')

The Pathway Stage allows students to select their

specialist and media areas in order to consolidate

their skills, develop and reinforce their

specialism, deepen their experience and build up

a portfolio for their HE application. Typical

pathways include: 3D Media and Design

(ceramics, metal), Fine Art (Drawing, painting,

sculpture), Graphic Design and Communications

(illustration), Digital Art (photography,

photoshop, animation), Textiles/Fashion (fashion,

set & costume design), Art & Creative Writing,

etc. Historical and Contextual Studies is

integrated across the above pathways but is not aspecialist pathway in itself.

Stage Three ('Confirmatory')

The final stage is a period of sustained study

centred on a personal final major project which

is undertaken by each student with a clear

orientation towards their specialist choice. The

course culminates in an end-of-year public

exhibition, personal catalogue and portfolio of

work.


11/12


Inside ViewStephanie BaileyFoundation Diploma Quality Verifier

Challenging is the best wordto describe the Foundation

Diploma in Art and Design at

Doukas. Offering the chance

to integrate GCE, IB and SC

levels alongside the Foundation studies, what

makes this course so unique is the emphasis we

place on students.

Taking students from a wide variety of

backgrounds, from high school students to high

school graduates with very little prior artseducation, the Foundation is an intense

experience of exploration and discovery. Students

are pushed to realise their creative potential,

develop their independence and nurture their

confidence in preparation for higher education in

the United Kingdom. This is by no means an easy

task and as such, requires students capable of

keeping up with the demands of the course.

Indeed, the success of the course relies not only

on its dedicated team of tutors but also on the

efforts of our students themselves. The journey astudent can expect to undertake is one filled with

surprises, where their continued studies into the

arts lead them to unexpected outcomes. This is

one of the core elements of the course; only

through taking risks and delving into the

unknown can one truly come to know their

creative talents. On the part of the tutors, being

able to work with students who are courageous

enough to take such risks is a joy. Yet as with all

creative endeavours, the management of ones

creative abilities requires discipline, commitment

and perseverance; qualities we ask from all our

students, and ones that will serve them well in the

future.

As we enter our third year of officially entering

candidates for external examination by Edexcel,

our main aim is to maintain the Foundation

Courses fantastic performance so far. This is a

challenge well worth rising up to, and one our

students and staff are firmly equipped to face

Dr Elina

ProdromidiBiology

Teacher

As a Biology teacher, I often confront concernsand doubts from students who, although willing

to study in various fields of science, have an

initial fear they will not be able to get the

required grades in their exams to enter the

universities of their choice. They seem to feel that

the sciences are somehow inherently difficult to

learn. So are science subjects so difficult to be

taught to teenagers in a simple and

understandable way? Are the sciences sodemanding in terms of context, experimental

skills and applications? Is it rocket scienceto

study science?

As an educator I try to transfer my passion and

knowledge for my subject to my students. If

Biology is taken as an example of a scientific

subject, then knowing in detail about the human

body, animals, plants and the ecosystem may

sound complicated or sometimes difficult to

comprehend by young minds especially. Yet this

knowledge relates to our everyday life and theworld we live in. It is also an asset for a future

scientific career.

Having being educated for many years in the UK,

I know the difficulties as well as the benefits that

UK universities offer. Students may not find it

easy to get into a good university, not easy being

interviewed by people they have never met before

in their life and not easy taking exams and

studying long hours to get the much desired A

grade. However, hard does not mean impossible

if you really want to succeed..and after all it isyour dream you are going after. The challenge

and reward for any educator is to see the dreams

of his/her students starting to come true after they

leave the classroom!

I tell my studentslife is ahead of you and is full

of scientific problems to resolve, scientific

pathways to cross and scientific questions to

answer. Be an inspiration to science and let

science inspire you!


12/12


January 2011

GCE Exam SessionEdexcel GCE A-level examinations take place

twice a year in January and June. Students

registered on our GCE programme are entered for

A-level units in January so that we may have an

objective picture of each students progress. We

then have sufficient time to take whatever

corrective action is necessary. Should students do

well in the January exam session, as we hope they

do, then they can bank their unit grades and

only need to sit for the remaining units in June.

This year 40 candidates sat units in January and

the results will be announced in the first week of

March. At that time decisions can be made as to

whether any units need re-sitting. When all unitsof a particular subject have been examined they

are cashed in for the award of an overall grade.

This can be for either an Advanced Subsidiary

(AS) qualification (based on half the units

essentially the equivalent of half an A-level) or

the full Advanced level (where all AS and A2

units are taken into account).

In the case of resits overall grades are based on

the bestunit results obtained. As you can see the

GCE examinations and syllabi are very flexible

and tailor made to suit student needs. Students

who do their A-levels sequentially over two or

more years (they can start A-level units when

they are still in 1st

or 2nd

year of Lykio) have the

advantage of being able to secure the high gradesthey need for entry to the university course of

their choice.

UCAS Applications Submitted

What Now?The period leading up to the 15

thJanuary deadline

for submission of UCAS applications was a

frenzied one for both applicants and, of course,the person in charge of coordinating the whole

procedure.

A UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admissions

Service) application has many parts that have to

be completed before being sent electronically.

Initially an applicant needs to register and provide

all their personal and educational details. They

then must conduct their own research on the

UCAS website (www.ucas.com) to find the

appropriate university choices. They may choose

up to 5 and these need to be entered on theirapplication.

The most important section, and the only one

where an applicant can influence a selectors

decision, is the Personal Statement. This is

usually completed with as much guidance as is

necessary from the Head of the GCE Department

and other members of staff but without altering

its personal character.

The application is then sent to the referee who

adds an academic reference and predicted grades.

The referee submits the application to UCAS whoin turn send it electronically to each university for

their decision.

It should be noted that each university is unaware

of the applicants other choices and so admission

tutors cannot be influenced by them.

Some universities make early decisions whilst

others delay their decisions. A university may

respond in one of 3 ways. Your application may

be deemed unsuccessful, conditional or

unconditional. Most applicants get conditionaloffers and they need to reply to their offers

(selecting their firm and insurance choices) by the

deadline shown on TRACK. They can access this

service, via www.ucas.com, using their Personal

Identification Number, Username and Password

provided by UCAS.

The next step is for applicants to go all out to

meet the grade conditions attached to their offers.

GCE-BTEC News - February 2011

Documents

Transcript of GCE-BTEC News - February 2011