Parents evening presentation Help your son or daughter through the - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Parents’ evening presentation Help your son or daughter through the UCAS process Duncanrig Secondary School 22 nd September 2014

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Research – it’s free and important to do  Start at www.ucas.com  Your son or daughter can sign up for a UCAS Card – they’ll get monthly emails and discount on top-name brands.  Research – career options, universities, courses and minimum entry requirements.  Attend Open Days – even if your son or daughter doesn’t know what they want to do, speaking to those in the know will help.  Learn from others – student videos Find us on: are available to watch at UCAS.tv. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 24/09/2014 3 3 24/09/2014

Other things to consider • Work experience – professional bodies, charities or at events • Finance – course fees, grants, travel and living costs Living away from home... • Travel – to and from home • Accommodation – uni halls or private residences? At the heart of connecting people to higher education 4 24/09/2014

How can you support the research process? • Sign up to the monthly UCAS Parents Newsletter. • Download the 2014 UCAS Parent Guide from the UCAS website. Visit • Offer to attend open days with them, www.ucas.com/parents you may have a different perspective. • Try to remain impartial. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 5 24/09/2014

Entry requirements • Entry requirements vary from course to course and between universities • More qualifications may be required at second sitting (after S6 rather than S5) • Prospective students must check entry requirements by looking at course specifications or by speaking to the admissions office for individual faculties at their chosen establishments. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 6 24/09/2014

Key features of the UCAS scheme • Your son or daughter can make up to five choices in one application. • The 2015 applicant fee is: • £12 for one choice • £23 for up to five choices. In 2012...  UCAS received 653,637 • Applications received by the key applications deadlines are given equal consideration.  464,910 were accepted • ‘Invisibility’ – universities cannot see where else students have applied. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 7 24/09/2014

The UCAS application At the heart of connecting people to higher education 8 24/09/2014

The Process • Pupils must register and complete application online Online application • Linked in with school to allow staff to access and add reference Pay and Send to • When completed payment made to UCAS and application sent to referee referee • Reference added by Guidance Teacher/Referee Application checked, • Guidance Teacher checks and if redrafting required form is returned to applicant. Application finally approved by Guidance Teacher. reference added and • Application and reference approved by DHT before being sent to sent to UCAS UCAS At the heart of connecting people to higher education 9 24/09/2014

Making the application Apply is the UCAS online application system. Every applicant has six sections to complete: • Personal details • Student finance (UK and EU only) Once a student submits their • Choices application, the reference is added and it is sent to UCAS • Education who passes it on to the university • Employment • Personal statement. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 10 24/09/2014

Personal statement – start early Personal statements are so important, make sure your son or daughter includes: • academic achievements, past and present • interests in the chosen subject area • knowledge of the subject and enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus • what they enjoy about studying Personal statements should • details of their independent study skills. stand out – tutors receive 200 per week! The questions universities and colleges will ask: • have they chosen the right subject for the right reasons? • do they have a range of interests? • does the personal statement confirm their interest in the subject? • have they studied independently? • are they motivated and committed? • do they possess good numeracy and literacy skills? At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Students • Ensure they are realistic in their choices (aspirational but achievable) • Ensure they have considered backup choices/plans • Organise relevant work experiences etc which are required to support their application if required • Undertake any external tests such as (UKCAT/LNAT) by the deadlines set by the organisations At the heart of connecting people to higher education 12 24/09/2014

• Access help from Skills Development Scotland staff for in-depth careers advice if they are unsure of what to apply for. • Complete their application by the deadlines set by the school – to ensure there is enough time to process and refine their application • Pay relevant costs direct to UCAS At the heart of connecting people to higher education 13 24/09/2014

Key dates and deadlines June- August School registers as a Centre and begins getting student logged in on their return in August Mid-September Schools can start to submit completed applications to UCAS. 15 October Medicine, dentistry, veterinary sci/med and Oxford or Cambridge. 15 January Application deadline for most courses. 24 March Many art & design courses (check each course for deadline). 30 June Applications after this date held for Clearing. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 14 24/09/2014

School Deadlines for 1 st draft of applications to be submitted to Guidance Staff • Medicine/Vet medicine/Dentistry etc – Wednesday 1 st October • All other applications – Monday 10 th November These dates allow the required checks and discussions to take place before UCAS deadlines apply. Students missing these deadlines cannot be guaranteed to have their application submitted by the deadlines indicated by UCAS. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 15 24/09/2014

How do we support and prepare pupils to apply to Higher Education • On going process through careers information in PSE from S4-S6, UCAS presentation by University arranged for PSE slot • Input from Skills Development Scotland staff in PSE and on individual/group basis • Early in S5/S6 identification of students planning to apply for entry • Provide the students with Help Booklets which guide them though on line application • Staff will lead pupils through application process using PSE time and individual interviews At the heart of connecting people to higher education 16 24/09/2014

• Encourage candidates to attend relevant University Open Days. • Predicted grades identified by staff based on previous performance as well as current progress • Guidance staff discuss and refine Personal Statements • Application forms scrutinised by staff and any errors highlighted for amendment • Write reference to support the application • Offer Mock Interviews to students requiring/requesting one • Make students aware of how to apply for funding At the heart of connecting people to higher education 17 24/09/2014

What we cannot do • Complete an application on student’s behalf • Amend any of the content entered by the student • Write personal statement for student • Extend or change deadlines set by UCAS At the heart of connecting people to higher education 18 24/09/2014

Decision-making by institutions Universities and colleges will review: • Personal statement • Reference • Qualifications • Admissions test results • Interviews* • Portfolios* • Auditions*. Institutions may also offer a (* where relevant) place on an alternative course An admissions tutor may make one of three decisions: • Unconditional offer • Conditional offer • Unsuccessful. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 19 24/09/2014

Tracking applications Track will allow your son or daughter to: • follow the progress of their application 24/7 • Track is our online see their choices and personal system that allows information students to follow the progress of • their application display their offers • reply to offers online. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 20 24/09/2014

Replying to offers • When your son or daughter receives decisions from all of their choices they will need to make their replies by a set date. • They can now hold a maximum of two offers: • Firm - their first choice. If they meet the conditions of the offer they will be placed. If they do not receive any • Insurance – acts as a back-up choice and offers they can make an only comes into play if they are not placed additional choice through the with their firm choice. Extra scheme • If your son or daughter fails to reply to their offers by the deadline date, all offers will be automatically declined. At the heart of connecting people to higher education 21 24/09/2014