Going the extra mile…The key to a successful university application

Ian Blenkharn

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Applying to competitive universities…

An overview of the process

• UCAS will accept your applications between 1 September and 15

January

• There is an earlier deadline (15 October) for Oxford and Cambridge

Universities and certain courses eg Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary

Science

• There are different rules for certain Art & Design routes (see UCAS)

• If you miss the 15 January deadline you can still apply, although

universities do not have to consider it. If you apply after 1 July, you will

go straight into Clearing.

The importance of applying early…

• Universities will start considering applications as soon as they receive

them meaning you may get greater consideration before the rush of

applications that occurs towards the deadline.

• It may take some universities (including Bristol) longer to get back to you

with an offer. Just because it may be later coming back to you, it doesn’t

mean you won’t be offered a place. It’s important you wait until you have all

your decisions before making your final decision.

• You can get all the application angst out of the way early. That way you

can concentrate on your studies!

The importance of research

• Before you can apply for your course you have to know

exactly what the course entails.

• If you are applying to five courses, make sure you are

aware of the nuances that differentiate all the courses

you are applying to.

• There is plenty of information out there…

The UCAS form

• Your UCAS form is probably your only chance to shine so make it as good as it possibly can be

• Make sure that you have got your name, school and date of birth right as well as the course code – lots of people don’t

• Your ability to write can be as important as what you write, so make sure spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct

• List all of your qualifications in section 7, not just the ones you’ve done through college – some departments will be interested in music exams, Duke of Edinburgh etc

The UCAS Form: The Personal Statement

• If you’ve thought carefully about what you like about the subject and researched what each university offers, you’ll have a good starting point when you think about the personal statement

• Tell the Admissions Tutor:• What you like about the course and why you want to study it

at university• Anything relevant you’ve read or researched that wasn’t part

of the A Level syllabus• Any masterclasses or summer schools you’ve been to, or

relevant work experience

What are universities looking for?

• Relevant academic ability

• Motivation

• Study Skills

• Relevant experience

• Passion for the subject

• The whole person

The UCAS Form: The Personal Statement

• What not to do on your UCAS form:• Don’t include misleading information or claim to know more than

you do about a subject – it will not impress!• Don’t use bullet points or lists• Don’t complete the form without getting it checked• Avoid being too wacky or off the wall

• Finally, make sure that you get you know the deadlines and that your form is in on time

• The teacher reference is designed to support the student’s personal statement. It is therefore important to build on the information given in the statement and confirm achievements as appropriate.

• The most important part of the reference is to provide us with the predicted results for the student. In addition, comments on the progress of the student in each of their subjects would be useful.

• The reference should be supportive of the student’s application. Overly critical references will seriously undermine the student’s personal statement.

General guidelines – Writing references

• It is obvious when a referee has a close relationship with the student. It is important you know the student you are writing about. For more detailed information, contact other subject teachers to get more specific information about the subjects they are studying.

• Supporting students in the writing of their own statements is also a crucial part of being a referee. Often we read things in the reference that should be included in the student’s own personal statement.

• Include information on the way you certificate AS levels as this is useful information for university admissions tutors.

Good practice

• Much of the advice that is associated with the writing of the personal statement is relevant to the writing of the reference:

• Show the admissions tutors that the student has the relevant skills and aptitudes rather than just telling them.

• Research the course they are applying for and make sure the reference tallies with the range of skills and abilities you are talking about in your reference.

• Follow the advice for writing references that is available online.

Being specific

• For non-traditional qualifications it is important that you explain at the beginning of the reference exactly what is involved in studying that particular subject. Examples of units, subjects and projects, as well as the level of study is important in this case.

• Where you may not have known the students for a long period of time, it is good practice to offer a second reference later in the admissions process if the university wishes. This is something that departments at the University of Bristol takes advantage of.

Non-traditional qualifications

• Whenever you are writing a reference, it is important to give contextual information about the education institution.

• The size of the school / college, the number taking A Levels / BTECs or Access courses and the progression rates to Higher Education are all useful criteria in assessing the educational context of the application. The socio-economic status of the catchment area will also be of interest to admissions tutors.

Additional advice

• If there are extenuating circumstances regarding the academic progress of the student, this should be mentioned in the reference.

• Examples of this could be serious illness, extended absence from school or family bereavement.

• Any information that may explain why a student has under-performed in academic assessment should be included for additional consideration from the admissions tutor.

Special circumstances

The application rates for all courses are not the same!:

Sociology: 53 places, 399 applicants

Social Policy: 17 places, 76 applicants

French: 28 places, 218 applicants

French and Music: 6 places, 36 applicants

Playing the odds…

Any questions?