1. The Programme for Tonight Key note speech ‘Why go to university’ Jade Wheeler University of Surrey The Apply process -Mr Sexton Break – informal questions with refreshments Your Choice!

2. Personal Statements – in Hall with Miss Wheeler Student Finance- Mr Sexton MA4 in Evans building Choosing a subject HU1- Mr Harris MA2 in Evans building Competitive courses Miss Dunlop University of East Anglia MA5 in Evans Building So you want to be a Doctor? MA1 Evans Building Parents/students may wish to split up to attend separate talks.

3. Year 12 Termly monitoring –minimum expected grades Students investigate choices and prepare database of possible choices Prepare for HE Conventions- 25/26 March http://www.ucas.com/prep Higher Education Convention-April 2015 Aspire group Taster days advertised and pushed 2 Futures days after AS exams upon return from exam leave

4. The Application Process (use parents guide and Apply book ) Choose courses – Mr Harris can tell you more Complete form online and write personal statement ucas videosucas videos Learn more about the Personal Statement from Miss Wheeler School checks, adds reference, sends to UCAS UCAS sends to universities Universities make offer or rejects. Student accepts one firm and 1 insurance

5. The Application Form 1. Qualifications- includes unit grades of completed AS exams, increasing use of personal statement 2. Courses/Institutions up to 5 institutions. NB screened applications. 3. Personal Statement 4. School Reference

6. Role of Parents Read and digest Parents Guide- Look at UCAS videos make sure student does too Monitoring,support and encouragement- is performance in termly reports at or above target grades? Help in choosing courses, visiting universities Is course highly rated?(unistats), do graduates get jobs easily?, is the course challenging enough? (Target grades) Use of Times/Guardian Good University Guides NAGGING about deadlines checking personal statements

7. Apply 2015 booklet A really good booklet that has so much information on all the options following the Sixth Form Make sure you take a letter and to ensure we can cover our costs we will accept up to the deadline on letter only If you have a ParentPay account at WGSB use that alternatively simply pay by cash/cheque made payable to WG6 ONLY £3.75

8. Competitive courses English, Law, Physiotherapy, Medicine, Oxbridge, Journalism, Architecture Selecting Universities ( Russell Group, 1994 group) Increasingly not keen on retakes. Keen to see success in AS grades- particularly if GCSEs could have been better Increasing use of personal statement Increasing use of extra tests Miss Dunlop can tell you more

9. A Gap Year Break after 3 years of exams. Hastens maturity! Looked at favourably by universities, employers… but….. Certain courses not so keen, will need reassurance Gap Year a great idea – widens horizons but should be planned We will revisit this in Futures Days later on in the Year

10. Alternatives to HE A level leavers jobs- price waterhouse Deloittes,KPMG etc… Higher Apprenticeships/ Degree Apprenticeships High A level grades required!! Jobs where part time degree included A big feature of recent Career Convention also featured at HE Convention/ Futures days

11. Alternatives to UK universities Studying abroad is now more competitive Learn more by going to student finance talk with me

12. Key dates Upload draft statement by mid July Complete application form by September 1 We will complete UCAS forms on first day back in September Submit Application by 1 October- 23 September Oxbridge/Medicine Oxbridge/medicine /dentistry OCT 15 August 2016 A level results day

13. Evaluation sheet- Help us to improve this every year Contact - csexton@wgsb.org.uk csexton@wgsb.org.uk

14. To access Evans Building, turn left and go up the stairs at the far side of Dining Hall and proceed across Playground. Go to the First Floor, the Maths Department. Maths Corridor First Floor Evan Building MA2 Choosing A Subject MA1 So you want to be a doctor? MA4 Student Finance MA5 Competitive Courses/ Top Universities