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UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS – A GUIDE FOR PARENTS

WHAT IS UCAS?

 

• The University and College Admissions System.
• It is the only way to apply to a university.
• At Allerton Grange School all applicants use the on-line “UCAS apply” program.
• The web address is www.ucas.org where students will find links to the application program and all prospectus information.
• Applications cost £22.00: all payments are made on line using credit or debit cards

 HOW DOES IT WORK?

 

• When students are completing the UCAS form on-line it contains four vital pieces of information:
  □ Personal details (DOB, address, GCSE results etc).
  □ Five choices of universities and courses.
  □ A personal statement.
  □ An academic school reference.

 

• Most students are invited to an open day; some may be invited for interview.
• Once offers are made, students accept a firm offer and an insurance offer.
• When the results come out in August, universities will decide if students have met the offer or not.

 

 

WHAT ARE THE DEADLINES?

 

Universities process forms as soon as they arrive.  There is a distinct advantage to getting forms in early. Deadlines are detailed at the end of this document.

 

WHAT IS THE PERSONAL STATEMENT?

 

This is the student’s opportunity to sell themselves and convince the Admissions tutor that they are committed, and are appropriate for the course.  An interesting CV will help the student’s case.  Work Experience is often vitally important for convincing tutors of the student’s commitment to the course.

 

 

WHO WRITES THE REFERENCES?

 

Tutors consult subject staff who will write a reference. It is then checked and signed by the Head of Year. It will contain predicted grades. References are open so all students will see their reference before it is sent off. We write references with care; please bear in mind that the school needs time to complete these and the whole application cannot be sent without the references.

 

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE STUDENT GETS NO OFFERS?

 

If the student does not get any offers they can still apply for a place using the UCAS Extra system.  This comes into action in February/March.  It allows students holding no places to apply for one more place.  If accepted, the student will then be given a conditional offer in exactly the same way as all other offers.

 

 

 

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT ACHIEVE THE OFFER GRADES?

 

If the student does not achieve the firm offer grade, the university makes the decision as to whether to accept them or not.  If they reject them, the student is automatically given their insurance offer through UCAS – this is providing they meet those grades.  If they do not meet the insurance offer and the university does not accept them, they are automatically put into clearing.

 

 

WHAT IS CLEARING?

 

This is the system that sorts out spare university places.  It takes place immediately after results and involves students contacting universities directly.  It is therefore important that students are not on holiday when the results come out so that they can deal with clearing if necessary. Clearing is only available if the universities do not offer you a place.

 

 

HOW CAN PARENTS HELP?

 

• By supporting students to get appropriate work experience.
• By encouraging students to complete the UCAS form early!
• By encouraging visits to universities/open days.
• By proof reading personal statements.
• By doing mock interviews or arranging for family or friends to do so
• By helping the student to understand the finances involved.

 

 

 

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COURSE AND THE RIGHT UNIVERSITY

 

Choosing the right course is more important than anything else. There are over 30 000 different courses available. Many of these courses will be in subjects that students have not studied at school. The way to chose is to do as much research as possible. Parents can help by looking at the electronic prospectuses through the UCAS website which has links to all the universities.  There is an online test on the UCAS website which students can take which will give them some ideas of where to start looking.

 

Careers interviews are available in school. We actively encourage students to make appointments with our careers advisors who are able to make appropriate suggestions. Parents may also attend these interviews, as long as the student is happy for them to be there.

 

Once your son/daughter has a good idea of what they want to study they need to decide where to study. The most important criteria to understand is what grades the universities are looking for in each subject. Students should not apply for courses that are beyond their predicted grades. They are not likely to be made offers if a course is asking for AAA and they are predicted ABB. Many courses are oversubscribed and so students do need to stand out and make sure that they present themselves in the best ways possible.  Please use the UCAS tariff attached to this document to work out UCAS points.

 

It is important that students know which universities are best for each type of course. There are many ways in which universities are graded and this grading is published. A good starting point are the following websites though there are very many more. Each university course is graded by the government for the teaching and the research quality.  It is also very useful for students to speak to as many people as possible who have studied at university recently – they have inside knowledge about what it really feels like to be a student at that institution.

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/ 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/

 

 

 

A CITY OR TOWN: HOME OR AWAY; CAMPUS OR NOT?

 

There are universities throughout the UK. Some of them are in big cities and others are in much smaller towns, some are campus based and others are not, some are collegiate and some are not. Students should not make their decision where to study only based on where they want to live but it should play a part in the decision. Many students choose to stay at home to study. We are lucky in Leeds because students still have a choice of several places to go to even if they commute from home. It’s often cheaper for the student to live at home but the experience of leaving home to live elsewhere is very valuable too. For some students this is the right time to leave home.

 

WHAT IS AN OPEN DAY?

 

• An opportunity for prospective Higher Education students to visit a University, College, or Department.
  
• A chance to find out more about courses, departments, subjects offered, entry requirements, facilities available and career prospects.
  
• The opportunity to view the campus and town (including accommodation), as well as talking to the students and staff.

 

• Dates for OPEN DAYS are published by the universities and are on their web sites.

 

HOW CAN AN OPEN DAY HELP?

 

• To check that the course covers the areas you want to study.
  
  
• It will assist in UCAS choices; Open Days can be useful before choosing courses. After offers have been made it is vital that students go to see their selected universities so they can choose the best place for them to go

 

NOTE: Many Universities and Colleges welcome students at other times, provided you make an appointment beforehand. Students should inform Form Tutors in advance if they plan to go out of school to attend an open day.

 

THE UCAS TARIFF- the points for courses studied in school 

 

 

 

Some universities ask for points for their course entry requirements. Some of them ask for specific grades for specific subjects. If you wish to compare course requirements for different institutions you should consult the guide on degree course offers by Brian Heap for that year. This guide is available in the school sixth form office and in the careers section of the library.

 

GCSE ENGLISH AND MATHS

 

The majority of Universities will require at least a grade C in both English and Maths. All students at Allerton Grange have the opportunity to take these subjects until they reach an appropriate grade.

 

 

STUDENT FINANCE

 

With the increased fees, students will need to be careful that they understand the financial implications of taking a degree. With this in mind, we have arranged for a speaker from Leeds University to come to talk to interested parents and students on Sept 15^th 2011 at 7.00pm. This coincides with the open evening for school. More information about student finance is available directly from the universities and also from the Student Finance England web site on:  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/UsefulContactsByCategory/EducationAndLearningContacts/DG_172310

 

There will be bursaries for eligible students and loans available so no EU or UK student will have to pay fees up front.

 

HELP FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE THEIR FORMS

 

All students will have tutorials dedicated to helping with applying for university. There is a guide for applying available in printed format from outside the year office in sixth form. If parents would like a copy, please ask and we can send one home.

 

 

UCAS APPLICATIONS 2011-2012

 

 

SPRING TERM 2012

 

 Added to website 13th JULY 2011