Year 12 UCAS introduction dayfluencycontent2-schoolwebsite.netdna-ssl.com/FileCluster/... · 2019-07-09 · Personal statement 6. Reference UCAS Universities and colleges. Universities’

Year 12 UCAS introduction day

Today:

Introduction to the UCAS process of applying to university

- What are the benefits of university?

- What is UCAS?

- How can I afford university?

- What makes a good personal statement?

- How to find the right course?

- We will start filling out our individual UCAS forms online

- Those going on the UCAS trip will print tickets

- Degree apprenticeshipsTomorrow:

UCAS trip

Meet in Sixth Form common room at 10am

If not on the trip you will be following your normal timetable

Why University?

What comes to your mind?

What jobs are available?- The economy is growing

What will you do?

Real Degrees?

Contemporary Circus

and Physical

Performance

Baking Technology

Management

Ethical Hacking

Why HE?

Employability of graduates

Qualifications give more choice on a career path

Degrees are usually required for higher level positions

Many professional jobs require a university degree

Graduates earn, on average, more over their working

lifetime

Why HE?

Higher Education gives students

High level knowledge in a chosen field

Work experience

Networking opportunities

Transferable skills that employers are looking for

Chance to study a subject you enjoy

• There are over 36,000 higher education courses

• There are over 300 institutions you could study at

• Courses at local universities include:

Film and TV Production

Air Transport with Commercial Pilot

Training

Police Studies with Criminological

Psychology

Sports Management and Football Studies

• You can study almost any subject area you can think of!

Transferable skills

Manage a budget

Practical learning

Studying at university is very different from how you are taught in high

school:

• Less time spent in the classroom

• More independent study

• More projects

• More work experience


Today:



- What is UCAS?







UCAS trip



UCAS.com

The University and Colleges Admissions Service

UCAS can show you:

the variety of courses available

where you can study the course you are interested in

additional information (modules, costs, entry requirements etc)

how to get started with your application

UCAS is at the heart of connecting people to

higher education

UCAS

• Your GCSE grades

• AS grades and predicted A-Level grades (or equivalent course)

• Reference from a teacher

• Personal statement written by you

Most universities will use only this application

to decide if they should make you an offer

Key Facts UCAS 2018

• Application is entirely online

• Maximum of five choices

• Some choice restrictions:

• for medicine, veterinary science/medicine and dentistry there is

a maximum of four choices

• can only apply to either Oxford or Cambridge

• Invisibility – universities cannot see where else applicants have

applied

• Simple application cost:

• one choice – £20

• two to five choices – £25

The UCAS

applicationSix sections to complete:

1. Personal details

2. Choices

3. Education

4. Employment

5. Personal statement

6. Reference

UCAS

Universities and colleges

Universities’ decisionsUniversities and colleges will review:

• personal statement

• reference

• qualifications

• admissions test results

• interview

• portfolio

• audition

Usually, you will get one of three decisions:

• unconditional offer• conditional offer• unsuccessful

Tracking applications

Track allows applicants to:

• follow the progress of their application 24/7

• see their choices and personal information

• view their offers

• reply to offers online

In Track, a student can hold up to two offers:

• firm – their first choice. If they meet the

conditions of the offer they will be placed

• insurance – acts as a back-up choice if they

are not placed with their firm choice.

Key dates

21 May 2019

– UCAS undergraduate 2020 application system open

4 September 2019

- Applicants can pay and send their applications to UCAS. Universities will

start making offers

15 October 2019

– deadline for Oxford or Cambridge, and most courses in medicine, dentistry

or veterinary science/medicine applications

15 January 2020 (18:00 UK time)

– deadline for the majority of undergraduate courses

30 June 2020 (18:00 UK time)

– last date to submit an application before Clearing

UCAS points

UCAS points


Today:



- What is UCAS?







UCAS trip



How can I afford university?

• Fees for undergraduate courses in 2019/2020 are £9,250

(2020/2021 TBC)

• Students can apply for funding to cover 100%of the tuition fees.

• It is a loan given to you by the British Government.

• You must apply for this loan through the Student Loans Company.

• If successful, you don’t need to pay anything up front, and you don’t

have to pay anything back until you have graduated – and are

earning more than £25,725 per year in the UK .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvD91KMU9NE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvD91KMU9NE


Today:



- What is UCAS?







UCAS trip



What is a Personal Statement?

What do you think?

What makes a good Personal Statement

• The one opportunity to personalise your application

• Show your interest in a subject area

• Describe yourself: characteristics, achievements

• A chance to show your written English Language ability

An important part of your application

The Admissions Tutor

• When you submit your UCAS application, it will usually

be read by an admissions tutor.

The Admissions Tutor is a gatekeeper between you

and your chosen course

The Admissions Tutor

• Can offer you a place because

-you have the required grades

- you have positive comments on your reference

- you have a great personal statement

BUT they can also

• close the gate by declining to give you an offer

Structure of the Personal Statement

• Beginning, middle and end: it should flow

• Keep sentences short and avoid waffle

• Write a draft version and condense it afterwards

Brainstorm of ideas leads to key paragraphs

How to get started

About

me

Part

time job

School

Play

School

Council/

Prefect

Musical

Instrument

Hobbies

Ambitions

Volunteering

and Work

Experience

Sports

team

Duke of

Edinburgh

Guides/Scouts

Questions to think about

• How can you demonstrate you are hard working?

• What sparked your interest?

• How are the subjects you do at school relevant to the course you are applying for?

• What specific areas are you interested in?

• Have you any work experience?

• How does your choice of course fit in with your career plans?

Use positive language

• I am a dedicated team member of…

• I excelled at…

• I am committed

• I have succeeded at…

• I persuaded…

• I achieved…

• I have experience of…

When personal statements go wrong…

"What is physics? I don’t know; that’s why I want to take it

at university.“

"Ever since I watched 'Shaun the Sheep' on CBBC, i have

been passionate about becoming a farmer. For me, nothing

in life would be as good as a farmer's life."

"I am well-respected by my classmates. At school, I hold

the position of head bog and it is a post I am performing

well.“

Personal statement task

Repetition

"Economics is a diverse and useful subject, as economics

can be related to anything, especially during economic

crisis, which forces to think economically, whereas maths

has been long one of my favourite subjects, as

mathematics can be applied everywhere, moreover,

mathematics is useful in everyday life and this is why it’s

my favourite subject."

Providing examples that have not happened recently

Provide us with examples that have not happened recently

"Helena, would you like a diagram of the human heart?"

This is something my sister asked me when I was six years

old. Then she taught me CPR and using initiative I made a

drip using sandwich bags and string.

Oversimplifying the degree / petty responsibilities

'Eighty per cent of success is showing up.' I feel this

attitude correctly demonstrates my passion for Literature

where, indeed, you only have to 'turn up' and read the

books and to fully understand the topic. I was form captain

in Year 7, indicating my sense of responsibility. I enjoyed

the challenge of my duties, which included fetching the

register and making people sign up for sports days. Also,

this year I was voted head girl because I made the most

hilarious speech ever. This demonstrates my skill at

creative and persuasive writing.

Boasting / too full of themselves

"I believe I will be a great man in future. Why? I enjoy

reading. I’ve read nearly 50 percent of books in the library. I

like writing too. There are more than 15 pieces of writings

from me in newspapers. I have found that it’s a good way

to earn some extra pocket money.... I don’t think that one

can be a genius without any efforts so I am always making

efforts to improve myself. Because of this, I think I will be a

great man in future."

Insufficient reading

My fascination with the past began when I was introduced

to dinosaurs at the age of one. Within months, I knew the

names of all the commonly known dinosaurs and their

basic behaviours.

Proof reading

• Ask teachers, family or friends to proof read your

application

• UCAS cannot check spelling or grammar

• Be prepared to write several versions

• Take the time to get it right

Example: Computer Science

How much space do I have?

• UCAS set a limit on the space available

• Minimum 1,000 characters

• Maximum 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text

• Anything over this limit does not have to be read

• Be concise and summarise key points

Find the right balance

• Its really important that you sell yourself correctly

You won’t always get a second chance

• Don’t stretch the truth

You may have to back it up in an interview

• UCAS have a fraud unit that check for plagiarised application forms

• Remember to make EVERYTHING relevant

• Use evidence to back you up

• Demonstrate your transferable skills

• Show your enthusiasm and commitment

• Don’t be afraid to really make the most of your skills and

achievements – be positive

How it should read

What are the positives?

• Clearly written

• Dealt with choice of course (though not

enough)

• Used short sentences helping it to remain

grammatically correct

• No spelling errors

Fill out personal statement worksheet


Today:



- What is UCAS?







UCAS trip



Using the UCAS search tool to find the right course

for you

Ucas homepage

“Search for courses” tile

https://www.ucas.com/

Psychology example

TASK: All: find a course & shortlist it (press heart) and

register

https://www.ucas.com/

How to compare courses

The Complete University

Guide

(thecompleteuniversityguide

.co.uk)

-different universities are

stronger

in some subjects than

others

- Find the top 3 universities

for the subject you’d most

like to study


Today:



- What is UCAS?







UCAS trip



STARTING YOUR UCAS APPLICATION

1. www.ucas.com/apply

2. Select “undergraduate”

Add some personal details, get a username and password

(take a photo of this and write is down), set your security

questions.

2. Add the buzzword goingtouni – this links you to

Highcrest so we can monitor your progress, add predicted

grades and give you a reference.

3. Sign in and fill out the rest of your details

http://www.ucas.com/apply

Printing UCAS trip tickets

1. Go to:

https://eventbookings.ucas.com/sr/event.aspx?e=91 (link is

in student common folder/sixth form/UCAS – UCAS trip 21st

June)

2. “Join group booking”

3. “I am a student”

4. Booking reference:UCASBKN355140

5. Confirm

6. Fill out details

7. PRINT YOUR TICKET AND KEEP – YOU NEED THIS

TO ACCESS THE SITE ON FRIDAY

https://eventbookings.ucas.com/sr/event.aspx?e=91

Degree Apprenticeships

• Degree apprenticeships are a new type of programme

offered by some universities. Students can achieve a full

degree as part of their apprenticeship.

• Degree apprenticeships combine working with studying

part-time at a university. Apprentices are employed

throughout the programme, and spend part of their time

at university and the rest with their employer.

• They can take between three to six years to complete,

depending on the course level.

• PAY + WORK EXPERIENCE + DEGREE + NO FEES

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch

Degree Apprenticeships

Notgoingtouni

• https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/apprenticeships-

223/filter/subcats/degree-apprenticeships-4457

• Research one degree apprenticeship and make notes

- What is the role?

- What is the salary/

benefits?

https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/apprenticeships-223/filter/subcats/degree-apprenticeships-4457


Today:



- What is UCAS?







UCAS trip



Documents

Year 12 UCAS introduction dayfluencycontent2-schoolwebsite.netdna-ssl.com/FileCluster/... · 2019-07-09 · Personal statement 6. Reference UCAS Universities and colleges. Universities’