Introduction to the UCAS application process Matthew Welbourn Alan Jones & Helen Lee Professional Development Team May 2014 slide 1 SettingScope of the the scene scheme ▪ Central organisation through which applications are processed for entry to full-time higher education (HE) courses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland ▪ It operates on behalf of all full-time courses at member institutions ▪ Number of institutions 370+ ▪ Number of courses 37,000+ At the heart of connecting people to higher education ScottishSome interesting UCAS providers facts about 2013 applications... Scottish HEPs in the UCAS scheme The University of Aberdeen University of Abertay Dundee University of Dundee The University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Napier University University of Glasgow Glasgow Caledonian University The Glasgow School of Art Heriot-Watt University, EdinburghDid you know? University of the Highlands and Islands North Glasgow College Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh Robert Gordon University SRUC (formerly Scottish Agricultural College) University of St Andrews The University of Stirling The University of Strathclyde University of the West of Scotland At the heart of connecting people to higher education 20142014 – applications applications by by UK UK country country of domicile of domicile By UK country 2013 2014 Diff (+/-) Diff (%) England 394,330 408,300 13,970 4% Northern Ireland 19,590 19,550 -40 -0% Scotland 39,950 41,080 1,130 3% Wales 20,440 21,010 570 3% Total 474,310 489,940 15,630 3% Source: UCAS Media Release, 30 January 2014 At the heart of connecting people to higher education Applications Overview University of Stirling – 2012/13 School Applications Offers Offer Rate Applied Social Sciences 1,206 347 28.8% Arts and Humanities 4,148 2,294 55.3% Education 1,834 444 24.2% Natural Sciences 3,304 1,595 48.3% Nursing, Midwifery &Health 1,523 578 38.0% Sport 1,247 529 42.4% Stirling Management School 2,288 1,185 51.8% UNIVERSITY 15,550 6,972 44.8% P.E – 800-1000 applications – 16 places Social Work – 500+ applications – 25 places Primary Ed. – 1000+ applications – 45 places At the heart of connecting people to higher education TheThe applicantapplicant journeyjourney At the heart of connecting people to higher education ExploringExploring thecourse subject and optionsprovider options ▪ Once an applicant knows roughly what they want to do and the type of study they’re looking for, they may still find lots of courses to choose from in the subject they want to study ▫ Is it a subject they’ll enjoy? ▫ Does it utilise and challenge their skills? ▫ Will it lead to a qualification that helps them move nearer to their chosen career ▪ Compare course providers and locations ▪ Compare course content ▪ Check the entry requirements for the courses being considered At the heart of connecting people to higher education “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” • Very high offer rates and acceptance rates mean applicants can perhaps Research afford to take a bit more risk...BUT... • Picking the right courses and the right providers remains THE most important Research thing to get right • The right ones are wise ones – well researched; will meet applicant aspirations and desires; subjects closely enough aligned for one personal Research statement to cover them all; providers with entry requirements that will help spread risk and give the greatest chance of success At the heart of connecting people to higher education ResearchResearch resources- UCAS resources ▪ Resources every prospective applicant should use: ▫ UCAS website (www.ucas.com) • Information on process • UCAS search tool • Apply • Track ▫ Course providers’ websites (links from UCAS website) ▫ Unistats website • Key Information Set (KIS) www.unistats.direct.gov.uk • National Student Survey (NSS) ▫ Relevant funding site • Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) https://www.saas.gov.uk/ At the heart of Atconnecting the heart people of connecting to higher people education to higher education UCASUCAS searchsearch tooltool At the heart of connecting people to higher education SearchSearch tooltool –– subjectsubject clusters clusters & A-Z list At the heart of Atconnecting the heart people of connecting to higher people education to higher education Post-it IS or Post-it ISN’T a real course? At the heart of connecting people to higher education TheApply application – school/college cycle (applying process via school/college) . School or college registers as an online Apply centre . Appointed ‘Apply Coordinator’ sets up staff and centre details and creates buzzword . Student registers using buzzword and fills in application . If application contains . Completed application is forwarded errors or omissions, tutor (electronically) to tutor can return form to student . Tutor checks completed applications within staff area and adds reference . Completed applications are sent to : UCAS Key dates and deadlines Mid-June Applicants can register and start to complete their application. Early September UCAS starts to process completed applications. 15 October Deadline for medicine, dentistry, veterinary sci/med and Oxford or Cambridge. 15 January Application deadline for most courses. 24 March Deadline for some art & design courses 30 June Applications after this date held for Clearing. 20 October Last date for receipt of Clearing applications At the heart of connecting people to higher education KeyKey featuresfeatures ofof thethe application application process process ▪ Applicants can only make 1 application per cycle ▪ Maximum of 5 choices ▫ Primarily realistic, but also aspiration and backup ▫ A single personal statement to cover all choices ▪ Some choice restrictions: ▫ Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4 ▫ Oxford or Cambridge ▪ £23 fee (£12 fee for single choice) ▪ Simultaneous consideration ▪ ‘Invisibility’ ▪ UCAS not involved in decision-making ▪ Replies to offers after all choices have recorded decisions (date given in Track) At the heart of connecting people to higher education TransparentSelection processes selection process ▪ Qualifications ▫ Past, present and future ▫ Predicted grades for ‘pending’ qualifications ▪ Personal statement ▪ Reference ▪ Interview ▪ Piece of written work ▪ Portfolio ▪ Audition ▪ Admissions tests At the heart of connecting people to higher education Personal Statements ▪ https://www.ucas.com/connect/videos/apply-2016-personal-statement- page ▪ Support in school ▪ Speakers ▪ PSE lessons ▪ Guidance teacher interview ▪ Resources eg Higher Education booklet ▪ SDS workshops and appointments ▪ Open days ▪ REACH/ACES What to include At the heart of connecting people to higher education Personal Statement At the heart of connecting people to higher education EXAMPLE…Personal Statement to study Psychology • “I have particularly enjoyed reading about Freudian theory in psychology. I found an interesting article in the New Scientist ‘Freud: who seduced whom’ as it claimed that Freud misrepresented his research to suit his theories of human behaviour. This article sheds a great deal of doubt on Freud’s work yet some of his theories of personality development are fascinating and I am reading a book by Kline which is more supportive of Freudian theory.” • Comment - Both references to the article and the book go beyond the standard textbook so they both represent wider reading. Wider reading can show motivation and interest in the course. In interview, you would be asked to expand on the references in the statement. At the heart of connecting people to higher education DecisionDecision makingmaking byby institutions course providers ▪ Admissions tutors may initially make one of six decisions: ▫ Unconditional offer ▫ Conditional offer ▫ Rejection ▫ Withdrawal ▫ Full ▫ Invitation ▪ Or recommend/offer: ▫ A place on an alternative course At the heart of connecting people to higher education ApplicantApplicant repliesreplies to to offers offers ▪ Once the final decision has been received, a maximum of two offers may be held (reply date given in Track) ▪ If offers are unconditional – applicant firmly accepts one and declines the rest (they are placed) ▪ If offers are conditional - applicants have a choice of three reply options: ▫ Firmly accepts the one they most want to go to ▫ Can accept one other as an Insurance choice if they wish and it makes sense to (only comes into play if not placed with firm choice) ▫ Declines any remaining offers At the heart of connecting people to higher education UCASUCAS ExtraExtra ▪ Operates from end of February through to early July ▪ Additional single choices, considered one at a time ▫ 21 calendar days referral and response ▪ Applicants are eligible for Extra when: ▫ 5 choices have been used ▫ Received decisions (or withdrawn) from all 5 choices ▫ Hold no live offers (none received or all declined) ▪ Courses considering Extra applications listed in UCAS Search Tool At the heart of connecting people to higher education Confirmation 2. If a student doesn’t meet the conditions of There are four possibilities: their firm choice, they could still be accepted at the discretion of the provider; or made an unconditional changed offer; or if they are unsuccessful, but meet or exceed the 1. If a student meets or exceeds the conditions of their insurance choice, they conditions of their firm choice, they will be placed at their insurance choice. are placed there It’s time to It’s also time to celebrate! celebrate! 4. If a student is placed with their firm choice 3. If a student is not placed with from a conditional offer and meets