Welcome

Mr Lee Walker

Introductions and the plan for the evening

There are 3 main areas we intend to cover this evening:

0 Financing a university degree

0 The journey for the applicant

0 The importance of the personal statement/reference.

Hopefully, all in an hour…

Finance

Robyn Jansen Van Ryssen University of Suffolk

Student Finance2017/18

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

Shopping BasketBudgetingChallenge

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

Noodles – 19pTeabags – 70pSoup – 24pShower Gel – 55pPasta – 35pSquash – 42pToothpaste – 97p

Total - £3.42

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

Tuition Fees £9,250

BA/BScEach Year

Non-means tested

Inc NHS

Maintenance Loan

Up to…£7,097 - home£8,430 - away £11,002 - away inLondonMeans tested3 x per yearApply each year

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

HOW MUCH?Household Income Loan-Elsewhere

(Living with Parents)Loan -Elsewhere (not with

parents)Loan-London

(not with parents)

£25,000 and under £7,097 £8,430 £11,002

£30,000 £6,499 £7,825 £10,387

£35,000 £5,901 £7,220 £9,771

£40,000 £5,303 £6,615 £9,155

£42,875 £4,959 £6,266 £8,801

£45,000 £4,705 £6,009 £8,539

£50,000 £4,107 £5,404 £7,924

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

Household Income

Loan(42 weeks)

Cost of accommodation

Remainingamount

per week

£25,000 £8,430 £116 £84.72

Via Tax system9%30 Years

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

AnnualSalary

MonthlySalary after

tax*

MonthlyRepayments

£21,000 £1,225 £0

£23,000 £1,342 £15

£25,000 £1,458 £30

£30,000 £1,750 £67.50

Extra Support

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

SPECIFIC TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SUFFOLK

BURSARIESUniversity of Suffolk Bursary £500Looked After Children Bursary £500

GRANTSDisabled Students AllowanceChildcare GrantAdult Dependants GrantAccess to Learning Fund: Administered by Individual universitiesTravel Grants (Clinical placements)

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

GETTING THE MONEY

• Apply Online

• Household Information

• Apply in the Spring of the year they go to

university

• Keep your password and customer reference

number safe. This process is annual

Other Tips

23 June 2017 University of Suffolk

Applicant Journey

Abbi ThorpeSixth Form Co-ordinator

Apprenticeships

0 These are becoming more widely available and are attracting more students nation wide.

0 An apprenticeship usually takes one to three years to complete.

0 Depending on your skills and qualifications, there are four different levels available:

0 They range from Level 3 (A-level equivalent) to Level 5 (Degree equivalent)

Key dates – the journey

0 June/July 2017 – Students begin researching and exploring courses

0 August 2017 – Results come in and help us refine our choices

0 September 2017 – Students work closely with tutors and Sixth Form Team about personal statements

0 13th October 2017 – Early application deadline

0 17th November 2017 – King Edward VI deadline for all remaining applications

0 January – May 2018 – Students select First/Insurance choice ready for results day.

The UCAS application

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7At the heart of connecting people to higher education 19

The UCAS journey

Research

0 Thorough and effective research is the foundation of success

0 Picking the right courses and the right providers is the most important thing to get right – but this takes time so…

0 Start early, start now

0 Use the UCAS search box, look at ‘What Uni’ and ‘Which Uni’

0 Attend Open Days (recommend no more than 3 this term)

0 Keep a spread of grades in mind at this stage – if you know AAB is potentially your best, don’t start looking at courses with A*AA.

At the heart of connecting people to higher

education

Tips on making wise choices

• Choose a subject you enjoy and have an interest in

• Covers what you want/need

• Location, transport, accommodation?

• Teaching and assessment

• Resources and facilities

• Extra-curricular -p/t work, sports etc.

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education22

Similar courses, but variance

in entry requirements if

possible

Finances -fees, scholarships etc

University Tariffs

Each university will have a set of minimum entry grades required for each course.

These grades are frequently changed to points and this year sees a new points system coming into place.

Qualification Grade New Tariff

A level grade A* 56

A level grade A 48

A level grade B 40

A level grade C 32

A level grade D 24

A level grade E 16

An offer could say ‘AAB’ or this could be points and say ‘136 UCAS points in 3 subjects’

Key features of the UCAS scheme• You can make up to 5 choices for a

standard entry.

• Early entry candidates applying for

Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Oxbridge or

Dentistry have 4 choices.

• The 2017 applicant fee is:

• £13 for one choice

• £24 for between 2-5 choices.

• Applications received by the key deadlines

are given equal consideration.

• ‘Invisibility’ – universities cannot see

where else students have applied.At the heart of connecting people to higher

education24

UCAS received 718,500applications

532,300 were accepted

In 2015...

Making the application

Register with Apply

Apply is the UCAS online application system.

6 sections in the application to complete :

• Personal details

• Student finance (UK and EU only)

• Choice of course

• Education

• Employment

• Personal statement

At the heart of connecting people to higher education25

You can login and work on / complete sections in which ever order you wish, but completed applicationscannot be submitted to UCASuntil early September

Internal deadlines

The earlier an application goes to UCAS, the quicker the response from most universities.

Early Entry deadline is 13th October. UCAS School deadline by 17th November.

If they can submit before the end of October they will in all likelihood receive most offers before Christmas. Apply beyond the start of November and you may have to wait until May.

Institutions may also offer a place on an alternative

course

At the heart of connecting people to higher education27

Decision-making by institutions

Universities and colleges will review:

• Personal statement

• Reference/predicted grades

• Qualifications

• Admissions test results

• Interviews

• Portfolios / Auditions

An admissions tutor may make one of three decisions:

• Unconditional offer

• Conditional offer

• Unsuccessful.

Replying to offers• When you have received a decision from all of

your choices you will need to reply by a set date.

• You can hold a maximum of two offers:

• Firm - your first choice. If you meet the conditions of the offer you will be placed.

• Insurance – acts as a back-up choice and only comes into play if you are not placed with your firm choice.

• If you fail to reply to your offers by the deadline date, all offers will be automatically declined.

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education28

If you do not receive any offers you can make an

additional choice through the Extra scheme

Results Day

0 Exam results are published – many are passed electronically to universities by UCAS.

0 Admissions staff check if the applicant has met the conditions of the offer. There are four possibilities:

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education23/06/201

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1. If a student meets the conditions of

their firm choice. It’s time to

celebrate, you are in!

2. If a student doesn’t meet the conditions of their firm choice, but meets the conditions of their insurance choice (which should be lower), they will be placed at their insurance choice. It’s also time to celebrate!

3. If a student has not met the conditions of their firm or insurance choice (or no insurance), they will be entered into a process known as Clearing.

4. If a student meets and exceeds the conditions of their offer, they are eligible for Adjustment. This provides an opportunity for them to reconsider where and what to study whilst still holding their firm offer.

Off to Uni

Personal Statements and References

Stuart SmallHead of Sixth Form

The Personal Statement

For many students the statement will be the only direct contact they have with an admissions tutor. They should

0Write about the choice of course and motivation for studying it further

0Write about current academic experience and how this has prepared them for academic study

0Give detail and avoid waffle at all costs!

What admissions tutors look for…

A personal statement must not exceed 4000 characters or 47 lines.

We recommend no more than 6 paragraphs.

It should be brimming with evidence of passion and enthusiasm for study.

The key ingredient…

Reading John Guy’s Tudor England showed me a different perspective on the Spanish Armada. Whereas most interpretations see the Armada as a serious threat to England, a David and Goliath struggle, Guy really rips that idea apart. I found his exploration of the readiness of the Royal Navy fascinating and very different to anything else I have read. His use of precise evidence from sources such as the Mariner’s Mirror and victualling records is unique. I am looking forward to exploring how historians construct their arguments.

The reference

Every reference that leaves the school is checked by me and is a positive and well written summary of a student’s skills, knowledge and understanding.

It takes 2 weeks to write and check a reference. If a student wants to submit their UCAS form by a certain date, they must factor in these two weeks.

Predicted grades are generated by staff in September. Every student must have a conversation with their teachers about that grade and how it has been arrived at.

Some students need different guidance

0 Students applying for early entry have a much tighter deadline.

0 Their personal statement and reference need a slightly different focus.

0 Their references must be written much sooner. All Oxbridge, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine references are written by me and checked by Mr Walker/Mr Hird.

0 These students often require work experience and a degree of reflection on that work experience that requires one-to-one support with myself of Mrs Elsom-Cooke.

How can you help?

0 Encourage you son/daughter to use some time in the summer holidays – to make a plan now for what to read/watch/listen to that could be included in the personal statement.

0 Encourage development of subject depth – particularly reading.

0 Read and give feedback on drafts (spelling and grammar in particular) and be encouraging.

0 Support meeting the October/November deadlines.

Thanks for listening

We will be here for 15 minutes if you want any questions answered, or email

us at:

SL@king-ed.suffolk.sch.ukAMT@king-ed.suffolk.sch.uk