Parents’ Briefing April 2014

TIMELINE Year 12 January-July – UCAS talk then

independent research and open days/meetings and discussions with Mrs Chadwick

May (today) – UCAS Information Evening May – personal statement and research

with form tutors June – personal statement checking with

tutors/subject staff and Mrs Chadwick UCAS registration process completed (with

choices to be confirmed in September)

TIMELINE Year 13 September (first week of term)

“reminder” talk on the application process September-October – submit application

online Deadlines in Sept-November (see later

slide) Offers made between September 2014

and May 2015 Choose “1st” and “insurance” choice

Applying to UniversityWhich course and which university?

Some (but not many) professions demand specific qualifications e.g. medicine / vet medicine / engineering / architecture (check that the course will give you the right qualification)

Other courses e.g. history / biological science / archaeology / media studies / geography will lead to a BA, BSc, or other degree level qualification that may not immediately lead to a specific career.

Applying to University

Which course and which university? Read prospectuses / visit websites / read

University guides such as “Heap - Degree Course Offers” (available in the Logic Centre)

Visit University Open Days/Taster courses Decide on courses, discuss with tutor and

subject staff then choose universities looking at the grades required/your predicted grades

www.centigradeonline.co.uk if unsure Apply online through www.ucas.com

The UCAS System

Centrally administered system for application to British Universities

Apply to five university courses Currently £23 (when applying for more

than 1 course) – online payment Online system Students able to track their application

The UCAS formStudent section Personal details – incl. contact information and special learning

needs Additional information – incl. nationality, parental occupation,

care statement. Choices Education Employment Personal Statement

School section Reference Predicted Grades

Go to the website and watch the video http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/undergraduate/filling-your-application

The UCAS website has lots of information for both students and parents

The UCAS form

Choices Up to five courses (maximum of 4 for

medical, dentistry, vet courses + 1 other recommended)

Choose (very) similar courses Don’t apply to five different courses at

the same institution

The UCAS form

Education Secondary education attended GCSE results All IB qualifications expected to be taken

The UCAS form

The Personal StatementThe most important part of the application

form? Why I want to study my chosen course. Why I think that I can do well in this

course. What I have done / achieved that will

make me a strong candidate for this course What else I can bring to my university.

The UCAS form

The Personal Statement Use good standard direct English Spend 3/4 on academic 1/4 on non academic Importance of reflections on academic work (and

work experience for competitive vocational courses e.g. medicine or law)

Avoid opening pretentious quotations often of doubtful relevance

Generally career ambitions are not that relevant or important

The UCAS formReference and Predicted Grades

School reference – mainly academic, and constructed by tutor from comments from all teachers (added after student submits form and before it is sent to universities)

Other relevant information (e.g. positions of responsibility in school, work experience, CAS, other interests and achievements) But these are better in your personal statement.

Predicted Grades based on IB internal examination results. Again it is good to mention excellent internal exam results in your personal statement.

Aptitude testsSome universities and courses requireadditional evidence of your aptitude, eg Law: LNAT Medicine (+some Veterinary Medicine) BMAT

and UKCAT History: HAT English Literature ELAT Philosophy, Politics and Economics: TSA Mathematics: STEP Details available from university

prospectusesStudents must do their own research as

these change from year to year

Aptitude Tests Register by the dates specified by the universities Most tests in November 2014 Past papers and mark schemes often available

online Other resources are commercially available Ask subject staff for help where appropriate

Look at the links on the university websites and the UKCAT website

www.ukcat.ac.ukSpeak to Mrs Chadwick if you need help

Key Dates: Deadlines at TGS

15th September 2014: Vet Science, Medicine and Oxbridge applicants

Main applicants deadline 1st December 2014 – the majority of students

YOU MUST ADHERE TO THESE DEADLINES. The school can take up to

four working weeks to process an application

(often this is due to mistakes made by students when completing the form and on their

personal statement)

Key Dates: Interviews

Oxbridge: begins mid-November 2014

Medicine: begins around January 2015 (but could be earlier)

Others – increasingly other universities are using interviews

Key Dates: Offers Begin to be made at any time from the date

of application until the end of March 2015 When students have an offer or rejection

from all of their universities, they must choose a “first/firm choice” (an offer they can expect to achieve on a good day) and an “insurance choice” (for a less good day) and there will be a deadline given for responding

Some universities do not make offers until very late, most notably for Medics, Dentists, vets etc and many Scottish universities

UCAS Extra Extra is a way of making a further choice after

you have applied. You are eligible for Extra if you have used all five choices on your application and have either been unsuccessful at all of them, or have declined all offers you have received. 

Extra cannot be used while you have an offer on your application. Once in Extra, you can't leave it to go back to any original offers

The Extra service operates from the end of February until the end of June.

Key Dates: results

IB results available on 6thJuly 2015

Students who need support will be able to come to school on 7th July to be advised by Mrs Chadwick.

Students who have not finalised an offer earlier will need to contact their universities on 13th August when the A2 results are released to Universities.

Clearing You are eligible for Clearing if ....

your offers have not been confirmed because you did not achieve the required grades or .....

you have declined your offers

Clearing is open until Mid September

Adjustment Adjustment lets applicants who have met and

exceeded the conditions of their firm choice an opportunity to reconsider where and what to study. If they are accepted by another university or college, the new choice will replace their original choice as their unconditional firm offer.

The Adjustment process is available from A level results day until the end of August.

A brief overview

Oxbridge candidate Learner Profile Highly self-motivated

A clear passion for or interest in your subject area – this could be demonstrated by strong evidence of reading or exploration well beyond the confines of the subject syllabus

Strong GCSE results (for example half GCSEs at A* and half at A or better)

Minimum predicted grades of 766 at Higher Level and 38 IB points overall

Good Year 12 examination results

An ability to learn and flourish in a challenging tutorial setting

Oxbridge candidates should: enjoy developing their subject interest

independently have registered their interest with Mrs

Chadwick talk to subject teachers and ask for advice visit colleges complete their personal statement in July go on the university websites for full

details do extra reading / work over the summer

Oxbridge support help with personal statements (and SAQ) practice interviews advice on work to be submitted /

admissions tests subject-related support from departments general interview and application support READ YOUR EMAILS

Overseas universities

US –Fulbright http://www.fulbright.org.uk/

EU Australia / Canada Elsewhere

Student Finance - Overview Expenses whilst at university or

college fall broadly into two categories:

Tuition fees – which help meet the cost of a course

Other higher education expenses, mainly living costs

Tuition fees

Students living in England may be charged up to £9000 tuition fees by institutions in the UK. Many institutions have not decided their charges for 2015 entry

Fees will vary between courses and between universities – this may affect your choices.

Help with Tuition fees

All Students can take out a Student Loan for Fees for the amount charged by the university or college

No income assessment Student Loans are repayable once students

have left their course and are earning more than £21,000 a year (current figure – may change for you)

Help with living expenses

Same type of living cost support no matter where student studies – England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland (London is slightly higher)

Includes - Maintenance Grant (means tested)

- Student loans for maintenance

Financial support – Student loan for maintenance Student loans are subsidised by the

government and issued by the Student Loans Company.

Interest charged is linked to inflation. All details (including a “calculator” where

you can enter your household income etc) at https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/further-information

The best websites for student finance www.aimhigher.ac.uk user friendly and

up to date information on student finance UCAS website section on student

finance includes a budget calculator http://www.ucas.com/students/studentfinance/

www.nusonline.co.uk for tips on managing your money, information on the best student bank accounts, overdrafts discounts and finding work.

SOME FINAL ISSUES Processing within school – how to speed it up

Apply early (complete your personal statement in the summer term, finalise your choices over the summer holiday, fill in the form in September)

Make sure there are no mistakes (read all instructions and guidance carefully, get your tutor and a subject specialist to check your form, ask if unsure, CHECK IT YOURSELF)

Take responsibility – use the support available in school, but don’t be dependent upon it.

Read your emails

The majority of TGS students

apply to university in year 13.

Those that don’t usually apply in

year 14.

•The lowest is 24 for Law, Education at Canterbury Christ Church, Astrophysics Foundation at University of Central Lancashire, Animation at Worcester, Astronomy at University of South Wales•The highest (not Oxbridge) is 39 for Computer Science, Law at UCL•Cambridge Computer Science 38 – 766•Cambridge Geography 42 - 776•Oxford Law 38 – 666•Oxford Biological Sciences 39 – 766•None of these are above predictions

One of our law students remarked how useful she found TOK in her interviewExtended essay is really useful too

•Cambridge interviewed 766 grades•Most IB offers are below predictions•Durham Law 38 v 43•Bristol Geography 37 v 39 •Exeter Modern Languages 34 v 37•UEA Economics 32 v 36•Portsmouth English 26 v 36•Leicester Criminology Unconditional v 39

•A* 42•A/A* 38•A 35•B/A 32•B 29

The UCAS Website has everything you wish to know

www.ucas.com