UCAS update Tony Charlton Professional Development Team © UCAS 2014 Entry At the heart of connecting people to higher education

UCAS update

Tony Charlton

Professional Development Team

www.ucas.com

© UCAS 2014 EntryAt the heart of connecting people to higher education

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-tribune-image23881509

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

What the session will cover

• Key context

• Changes and future developments

• UCAS teacher training (UTT)

• CUKAS

• Adviser resources

I thrive on questions – please ask if anything is unclear!

...the 2013 cycle in context

15Oct

15Jan

56,7532.0%

558,8983.5%

30Jun

637,4563.1%

Acceptances End of Cycle Report (Dec’13)UK students 433,612 6.7% England 367,898 7.3% Scotland 31,497 1.9% Northern Ireland 14,554 9.6% Wales 19,663 1.8% International/EU 61,984 5.6% Total 495,596 6.6%


Key findings


▪ Record number of offers made by UCAS member providers (1.7 million)

▪ 31% of applicants received offers from all five choices

▪ A level remains the most widely held qualification for higher tariff institutions (only 3 BTEC holders placed for every 100 A level holders)

▪ 41,293 unplaced applicants living in England re-applied in 2013

Confirmation, Clearing & Adjustment - 2013


▪ Emails sent out to students with confirmed places from 8.00am on A level results day

▪ 400,000+ applicants placed by close of office on A level results day – highest number ever

▪ Contact centre handled 19,000+ calls & our social media team 3,000+ messages

1230 students placed in Adjustment

Changes and future developments



Changes for 2014

Apply Track screens UCAS course search tool

Apply 2014

NOTE: ‘On time’ deadline for 15 January courses is 6pm not midnight on 15 January 2014

• 1000 character minimum length for personal statement• Completion of Education or Employment section now mandatory


Top tip: Register and make a ‘dummy’ application


UCAS Apply – Video guidance

Applicants have a show-hide option, and the setting will be remembered.

.

Videos have been introduced in every section of UCAS Apply bar Additional information and Student finance.


UCAS and CUKAS Apply – disability field

Although UCAS Apply counts down the characters, please note that CUKAS does not.

We also have increased the text field size from 250 to 500 characters.

Extra screen text has been added to explain why we collect this information.


To help applicants identify their schools (as there are over 20 schools called ‘St Mary’s’ out there!), address lines and post codes now appear on the school and college search in Education.

UCAS and CUKAS – School search

This also means that applicants can search for schools in an area or by postcode, as the content in addresses will be picked up as a search token. For example, the search below shows results from searching on ‘Cheltenham’.

Track (applicant)


▪ New-look version was released July 2013 (in time for Confirmation, Clearing and Adjustment)▪ Further enhanced September 2013 for 2014 applicants

Easier navigation

What an applicant will see at Confirmation


How to navigate our new-look website...• The old style tabs (as below) have been replaced

...but if you click on How it all works...

...you will be able to find information for students, parents & guardians and advisers & referees



UCAS Search tool▪ Search for Maths

courses in North West for 2014 for someone who normally lives in England

▪ 13 providers listed (104 courses)

▪ Can view info on HEI & explore courses offered by each one

▪ Can view all courses▪ Can view locations▪ Further filters


Search tool – subject clusters

Durham University

Archaeology and

Ancient

Civilisations

Northumbria University

Architectural Engineering

University of

Newcastle

Surveying and

Mapping ScienceUniversity of

Sunderland

Law and

Photography

University of

Newcastle

Folk and

Traditional MusicNewcastle

College

Children and

Young People

Northumbria

University

International

Business

Management

University of Sunderland

Network Computing

Teesside

University

Crime Scene

Science

Can you identify the bogus courses?

Ballistic

Engineering

Perfumery

Bovine

Management


Proposed enhancements to Apply 2015


• Option to create new personal statement for UCAS Extra

• Facility to upload passport and other key documents

2015

Qualifications InformationReview (QIR)

Recommendation 1 #Qualification Information

profiles

Recommen

dations

Recommendation 2 #Move towards grade-

based entry requirements & offers

Recommendation 3 #Comparing ‘demand’ across qualifications

Recommendation 4 #Qualifications metric for

HE management information purposes

Recommendation 5 #Annual report on the use

of qualifications in HE admissions

Recommendation 6 #Optional admissions

tools

NQIS

QIPs profilesOnline

guidanceNew points

metric

Other things on the horizon

UCAS Teacher Training (UTT)


UTT (key facts)

The UCAS-administered admissions system for postgraduate routes into teaching was launched on 21st November 2013

In addition to established training programmes run by universities and school-centred initial teacher training providers(SCITTs), it includes 900 School Direct training providers in England

Two application windows : - Apply 1* (21st Nov 2013 onwards) Apply 2 (2nd Jan 2014 onwards)

23,975 applicants, as of 6 January 2014

* Will open earlier for 2014/2015 scheme


Video available on the UCAS website


CUKAS (i.e. music conservatoires) update


Geographic coverage

Conservatoires within CUKAS Birmingham Conservatoire Leeds College of Music Royal Academy of Music Royal College of Music Royal Northern College of Music Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama

Not within CUKAS: Guildhall School of Music & Drama

3


CUKAS key features

Separate UCAS application allowed 6 choices 100% online system £16 application fee (audition fees also

payable*) Simultaneous application Visible No Extra / Clearing

*Paid at the time of application through CUKAS,

except Leeds College of Music (direct to them)

Adviser resources



▪ E-newsletter launched Jan 2013▪ Provides monthly updates

E-newsletter & adviser magazine

▪ Adviser magazine▪ Distributed each term


▪ Adviser guide▪ Videos▪ Information (e.g. Writing references)▪ Toolkits▪ Parents Evening PowerPoint

Downloadable resources


UCAS publications

▪ The UCAS bookstore has ceased operations▪ We have therefore made an arrangement with an external

supplier to act on our behalf to take orders and fulfil requests for the UCAS publications listed below

▫ UCAS 2014 Entry Little Guide – Free of charge + P&P

▫ UCAS 2014 Entry Parent Guide – Free of charge + P&P

▪ Orders by telephone 08.30 – 17.30 (UK time) 0844 894 0013▪ You will need to pay by card – no invoicing facility

▪ Outside of these hours email [email protected] with details of your order and a convenient date and (UK) time for operations to contact you, process your order and take payment card details

mailto:[email protected]


UCAS Schools team – how to contact

▪ Staff/advisers: 0845 123 8001▪ 8:30am – 5:30pm

▫ Applicant line and social media support open until 6pm

▪ @ucas_centres

How to contact us


Thank you for listening. Any final questions?

[email protected]: 01242 544885

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

UCAS update Tony Charlton Professional Development Team © UCAS 2014 Entry At the heart of connecting people to higher education