REPLYING TO UCAS 2015

Acknowledgement Reply - UCAS  Electronic receipt sent to school  Welcome letter sent to student from UCAS – This contains:- Applicant Welcome Guide Confirmation of student’s personal details and choices. Unique Personal ID number Username and password so that students can use UCAS Track  If this information is incorrect students should contact UCAS Customer Contact Centre.  All students should have received the Welcome Letter fourteen days after sending their application to UCAS, three weeks if you are living outside of the UK. If they have not they must contact UCAS Customer Contact Centre

Further course selection  Further choices can be made if fewer than five courses have been selected before the UCAS application was sent :– If a student had originally applied to fewer than five choices they can add more choices provided that the student has not accepted or declined offers. Students can add further choices on Track until the 30 th June 2015

Changes to your application  It is important that students let UCAS and the universities/colleges admissions tutors know of any changes to their details, particularly their address. This avoids unnecessary delays in confirming students place.  Students can amend their address, telephone number and details by logging on to Track.Track  If students are using their school address during term- time, they must remember to tell UCAS the date they want any letters to start going to their home or summer address.

UCAS Extra  Extra is a process that allows students without an offer, or if a student wishes to decline all of their offers, they are able apply to additional universities or colleges that still have vacancies. It means that students do not have to wait until Clearing to apply for other courses.Clearing  Extra application can be made from the 25 th February 2015 until the 2nd July Search Courses shows which courses have vacancies, an X is located next to the course title. If a student is eligible to use Extra a button will appear on their Track service. They can then apply for one course at a time using Track.Search  Students who use Extra should also consider opting in to the UCAS Media mailings if they would like to get s from universities and colleges with vacancies remaining.  To use Extra students need to have:  already made five choices  received decisions from all of their choices; and either had no offers or declined all the offers they have received.

UCAS Extra  If a student declines their offers and adds an Extra choice, they will not be able to accept any of their original offers at a later date.  Students should contact the college/university admissions tutor in the first instance to ensure that if they were to apply they would be considered.  Once a student has contacted the admissions tutor they should then add the course details via Track  If a student is made an offer through Extra they can choose whether or not to accept it. If they accept it they cannot apply again through Extra. By accepting the offer it will mean that this course is your CF (First and only choice and you are aware that you do not hold a CI choice – insurance place).  If a student's Extra choice does not make them an offer, or they do not receive a decision after 21 days of making an application through Extra, they can then apply for another choice (time permitting).  If a student is not offered a place by the end of the Extra process, they will be entered into Clearing.

Decisions: University Responses  Letter or ?  Unconditional v Conditional  Grades v points  Specific Grade attachments  Discontinued courses  Different course/year?

UCAS website Useful for ……  Replies to offers  Progress monitor  Use unique candidate number

Replying to Offers Final Decision Letter  UCAS Deadlines are crucial – Failure to meet these means that ALL offers will be declined  How and when to reply to offers:-  Students can use Track to reply to offers.  A student’s reply deadline will be displayed on Track and on a letter that UCAS sends to the student.  The reply date is the student’s individual reply date and may differ from other students. This is because it is based on when a student has received the last decision from their University or College.

IMPORTANT DATES  SES Yr 13 Parents’ Evening 12 th March 2015 Last Decision from the university by: Reply by 4PM (British Summer Time) on: 31 st March th May 2015 (unless applying through Extra) 8 th May th June 2015 (unless applying through Extra) 5 th June th June 2015 (unless applying through Extra)

What you must consider  We strongly recommend that you DO NOT reply to any of your offers until :–  You have received your A2 module mock exam marks  After discussion with your subject teachers at Parents’ Evening held on the 12 th March  Do not feel pressurised to make a decision from any of your university/college choices; they can not take away their offer before the UCAS deadline dates.

Decisions  Students must reply to each offer with one of the following responses:-  Firm Acceptance  Insurance Acceptance  Decline

Firm Acceptance  Firm Acceptance is when a student firmly decides on an offer – first choice.  It means that this is the student’s preferred choice out of all of their offers that they have received.  A student can only have ONE Firm Acceptance.  Students are advised that the Firm Acceptance should be realistic with the A2 grades that they have been predicted.

Insurance Acceptance  An Insurance Acceptance can be selected as a back-up to the Firm Acceptance choice.  This means if a student does not meet the conditions for their Firm Acceptance choice BUT meets the conditions for their Insurance Acceptance choice, then they are committed to that course.  It is advised that students are realistic in their choice and may select an Insurance Acceptance course that is slightly below their A2 predicted grades.

Conditions – Points - Grades  Offers will be made based on students achieving:-  Certain grades i.e. AAB - if the university/college state grades it does NOT mean the equivalent to points.  Offers may require a certain grade in a particular subject, i.e. Minimum B grade in Geography.  Points may be required i.e. 320 pts – if the university/college states points it does NOT mean the equivalent to grades i.e. ABB.  Offers may require that a certain amount of points must be gained over a range of modules/units.  Check where points and grades can come from i.e. Music grades, AS subjects, EPQ, etc..  Check to see if the offer is based on one sitting of a module, i.e. no re-sits.

Clearing  Clearing is available to students who have completed an application but have not managed to secure a place for the current year. Courses that have vacancies will be listed in The Independent, The Telegraph and on the UCAS website from the day that A level results are published. A level results will be published on 13th August  Students can view course vacancies and should contact institutions direct to discuss their options and suitability for the course. You will need your Clearing Number, located on Track on the Welcome page and Choices page, when contacting institutes.

Clearing  If you are made an offer through Clearing the institute will provide you with a date by which you MUST add the course details on to Track.  To do this you must click Add Clearing Choice, you can only add one institutes course details at a time.  ONLY enter a Clearing choice if the institute has provisionally offered you place and you wish to accept this.  If you enter a Clearing choice without discussing it with the institute this may delay the progress of your application.  If the institute accepts you their acceptance will be displayed on the Choices section of Track and a confirmation letter will be sent to you.

Better Than Expected!  Termed Adjustment – after A2 Results.  If a student is holding a Conditional Offer and then exceeds this offer and wishes to apply for another place the following process will apply from results day 13 th August – 31 st August  In addition to this, you must have already paid the full UCAS application fee, if you have paid the single fee of £12.00 you will need to pay the additional £11.00 to continue with this process.

Termed Adjustment  Universities will confirm places.  Students are advised to discuss their eligibility with Mrs Beckingham.  Consider non-academic arrangements:- accommodation and student finance – these may be difficult to secure or there may be delays.  Students adjustment period will start as soon as the Conditional Firm Acceptance changes to Unconditional Firm on Track  Students will be required to contact admissions offices directly to check on vacancies, they must make it clear that they are seeking a place through Adjustment NOT Clearing.  Only ONE place may be secured, but multiple enquiries can be made.  Please take into consideration that it is very rare that students gain places on courses through this procedure.

Termed Adjustment  If a student does not secure a place within the 13 th – 31 st August time frame that the original offer stands.  IMPORTANT:  Students are NOT eligible if:- They hold an Unconditional Offer They hold a Confirmed place on a changed course offer.

2015 Important information on offers  It is important that you are realistic with your Firm Acceptance and Insurance Acceptance choices and you will need to meet the specific requirement of the offer.  With new government rules, students that fall short by a grade or a few points will be less likely to gain their Firm Acceptance or Insurance Acceptance choices, particularly if you they are required to gain ABB or higher.  Work hard and revise thoroughly over the next few months to secure your UCAS predictions.

Results Day Thursday 13 th August 2015 Be there it is important!! Check your UCAS Track on the morning of Results Day!