At this time of year, as people are pre-occupied with Bonfire Night and the onset of Christmas shopping, sixth form
students are busy applying to universities for their degree courses. Going to
university in the UK, unlike many other countries, is not just a matter of
saying where you would like to go and filling in a form. UK universities are
competitive for entry and it is important to ensure that you do your homework
carefully, that you meet the application deadlines, be aware that the online
application form is fully completed and the Personal Statement is carefully
written.
Getting the application right is crucial and although it might seem
that it is all something of a minefield, do not give up. The process is quite
logical and if you listen to the advice offered by others, do your own research
and are realistic about your choices and work hard to achieve your offers, you
have every chance of getting a place at university.
Basically all year 13 students have to think about three
questions...
1.
What degree course do I want to apply
for?
Bear in mind that you are not limited
to your current subjects. There are plenty of courses that you may have never
thought about as well and it is also possible to combine subjects. If you are
thinking about a course that is completely new to you should try and gain
experience before you apply, either by attending a ‘taster’ course or gaining
some work experience in a vocational, e.g. Law or Architecture.
2. Where do I want to study?
Once you have decided what it is you
want to study the next job is to decide which the best course is for you. You
can get a lot of help by going to the UCAS web site www.ucas.com/coursesearch. You then
need to go to the web sites of the universities you would like to apply to.
Courses do vary and you might find Psychology at Manchester is very different
from University College, London. Get a copy of the ‘Sunday Times Good University
Guide’ and find out about accommodation, teaching quality and a great deal
more.
3. Do I have the right academic background?
Once you got your wish list together
you now need to be very realistic is assessing you chances of getting an offer.
All degree courses state their entry requirements, e.g. 37 IB points, or A
Level grades A*AB. Find out what your school is going to predict for you in its
reference and if the school cannot predict the grades you need do not apply to
for that degree course. You should also check to see if your GCSE grades match
those required for your chosen university degree course and you would be wise
to make sure that you have a range of applications for your five choices, with
a ‘safety net’ should things go wrong on exam day.
Once you have completed your UCAS
application it is sent to your chosen universities and do not forget that if
they make you an offer this is conditional. In other words you need to achieve
the grades they require to gain admission.
Good luck!
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