Factors for Successful Applications and Tools for Differentiation

Alan Jones, UCAS Professional Development Executive

Plan ahead• Familiarise yourself with the UCAS process and website (www.ucas.com)

• Why? – What? – Where? – When?

http://www.ucas.com/unileap

The learner journeyUNDERSTANDING THE APPLICATION CYCLE

Research The Key Find out

Apply The Door Fill in

Manage The Steps Follow through

What is on the website?• Information and advice

• Videos• Links to provider and other websites• Blogs• Links to social media (blogs/webchats etc.)• Open day search• Virtual tours

• Search tool

• Apply & Track

• Parents section (in Adviser tab)• Videos• E-newsletter sign-up

Research• Thorough and effective research is vital

• UCAS scheme: 380+ providers offering 35,000+ courses

• Application = maximum of 5 initial choices (with some restrictions)

• Overall success rate 2014 = 73%

• 80%+ of those placed – through main scheme• Circa 12 – 14% through Clearing

• Remember – only 1 personal statement to cover all choices

Tips on making ‘wise’ choices• A subject you enjoy and can demonstrate interest in / commitment to / ‘critical engagement’ with (providers want to be sure that you have the academic potential to succeed and that you won’t drop out)

• Entry requirements

• Covers what you want/need

• Location, transport, accommodation

• Teaching and assessment

• Resources and facilities (including Careers)

• Finances – fees, bursaries, scholarships and additional costs

• Extra-curricular – sports, leisure, p/t work etc.

• Additional requirements (e.g. admissions tests/interviews etc.)

Similar courses, but variance in entry requirements if possible

Research resources UCAS website www.ucas.com & social media

Providers’ websites (links from UCAS search tool) & social media

Other websites and social media (e.g. www.unistats.directgov.uk)

Prospectuses and course information leaflets

Open Days, virtual tours, taster courses, summer schools etc

Books, guides, league tables

HE exhibitions and fairs

Employers, relations, friends etc

Telephone providers directly

Find out everything you can – don’t leave anything to chance

Completing an application

UK learners have six sections to complete

School adds reference andsends to UCAS by the relevant deadline

Important dates/deadlinesMay 2015 New application cycle software released

June BLOXHAM SCHOOL – 3-DAY FUTURE FOCUS EVENT FOR L6TH (includes online registration for all UCAS candidates & Personal Statement Workshops)

15 September Completed applications can be submitted

30th September BLOXHAM SCHOOL – INTERNAL DEADLINE forMedicine/Dentistry/Veterinary/Oxbridge

15 October (18.00 UK time) Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary/Oxbridge

15th October BLOXHAM SCHOOL – INTERNAL DEADLINE forall other UCAS applications

15 January (18.00 UK time) Main ‘equal consideration’ deadline

24 March (18.00 UK time) Some Art & Design courses

30 June (18.00 UK time) Main scheme deadline

Early July Clearing starts (for those eligible then)

18 August 2016 Clearing vacancies information available

Key features of the a 1 application per cycle made online with max 5 initial choices with some restrictions:

Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry (max 4 in any one subject)Oxford or Cambridge

£23 application fee (£12 if only 1 choice used)Choices can be added later via TRACK if 5 not used initially

Simultaneous and ‘invisible’ consideration by course providersFurther options later if necessary (Extra / Clearing / Adjustment)

Scheme key features

Manage• UCAS processes (including checks for fraud and personal statement ‘similarity’)

• Once processed, applicant can access Track to follow progress and manage

• Multi-platform, 24-7 (PID & password login)

• Emailed each time there is an update

• Can use Track to:• See offers• Reply to offers (when appropriate)• Add choices (when appropriate)• Withdraw choices • See FAQs• Update information (address, tel, mob, email etc)• Add Extra choice/Clearing choice (when appropriate)

Tools for differentiation• Information in UCAS application including

• Previous academic achievements and predicted grades• Flags (e.g. Disability/special needs; Care; parental experience of HE)• Personal statement (and similarity notification)• Reference

• Additional requirements• Interview, admissions test, portfolio, audition, written work, Cambridge

form• Contextual information and data

• Some in application• Some available from UCAS• Some may be individually sourced by course providers

PS: what are they looking for?• EVIDENCE of:

• Effective research

• Reflective thinking

• Critical engagement with subject

• Motivation, enthusiasm, commitment, maturity

• Relevant transferable skills and experience

• Ability to write effectively

• Course information and entry profiles can give some very specific clues (E.G. “ability to work effectively as part of a team”, “good written and oral communication skills”)

Decisions and repliesProvider decisions:• Unsuccessful• Unconditional offer• Conditional offer (Qualifications and achievements and/or UCAS Tariff points)

Applicant replies:• Only required when decisions received from ALL choices• Date given in Track

• If an unconditional offer is firmly accepted, all other offers must be declined

• If a conditional offer is firmly accepted, can also accept an insurance

• If reply date missed, all offers are declined by default

• Changes are possible

Confirmation• Firm and insurance replies commit to a pecking order

• If conditions met, firm provider must confirm place

• If not met can still confirm at their discretion or• Make Unconditional offer for alternative• Record unsuccessful decision

• If insurance choice held, they then have same options

• If neither confirms a place, then applicant becomes eligible for Clearing (if full £23 fee paid)

Providers will once again revisit tools of differentiationTo decide which, if any, ‘near miss’ applicants they can accept.

How to contact us “What can I/we do to help?” Be interested e.g. read the UCAS Parents Guide, sign up for

the e-newsletter, look at social media

Offer to be involved e.g. with research, nominated access, read (but don’t write!) the personal statement, accompany to Open Days visits

Understand e.g. what they are going through, how the application and funding processes work, that it is your sibling’s application – not yours!

Ask / remind e.g. how it’s going, deadlines, what do you still need to find out

Encourage e.g. with thorough, effective research

Advise e.g. what else to consider, budgeting!

Share e.g. your knowledge/experience, play Unileap!

Support e.g. moral, financial, practical

Ask thoseyou are

supportingand their

other advisers

Start early...take it seriously...make it the best that it can be

Big Al’s UCAS application mantra…

…And remember, UCAS has a first rate team of customer experience partners dealing with social media and telephone contacts throughout the whole process Tel: 0371 468 0 468