R A D L E Y C O L L E G E Higher Education Guide 2009/2010 Entry SUMMARY TIMETABLE VI.1 Michaelmas Term: Allocation of form masters. All university prospectuses and reference books available in the Careers Room. Lent Term: General briefing re universities. Process of consultation begins with Tutors, Form Masters, Heads of Departments and the Director of University Entrance. HE Guide sent to all 6i parents Summer Term: VI.1 Parents’ Meeting (first day of term). General briefing re UCAS. University visits (NB. our policy is that a boy may visit one university during Term time; any other visits should take place during school holidays) Consultation continues (Form Masters, Heads of Department, DUE) VI.2 1st September: First date for registration for on-line applications. 30th September: Last date for all Oxford and Cambridge, all Medicine and some Dentistry applications to be completed. Leave Away Recommended completion date for all other applications. 1st week in November: Oxbridge practice interviews; Oxbridge Written tests; submission of written work 1st-2nd week in December: Interviews at Oxford and Cambridge. 15th January UCAS closing date for the application year 2009 30th April: Last date for Firm and Insurance acceptances of offers. Mid-August: A-level results published. c. 20th August: Clearing process officially begins. 2 PREFACE The purpose of this guide is to offer a clear introduction to the world of higher education. Some sixth-formers have definite plans; most need guidance. This guide can only present you with information and encourage further research: each boy must decide for himself which courses and institutions are most suitable for him. Research involves using facilities in the library, browsing on university web-sites, and also talking to as many people as possible: teaching dons, Form Masters, Heads of Departments, Tutors, the Director of University Entrance are all available to offer advice and opinion. Two key starting points are ucas.com/search: This is a comprehensive list of the university courses offered in the UK, with course requirements and typical grade offers; and the Radley College Intranet, accessible by boys with their password. “Ucas info” on the front page contains a wealth of information on the application process and many links to university websites. Applying to university has become more and more competitive and even the best candidates will receive disappointments and rejections; it is worth bearing in mind that 80% of all applicants to Oxford and Cambridge are rejected, for example (including 10,000 candidates with straight A grades) It is, therefore, all the more important that the preparation and groundwork is done thoroughly. Please note that the advice given here is directed at those in the present VI.1 and generally relates to applications which will be made in September - October 2008 (for entrance in September - October 2009 or 2010). In broad terms most of the advice will also be relevant to applications made in September - October 2009 (post-A level) for entrance in 2010. If at any time there are questions and issues you wish to discuss, please contact me to arrange an appointment. February 2008 Mr. J. Nash Director of University Entrance [email protected] 01235 543170/01235 543157 3 CONTENTS: Summary timetable 2 Preface 3 Contents 4 Types of universities 5 Factors to consider 6 The AS/A2 System 8 Deferred entry 8 Oxford and Cambridge 8 Admission to Cambridge 9 Admission to Oxford 9 Applying to Durham 9 Scottish universities 10 Universities in Eire 10 American universities 10 Courses in Art and Design : ADAR 12 Modular degrees 14 UCAS applications procedure 15 Requirements for admission 17 Applications 18 Fees 19 Interviews 20 APPENDICES: 1. Non-school subjects 21 2. Subject descriptions 22 Art and History of Art 22 Biology 23 Chemistry 24 Classics and Ancient History 25 Design 26 Drama / Theatre Studies 29 Economics 30 Engineering 31 English 32 Geography 33 Geology 34 History 35 Law 36 Management Studies / Business Studies 38 Mathematics 39 Medicine 40 Modern Languages 41 Music 42 Oriental Studies 43 Philosophy 46 Physics 47 Politics and Government 48 Psychology 49 Theology and Religious Studies 50 Veterinary Medicine 51 4 3. University Open Days 2008 52 4. Reference Sources 54 5. Oxford and Cambridge 55 6. Oxford Open Days 2008 73 7. Cambridge Open Days 2008 75 5 TYPES OF UNIVERSITIES Higher education has seen enormous changes in recent years, with the former polytechnics acquiring university status, colleges of higher education being absorbed into universities or else seeking independent university status, and the development of modular courses in many institutions. The three broad sectors of higher education – ‘old’ universities, ‘new’ universities and colleges of higher education – have their own distinctive features although the distinctions between the first two are becoming increasingly blurred. University education is the longest established form of higher education in this country. Its initial origins are almost poetic: gatherings of scholars and students establishing colleges and places of learning, with no examinations or assessments. Today’s universities are no longer in that mode of course, but they do aim to offer a broad approach to personal development and learning. Teaching and lecture structures tend to assume that you will get on with the details yourself and are there to point you in the right direction. Universities are places of research as well as teaching: this has always been so. Usually, you will be taught by people conducting their own research into your subject. Resources have been built up over decades; and where a university has been more recently chartered, comprehensive libraries have been set up and maintained. Accommodation provision has also been built up over many years. Universities regard it as their duty to make sure you are not homeless when you begin your course, though you may have to fend for yourself after the first year. Until recently, old university tradition has meant that links with local industry have not been a priority: the links are now growing, and you will find some indication of this in the text of individual institutions. Generally, the newer, ‘technological’ universities, which offer sandwich courses, have closer industry-partnerships. The more recently designated universities, previously polytechnics, came into being at the end of the sixties as a result of a government report on higher education. They were set up to respond to a major need in Britain, and have evolved very quickly since then. Generally, new university courses are oriented towards careers. Resources have grown around course needs, and in many places much information is available in non-book form. In recent years, some of these new universities emerged as front-runners in their own fields, and rank very highly on quality and research-funding leagues. Links with local industries are numerous, and a great strength in the life of the new university. A factor in lifestyle is the wider range of students with whom you will interact. Within major discipline areas there is a network of short courses, part-time, sandwich, conferences, seminars, workshops, plus interaction with outside agencies. 6 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING YOUR CHOICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Subject: If you have a fair idea of your career plans, do you need to study a particular subject at degree level? Do you want to continue studying a school subject? Would you prefer to start a new subject? Social Science courses, covering a broad spectrum from Business Studies to Politics and Sociology, are offered by most institutions; so is Law. There are Science and Engineering specialisms from Marine Biology to Aeronautical Engineering, and many courses based in the rapidly-growing area of Electronics, Computing and Information Science. At most institutions a final decision on which precise specialism to follow may be delayed until the end of a more general first year. Some subjects, such as Chinese or Estate Management, are offered by only a few places, or even by only one. Economics and related courses is a growth area; Economics A level is not always required for entry to these, although Maths A level is an increasingly frequent requirement. Almost all institutions now offer modular courses, where a large number of combinations of subjects are on offer, such as Law and Italian, or Physics and English. These may tempt those not keen to study a single subject for 3 or 4 years, but the courses are definitely not soft options. (See the section on Modular Degrees (p. 14). Courses with the same name sometimes vary greatly: there may be differences in length, content, teaching methods and methods of assessment. It is essential to find out from the individual prospectuses, departmental websites and at Open Days what precisely is involved in a course. Professional Exemptions: Some courses give you exemption from certain professional exams needed later on, for example in Law and Psychology. However, do not assume that all courses with the same name provide the same exemptions; read the prospectus and visit the website. In particular, beware of combined or joint courses; they may not cover enough of a subject to permit exemptions. Length of course: Most degree courses in England, Ireland and Wales have traditionally taken 3 years. Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry and Architecture always take longer, and all courses at Scottish universities and at Keele University take 4 years; increasing numbers of science courses are becoming 4 year courses, or offering an optional fourth year to give a Master’s Degree. Courses which include practical training (such as most Modern Language courses, all courses at Brunel University, and sandwich courses everywhere) will also take 4 years. Sandwich courses: In a sandwich course, usually lasting 4 years, teaching is interspersed with practical experience, usually in the form of an attachment to a firm active in the field being studied.