1. Higher Education EveningKennicott Sixth Form Centre Welcome!

2. WELCOME1. Welcome Mr Jon Starkie, Assistant Principal2. University Life Dan Wilde and Danny Shelton, Plymouth University3. How to Apply: An Overview UCAStv4. Finding your course and choosing your university Mr Jon Starkie, Assistant Principal5. Writing your Personal Statement Dave Waistnidge, Assistant Head of Sixth Form6. Timetable for Applications/Special Deadlines Dave Waistnidge7. Student Finance Chris Walker 3. University LifeDan Wilde and Danny SheltonPlymouth University 4. How to Apply: An Overview Jon Starkie 5. UCAStvThis is an example for Apply 2012.Apply 2013 will be available from end June. 6. Finding your course and choosingyour university Jon Starkie 7. Q: How do I search for courses?Q: How can I find out which is the best university or college for my chosen course?Q: How do I find the entry requirements for the course? www.google.co.uk www.unistats.direct.gov.ukwww.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.ukwww.push.co.uk/Choose-a-uni www.thestudentroom.co.uk www.ucas.ac.uk/yougo 8. Writing yourPersonal Statement Dave Waistnidge 9. Planning Your Personal Statement 10. Large numbers ofstudents applying throughUCAS impossible tointerview for all courses You may be competingwith other students fromacross UK for small numberof places personalstatement could make thedifference between asuccessful or unsuccessfulapplication. Admissions staff want to seeevidence that students areenthusiastic, well-preparedand have the right skills to dowell at university. 11. Before youstart, remember this is apersonal statement - i.e. itsabout you, and there is noreal right or wrong way to doit. Personal statements arespecific so if you decide tochange the course you areapplying for you will need torewrite your personalstatement. When the admissions andsubject tutors look at yourpersonal statement, they arelikely to be asking two mainquestions:1. Do we want this studenton this course?2. Do we want this student atthis university? 12. Admission Tutors Is the student suited to the course that they are applyingfor? Does the student have the necessary qualifications andqualities for the course? Is the student conscientious, hardworking and unlikely todrop out? Will the student do their best and cope with the demands ofthe course? Can the student work under pressure? Will the student be able to adjust to their new environment atuniversity? What are their communication skills like? Are they dedicated to this course and have researched itwell? Do they have a genuine interest in the subject and a desire tolearn more about it?These are the questions you will need to address in your personalstatement. 13. What do you want tostudy at university? Why? What specific aspects ofthe course interests you? What school work haveyou completed that isrelevant? What practical work haveyou completed that isrelevant? What have you readrelated to the subjectarea that has inspiredyou? What personalexperiences which lead tothe decision to take thissubject? Where you hope a degreein this subject will lead? 14. What experiences showyou are a reliable andresponsible person? Part-time jobs? Business enterprise? Community andcharity work? Sixth Formcommittee? Extracurricularactivities? (YoungEnterprise, Duke ofEdinburgh Award,Debating, Sport, etc) What have you gainedfrom theseexperiences? 15. Your interests andskills What do you do inyour free time? Any sport andleisure activities? Any subjects youstudy which arenot examined? Do you play amusicalinstrument? Do you speak anylanguages? Have you won anyprizes? Do you have anyrole orresponsibility inany of yourinterests? 16. Gap Years/TheSummer Why are youtaking a Gapyear? (if you are) Why do you wantto take a gapyear? What do you planto do? How does thisrelate to yourcourse? 17. Now, for each point you havemade, comment on: What it says about your character; What skills/knowledge has it given you; Why it makes you a suitable candidatefor the course and the university. 18. If you need help, do ask your parent/carer or Tutor for assistance. or phone the UCAS Student Helpline on 0871 468 0468 19. PERSONAL STATEMENTMedicine Personal StatementMedicine for me is a unique profession in that it does notdiscriminate in its universality of application. It has thereforecaptivated me as a challenging field of continuous learning thatallows me to explore my love of science in a way that isbeneficial to humanity..Medicine Personal StatementGiven that over ninety nine percent of the body consists of justsix elements, it is hard to imagine the human body as anintricately synchronised and immensely complex machine. Yet, ithas done well to puzzle even the brightest minds in history-but Iam drawn to a challenge; I cannot think of anything else morefascinating to work with..English LanguageEnglish has long since endured an inappropriate reputation ofbeing boring, lack-luster. However, it is not until youve becomeengrossed in the language that the true power is revealed, howa single word can bend someones mind to a cause, take themto a world they can only dream off, or create an atmosphere sotense you can not stop reading.. 20. English Personal StatementEmily Bronte had the Yorkshire moors, Austen and Shakespearehad Chawton and London respectively, and I have my bed. Thisis where their sleeping words are shaken awake by mysubjectivity. This is where I become a man.Maths Personal StatementIt has become a very strange and perhaps frightening subjectfrom the ordinary point of view,but anyone who penetrates into itwill find a veritable fairyland"(Kasner E and Newman J).Thissaying is perhaps the most fitted to describe my enthusiasm forMaths.Law Personal StatementI promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but thetruth. My father had always told me my career destined in theprofession of Law; I had of course been ignorant to this.Thinking the only reason he had told me so was to carry thefamily tradition, as he was one himself.Journalism Personal StatementThe amplification of the inexplicable joy as I finished producingmy first piece was too palpable to ignore. It perpetually hung inthe surrounding air as waves of electrifying impetus to thegrowth of the infantile writer residing in every fibre thatconstitutes my body and whom I gradually nourished with alucid thought-process and dexterity at juxtaposition of words. 21. Timetable for Applications/Special Deadlines Dave Waistnidge 22. YR12 Spring TermJune 2012Higher Education programme begins. HE Evening with parents . Apply for UCAS Card to receive free monthly newsletters providing advice on the application process,advance information on universities, and discounts on goods and services www.ucas.com/ucascard.July 2012Students complete and return a Student Reference Request Form to the UCAS Co-ordinator (forms available from the Kennicott Office or attached). If student is applying for Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Science courses and allcourses at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge) and courses at UK Conservatoires(CUKAS), the Student Reference Request form must be returned by 6 July 2012 at the latest. If applying for the above courses with a 15 October deadline, advise Tutor of this. Student to make subject teachers aware of their intentions to go to university. Student researches into courses and universities - www.ucas.com/students/ choosingcourses. Draft Personal Statement use feedback from HE Evening, seek advice from Tutors or visitwww.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement.August 2012Register and commence UCAS application on-line, visit www.ucas.com/students/apply. Further draft Personal Statement.YR13 Autumn TermSeptember 2012 Students applying for all other courses with a 15 January 2013 deadline, to return, if they haventalready done so, the completed Student Reference Request Form to the UCAS Co-ordinator by Friday,14 September 2012 at the latest. Complete UCAS Application on-line. Print and submit hard copy of UCAS Application to include draft Personal Statement to Form Tutor byMonday, 17 September 2012. Liaise with Form Tutor, and if changes have been made to application, amend UCAS application on-lineby Friday, 28 September 2012. Once completed, select PAY and SEND to enable the UCAS Co-ordinator to process application further. If the students course requirement is to undertake an Admission Test, student to advise both theUCAS Coordinator and Examinations Officer. 23. October 2012 UCAS applications are processed further by UCAS Co-ordinators to meet the necessary deadlines of 15January 2013October 2012 and 14 January 2013. Tutor reports are added to the application. Final check by Tutor. (At this stage, amendments may still be made. Students to check status on-lineregularly. The requested changes to be made as soon as student has been advised to. Oncecompleted, student to select PAY and SEND to return the application to the UCAS Administrator). Final version of UCAS application is approved by the Senior Management team (Students to continuechecking status on-line in case further improvements need to be made to the application. Oncecompleted, student to select PAY and SEND to return the application to the UCAS Administrator). Application is sent to UCAS.From October 2012 Track your progress via Apply.YR13 Spring TermMarch April 2013 When student has received decisions from all the institutions to which they have applied, student can accept one firm conditional offer and one as the insurance choice.Spring July 2013 If students receives rejections from all five chosen universities, student will be given an opportunity to apply for a further university via UCAS Extra. UCAS will you let students know if they are eligible when writing to student with final decision letter.August 2013 If students grades do not meet the offer made, student may wish to enter Clearing. Clearing commences in late August and details are forwarded automatically to candidates in the Summer.Important notes: Whilst the official UCAS deadline is 15 January 2013, early applications are perceived to have an advantage. Attend Open Days, Taster Courses and/or Career Conferences throughout this process, the earlier the better. Oxford and Cambridge: Students can apply to only one course at either the University of Oxford or theUniversity of Cambridge. You cannot apply to both universities. If an admission test needs to be taken, you need to make sure you advise the relevant staff and plan for this.This is the responsibility of the student. 24. Student Finance Chris Walker 25. What Happens Next? Jon Starkie 26. Opportunityfor QuestionsJon Starkie 27. CloseJon Starkie