UCAS application process & UCAS application process & your personal statementyour personal statement

Heather Martin

Schools Liaison Assistant

Today’s talkToday’s talk• What is UCAS?

• Preparing to apply

• The UCAS application process

• Your application form

• Your personal statement

What is UCAS?What is UCAS?• University & Colleges

Admissions Service

• UCAS is the ‘go between’ between Institution and applicant

• UCAS records all decisions made about you

UCAS deadlinesUCAS deadlines• Oxford / Cambridge and

Medicine / Dentistry / Veterinary Science

15th October

• Art & Design

Route A – 15th January

Route B – 25th March

• All others – 15th January

Preparing to applyPreparing to applyYear 12 Year 13

Start thinking about courses and universities

Choose up to 5 courses

Open Days Finish writing personal statement

Start planning personal statement

Don’t leave things until the last minute

Get a summer job / voluntary experience

Attend Preview days

What happens to your What happens to your application?application?

January February March April May

Application deadline

Interviews and preview days

Institution offers / rejections

Applicant accepts / declines(First and insurance choice)

Your application formYour application form• Personal details

• Applications in alphabetical order

• Qualifications already obtained

• Qualifications not yet obtained

• Personal statement

• Declaration

• Open Reference

Your application formYour application form

The personal statementThe personal statement

Where to startWhere to start• Map out your ideas

• Structure it well

• Build up paragraphs

• Requires several drafts

The contentThe content• Relevant background information

about yourself and why you are interested in the academic aspects of your chosen subject

• Include any life skills, strengths, work experience, positions of responsibility, and any recent study relevant to your application

• Taking a year out? ....Why?

What are universities What are universities looking for?looking for?

• A well structured personal statement with thought behind it

• What sort of a person you are and why you are suitable for the subject area

• Evidence for the things that you say about yourself

• Examples that show you have motivation and commitment to complete your course

Activity Examples of skills / qualities developed

Work experience

Responsibility, punctuality, team work, enthusiasm, ideas person

D of E, Mentor, Prefect, Ten Tors

Communication, confidence, leadership, reliability, motivation, self belief, decision making

Recent relevant study

Subject knowledge, passion for subject, enthusiasm

Travel, Holidays

Research, planning, budgeting, organisation, patience, independence

Hobbies, volunteering

Commitment, motivation, sense of achievement, time management, social skills

What you have to offerWhat you have to offer

The opening sentence! The opening sentence! • “I first became interested in Physiotherapy when I was sat

in the waiting room of the West Cornwall A+E after my sister was recovering from a broken pelvis”

• “Seeing a Reef Shark off the coast of Australia first sparked my passion for anything from the marine world. Instead of swimming away – I swam closer, I was fascinated”

• “ ‘Lights, camera, action!’ – just saying the words sends me into a whirl of excitement about all the possibilities that await me after studying Film”

Handy hintsHandy hints• Remember Admissions Tutors are very

busy people!

• Be factual and concise

• Only include relevant information

• Try to provide evidence for things you say about yourself

• Get as many people to read it as possible

• Rise above the rest by being interesting and passionate

Finishing your Finishing your ApplicationApplication

• Internal deadline

• Declaration

• Payment

• Reference

• Keep a copy!

WhatWhat if? if?

• UCAS Extra: starts late February• Clearing: starts on A-level results day• Re-sits

SummarySummary• UCAS and preparing to apply• UCAS deadlines and the application process• Your UCAS application form• Things to include in your personal statement• Start thinking about your personal statement

now• Get as many people to read your personal

statement as possible

More information

www.plymouth.ac.uk/applicantportal

and look at

‘Prospective Students’ page