1. Bedlingtonshire Community High School University Advice Evening

2. Why Go To University? Choosing higher education has many benefits. These include: developing valuable skills to give you wider opportunities studying a subject you're passionate about gaining a qualification to help you follow your chosen career higher earning potential

3. Apply 2015

4.  327 Universities / Colleges  50,000+ courses Setting the scene  309  50,000+

8. What’s important to you about where you study?

9. Q: What is the best university for you? A: The best university is the one that best suits the individual student? A university that offers you: 1. A course that is interesting 2. A good standard of teaching 3. A favourable geographical location 4. A realistic/achievable offer 5. A good graduate employment record 6. A range of excellent facilities, not least accommodation.

10. 1: A course that is interesting 2: A good quality of teaching Research Tools and Strategies: UCAS League Tables Prospectuses www.unistats.com

12. Unistats website Compare entry requirements and other information for different subjects and institutions Read what over 177,000 students felt about the quality of their higher education experience Find out the achievements of recent students and discover what sort of jobs they are doing six months after finishing www.unistats.com

13. 3: Geographical Location Do you want to live away from home? Pros –V- Cons

14. 4: An offer that you are realistically going to achieve Be realistic about where you are applying Use predictions for A-Levels/BTECs/OCR and grades you have already achieved to work out what is a sensible outcome for you and then search for courses accordingly!

15. BE REALISTIC! THERE IS LITTLE POINT APPLYING FOR COURSES THAT ARE BEYOND YOUR ABILITY PLEASE ALSO CHECK GCSE REQUIREMENTS FOR COURSES BEFORE APPLYING

16. BCHS UCAS Tariff for 2013 A2ASEPQ BTEC NATIONAL CERT/OCR NATIONAL CERT BTEC NATIONAL AWARD/ OCR NATIONAL AWARD UCAS TARIFF POINTS DD240 DM200 MM160 MP120 A*140 AD120 B100 CppM80 A*70 DAA60 BB50 ECCP40 DD30 EE20

17. 6: A range of good facilities/services Check out: Library Sports Facilities Students Social Facilities Careers Service Student Support Services Bursary/financial support Accommodation

18. What do you want to study?

19. Your choice of course Traditional Art – Fine Art – Fashion Studies – Interior Design Traditional History – Modern History – European History – Ancient World Non-Traditional Art – Glass – Puppetry – Artist Blacksmithing Non-Traditional History – Strategy and Intelligence – Egyptology – Viking Studies

21. Starting to narrow down the search… There are 500,000 courses to choose from You apply for 5 You choose 2 You go to 1 You need to know that you are choosing the right course for you You need to know that your application is realistic in terms of what you are expecting to achieve

22. Visit…

25. How To Choose A Course | UCAS | Find a Uni & Choose Uni Courses

26. The Personal Statement

27. What do you know about Personal Statements? True or false? 1. Universities don’t read Personal Statements. 2. You can use as many lines as you need. 3. You can use bold and underlining. 4. You can use paragraphs. 5. Apply has spell and grammar checks. 6. You can write different statements for each of your choices. 7. You should concentrate on out of school activities. 8. You should leave it to your referee to explain why you should be selected.

28. What do you know about Personal Statements? True or false? 1. Universities don’t read Personal Statements. (F) 2. You can use as many lines as you need. (F – 47 max.) 3. You can use bold and underlining. (F) 4. You can use paragraphs. (T) 5. Apply has spell and grammar checks. (F) 6. You can write different statements for each of your choices. (F) 7. You should concentrate on out of school activities. (F) 8. You should leave it to your referee to explain why you should be selected. (F)

29. How important is the Personal Statement? Most courses at most universities do not interview Those that do interview will often base their questions on the statement Often the only chance you have to differentiate yourself and impress the admissions team

30. Remember It is a formal application You have 4,000 characters (that includes spaces!) You have 47 lines To use paragraphs To write using a word processing package and cut and paste To focus on who will be reading the statement

31. What will make the reader smile? Understanding of the course applied for Analytical and reflective, not merely descriptive Confirmation of chosen subject and course Reading and other wider exploration

32. What you’ve done What skills it has given you How these relate to your course

33.  Intellectual Pretensions  Misdirected humour  Plagiarism  No mention of future aspirations / direction  Applicant commits GBH on English language  ‘I so don’t want to miss this opportunity’  ‘It was a catch 12 situation’ Draft as a word document Get feedback from others Advisers Parents Write it early and edit Take it with you to interview Be prepared to answer questions about it Personal Statement Guidance

35. Similarity Detection Service Personal Statements are checked against a library of those already in the system, and from a variety of websites and paper publications Each new statement is added to the library after processing

36. Ideas on what not to include?

37. Avoid being repetitive For many years now I have aspired towards a career in Business and Business Management and I have decided I want to pursue a career in the Business area. I would like to study Business Management and Business because the level I can study Business at, at the minute is really enjoyable and I want to continue my studies with this.

38. Be careful with humour… I would describe myself as a rather energetic person who is always looking for something to so with his free time. Previous failed hobbies include stamp collecting (too quiet), Rugby (too painful) and girl chasing (too ugly). But now I believe I am settled with my current interests, football and music. On the football side I feel that although I possess little skill I make up for it with enthusiasm. I am also an avid football supporter of my favourite team Crystal Palace (they need the help). On the music side I am a guitarist and singer in a local punk band

39. Check it before you send it I feel I cope better with responsibility and have been a squirrel leader The International Business Studies degree will allow me to expose myself internationally…

40. Use the right level of detail When I first started looking for degree courses that would suit me, I carried out my research in the college learning centre (Library). My method was effective because I discovered the “Business Information Systems” course. This has the perfect mix of Business and computing for me. My next step was to look in the careers centre in Kings Lynn Town, in here I was able to access the UCAS web-site. I decided to get a list of every university that offered Business Information Systems. I printed myself a copy of the list and rang each university on the list to ask for a copy of the Undergraduate prospectus. They were delivered and there must have been about 15-20 prospectuses (my postman’s biceps have doubled in size!). This course was definitely for me, this is because I have always had an interest in computing and business, for as long as I can remember anyway. In the last few years especially my brain has been awash with entrepreneurial ideas, some I have made a reality and some stay locked in my mind for the right opportunity. Basically this course ‘jumped out and grabbed me’, others have been considered but this is the only one that made me want to pack my bags and leave tomorrow (believe me it did).

41. Don’t forget though… Your personal statement is PERSONAL Make it interesting Don’t make things up

42. Year 12 students will have opportunities throughout the year to collate information and draft basic personal statements Year 13 have already gone through this process and been asked to hand in a draft in the past two weeks Once students have drafts marked and returned they should continue until tutor/they are happy with it Students have access to old statements on the student shared area to help with writers’ block!

43. http://www.ucas.com/personalstatementweek

44. Jargon Busting and General Help for All (particularly parents/guardians!)

45. 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

46. Conditional Offer Making Conditional offers can be expressed in 3 ways: 1.UCAS Tariff e.g. 300 points or 2.Exam grades (level / qualification) e.g. BBC at A-level or 3.Combination of both e.g. 300 points including grade A in English A-Level

47. Track Enables you to follow the progress of your application (24/7, access via password) Quickest way to find out about new offers You can reply to offers

48. UCAS Extra Available from end of February Gives extra choice to applicants who have used all five choices and hold no offers Reduces need to rely and wait on Clearing Applicants informed automatically if can take part Vacancies published on UCAS website

49. Clearing  Available from July  Gives opportunities for applicants who have not been placed on receipt of their results  Applicants informed automatically if eligible and given a clearing number  Relies upon applicant initiating contact with institutions with vacancies  Vacancies published on UCAS website

50. A Little Information on Student Finance

51. Student Finance | UCAS | Student Loan & Money Management Advice

56. And Finally!