Ilford County High School

Higher Education Evening

Wednesday 6 March 2013

PROGRAMME

1.Facts and figures about UCAS applications2.How do students make choices?3.The Personal Statement & Reference4. Finance5. Break & Questions6.Oxbridge Applications.7. Medicine/Dentistry/Veterinary applications8. Final Questions

ILFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLHIGHER EDUCATION EVENING

Popular and Competitive University Courses

1. Computer Science2. Accounting =3.Economics=3.Medicine =3.Engineering=3.Physics

=3. Mathematics=4. Law=4. Veterinary

Science=4. Dentistry

(UCAS Unistats 2010)

Subjects Demanding The Highest Points Scores

1 Cambridge (589)2 Oxford (572)3 Imperial (553)4 LSE (526)

5 St Andrews (518)6 Durham (500)6 Warwick (496)8 UCL (495)9 Bristol (477)10 Edinburgh (471)

Universities With the Highest Points Scores

Source: 2013 Guardian University Guide

How Do I Get All Those Points?

Grade A* A Level 140Grade A 120 AS Level 60Grade B 10050Grade C 8040Grade D 60 30Grade E 4020

What An Offer Might Look Like

Computer Science, Newcastle UniversityAAB-ABBMust achieve three A Levels in this grade range.

Chemistry, Hull University280-300 points from 3 A LevelsCould be achieved by BBB/BBC, ACC/ABC

EPQ is not a required qualification, but may be included in an offer.

Student satisfactionSatisfaction with teachingSatisfaction with feedbackStudent – staff ratiosSpend per studentEntry standardsValue-added scoreGraduate prospects

Guardian 2013 University rankings based on:

1 Cambridge 100 7 Durham 78.4

2 Oxford 94.4 Lancaster 78.43 LSE 93.9 9 Bath 75.84 St Andrews 86.1 10 Exeter

75.35 Warwick 82.1 11 Loughborough 74.66 UCL 80.7 12 Surrey 73.5

Guardian 2013 Top Universities

The Russell GroupBirmingham BristolCambridge CardiffDurham EdinburghExeter GlasgowImperial College King’s CollegeLeeds LiverpoolLSE ManchesterNewcastle NottinghamQueen’s, Belfast OxfordQueen Mary SheffieldSouthampton UCLWarwick York

The Group of ‘94Bath BirkbeckEast Anglia EssexGoldsmiths Institute of EducationLancaster LeicesterLoughborough ReadingRoyal Holloway St. AndrewsSchool of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS)Surrey SussexYork

Most CompetitiveRatio of places to applications:LSE 14.7 Bristol 11.4Buckingham 11 Edinburgh 9.1Warwick 8.7 King’s 8.1UCL 8 City 7.6Bath 7 Leeds 6.9Bolton 6.7 Aston 6.7Durham 6.7 Birmingham 6.5

Top for Satisfaction1. Cambridge 94%2. Oxford 93%

St Andrews 93%Buckingham 93%

5. Bath 91%6. Durham 90%

Exeter 90%Glasgow 90%Sheffield 90%Keele 90%

Dropout Rates 2011 (%)

HighestNorth London 41Thames Valley 33South Bank 33Paisley 29Glamorgan 28London Guildhall 28Glasgow Caledonian

27Derby

27De Montfort26Middlesex 26

LowestCambridge 1Oxford 2Nottingham 3St Andrews 4School of Pharmacy

4St George’s 4Hull 5Warwick 5Durham 5Cardiff 6

Competitive Courses (2011) Course Universities Requiring Highest

Points TariffAccounting & Finance Warwick, Bath, ExeterChemical Engineering Cambridge, Imperial, EdinburghChemistry Oxford, Durham, CambridgeCivil Engineering Imperial, Cambridge, UCLDentistry Queen’s Belfast, BirminghamEconomics Warwick, Cambridge, UCLElectronic & Electrical Engineering Cambridge, Imperial, UCLEnglish King’s, Warwick, CambridgeHistory King’s, UCL, CambridgeMathematics Warwick, Imperial, UCLMedicine Queen’s Belfast, Edinburgh, London

Critical ThinkingDemonstrates a flexible mind and good critical faculties. Now a required skill in answering A2 “stretch and challenge” questions in all subjects.Extremely valuable in preparing candidates for the rigour of interviews and entrance examinations such as BMAT.High correlation between good Critical Thinking grades and success in most competitive course applications.

Should I Take A Gap Year?This is entirely up to you.Some people benefit from this, others do not.

Pros ConsChance to undertake work experience and gain other positive experiences.An extra year in which to mature and become more independent.Earn money to finance HE life.A break from academia.

You get out of the habit of studyingFew decent job prospects during the one-year gap.Some universities may not be keen – check.Gap Years can be wasted – they should be used constructively.

Where Do I

Start?

Make The Right Choice

20% of students drop out of university.10% do so in their first year.30% wish they had studied something else.

The Main Reasons Students Drop Out

Wrong choice of course.Wrong choice of university.Poor advice or did not listen to advice.

Consider:AptitudeEnjoymentCareers

There is a much wider range of degree subjects than A level courses – there are 90 courses beginning with the letter A alone!

Which Subject Should I Take?

Degrees And Career Choice

Fewer than 5% of jobs in the commercial and business sector require specific degrees.The key factors for employers are:– A good degree from a good university– Personal qualities (eg. adaptability,

creativity, self-management, teamwork)– Work experience.

Common MisconceptionsIf I wish to become a solicitor or barrister I must do a Law degree.40-50% of the Top 20 Law Firms’ intake is from non-Law graduatesIf I wish to become an Accountant/Actuary etc I must do an Accountancy/Finance degree.5% of Engineering students and 5% of History graduates typically enter these professions.

Single, or combined honoursSandwichInternational componentAssessmentEntry requirementsTopics being studied

Which type of course should I apply for?

Location (home or away? campus or city?)Distance from home.Transport costs.Size and facilitiesEntry standardsAccommodationCost of LivingDrop-out rateEmployability (Cambridge, London, Manchester, Oxford and Warwick are the most popular on the “Milk Round”)

Which Institution?

What You Need To DoConsult the UCAS website. The “Entry Profiles” section is especially useful for this.Consult the institution website.Look at HE Guides (Heap, Times etc)Visit the institutions you are interested in.E-mail or ring admissions tutors.Discuss options with your UCAS Tutor.Visit HE careers-related websites: Prospects.ac.uk; icould.com;

Careers.lon.ac.uk

The Process

The Application ProcessThe absolutely final deadline for UCAS forms is 15th January of year of entry.The absolutely final deadline for Oxbridge/medical/dentistry is 15th October before the year of entry.It is extremely unwise to leave it this late, and we insist on earlier deadlines.

Your timetableNow

Begin to look into possible courses and universities. Begin to plan your Personal Statement.Arrange careers interview if you have not had one.

May• Sit exams. These results will largely determine which

courses and institutions you can apply to. You may not resit any modules until June 2014

JuneAttend the school’s HE Day and then go on open days during the blocked out time in the summer term.Meet your UCAS referee. Register on UCAS Apply.Write the bulk of your Personal statement.Attend UCAS PSHE sessions.

Your Timetable (cont.)September

Predicted grades are issued. These will be based upon AS results and are likely to be the same grade.Finish PS and application form.

OctoberApplications submitted to UCAS.Those who fail to meet these deadlines will be severely disadvantaged.

The Application ProcessIncreasingly, universities use paper selection but you may well be called for interview. Choose up to 5 universities.Complete the form and personal statement and pay online.Your Referee completes reference section online.The Form is checked by Mr Pearson, then by Mr. Jenkins.The Form is sent to UCAS. A copy of your form is sent to each institution applied to.You may be interviewed or made an offer.You may be contacted by the university within days or maybe not until March or April.

Acceptance And Rejection

OffersThere are two types

Unconditional (U) - already qualified for entryConditional (C) - when further examinations are still to be taken, offer is conditional upon passing at a specified standard.

The vast majority will be conditional, although Birmingham is widening its unconditional offer criteria in some subjects.All offer details will be sent to you by UCASIt is highly unlikely you will not be made an offer if you have listened to the advice of the UCAS team.

Accepting offersAfter the final decision has been received,

applicant has to decide for each offerFirm Acceptance - FInsurance acceptance - IDecline - DOnly ONE firm acceptance and ONE insurance may be selected.Insurance offers should always require lower grades.All other offers must be declined

Main Reasons For RejectionsInadequate qualifications.Unrealistic applications.Poor Personal Statements, including lack of specific subject information.Poor predicted grades or GCSE grades.Not enough relevant recent work experience.Poor interview performance.

FinallyTake examinationsDO NOT BE AWAY ON HOLIDAY WHEN EXAM RESULTS ARE PUBLISHEDUCAS confirmation beginsYour first choice place is confirmed - UCAS will ask you to confirm acceptance.Your first place is NOT confirmed but your insurance place is - UCAS will ask you to confirm acceptance.Neither place confirmed - enter clearing

Finance

FinancesMost universities now charge £9,000 pa tuition fees, but they are not payable in advance. Repayment begins once you are earning £21,000 pa.

Other sources of finance available:

1.Maintenance grant. This is non-repayable, but not available to everyone.2.Maintenance loan. This is repayable and available to everyone, although the amount varies depending on parental income.

Most universities also offer bursaries. You will be advised if you are eligible for these during the finance application process.

Highly Competitive UniversitiesYou should be considering a highly

competitive university if:You have 5 or more A* grades at GCSE.You expect to achieve at least 3 high A grades in AS this summer.You are prepared to go through a rigorous interview process.You are prepared to sit additional examinations or tests.

Break & Questions

Oxbridge Applications

Quality of studentsQuality of academic staffTutorial systemFacilitiesEmployabilityArchitecture

BUT not necessarily the best!

Why Oxbridge?

Useful FactYou cannot

apply to Oxford and Cambridge.

Reads a lot.Intellectually curious – doesn’t just learn the syllabus.Potential for further intellectual development.Enthusiastic and open-minded. An excellent academic profile.2A and 1A* predicted grades.Capacity to cope with a busy lifeGood interview skillsWell prepared for submitted work/tests

Profile of a successful Oxbridge candidate.

Applications Per Place

Cambridge: Overall : 4.7Computer Science

3.5Economics

7.9Engineering

5.4History 3.6Law

5.4Mathematics

5.2Medicine 6.2Natural Science 3.7

Oxford:Overall: 5.3Biology 3.6Chemistry 3.0Computer Science 5.6Economics & Management 11.8Engineering 4.3History 4.5Law 6.6Mathematics 5.5Medicine 9.7Politics, Philosophy & Economics (PPE)

6.6Physics 5.5Theology 2.6

The InterviewBoth universities interview everyone who meets their entry criteria.This is a vital part of the process.Candidates need to be interested in the subject, and have a breadth of knowledge beyond their A Level syllabus and set texts – begin this now!Research the college and its staff before the interview.You must be enthusiastic, knowledgeable and able to think on your feet.

Choosing A CollegeDo not get too hung up on this – if in doubt, submit an open application.

Interviews are carried out at the college, except in medicine and law at Oxford.

However, you could be offered a place by a college other than the one to which you applied.

OxfordCarries out more than 24,000 interviews.On average 60% of applicants are interviewed.Varies greatly between subjects – Economics & Management, PEE, Law 30%; Chemistry 93%.Pre-interview tests sat in school in most subjects.

Supporting Oxford Applications

We are unlikely to support a candidate with fewer than 5A* grades at GCSE.We must believe they have a strong likelihood of passing the entrance examination.They must have achieved three good A grades at AS and be predicted A*AA at A Level.

Oxford Employment Destinations

CambridgeCarries out 14,000 interviews.On average 85% of applicants are interviewed, with the exception of Medicine.No pre-interview tests sat in school (with the exception of BMAT), but may be asked to do one on interview day.Some subjects (e.g. History) require a marked A Level essay or other piece of work to be submitted.

Supporting Cambridge Applications

A good GCSE profile is important, but AS results are the key determinant.We will not support candidates with lower than a 90% average.For the sciences this must be across the three most relevant subjects.

Cambridge Employment Destinations

Cambridge Employment Destinations Financial Services 13.4%

Health 11%

Arts and recreation 3.9%

Communications business 2.2%

IT sector 4.2%

Legal 1.2%

Management consulting 2.4%

Manufacturing 7.6%

Public service 6.7%

Publishing and media 2.3%

Research 4.7%

Social, community and charity 6.3%

Teaching/lecturing 8.7%

Other service industries 11.6%

Other/insufficient data 13.7%

Profiles Of Successful Candidates 2011-12

Candidate

ABCDEFGHI

Subject

Natural ScienceEconomicsNatural ScienceEconomicsMedicineChemical EngineeringHistoryLawEconomics

GCSE A*

757

101078

105

AS UMS Average

99%96%96%96%95%94%93%97%90%

Some Unsuccessful Candidates 2008-12

Student GCSE A* UMS Average Note

A 8 89%We would no longer support these students.B 5 80%

C 9 88%

D 8 97%Very competitive coursesE 10 95%

F 9 98%

G 9 91%Little knowledge or apparent interest beyond A Level syllabus

H 7 93%

I 6 94%

Choosing Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary

Science

Academic Criteria6+ A/A* at GCSEAt least AAA predictions (AAB in mitigating circumstances) A good BMAT/UKCAT scoreGood module/AS results– No module re-sitsWE WILL NOT SUPPORT CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT

MEET THESE CRITERIAThe right ‘A’ levels– Chemistry (and usually Biology)– Contrasting art/humanity or Critical Thinking

Maximising Your Chances Of Getting In

Work experience– Range and value– Glamour and ‘dirty end’– Short and longer periods– RecentBe in good healthFinally: a realistic chance of getting in. We will not support applications from candidates without this.

Maximising Your Chances (cont.)

Recent Applicant ProfilesSubject No. A* GCSE Critical

Thinking GradeOffers

Dentistry 8.5 C King’s, LondonDentistry 3 U NoneMedicine 10 A Cambridge, UCLMedicine 9.5 C NottinghamMedicine 8 B King’s, LondonMedicine 5.5 B UCL, PeninsulaMedicine 6 C NoneMedicine 5 C NoneMedicine 3 E NoneMedicine 2 D None

Any Questions?

Ilford County High School

Higher Education Evening

Wednesday 6th March 2013