Beginners Guide to UCAS

Setting the scene

HE provision in the UK  including:  4 Northern Irish HEIs  20 Scottish HEIs  280 English/Welsh HEIs  300 plus UCAS institutions,

The applicant journey ▪Applicant researches where to study ▪Registers online with UCAS Apply ▪Completes form and processes payment ▪Academic reference added by school / college ▪School / college sends form electronically to UCAS ▪UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs ▪HEIs submit decisions (offer or unsuccessful) ▪Applicant views decisions on Track ▪Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance) ▪HEIs confirm places when results are released

Key features of admissions scheme  Maximum of 5 choices  Some choice restrictions:  Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4 choices  Oxford or Cambridge  Simultaneous consideration  ‘Invisibility’  Application fee for £23 or £12 for single choice

The electronic application cycle  School or college registers as an online Apply centre  Appointed ‘Apply Coordinator’ sets up staff and centre details and creates buzzword  Student registers using buzzword and fills in application  Completed application is forwarded (electronically) to tutor  Tutor checks completed applications within staff area and adds reference  Completed applications are sent to UCAS  If application contains errors or omissions, tutor can return form to student

School / Centre Perspective

 August  Register on UCAS website – enter personal details  Research potential universities and courses  PSE 1 – input from Universities  PSE 1 -Support to begin writing personal statement

School / Centre Perspective  September  All personal details entered  Courses / universities entered (if known)  First draft of personal statement completed – Principal Teacher of Guidance will provide feedback  Pay UCAS! (£23, £12 for single choice)

School / Centre Perspective  October  Courses / universities entered  Final draft of personal statement prepared in light of feedback  Final draft of personal statement submitted after October holiday

School / Centre Perspective  November  December  Courses / universities confirmed  Application completed!  Pupil receives feedback and amends online application (if required).

School / Centre Perspective – Key Dates Tuesday 23 rd SeptemberEarly Applicants – Personal Statement to Mrs MacKay Thursday 25 th SeptemberFirst draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher Tuesday 15 th OctoberDeadline for early applicants (Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Oxbridge) Friday 24 th OctoberFinal draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher Wednesday 15 th JanuaryDeadline for most courses Tuesday 24 th MarchDeadline for some Art and Design courses

Student / applicant perspective

Experiential research  Obtain a real ‘feel’ for the institution, subject, course, career:  HE Conventions  Institution Open Days  Taster Courses  Subject specific events  Compose your Future  Design your Future  Examine your Future  Career Fairs

Filling out the application online

Getting started  Registration only takes 10 minutes (max)  Use the school/college ‘buzzword’  No need to pay at registration stage Should already have been completed in PSE (Tuesday)

 15 October:  Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Oxbridge applications  15 January:  Deadline for all courses except those with 15 October and 24 March deadline  24 March:  Deadline for some art and design courses Important dates

What information will I supply? Applicants are asked to complete the following sections: Personal Details Additional Information (UK applicants only) Choices Education Employment Personal Statement Having checked the above, referee will then add: A Reference

The Personal Statement You will write a 500 word personal statement

What admissions staff tell UCAS they are looking for in a personal statement Evidence of:  Independent study skills  Self-awareness  Motivation and commitment  An understanding of the course  Good numeracy and literacy  Essay writing  Research skills  Time management skills  Enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus Supported through PSE, support from Guidance Teacher

Top Tip – avoid ‘list addiction’ I enjoy watching football, I play netball for Fife schools, I sing in the choir, I belong to the debating society, I am taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, I work in Tesco on Saturdays and I shop for my Granny on Monday after school.

Be selective (i.e. amplify key activities) I have been an active member of the debating society at school for the last three years. This has proved really interesting as I have had the chance to research and defend viewpoints that I would normally not agree with; an exercise which I’m sure will prove valuable as a Law degree student.

Error ‘hot spots’  Failure to check entry requirements  Qualifications (eg. SQA results) missing, or incorrectly named, on form  Wrong student support fee code  address not verified  Ticking criminal conviction box  Forgotten to register for admissions test  Nominated access

Once the form is submitted…

What happens next?  UCAS sends form (simultaneously) to all choices on the form  Applicant may need to:  Attend an interview  Send a portfolio of work  Sit an admissions test

University and college decisions  Admissions tutors can make one of three decisions:  Conditional Offer  Unconditional Offer  Unsuccessful  Applicants then keep a maximum of two offers:  Firm  Insurance  Any remaining offers must be declined

Conditional offers Can be expressed in:  UCAS Tariff points  305 points  Grades  AAAB in Scottish Highers  a combination of both  305 points, including a B in Maths

UCAS Tariff  Points system used to report achievement  Provides comparisons between applicants with different types of qualifications and volumes of achievement Tariff = HighersTariff Points A80 B65 C50 D36 Please read the conditions of the offer carefully and if you have any queries speak to the institution.

Student / applicant perspective School / Centre Perspective Tracking progress

Student Track

 Enables your students to follow the progress of their application (24/7, access via password)  Quickest way to find out about new offers  Students can reply to offers

If no offers received…UCAS Extra  Operates from 25 February to July 6  Applicants eligible for Extra:  Used all 5 choices  All choices unsuccessful, cancelled or offers declined  Course vacancies listed on UCAS website  Allows additional single choices, entered and considered one at a time

Adviser Track

Why was Adviser Track developed? Requested by Apply Centres to:  View applications after submitted  Centres continue to support students  through the application process  Communicate with groups and individuals  Launched 2009

Confirmation (1) 1. Exam results are issued (Scottish Qualifications early August, by letter, or text) 2. Admissions staff check if the applicant has matched the conditions of the offer 3. If yes, the applicant will be sent an official confirmation of their place 4. Time to celebrate!!

Confirmation (2) Adjustment period  What is it? Five day window of opportunity to seek place at another university or college  Eligibility Results must have exceeded CF offer and subsequently been made UF

Clearing The stage at which all ‘unplaced’ applicants are finding a place at institutions that have vacancies.

The applicant journey ▪Applicant researches where to study ▪Registers online with UCAS Apply ▪Completes form and processes payment ▪Academic reference added by school / college ▪School / college sends form electronically to UCAS ▪UCAS processes form and forwards to chosen HEIs ▪HEIs submit decisions (offer or unsuccessful) ▪Applicant views decisions on Track ▪Applicant replies to offers on Track (Firm / Insurance) ▪HEIs confirm places when results are released

School / Centre Perspective – Key Dates Early Applicants – Personal Statement to Mrs MacKay Monday 23 rd September Thursday 26 th SeptemberFirst draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher Tuesday 15 th OctoberDeadline for early applicants (Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Oxbridge) Monday 21 st OctoberFinal draft of Personal Statement submitted to Guidance Teacher Wednesday 15 th JanuaryDeadline for most courses Tuesday 24 th MarchDeadline for some Art and Design courses