1. 2018-19 UCAS Information Evening For Parents and Carers

2. Tonight’s Aim:
To provide you with useful information so you feel able to support your son or daughter throughout this crucial six month period.

3. Key areas What is UCAS and what do we use it for?
Choosing a university
Choosing courses
How does the UCAS process work at Wilmslow High School?
Predicted grades and receiving offers
Student Finance
Personal Statements
Results day and beyond
What should my son/daughter be doing at this point?

4. What is UCAS and what do we use it for?

5. What is UCAS?
UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.
The UCAS website provides a vast amount of information, allowing you to search courses, find out about finance and clearing.
It's the centralised service that students use to apply to university.
It’s all done online.
Most students applying to university will do so through UCAS, with the exception of those applying for Art Foundation courses who fill in an online form and apply directly to the institution. Students applying for Higher or Degree Apprenticeships also apply directly to the university.
The UCAS website provides a vast amount of information, allowing you to search courses, find out about finance and

7. What do students need to do to apply through UCAS?
Firstly, they fill in several sections with information about themselves.
Obvious details like name, address, and phone number.
Also the schools they have attended from age 11, all certificated results to date, paid employment and whether or not they want to apply for student finance. And, importantly, their university choices (up to 5) which cannot be seen by any of the other universities and are not ranked in order of preference.
They also attach their personal statement to their online UCAS form
This will be checked many times before it is sent to UCAS.
In September, they need to pay their UCAS fee of £24 through Parentpay
No Parentpay account –
Forgotten details of Parentpay account –

8. What does school do through UCAS when a student applies?
We add predicted grades for all subjects to be taken.
These will be finalised in September.
We add a school reference
This is written by your son or daughter’s subject teachers and form tutor. Mrs Cook also checks this through.

9. Choosing a University

10. Where can students apply for an undergraduate course?
In the past, universities and polytechnics were the main places to study.
Now, the vast majority of institutions are called universities although some colleges offer degrees as well.
UCAS state there are now over 395 providers of undergraduate courses in the UK.
Each university course has entry requirements attached.

11. What is a Russell Group university and are they better than the others?
The Russell Group is an association of 24 research intensive universities committed to maintaining the highest standards of research, education and knowledge.
It was formed in 1994 at the Russell Hotel in London.
Many of the most competitive and prestigious courses will be found at Russell Group universities
However, some competitive and prestigious individual courses might well be in other institutions.
The group represents  around 12% of the higher HE sector.

12. What is a Russell Group university and are they better than the others?
Birmingham Bristol Cambridge Cardiff Durham Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Imperial College, London King’s College, London Leeds Liverpool
London School of Economics Manchester Newcastle Nottingham Queen Mary, London Queen’s University Belfast Oxford Sheffield Southampton University College, London Warwick York

13. What is a Russell Group university and are they better than the others?
They require mostly A*, A and B grades. Occasionally, students will gain a place with a C grade.
They tend to offer more academic and fewer vocational courses.
Some other universities may be more focused on work based learning and placements (but Russell Groups are increasingly offering four year courses with a year in industry).
Some employers may value degrees from Russell Groups more highly than those from other universities.
Data always shows that graduates from Russell Groups end up earning more through their working lives than those from non-Russell Groups.

14. What is a Russell Group university and are they better than the others?
BUT… it depends on the student and their academic ability, their choice of course, the graduate recruitment rates for their course, student satisfaction (check Unifrog and Unistats for this information)… AND… the Universities of Bath, Loughborough, Surrey and Lancaster are not Russell Groups but are ahead of many Russell Groups in league tables…

15. What is a Russell Group university and are they better than the others?
Other groups are available… University Alliance, the mission group representing 22 'leading global universities for science, technology, design and the professions', including Huddersfield, Coventry, Manchester Metropolitan, Oxford Brookes and University of the West of England, argued in its recent report 'Closing The Gap: Unlocking Opportunity Through Higher Education' that successive governments’ obsession with a Russell Group education has damaged both social mobility and the whole university sector. (The Telegraph) We as a school are judged by how many students go to Russell Group universities…

16. Where do Wilmslow High School students apply to study?
Our most popular Russell Group universities are Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield.
Our most popular non-Russell Group universities are Leeds Beckett, Liverpool John Moores, Manchester Metropolitan (MMU), Sheffield Hallam and Salford.
For the current Year 13 there has been a rise in applications to Nottingham Trent and Lincoln.

17. Choosing a University – Open Days
Best way of deciding if a university is right for your son/daughter.
Small or large?
Campus?
City or smaller town?
Pretty?
Accommodation?
Facilities?
“Feel”?
Student support services?
Distance from home?
Study abroad options?

18. Choosing courses

19. Choosing courses
Students have up to 5 choices of course through UCAS. They can apply for more than one at the same university if they want to.
More than undergraduate courses.
Range from Biology to Surf Science to Creative Writing to Engineering…
Choice of course is so important because…
The current drop out rate of undergraduates ranges from 1% to 20% at different institutions.
Figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that 26,000 students in England who began studying for their first degree in 2015 did not make it beyond the first year.
Increased fees/debt and choosing the wrong course were cited as reasons for students leaving university.

20. How do I ensure my son/daughter chooses the right course?
It has to interest them. They really need to have a passion for the subject area and want to study it for three years (or more).
They need to research the course. A course in English Literature at one university might be very different from one at another university. What will they actually study? How much flexibility is there to choose options and specialise in areas of interest?
What is the balance of coursework and exams? Would your son/daughter favour one over the other?
Go to open days and talk to current students. Is it what they expected when they arrived? What has surprised them or disappointed them? Also look on the student room website.
Go to open days and talk to staff. How approachable/passionate do they seem?
Contact time and value for money?
YOU CAN HELP WITH THE RIGHT CHOICE OF COURSE. YOU KNOW YOUR SON/DAUGHTER VERY WELL!

21. Some variations on traditional three year courses
Two year degrees (Anglia Ruskin University, Birmingham City University, University of Buckingham, University of Derby, University of Gloucestershire, University of Greenwich, University of Hertfordshire)
Foundation years (increasing in popularity at WHS)
Four year Masters degrees
“Sandwich” degrees with a year in industry/placement
Higher and degree apprenticeships

22. How does the UCAS process work at Wilmslow High School?

23. JUNE
Students should have handed in their subject teacher reference request form before half-term.
Unifrog up-to-date with teachers’ names.
Subject teachers use Unifrog to write students’ references.
Students continue to work through yellow booklet with form tutors.
Students hand in form tutor reference request form by Friday 22nd June.
All students register with UCAS and then fill out all of the online form apart from their choices and personal statements.
Attendance at open days (preferably Saturdays). Missing school because of a part-time job on a Saturday is not acceptable.

24. JULY
All students complete filling out all of the online form apart from their choices and personal statements.
If your son or daughter has a particular diagnosis (e.g. dyslexia, anxiety), make sure they declare it on their UCAS form.
When a student thinks they have completed the form, Mrs Finemore-Lunn (Student Manager) prints a hard copy. This is checked by Mrs Cook. Once this is accurate, it is kept as a hard copy until the personal statement is ready to be attached for checking. It will be given a front yellow sheet to track checking and a back blue sheet for choices and predicted grades.
Examinations from 6th – 13th July.
Attendance at open days (preferably Saturdays).
Form tutors start to write references, using subject teacher comments and their own.
Students begin work on their personal statements.
Work experience placements.

25. AUGUST Students continue to draft personal statements.
Work experience placements.
Extra reading/MOOCs/research into subject area of interest.

26. SEPTEMBER
All students applying to university should return on the first day with a completed draft of a personal statement.
These will be checked by form tutors at least twice. It is not a form tutor’s role to check spelling or punctuation. They will advise on content and structure.
When the personal statement has been checked by form tutors, the students attach them to their UCAS application. It is then printed off by Mrs Finemore- Lunn and checked by Mrs Cook, probably at least twice more.
Early applicants (Oxford, Cambridge, Medics and Dentists) have a 15th October deadline so everything needs to happen more quickly for them.
UCAS fee of £24 should be paid via Parentpay by Friday 21st September.
UCAS predicted grades are decided by teachers. These will be put on Unifrog and will be sent home to parents/carers with examination results.

27. OCTOBER
Early applicant deadline of 15th October and some other students ready to send applications. ONLY MRS COOK CAN DO THIS! And only once the student has signed to say they are ready for it to go.
Admissions tests for Medicine/Dentistry/Oxbridge/Law on 31st October – during our half-term.
Form tutors continue to check personal statements.
Still some open days to attend to finalise choices.
Some students may be called to interviews or applicant days.

28. NOVEMBER TO JANUARY
Friday 9th November is the last day for attaching a well-checked personal statement to UCAS and printing off for Mrs Cook to start checking.
Some students may be called to interviews and applicant days.
Final “on time” UCAS deadline is Tuesday 15th January.

29. Predicted grades and receiving offers

30. Predicted grades
Each course has a set of required predicted grades. These are provided by school. The course may require grades (e.g. AAB or D*DD for BTEC) or points (e.g. 120) which can be made up by a combination of qualifications which will probably be specified.
We recommend that students apply for courses which require a range of predicted grades. Unifrog sorts course choices for them to see which would be aspirational, solid and safe.
Once they are ready to apply, students fill in their course choices on their blue form. Mrs Cook will check these and if they have applied for a course beyond their predicted grades, they will be asked to sign to confirm if they have contacted the university to check they can still apply with their predicted grades.

31. Teachers’ decisions on predicted grades
These are supposed to be aspirational but realistic.
If a student has never achieved a B grade through Year 12 but “needs” one for a university course, it would be difficult for us to maintain our professional integrity if we gave them a B grade prediction when Year 13 work is harder.
Therefore, we always rely on teachers’ professional judgements.
But we do not have to use the September predicted grade. Your son/daughter has time to work hard through the autumn term to demonstrate a higher level of achievement and we can alter predicted grades before sending off the application.

32. Receiving and accepting offers
Once a university receives the electronic UCAS form, the application is looked at by admissions tutors, who make the decisions about offers. They contact the student through TRACK. They will either say the student is unsuccessful or they will give them an offer which is conditional to them getting particular grades (or unconditional).
This can be a very quick process (next day in some cases) or very lengthy – up to six months.
Once they have heard from all of their choices, students decide on a firm choice and an insurance choice. The predicted grades required for their insurance choice should be lower than those required for their firm choice.
It is vital that the university the student really wants to go to is their firm choice.

33. Unconditional Offers
An unconditional offer means that the usual required predicted grades or points (e.g. AAB or 112 points) are not required by the university.
Universities send more details about these to students than they do to school but generally they will still need to complete all of their A Levels/BTECs but their grades do not need to meet any entry requirements and they will have a place regardless of what they get.
For the current Year 13, 39 students have accepted unconditional offers – 18% of the cohort and 23% of those who applied to university. But 71 students were given at least one unconditional – 43% of those who applied.

34. Our unconditional offers
The number of unconditional offers is rising year on year and the range of institutions offering them is also broadening. Largely non-Russell Group: Sheffield Hallam, Leeds Beckett, Birmingham City, Salford, Lincoln, MMU, Middlesex, Roehampton, Leeds Trinity, Lancaster, Keele, Northumbria, Bangor, Portsmouth, University of Central Lancashire, Nottingham Trent But also Russell Group: Nottingham, York, Birmingham (only one each to very high performers and none in science or Mathematics) One student received 4 unconditional offers. Many received 2.

35. The positives of unconditional offers
Removes the pressure of having to obtain certain A Level grades.
Gives certainty so students can apply for accommodation early, plan for the course and where they will be.
For the university, a student accepting an unconditional offer is fantastic – they are “a bum on a seat”.

36. The negatives of unconditional offers
“I don’t need to work hard now as it doesn’t matter what I get.” Students switch off, attendance dips and they don’t hand in work. They fail to appreciate that employers look at A Level results – they stay with them throughout their lives. They finish 14 years of education with results that don’t do them justice and don’t reflect their ability.
A student may accept a course and university which isn’t right for them just because it is an unconditional offer.
Private school students don’t like them…

37. The impact of unconditional offers
“Applicants holding unconditional firm offers were 23 per cent more likely to miss their predicted attainment by two or more grades, compared to applicants holding conditional firm offers.” (UCAS report)

38. Student Finance

39. Student Finance
The deadline for applicant for student finance is likely to be 31st May
You apply directly at
School doesn’t have anything to do with this – it is your private arrangement.
Students receive two loans: a tuition fee loan (which goes straight to the university) and a maintenance loan (which goes to the student). Amounts available are all on the above website and are linked to parents’ income.

40. Be aware that your son/daughter’s expenditure is likely to exceed their maintenance loan
up-student-loans-maintenance
Accommodation charges alone often take all of the maintenance loan.
They often need money before they start, e.g. accommodation deposit, equipment (such as a lab coat), books, Freshers’ Week…
Please talk to them about finance and how much you may be able to contribute.

41. Personal statements

42. What makes a good personal statement?
A personal statement needs to sell the student as someone who will be successful on the course because they have the skills, passion and commitment to thrive.
It is often crucial because most students will not be given an interview so it’s their only chance to impress.
When attending open days, students may hear the message “We don’t look at personal statements.” IGNORE THIS.

43. Structure of personal statement
In the yellow booklet:
Paragraph 1 – why they want to study the course
Could include extra reading, what aspect of the subject they find particularly enjoyable…
Paragraph 2 – work experience
More relevant for some subjects than others.
Paragraph 3 – school and learning experiences
What skills and knowledge have they developed which will make them successful on the course?
Paragraph 4 – extra-curricular
Try to link skills developed to course, e.g. team work, being reliable…
Paragraph 5 – concluding paragraph
Summarise why they will be a successful undergraduate

44. What makes a good personal statement?
Focus on the subject – 75% academic and 25% (maximum) extra- curricular.
Every time they identify something or give information, they make it relevant to the course and their skills, saying what they LEARNED or DEVELOPED.
Evidence of independent learning is crucial. References to ideas in class they learned or things they saw on work experience and then went away and RESEARCHED for themselves.
Specific areas of interest within the subject.
Using the whole of the 4000 characters (including spaces).
Fluent and accurate writing.

45. Resources for personal statement writing
UCAS
Unifrog
Which
Yellow booklet
University websites – look and see what they value in a student applying for a particular course.

46. Results day and beyond

47. Results day
15th August 2019 for current Year 12. Please don’t be on holiday!
Universities get results earlier and make decisions about their places.
They take all students who have made them their firm choice and who have the grades. Then they look at all those who have missed the grades and make offers.
Students are contacted through Track in the early hours of results day so they know if they have got into university (firm or insurance) but not what their grades are.
We like them to come into school to receive their results but they are ed out.
Support is available in school from very early in the morning.

48. Post-results – What is clearing?
Clearing actually opens from the beginning of July but most students use it on results day in August.
It’s how universities fill their remaining places on their courses.
It used to be looked on less favourably but the number of students accepting a place through clearing is rising every year.
If a student hasn’t gained the grades for their firm or insurance choice, they get a clearing number. This means they can apply for any places available in clearing. They usually do this by ringing the university but universities can also approach students.
If a student has changed their mind about their chosen course, they need to reject those choices and get a clearing number. They can then go through clearing and apply for a different course.

49. Post-results – what is clearing?
Newspapers publish clearing lists each year – search last year’s to see what was on offer.
Not all courses available.
Clearing app

50. What should my son/daughter be doing at this point?

51. What should my son/daughter be doing at this point?
Using Unifrog to search courses and update key competencies
Booking and attending open days for June/July and September/October
Organising work experience for the summer holidays if not already organised
Ensuring everything apart from their choices and personal statement has been completed on the UCAS form
Going through the yellow booklet with their form tutor to consider different options
Continuing with or planning reading to do over the summer
Starting to think about their personal statement and its contents.

52. UCAS Parent Guide out “later this month”.
Any questions?