TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

Transcription

1 UCAS GUIDE 17/18

2 TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

3 Contents 4 Key Dates 5 UCAS Tariff 6 Beginning Your Application 7 Registration Details 8 Examination Grades 9 Examination Boards 10 Research 11 Research 12 Apply 13 Apply Continued 14 Apply Continued 15 Apply Continued 16 Apply Continued 17 Apply Continued 18 Apply Continued 19 Personal Statement 20 Personal Statement Structure 21 Worksheet 1 22 Worksheet 2 23 Reference Guide 24 After You Apply 25 Track 26 Interviews, Portfolios, Auditions & Admissions Tests 27 University Decisions 28 Replying to Your Offers 29 Extra 30 Exam Results & What Happens Next 31 Clearing 32 FAQ s 33 Useful Words and Phrases You Will Find Throughout the UCAS Process 36 Contacts PAGE 3

4 Key Dates 10th June 2016 Year 13 Induction Day - Begin your application 15th September 2016 Internal Oxbridge, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry application deadline - applications should be complete and sent to be checked by staff 30th Septmeber 2016 Internal Personal Statement Deadline. 15th October 2016 (6pm) Oxbridge, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry application deadline. If not sent by 6pm it will be classed as a late application. 8th January 2017 Internal UCAS deadline - applications should be complete and sent to be checked. 15th January 2017 (6pm) Final UCAS Deadline (6pm). If not sent by 6pm it will be classed as a late application. 24th March 2017 (6pm) Deadline for some Art and Design courses If not sent by 6pm it will be classed as a late application. 17th August 2017 A-Level Results Day. You will be able to view the status of your UCAS application at approximately 7am. TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

5 UCAS Tariff When stating entry requirements some universities will ask for grades (e.g. BBC) and some will ask for UCAS Points (e.g. 112). Please find the UCAS Tariff below: Extended Project OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate BTEC Certificate BTEC Subsidiary Diploma AS Level A Level Points D* A* 56 D A 48 B 40 M C 32 A* D* D* 28 A D D D 24 B A 20 C M M P B E 16 D C 12 D 10 E P P 8 E 6 Some music and sport qualifications also hold UCAS points please see Miss Patten for more information If you continue an AS Level to A-Level then only the UCAS points for the full A-Level are counted Most universities will only consider 3 full A-Levels Although all of the above qualifications hold UCAS points, some universities will not con sider BTECs/EPQ/Cam Tecs you should check this with each individual university For further information and complete UCAS Tariff tables please visit PAGE 5

6 Beginning Your Application UCAS have 6 steps in their application process. These are as follows: 1) Choosing Courses Researching courses using the internet and prospectuses Visiting the UCAS Convention Asking advice from staff/parents/friends/online forums Visiting university open days 2) Applying Using the UCAS Apply system to enter all of your details (see pages) Writing your personal statement (see pages) Ask a member of staff to write your overall reference (see pages) 3) Offers Recieving offers from universities of your choice (see pages) Choosing a firm and insurance choices (see pages) Replying to offers by a given date (see pages) Making more choices through UCAS Extra if you recieved no offers and used all 5 choices 4) Results Getting your A-Level results and discovering whether you gained a place at your university of choice Entering UCAS Clearing system if this is the necessary path 5) Next Steps Preparing to begin university 6) Starting University Packing your cutlery, bed sheets and fancy dress outfits and you re off. TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

7 Registration Details Please fill in the following details and keep them SAFE. It is not easy to retrieve these details if you lose them, and you will not be able to log in to UCAS without them. If you would like a copy of these details kept in the Sixth Form office just in case, please see Miss Patten. Username: Password: Security Answer 1: Security Answer 2: Security Answer 3: Security Answer 4: Personal ID Number: Address: Verification Code: Student Finance application details: Any other application details: Admissions Tests / Auditions / Interview dates: PAGE 7

8 Examination Grades Here is a space for you to record all of your qualifications. You wil need to input these into your UCAS application and therefore it is easy to have them in one place to refer to. You are required to provide the qualification type, full name of subject, grade, examination board. Type Subject Grade Exam Board e.g. GCSE e.g. GERMAN e.g. C e.g. WJEC TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

9 Examination Boards GCSE Art & Design / Textiles AQA Health and Social Care WJEC Business Studies Edexcel History Edexcel Catering WJEC Mathematics Edexcel Computing OCR Media Studies OCR Dance AQA Music AQA Drama OCR Physical Education AQA DT: Product Design AQA RE Edexcel English Language / Literature WJEC Science (Core/Additional/Further) OCR French / German WJEC Sociology OCR Geography Vocational and Other Edexcel These should be added to your UCAS form; however you should check with individual universities whether they will accept these qualifications. Art Cambridge Technical Level 2 OCR ICT ECDL ECDL Business Cambridge Technical Level 2 OCR Law GCSE AQA Construction BTEC Level 2 Edexcel Media Cambridge Technical Level 2/3 OCR Extended Project Level 3 AQA Music BTEC Level 3 (Certificate or Subsidiary Diploma) Edexcel Food Science and Nutrition QCF Level 3 WJEC Public Services BTEC Level 2 Edexcel Health and Social Care Cambridge Technical Level 2/3 OCR Sport Cambridge Technical Level 2 OCR ICT Cambridge Technical Level 2 OCR Travel and Tourism BTEC Level 2 Edexcel AS and A-Level Art (Fine Art/Graphic Art/Photography/Textiles) AQA Government & Politics Edexcel Biology Edexcel History Edexcel Business Studies Edexcel ICT OCR Chemistry OCR Mathematics Edexcel Computing OCR Media Studies OCR Dance AQA Physics OCR Drama and Theatre Studies Edexcel Psychology AQA DT: Product Design AQA Religious Studies Edexcel English Litetature Edexcel Sport and PE AQA Geography Edexcel Sociology AQA German WJEC PAGE 9

10 Research Before applying to university you must do some research on what you would like to study and where. You may want to begin your research with one of the following areas: The Course Content: what you will study, how you will be assessed, whether placements are involved, how the course it taught. Not every course will suit you, for example if you hate presenting try to steer clear of a course which is assessed entirely through presentations! Length: You may choose to study a foundation degree which is only one year, an undergraduate degree is usually three years, courses are also offered with sandwich years, meaning three years of university and a year in industry. Most medicine/dentistry and veterinary courses are four to six years long. Entry Requirements: This may be UCAS points/ grades/portfolio/interview. Obviously we want everyone to be ambitious, but you also have to be realistic. If a course if asking for three A s and you are currently only predicted three D s it is unlikely that you will be offered a place. Speak to your subjects teachers to find out what they are intending your predicted grade to be this should influence your research IMPORTANT INFO: Every course at every university is different there is no standardised content like there is at A-Level/GCSEs, this is why completing in depth research is essential. Two courses both entitled Psychology could have completely different content. The University Location: Where the university is. Is it a campus university (set over a huge site with all buildings including accommodation in one place) or a city university (buildings and accommodation spread across a city)? Accommodation: Where is the accommodation in proximity to lecture halls, what type of accommodation is there, how much does it cost? Ranking: How the University ranks in the league tables (this should be one factor of your research, not the only factor). Size: How big the university is. Some people may prefer smaller universities where most people know each other; however this is not for everyone. Clubs/Societies: Does the university run any clubs or societies that you may be interested in joining. TOP TIP: If you have no idea what course or where you would like to study use the Course Search facility on the UCAS website as a starting point. Think about subjects that you are interested in. You do not necessarily have to study a degree that is directly related to you A-Levels. You can then research individual universities by using a search engine to find their website. There are also plenty of prospectus in the inside resources suite and the library for you to browse. TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

11 Use the table on this page to keep track of potential universities and courses you are considering. You could also create your own and add more columns. University Course Entry Requirements Aspirational / Realistic / Back-Up Live at home / away City / Campus Open Day Dates PAGE 11

12 Apply This section will assist you step by step with filling in the UCAS application form. If done correctly this should not take very long. The checklist below takes you through each question on the application form. On the left hand side of the table is the question, in the middle there are some notes which should help you input the correct information, and on the right is a box for you to tick once that question is complete. If you have any further questions about the application form please do not hesitate to see Miss Patten or your tutor. Section Notes Complete Left hand side - [Apply] [Register/Log in to use Apply 2017] [Register] [Next] Tick box Title Gender You agree to UCAS terms and conditions Mr / Miss Male / Female First Name FULL NAME (as it appears on your passport - no shortenings) Surname Date of Birth [Next] UK [Next] House Number Postcode [Next] Check address is correct, fill in any missing parts [Next] I want to recieve sales information by I want to recieve sales information by text I DO NOT want to recieve sales information by post Tick if you WANT to recieve this Tick if you WANT to recieve this Tick if you DO NOT want to recieve this TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

13 Apply continued... [Next] Enter a password Confirm the password Security questions and answers [Next] Home phone number Mobile Phone number address Confirm address [Next] Take note of your username [Next] [Log in now] How are you applying? [Next] Buzzword [Next] Personal Details Title Gender First/given name Surname Preferred name Previous surname at 16th Birthday Must be letters and numbers, over 6 characters and SOMETHING YOU WILL REMEMBER. Please write this down in the Registration Details section of this guide. Enter above password again Select 4 DIFFERENT secret questions and input the answers - this is a security measure and therefore answers should not be something that is public knowledge. Please write down your questions and answers in the Registraton Details section of this guide. Please use an address you are able to access in school, at home and on your phone if necessary. It is advisable to use a sensible address i.e. not something like sexyjames123@ hotmail.com - this does not give a good impression! Write down your username in the Registration Details section of this guide. You cannot log in to UCAS without this. Usernames are case sensitive and will involved your name and a number. Check Through school/college TRINITYSEVETEEN Some information may be autofilled from your registration form. Please check all is correct, amend any mistakes and continue to fill out the necessary sections Mr/Miss Male/Female FULL NAME (as it appears on your passport - no shortenings) FULL NAME (as it appears on your passport - no shortenings) e.g. if your name is Thomas but you are usually called Tom YOU ONLY NEED TO FILL IN THIS SECTION IF YOUR SURNAME WAS DIFFERENT ON YOUR 16th BIRTHDAY TO WHAT IT IS NOW Complete PAGE 13

14 Apply continued... Postal Address Permanent home in the UK Home address if different to postal address Home phone number Mobile phone number address Date of Birth Country of birth Date of 1st entry to the UK Nationality Dual Nationality Area of permanent residence Reference numbers Passport details Student support Support arrangements I want to recieve sales information by I want to recieve sales information by text I DO NOT want to recieve sales information by post Nominated accress name Should be autofilled - if not please fill in as instructed Check Yes Is your home address different to the one where your post is sent? Should be autofilled Should be autofilled Should be autofilled Should be autofilled [See List] choose country, most people will choose United Kingdom which is at the top of the list LEAVE BLANK IF YOU HAVE ALWAYS LVIED IN THE UK - IF YOU HAVE NOT PLEASE SEE MISS PATTEN ASAP [See List] for the majority will be UK National. If you have a UK passport you are a UK national regardless of where you were born. If you do not have a UK passport please see Miss Patten ASAP If you do not know what this is then you probably do not have it, so please leave blank [See list] depending on where you live choose: Bexley, Greenwich or Kent Leave blank (any further questions please see Miss Patten) Leave blank (any further questions please see Miss Patten) click on the drop down menu, most people will choose 02 which means that they will be getting a student loan. For some courses this may not be the case, e.g. for anything that is NHS funded you would choose 05. If in doubt please see Miss Patten [See List] depending on where you live choose: Bexley, Greenwich or Kent Should be autofilled Should be autofilled Should be autofilled Put down the name of someone you would nominate to speak to UCAS in the event that you cannot - if you do not fill this in, there is no way anyone can speak on your behalf. This should be a parent/carer/sibling/ member of staff - preferably not your friends TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

15 Apply continued... Nominated access relationship to you Criminal convictions Disability / special needs Disability / special needs give details Please sign off this section: What relationship the person you have nominated has to you, e.g. mother/father/head of year etc. if you have any relevant criminal convictions please tick this box, if not then please leave blank [See List] if no disability, choose No Disability if you do have a disability or special need, please choose what best describes this from the list. Please note this also includes things such as Dyslexia and medical conditons such as Diabetes Please give a few details of your disability/special need Student Signature: Tutor Signature: Additional Information and Student Finance Section Notes Complete Ethnic Origin [See List], choose correct one National Identitiy [See List], choose correct one, if you hold a UK passport, then regardless of place of birth you must select British Dual National Identity If you do not know what this is then you probably do not have it, so please leave blank Activities in preparation for Higher Education Sponsor Start date Duration School year Location Have you been in care? Duration in care? Parental education Occupational Background Do you want your correspondance from UCAS to be in Welsh? This may be summer schools/taster days at universities. If you are unsure if an activity you have done is relevant, please ask a member of staff. If you haven t done anything, this section will be blank and may not reflect well on your application, it is not too late to do something... Choose from drop down menu, if unsure choose Don t Know Month and year that the course began How long (in days) the course ran for What school year were you in when the course began [See List] Choose from one of the locations Choose yes or not from the drop down menu if you were in care how long for, if you have never been in care please leave blank Do either of your parents have a higher education qualification? A degree or a higher national diploma? Please choose from the drop down menu, if you don t know then please choose Don t Know State the job title of your highest earning parent. If you don t know make an edcuated gues or put don t know MAKE SURE THIS BOX IS CHECKED NO!! PAGE 15

16 Apply continued... Student Finance Will you be applying for student finance? Do you want UCAS to share your details with the student finance company? Do you want UCAS to send you a reminder of when and how to apply for student finance? Please sign off this section: Please read the information concerning student finance The majority of you will so please check yes. If you are unsure for any particular reason please check don t know and see Miss Patten This will make your student finance application easier in the long run so it is suggested that you check YES for this section YES YOU DO. You should ALL check yes here as whether you intend to apply for student finance or not or you don t know - this will provide you with valuable information. Student Signature: Tutor Signature: Choices, Education and Employment Section Notes Complete [Add a choice] Institution code Which university are are choosing - select from list Course code Which course are you choosing - select from list Campus code Which campus you will be studying at - select from list - for most people this will be Main Site - any questions please see a member of staff Start date What date you will be starting your course - select from list - for most people this will be September 2017 Further details Leave blank Living at home If you will be living at home select yes, if you won t then select no - if unsure please see a member of staff Point of entry Leave blank [Add a choice] You can add up to 5 choices Please sign off this section: Student Signature: Tutor Signature: Education This section is where mistakes are most commonly made. Please carefully follow the instructions below to ensure that this does not occur. State the highest level of qualification you expect to have before you start your course Add new school/college/centre] School/college/centre name Please select Below honours degree level qualifcations Press find and type in Trinity School Belvedere Exam Centre Number TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

17 Apply continued... When did you start If you started in Year 7 this will be September 2010 and if you started in Year 12 this will be September 2015, for others it may differ...and finish July inputting this date will generate an orange message stating that as you have entered a future date you must enter pending qualifications Attendance Select full time Did you/will you recieve any formal qualifcations at this centre Please select Yes and then save If you attended any other SECONDARY school you also need to enter this information. To do this you will clcik Add new school/college/centre and repeat the above steps [Add qualifications] Here you will need to select which qualifcation you are adding - you will need to add GCSE s, AS AND A-Levels and any vocational qualifcations you have sat at schol (i.e. Cam Tecs). If you did a different type of qualifcation for example ICT ECDL at GCSE this should be added as such. If you did/do Food Science and Nutrition this must be added as other qualification Subject Select from list Qualifcation Date Your GCSEs will be July 2015, AS Levels July 2016 and A-Levels July 2017 Awarding Organisation Exam Board - please see the begining of this guide for a list of exam boards. Your exam board may differ if you did any exams at a different school - if this is the case please speak to Miss Patten or check your certificates Grade If you already have the grade - so GCSE or AS Levels then select grade form list. If you are adding an A-Level or another course you have not yet completed, please select Pending from the list Module/Units Here it is optional whether you would like to add the specific units of your course. Please see Miss Patten for help with this section if you wish to complete it [Save] or [Save and add similar] Either save and you will return to the main education screen where you can add other qualifcations or save and add similar, which may be useful when adding GCSEs as it saves some time, howevr make sure that you check all the information is still relevant Once you have completed this section you should have a complete list of all the qualifcations you have taken and will take throughout your time at secondary school Please sign off this section: Student Signature: Tutor Signature: PAGE 17

18 Apply continued... Employment [Add an employer] Employer Name Employer Address Job Description When did you start When did you finish Type of work Save - you can add up to five different employers Please sign off this section: You do not have to fill this section in if you do not want to /have not had employment. If your employment is related to the course you would like to study you should mention it. Who you work for - i.e. WH. Smiths Job Title Part time Student Signature: Tutor Signature: What Next? At the end of each section you must click Save If you have finished a section check Section Complete Your personal statement must be copied and pasted into the relevant section Upon completion of all sections select View All Details from the menu on the left hand side, carefully confirm all of the information on your application form and then check Section Complete Even if you have checked Section Complete you can still go back and edit information You will only be able to pay and send your UCAS application once all sections have been checked as Section Complete and are showing a red tick next to them in the menu on the left hand side once you have done this the Pay and Send button will become available The cost of your UCAS application is 24 this must be paid by credit or debit card, if you require help with this please see Miss Patten When you send your UCAS application it goes to the school, where it will be checked and the information you have submitted verified. Your reference and predicted grades will then be attached and your application will be sent to UCAS TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

19 Personal Statement What is it? A short piece of writing about yourself and why you want to study this particular course at university What is it used for? It is taken in to consideration by universities alongside your application form, reference and predicted grades when considering whether to make you an offer It is the only part of your application which you can put some of your personality into you may have the same predicted grades as several other students but your personal statement is what sets your apart from them Information Write and edit in a word document and copy and paste into your application once complete You can write a maximum of 4000 characters (with spaces) or 47 lines, whatever comes first this cannot be exceeded Expect to write a minimum of 5 drafts Universities will be looking at your use of English, spelling and grammar so ensure that this is thoroughly checked do not rely on spell check! UCAS does not support BOLD, ITALICS, underlined and several characters including things like umlauts ensure that you check this before including any in your personal statement UCAS run all personal statements through similarity detection software in order to prevent plagiarism so don t be tempted to copy one you find on the internet or an older brothers, this will be detected and could invalidate your application This can be a challenging piece of writing do not leave it until the last minute You don t need to include any previous grades or predicted grades in your personal statement as you have already added these to your application form You should not mention the name of a university as it is likely that you are applying to more than one How do I start? Use the work sheets in this guide alongside mind maps to start identifying activities your have taken part in and skills you have developed Identify which of the above are the most interesting and relevant to your course and begin to expand them Use the structure identified in this guide Don t feel that you need to start at the beginning start with what you are most confident in writing about Top tips Be enthusiastic about your chosen course and ensure that you write actively not passively Check university admission policies and course descriptions there may be certain criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate Don t list activities you have completed - use fewer examples and explain them in more depth, drawing out the skills you have gained from them Ensure that you use subject specific language, but do not feel that your language needs to be too elaborate No jokes Don t begin every sentence with I try and vary your language Avoid repetition Lying or over exaggerating may result in being caught out at interview PAGE 19

20 Personal Statement Structure 70/80% of content should be about the course you are intending to study Introduction (2-4 sentences) Personal trigger Why does this course interest you Do you understand the demands of the course How does your course relate to modern affairs Interest in Subject (this should be the longest section) Inside school current studies/field trips/ favourite assignments Outside school work experience/voluntary work/university lecture/anything extraordinary For further assistance and example personal statements please see: O Drive (Student Resources) > Sixth Form > UCAS > Personal Statement Guides for Students There is also a range of information available on the internet, in the library and in the Application and Resource suite (opposite the Sixth Form Office). For additional help please book a tutorial with Miss Patten. PERSONAL STATEMENT DEADLINE: 30th SEPTEMBER 2016 Career aspirations Wider Skills (shorter than the previous section) Non-academic hobbies and interests Well rounded students Transferable skills What makes a student stand out sports achievements/music qualifications/charity work/prefects/academic awards/gilwell/head boy and girl Conclusion (1-2 sentences) Summarise why you want to go to university and study this course Why do you deserve a place Do not repeat information TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

21 Worksheet 1 Use bullet points to answer the following questions to start planning ideas for your introduction: What was my personal trigger? Why does this course interest me? How does my course relate to modern affairs? My career aspirations are: In the boxes below state each of your subjects and list some activities that you have completed and skills that you have gained which are relevant to your chosen course: Subject 1: Activities/Skills: Subject 2: Activities/Skills: Subject 3: Activities/Skills: Subject 4: Activities/Skills: Below give details of any work placements that you have completed, a brief explanation of what you did, the skills you have gained and the relevance to your chosen course: Work Experience Placement: Details: PAGE 21

22 Worksheet 2 Tick all relevant activities that you have taken part in: Wider reading Theatre trips Exhibitions School clubs Out of school clubs Voluntary work Museum trips Historical sites Online courses Trips abroad Community activities (including church) Documentaries Articles Hobbies Competitions / awards Workshops / taster days Summer schools Below is a list of desirable skills which universities value next to each state an activity where you have developed the skill: Communication Commitment Time Management Team Work Initiative Research Public Speaking Sense of responsibility Adaptability Organisation Leadership Analysis Choose the three most relevant activities and/or skills to your course, give more details and state why they have made you a more suitable candidate: Subject 1: Activities/Skills: Subject 2: Activities/Skills: Subject 3: Activities/Skills: TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

23 Reference Guide All forms can be found in: O Drive (Student Resources) > Sixth Form > UCAS > Reference Information 1 Decide which member of staff you would like to write your overall reference, this should be someone who knows you well, for example: The teacher of the subject you are applying for The teacher of a subject related to the course you are applying for Your tutor Your head of year 2 Ask them (well in advance and very nicely*) whether they would be willing to write your overall reference if they say yes then this person will become your main referee 3 Fill in a Request for UCAS Staff Subject Reference Form and hand to ALL of your subject teachers. You will need to fill in: Your name Name of your subject teacher Title of the course that you are applying for Name of your main referee 4 Subject staff may also request the UCAS Staff Subject Reference Form they will then pass this form directly to your main referee 5 You will need to fill in the Student UCAS Reference Questionnaire and pass this to your main referee, alongside a complete copy of your personal statement and any references from work experience placements 6 Your main referee will begin your reference when they have all of the following information: UCAS Staff Subject Reference Forms from all of your subject staff Student UCAS Reference Questionnaire Copy of your personal statement Reference from any work experience placements 7 Once your main referee has completed your reference, they should show you a copy if you are happy with this your main referee will your reference to the Sixth Form team and it will be attached to your application Other information: Your reference is read by universities in conjunction with your personal statement It will contain information from your subject teachers about your suitability to study at degree level and to study that particular course The first paragraph will contextualise Trinity School and our qualification policy Information will also be included to contextualise you if you are eligible for free school meals, pupil premium, bursary; further information on any special educational/ medical needs; explanations for any periods of absence or unexpected examination results; information to contextualise your academic position compared to others in the school/your class if there is something that you feel should be included please speak to Miss Patten or your main referee, it is important for universities to be aware of all the facts whilst making their decisions *Please note that it takes staff as long to write a reference as it does you your personal statement! PAGE 23

24 After You Apply What happens next? You will be sent a Welcome Letter which lists your details and choices. You should check that all details are correct, and if there are any mistakes please contact UCAS to rectify this. You should also contact UCAS if you do not receive a Welcome Letter within 14 days of you sending your application. If you absolutely have to, you can make changes to your choices in Track for seven days from the date on your Welcome Letter. Viewing Your Online Application You can view your application online using the Track service, for this you will need your personal ID, your username and your password that you used to apply which should be written down on page in this guide. What Happens Once Your Application is Processed? Once your application is processed universities can access it online, however they cannot see where else you have applied Universities MAY contact you to tell you they are considering your application but not all of them do so don t worry if you do not hear from them. Offers Each time a university makes a decision about whether to offer you a place or not, this will show on Track. You may also receive an directly from the university. Once you have one or more offers and you have received decision from all your universities you will be asked to reply to your offers. Everyone will have a different date to reply to their offers by, this will show on Track. If you do not receive any offers, a New Options Letter will be sent to you; detailing what your further options for applying to university are. Things to note: You will only be able to log in to Track when your application has been fully processed and you have received your Welcome Letter. If your application is received by January 15th 2017, universities must make their decision by early May but you could hear from them much earlier. It makes no difference what order your choices are listed on your Welcome letter. Each university has their own way of working so you will hear from them at different times, some may be very quick and some may take a few weeks or months. TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

25 Track This segment will explain the Track section of UCAS. Track is the service you can use after your application has been processed to do the following: Check which offers you have received Change your postal address, telephone number, address Add and remove choices (depending on circumstances) Reply to interview invitations Reply to offers of a place Send your application to a university in Extra (see further on in guide) Register for Adjustment (see further on in guide) Send your application to a university in Clearing (see further on in guide) Things to note: Your username and password ARE case sensitive so make sure you are using the right case (lower or UPPER) if you have problems logging in. If you fail to enter the correct username/ password five times in one day you will be locked out of the system for 24 hours. If this happens you need to contact the UCAS Customer Service Unit and they will unlock your account. Track automatically times out after five minutes of inactivity for security reasons. If this happens you just need to log in again. If you have forgotten your Track login details then once again you have not read the above guidelines! You will need to go to the Forgotten login details? Service which can be accessed from the Track page. You will need to know the address that you registered with your application. PAGE 25

26 Interviews, Portfolios, Auditions & Admissions Tests Interviews Many universities, particularly those that are popular and running competitive courses may want to meet you before they decided whether to offer you a place or not. This doesn t apply for all universities as each has its own admissions policy. Universities will either contact you directly if they wish to invite you for an interview or invite you through UCAS Track. Please speak to Miss Patten to arrange some interview practice if you are invited for one it is important to be prepared! Expect to be invited to an interview for the following courses/universities (MANY other courses and universities also now interview, these are not the only ones!): Medicine Dentistry Veterinary Medicine Nursing Teaching Art Courses (see Portfolio below) Portfolios If you have applied for courses in an art and design bases subject you are likely to have to provide a portfolio of your work. This may need to be provided prior to interview or at interview and could be requested in digital or print format or both. Check any communication with each university to see if they have any specific portfolio requirements. It is advisable to start building a portfolio as soon as possible and to include a variety of different work. Please speak to your art/media/product design teachers for assistance with this. Auditions If you have applied for courses in performing arts, such as music, drama or dance; the university is likely to ask you to attend an audition. They will tell you in advance what you need to prepare for this, some have quite specific requirements but others will allow you to choose what to perform. Please note that for some auditions there are additional costs attached you should check this with each individual university. Please speak to your drama/dance/music teachers who will be able to help you prepare for an audition. University of Cambridge University of Oxford Some other Russell Group universities Admissions Tests Many courses require you to sit admissions tests before deciding whether to offer you a place or not: Teaching English and Maths assessment at the university Before beginning the course you will be required to sit Initial Teacher Training Tests in literacy and numeracy Nursing English and Maths assessment at the university Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary Medicine UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) / BMAT (Biomedical Admissions Test) Other courses may also require you to sit their own entry examination (i.e. LNAT for Law) or to provide a piece of written work to be assessed. The University of Cambridge now has written assessments for all of its courses. If you would like help or advice with interview, portfolios, auditions or admissions test please do not hesitate. Don t forget, almost every member of staff has been through the UCAS process and will be willing to pass on their knowledge! TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

27 University Decisions Once a university has considered your application, they decide whether or not to offer you a place. This may be done just using the information on your application or you may need an interview or an audition (see previous section). The following deadlines are given to universities by UCAS for them to make their decision. If you applied: By 15th January 2017 Early May 2017 From 16th January th June 2017 Mid-July 2017 From 1st July to mid September (Clearing applications) Late October 2017 There are two types of decision that a university will give you. They are Conditional and Unconditional. Conditional The University will offer you a place if you meet certain criteria, usually based on your exams. You may be asked to achieve: A particular set of grades. E.g. This offer is subject to you obtaining BBC at A-level. A certain grade in each subject. E.g. This offer is subject to you obtaining BBC at A-Level, including a B in Media Studies. Or to have obtained a certain number of UCAS points. E.g. This offer is subject to you obtaining 112 UCAS points. All criteria are different. Unconditional You have met all the academic requirements and the university is happy to accept you; they will contact you if they need proof of your qualifications. Some universities and courses may have other requirements that you need to meet before you start the course these maybe be financial, medical or in the case of courses such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, teaching or a social work you will need to have a DBS check. The university should explain this procedure to you but for any help please see Miss Patten or your tutor. Withdrawal The University can withdraw your application to them if you tell them you don t want to be considered for a place, or you don t respond to their letter or attend an interview or audition. Unsuccessful Application An unsuccessful application means that the university has decided not to offer you a place on their course. This could be for many reasons and may not solely be based on the quality of your applications. Things to note: If an offer you have received directly from the university is not shown on Track this means that UCAS have not yet been informed of the offer. If it is still not shown after two or three weeks you should contact the university to discuss this. If you are told you are on a Waiting List this is nothing to do with UCAS but with the university so any correspondence relating to this should go to the university itself. If the course you have chosen is not running then the university should offer you another course. If nothing is available that you want then you can apply to another university in its place. Your university should have sent you a form offering you these options. If this has not been received then contact the UCAS Customer Service Unit. If the decision you see on Track is different to that which the university has told you then you should contact the university directly. If you do not understand your offer conditions you will need to contact the university directly. If you are unsuccessful and a reason why does not appear in Track, you must contact the university for further information. PAGE 27

28 Replying To Your Offers YOU MUST WAIT TO HEAR FROM ALL YOUR UNIVERSITIES BEFORE YOU CAN REPLY. If all your decisions have been received by UCAS and you have at least one offer, they will contact you by and ask you to look at Track in order to make your decisions. Think carefully about these decisions because once you have made your firm and insurance choices you are committed to this course(s). There are three types of reply that you are able to make. These are: Firm acceptance, Insurance Acceptance & Decline Firm Acceptance This is your first choice the university that you definitely want to go to out of all other offers you have received. If you have been given an unconditional offer from this university you will be unable to make an insurance acceptance and you must decline all other offers. If you accept a conditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course and that university if you meet the offer criteria. You will be able to accept an insurance offer if you accept a conditional offer. Insurance Acceptance If your firm choice is a conditional offer, you CAN accept another offer as an insurance choice. Your insurance choice can be conditional or unconditional and acts as a back up in case you don t meet the conditions for your firm choice. This means that if you do not meet these conditions you are committed to accepting your insurance choice. You can only have one insurance choice. The conditions for your insurance choice should be lower than your firm. If you are not sure about any of your other choices you are not obliged to accept an insurance option. Remember you may have to do this course at this university so make sure you are completely happy with it. Decline Once you have decided which offer to accept firmly, and which (if any) to accept as an insurance, you must decline all other offers. If you don t want to accept any of your offers, you can decline them all. There are four combinations of offers and replies: Unconditional firm only you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer. You cannot have an insurance choice and you are committed to take up the place on that course at that university. TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18 Conditional firm only you have firmly accepted a conditional offer. Conditional firm + conditional insurance you have firmly accepted one conditional offer and accepted another conditional offer as insurance. Conditional firm + unconditional insurance you have firmly accepted a conditional offer and accepted an unconditional offer as an insurance. To reply to your offer you will use Track to view the decisions from all your choices and reply to your offers. Your reply date will be shown in Track and is based on when the last decision is received by UCAS, so it may be different to other people s dates. YOU MUST REPLY BY THE DATE GIVEN OR ALL OFFERS WILL BE DECLINED. Things to note: The reply button will only appear on Track when you have received all your decisions. You CANNOT choose between your firm and insurance choices even if you get the grades for both so think very carefully about this. If you feel that you have made a huge mistake you can change your replies within seven days of making them by contacting UCAS Customer Service Unit. You should receive a letter of confirmation from UCAS within five working days of making your replies if you do not then you should contact UCAS Customer Service Unit.

29 Extra If you have applied through UCAS and you have. Already made all five choices Received decisions from all these choices Either had no offers or declined any offers you ve received You may be able to apply through Extra for another course. In Extra you can apply for any course with vacancies. Extra is open between the end of February and the end of June. You apply for one course at a time using Track. IF YOU DECLINE YOUR OFFERS AND ADD AN EXTRA CHOICE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT ANY OF YOUR ORIGINAL OFFERS LATER. How does it work? If you are eligible for Extra, a button will appear on your Track screen which you can use to apply for a course in Extra. Before you apply for an Extra choice you should: Check if the course has vacancies in Extra on Course Search at courses with vacancies are marked with an X. Read the course Entry Profile on Course Search, if there is one. Contact the university to make sure that they can consider you. When you have decided on your Extra choice, you need to enter the details in Track. UCAS will then send your application to the university. Things to note: If you do not get an offer in Extra, don t worry. From mid-july you can use the Clearing process see further on in this guide for more information on Clearing. You can apply for as many courses as you like through Extra, but only one at a time. The university has 21 days to consider your application. If you have applied for a course in Extra but want to change it you should tell the university where you have applied that you are not longer interested in a place and ask them to send a withdrawn decision to us. When UCAS receive this you will be able to apply for another course in Extra. What happens next? If you are offered a place you can choose whether or not to accept it. If you accept an offer you are committed to it which means that you cannot apply anywhere else. If you decline an offer, or the university turns you down, then you can apply for a different course through Extra (time permitting). Your Extra button in Track will be reactivated. PAGE 29

30 Exam Results YOU MUST KNOW YOUR LOGIN DETAILS FOR TRACK. THIS IS YOUR PERSONAL ID, USERNAME AND PASSWORD WHICH SHOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN EARLY ON IN THIS GUIDE. You need to be available when your exam results are published. This is Thursday 17th August You may need to make difficult decisions quickly, some assistance in making these decisions or advice on what happens if it doesn t all go to plan. Try not to book a holiday over this date for these reasons. You should check that your contact details are up to date so that UCAS know where to find you if they need anything. What happens next? Once the university has received your exam results they will confirm whether or not you have a place there. If you are accepted by your firm choice you will be sent a Confirmation letter in the post, confirming that you have a definite place at the university and letting you know if there is anything you need to do. If you have received a changed course offer it means that the university is unable to confirm you place on the course you accepted because you have not met the original offer conditions. It means they have however, been able to offer you a place on a different course. You must contact the university where you are holding an offer if: You are unable to take up a place and you need to withdraw your application If you want to change the conditions of the offer such as the course itself, the year you start the course or the point you join the course. If you ask for any of your exams to be re-marked, you must tell the universities where you are holding offers. If a university cannot confirm your place based on the initial results, you should ask them if they would be able to reconsider their decision after the remark. The exam board inform UCAS of any remarks that result in grade changes. Things to note: If you have met your conditions but have not yet received confirmation don t worry you will in due course. If you haven t heard from your university read through your offer conditions, they may be waiting for further details from you for example a criminal records check. If you have met the grades for your firm offer but want to go to your insurance offer, you must inform your firm offer university and ask them to withdraw your offer and then you will be entered into Clearing. If your exam results don t meet the conditions of your firm choice offer and the university does not confirm your place, BUT you meet the conditions of your insurance choice, this will be confirmed. If your exam results don t meet the conditions of your firm or insurance choice offers, you will automatically be entered into Clearing. If you are not holding any offers and have paid the full application fee you will also be automatically entered into Clearing. If your firm choice cannot give you a place and you do not want to attend your insurance offer, you must ask your insurance offer to withdraw your offer and then you can apply for another course in Clearing. An AS12 letter is the Confirmation letter which you will receive when a university confirms your place. Your local authority and bank may ask for a copy when applying for student finance. If you have not received this letter please contact the UCAS Customer Service Unit. TRINITY SCHOOL - SIXTH FORM UCAS GUIDE 17/18

31 Clearing You may not expect to find yourself in Clearing, but believe it or not around 200,000 applicants did in 2012 and around 160,000 in You can arrive at Clearing through various different routes. You may not hold any offers; either because they were not made or were declined in this case you will have automatically been entered into Clearing. You may enter Clearing because you did not meet the terms of your Conditional offers. You may have been late filing in Apply if you apply after 30th June you will be advised that you are automatically entered into clearing. How to get a clearing place? You cannot approach a university for a Clearing place until you have received your exam results. You can however begin to start thinking about what courses you would like to consider and how you want to present yourself when you discuss the matter with admissions staff. As soon as you become eligible for Clearing, Track will give you a Clearing Number, which you will need to quote to the universities that you contact so they can see your UCAS application online. Clearing vacancies are constantly changing, as soon as people turn down offers universities look to fill places. Keep looking at the list of vacancies on the UCAS website www. ucas.com, in newspapers and on university websites, or download the Telegraph Clearing App. When you have found a course you would like to do you should contact the university admissions office directly to confirm that places are still available. Contact details for admissions offices will be on the university website and on the UCAS website within the Clearing section. If the university offer you a place and you are sure you want to accept it then you should enter the course details into Track. The university will normally confirm your place and you will then receive a confirmation letter from UCAS. If you are not accepted you can apply to another choice in Clearing. If you need any help or advice with this please see the UCAS website, alternatively contact Miss Patten at school. PAGE 31