INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS - UCAS APPLY 2017/2018 In Year 12 - Sponne School
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UCAS APPLY 2017/2018
INFORMATION
FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS
In Year 12
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
Page
Number
UCAS Application Instructions
- Factors to consider when making your five UCAS choices 3
- Application overview 5
Apply – an overview 6
Getting registered on to Apply 9
- Personal details 10
- Additional information 11
- Student Finance 11
- Course choices 11
- Education 12
- Employment 14
- Personal Statement 14
- Payment 14
Important UCAS dates for 2018 entry 15
Admission tests 17
Post submission 20
What you need to know – Tracking your application 21
Extra 23
Exam results and confirmation 24
Appendix 1 – Student Finance 28
Appendix 2 – Subjects and Exam boards 30
Appendix 3 – Writing your UCAS personal statement 31
Appendix 4 – UCAS Tariff information and charges charts 37
Personal statement timeline 40
2
UCAS APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Website address: http://www.ucas.com
UCAS Multi Entry Fee £24.00
UCAS Single Entry fee £13.00
Conservatoires £24.00
TSCO UCAS Fees
Deadline for payment 15th September 2017
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING YOUR FIVE UCAS CHOICES
AS and A2 grades/points asked for as in prospectus
• Am I likely to come near the grades they are asking for?
• Do I meet any specific subject requirements for the course?
The course
• Does the course contain those aspects of the subjects that I definitely want to study and
avoid those I do not want. Courses with the same course title at different universities often
have very different course contents
• Is the course taught and assessed in a way that suits me? Do I prefer lots of contact with the
lecturers to bring left largely to my own devices? Do I prefer more coursework assessment
to almost total dependence on written examination assessment?
• What is the length of the course?
• How flexible is the course and how much choice do I have in what I study?
• Is there an opportunity for work placement as part of the course? If there is, will I have to
find the placement myself or will the university find it?
• If I want sponsorship, can I get help for the university?
• If I want to learn a foreign language do I have the opportunity? Are there opportunities to
study part of the course abroad?
• Does the course lead to any professional qualifications that are recognised by the relevant
professional bodies?
• What are the career prospects with a degree from this university?
The University/College environment
• Do I want to be in a city, on the outskirts of a town or in the countryside?
• Do I want to be on campus or not?
• Do I require certain facilities such as cinema, theatre, art gallery, concert hall, etc, to be
nearby?
• How far is the university from my home? Will I come home much? Will this matter?
• How easy is it to get to the university by road or by public transport?
• What is their reputation for research/league table position?
• What library, study, ICT facilities do they have?
3
Accommodation
• Most universities guarantee first year students accommodation but what do they mean by
university accommodation and where exactly is it? IF the accommodation is some way from
the academic centre, how do I travel and how long does it take?
• What help is there with accommodation after the first year?
• What form does the accommodation take? It can be the ‘in hall’ system where meals are
provided but will I find this restricting? If it is self-catering, will I starve to death?
• Will I have to share accommodation
• What about cooking and laundry facilities?
Costs/Finance/Student Loans
• What is the cost of accommodation and what does it include? Do not assume that it is cheap
to live in the north and expensive in the south
• Will I be able to get a job if I want one to help with the finances?
• How much is it going to cost me to travel home?
• Can I get a scholarship or bursary?
Leisure
• If I am interested in certain sports, what facilities has the university to offer and are they
within walking distance or at a distance?
• DO I need to be near the sea or close to mountains to pursue my particular sporting
interests?
• If I am interested in music, can I join the orchestra or sing in the choir without being a music
student?
• Are there opportunities to take up a new interest or sport and receive suitable coaching?
• If I am interested in radio broadcasting or journalism, will I be able to work on the student
radio or magazine?
Conclusion
You are going to have to read the prospectus carefully and talk to some students or read their
alternative prospectus if you are going to find all the answers.
Apply On-line
You make your application in the UCAS online secure web-based application system Apply. It has
on-screen help guides which will help you through the application. For advice and video guides on
applying, please look at www.ucas.com/fillinginyourapplication.
There is quite a bit to fill in, but you don’t need to do it all at once – you can save and log back in
anytime.
Following is an overview of what you’ll need to do – from registering to adding A Levels and selecting
courses.
4
APPLICATION OVERVIEW
The UCAS application has sections you as a student to complete and a section for the referee (the
school) to write our reference. Once all of these sections are complete and payment authorised,
your application can be submitted to UCAS.
When to apply
Before looking in detail at the application, it is important to know when to apply.
We recommend you apply as early as possible.
There are four key application deadlines to be aware of (highlighted in bold):
Date Deadline set by
2017
1 October CUKAS Applications for ‘on-time’ music
applications should arrive at UCAS by
18.00 (UK time)
14 October CUKAS/School Internal deadline for processing to
enable us to meet the official CUKAS
deadline
15 October UCAS/Oxbridge/Medics Deadline for applications to the
(18:00 UK time) universities of Oxford and Cambridge
and for most courses in medicine,
dentistry, veterinary medicine/science.
The reference must be completed
before the application can be submitted.
21 October (midday) UCAS/School Internal school deadline to enable early
submission
2018
15 January UCAS Deadline for applications for the
(18:00 UK time) majority of undergraduate courses. The
reference must be completed before the
application can be sent to us.
24 March UCAS Deadline for art and design courses,
(18:00 UK time) except those with a 15 January deadline
30 June UCAS Applications received by this deadline
(18:00 UK time) will be forwarded to universities and
colleges. After this tme applications are
automatically entered into Clearing
If you are not sure which deadline applies, you can find the date for each course in the UCAS search
tool.
Late applications
Universities and colleges give equal consideration to all applications received by their deadline. They
may consider late applications if they still have vacancies, but they do not have to. They can also
close courses after the relevant deadline has passed if they do not want to receive any more
applications, so a quick check on the UCAS search tool is the first step in choosing a course. You
cannot add a choice to your application if it has been closed by the university.
5Remember – Most admissions tests are sat at the start of the academic cycle, so applicants need to
register as soon as possible. To find out more about admissions tests look at
www.ucas.com/admissions-tests
UCAS suggest applying early. You can submit your application before you have completed your
courses and received your results; offers will be conditional, based on exam results to be achieved at
a later date. With this in mind we as a school referee will be expected to provide predicated grades
for courses that you are studying as part of your reference, so universities and colleges have an idea
of your expected performance.
APPLY – an overview (www.ucas.com)
You can use Apply anywhere that you have secure nternet access. You can rework and resave
details in your application as often as necessary, before final submission to your teacher, UCAS
adviser at school or UCAS as appropriate. Please remember to sign out of your application, to avoid
another user mistakenly signing into the wrong application.
You will need to complete all seven sections (one is for UK applicants only)
• Personal details
• Additional information (UK applicants only)
• Student finance
• Choices
• Education
• Employment
• Statement
As your application progresses to completion, you can see the status of each section.
Not started
In progress -
Completed √
Compulsory fields are marked with * (red).
Before leaving the section please click save to avoid losing any information. When you have
finished all the entries please click on section completed and save.
Acknowledgement emails from UCAS
UCAS will send all applicants an acknowledge email after:
• You have completed all sections of your application
• When the reference has been added to the application and it has been received at UCAS
Number of choices allowed
Every student can make a maximum of five choices on your application, including:
6• No more than four choices in any one of medicine, dentistry, veterinary, medicine or
veterinary science
• No more than one course at either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge.
If you apply for fewer than five choices to being with, you can add more later as long as you have not
replied to your offers. You should, however, remember to check the application deadline for the
course.
Invisibility of choices
UCAS send your application on to each of your chosen universities and colleges at the same time.
Each university or college has access to the information about your choice only. They must not ask
you, or the person the applicant has nominated to have access to their application, reveal their other
choices. This is what UCAS call invisibility.
Only later in the application cycle, when an applicant has received decisions on your choices and
replied to any offers, will each university or college be able to see details of the other choices. This
ensures that each university or college decides independently whether to offer a place and what
conditions, if any, to attach to an offer.
Remember – choices are not sent in preference order – UCAS send an application to all the
universities at the same time and they do not know where else you have applied or what order they
were placed in.
Contextualised admissions
Contextual information and data can be used by universities and colleges to assess an applicant’s
achievement and potential in light of their education and socio-economic background. The aim is to
form a more complete picture of an individual applicant’s characteristics.
Therefore, please remember to:
• Complete all the relevant application fields in full. The contextual information submitted on
the UCAS application is critical to facilitating contextualised admissions.
• If there is a personal circumstance you feel the university or college would like to be aware
of and there is not a question about it in Apply, you can ask for this to be included in the
Teacher Reference section.
• Examples of contextual information include disability, care responsibility, estrangement
from parents, widening participation activities or information about the school which may
affect performance such as significant staff changes.
• Applicants can either include this information in your personal statement or send it directly
to the university or college if you prefer.
Contextual admissions can be used at different stage of the application process as part of holistic
assessment to:
• Target students for widening participation activities
7• Inform a decision, including inviting you for an interview, contextual offers and ‘near miss’
applicants at Confirmation
• Identify applicants who may need additional support
• Help assess an applicant’s eligibility for financial support
Disabilities, special needs and medical conditions
Universities and colleges welcome applicants from people with disabilities, special needs or medical
conditions and will meet their needs whenever possible.
It is a good idea for applicants to contact universities before they apply to check what support is
available. If you are likely to need support in you studies, accommodation or daily living, the
university will want to know:
• What course you are interested in
• he nature and extent of the disability, special need or medical condition
• Any arrangements you have needed or found helpful in the past
Universities and colleges will consider the application on the same academic criteria as any other
and any medical information will remain confidential. If they cannot meet your needs, you can ask
UCAS to substitute another choice.
All applicants ar3e asked to disclose if they have a disability/special need or not when you complete
the personal details section of Apply. There are a number of options to choose from including ‘no
disability’. If you are concerned about disclosing their disability each disclosure is to help support
being in place in time for the start of your course.
Students who are care leavers or ‘looked after’ children
All applicants with a permanent home in the UK are asked if they have ever been in local authority
care, including foster care, semi-independent living or in a residential care home.
Disclosing this information means the university or college may be able to help with:
• Support for all year round accommodation including during holidays
• Sorting out finances
• Bursary entitlements
• Support services such as counselling, childcare, disabilities and careers guidance
Universities and colleges treat this information in confidence. They may contact you directly to
discuss the application if they require any extra resources or support during the course.
8GETTING REGISTERED ON TO APPLY – WWW.UCAS.COM
• Along the top tab you will see Apply Click on Apply
• Scroll down the page a little and click on the box Applying
• Select either:
o UCAS Undergraduate: Apply and Track
or
o UCAS Conservatoires (for Music/Drama/Dance CUKAS): Apply and Track
• Click on Start or continue an undergraduate application
• Continue by clicking on Register and apply for 2018 entry
• A new tab will open “2018 apply”
• You will then see to options Log in or Register, select register, read through the Register notes
and click on next
• Before you add any more information you will need to agree to the Terms and Conditions by
clicking on the Terms and Agreement box at the bottom of the page. You will not be able to
continue without marking a compulsory field. All compulsory fields are marked with an (*)
• You can then add some initial personal contact details including your email address (please use
a sensible email address, this will be used and viewed by the Universities you are applying to)
which you need to verify with UCAS, they will send an email with a verification code
immediately to you. This is also useful so they can let you know whenever your application has
been updated online. Tick the box to indicate which method(s) of communication you prefer.
• after this you will be asked to create a password (this must be 6-14 characters and include a
capital and lower case letter and number, something like Ucas2016) and set your own personal
security questions. This will be kept on file by the 6th Form Team, so do not use passwords
which access confidential information eg banking/social media passwords.
• You will then be given a username. Please record this in the table below.
You are now ready to register more details about yourself in apply, click log in now
• Select you are applying through a school or college
school buzzword SponneSchool2018
• It will then ask for a school buzzword (take care as this is case sensitive). The following screens
will confirm the schools address using the next button. You will then be provided with a
Personal ID Number (this is at the top of the screen in bold numbers eg 111-111-1111). Please
keep a note of this in the table below and complete the paperwork to be handed to the 6th
Form Team for our records.
• Now press please click here to verify email address. You should have received the verification
code by now via email. Copy the code and insert into the box, click verify email.
9Please complete the UCAS Personal ID Reference form and return to Sixth Form Team in the Study Area.
Username:
Password:
Personal Id Number:
PERSONAL DETAILS – log in to fill in the rest of your details (using the left hand side tabs)
• This includes Funding and sponsorship options, residential status, any special needs or
disabilities and any criminal convictions – plus you can give a parent, guardian or adviser
nominated access if you'd like them to be able to speak on your behalf.
Student Support
• This isn't your actual student finance application, but if you'll be looking for financial support
we can speed up the process by sharing your info with the student loans or awards organisation
you apply to (if you give us permission to).
Fee Code Courses Student Support
02 Any other courses (including medicine) UK, ChI, LoM or EU
Student Finance Services
To select your Local Education
Authority clock see list, scroll down
and select Northamptonshire
05 Chiropody/Podiatry Operating Department Practitioner Regional Health
Dental Hygiene/Dental Therapy Orthotics/Prosthetics NHS Bursaries
Dentistry* Orthoptics
Dietetics/Nutrition Physiotherapy
Medical* Radiography
Nursing Radiotherapy
Midwifery Speech and Language Therapy
Occupational Therapy
*From 2nd year of study for graduate entry programmes or 5th year of study for undergraduate
programmes
Don't worry if you can't see the page – it only shows after certain questions are answered in the
'personal details' section.
10ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You will need to complete the following sections:
• Equality monitoring
• Activities in preparation for higher education 1 and 2 eg. Summer Schools (eg Sutton Trust),
Saturday University, Campus days, Summer Academies, Taster and Booster Courses.
STUDENT FINANCE
Student finance explained
While at university or college you will have two main costs - tuition fees and living costs.
Most students will not have to pay anything up front. Depending on your circumstances, your course
and where you study, you could get a range of financial support. The main types of finance are
tuition fee and maintenance loans (which have to be paid back), and grants and bursaries (which
don't).
There is also extra support for those with special circumstances, for example, if you have children or
adult dependants, a disability, mental-health condition, or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia
or dyspraxia.
Repayments are based on future earnings and not on what you borrow. You only repay once you
have left university and earn over a threshold.
Applying is easy and you do not have to have a confirmed place - simply use your first choice of
course and change it online at a later date if you need to.
Share your application details
You can even choose to share some of the details from your UCAS application with the Student
Loans Company, who administer loans for Student Finance England, making your student finance
application even quicker.
PLEASE SEE APPENDIX 1 – STUDENT FINANCE
COURSE CHOICES – then you add your course choices
• You can choose up to five courses (all now or some later) – there's no preference order and
your universities/colleges won't see where else you've applied until after you reply to any offers
you get.
• One restriction on the combinations you can have is a maximum of four courses in any one of
medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science.
• Another restriction is that you can only apply to one course at either the University of Oxford or
the University of Cambridge. There are exceptions though – if you'll be a graduate at the start of
11the course, and you're applying for graduate medicine (course code A101) at the University of
Cambridge, you could then also apply to medicine (course code A100) at Cambridge, as well as
graduate medicine (course code A101) at the University of Oxford. (Some applicants will need
to complete an additional application form to apply – visit the University of Oxford
(www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate) and the University of Cambridge
www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate) websites for more information.
EDUCATION – your education so far
• You must enter all qualifications you have a result for, including any which were ungraded.
• You must also enter any exams you’re waiting to take, and any qualifications for which you’re
waiting results. It is optional to include unit/module results.
• It’s important to include your full education history, including the most recent school, college
or university you’ve attended, or are attending
• YOU MUST COMPLETE “Please state the highest level of qualification you expect to have
before you start the course” – Honours degree level or above qualifications
PLEASE SEE APPENDIX 2 – SUBJECT AND EXAM BOARDS TABLE
A Levels in England are currently being reformed. The main change is the AS has been decoupled
from the A level, meaning the AS result will no longer contribute to the overall A level grade.
Applicants who have undertaken a decoupled AS should enter this into their application.
RETAKES
If you are planning to retake an AS unit for a modular subject next summer (e.g. a maths unit), then
you do not have to list this retake as it is not a qualification. If you want to include it, then you
should list it under the units of the pending A level qualification.
12Example of how UCAS for Education would look:
Education
Sponne School (27258, 09/2012 - 07/2018, FT)
GCE Advanced Level (A levels pending)
Applied Business 06/2018 Edexcel
Design & Technology: Product Design 06/2018 AQA
Media Studies 06/2018 OCR
GCE Advanced Level
Applied Business 06/2018 Edexcel
Investigating People at Work
Investigating Marketing
Media Studies 06/2018 OCR
Key Media Concepts (TV Drama)
Applied Business D 06/2017 Edexcel
Investigating People at Work E
Investigating Business B
Investigating Marketing D
Economics D 06/2017 Edexcel
Media Studies C 06/2017 OCR
Key Media Concepts (TV Drama) E
Foundation Portfolio in Media A
GCSE
Biology C 06/2016 Edexcel
Business B 06/2016 Edexcel
Chemistry B 06/2016 Edexcel
Design & Technology: Product Design B 06/2016 AQA
English B B 06/2016 WJEC
Geography B C 06/2016 OCR
German C 06/2016 Edexcel
Mathematics B 06/2016 Edexcel
Music B 06/2016 Edexcel
Physics C 06/2016 Edexcel
GCSE Short Course
Religious Education B 06/2016 Edexcel
Economics D 01/2016 AQA
OCR National First Award
ICT Merit 03/2016 2
13EMPLOYMENT – your employment history
• If you've had any paid jobs – full-time or part-time – here's where you can enter details for up
to five of them. Include company names, addresses, job descriptions and start/finish dates.
• Mention any unpaid or voluntary work in your personal statement.
PERSONAL STATEMENT – then you write a personal statement
This should be written in a word document and can be copied and pasted into your UCAS
application, once it has been approved by your Subject, Tutor and Sixth Form Team.
• This is your chance to show course providers why you want to study the course and why you'd
make a great student.
• Take a look here if you'd like advice on how to write a personal statement
www.ucas.com/personalstatement
• Please use the following documents to help you write your personal statement:
o My UCAS personal statement timeline
o Personal Statement worksheet (UCAS guidelines)
PLEASE SEE APPENDIX 3 – WRITING YOUR UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT
VIEW ALL DETAILS – double check the view all details page
• See if you need to make any edits, then mark it as complete, save it and agree to the
declaration (which allows us to process your info and send it to your universities/colleges).
PAYMENT – PAY/SEND
Then get your reference added (this is completed by the school), pay your fee and send your
application to UCAS
• when the reference and pay and send sections go one of two ways, depending on whether
you're applying individually or through a school, college or centre registered with UCAS.
• You'll be getting a reference from a teacher, adviser or professional that knows you.
• Pay either £13 if you're applying to just one course, or £24 for multiple courses and for
applications sent after 30 June.
• The last addition to the application is the reference, which is supplied by the school.
14A few things to note
• You can only apply once in a cycle. Please don't apply more than once in a cycle, as you can't
receive a refund for further applications.
• If you've applied in previous cycles and want to apply again, you'll still have to submit a new
application.
• You can't apply in an alternative language (except Welsh if you're applying for only courses
taught in Welsh).
• You can use some European characters in your personal details, personal statement,
employment and referee details (see related documents for accepted characters).
• You'll need to mark every section as complete before you can get to the
declaration/payment/reference stage.
• Everyone needs a reference, unless you get permission from all your universities or colleges.
• Remember to check the full help text within Apply if you get stuck, plus you can talk to us if
you need advice!
IMPORTANT UCAS DATES FOR 2018 ENTRY
2017
Mid May UCAS Course Finder for 2018 is available for use
June UCAS Apply 2018 system goes live
6 September UCAS Apply system for 2018 entry opens
15 October Deadline for the receipt at UCAS of all applications to the University of
Cambridge and University of Oxford for 2018 entry Application deadline for
Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine & Veterinary Science for 2018
entry
2018
15 January Deadline for receipt of applications at UCAS for all courses except those
listed with a 15 October 2017 deadline and Art & Design courses with a 24
March 2018 deadline. Applications, including some Art & Design courses,
received after this date but before 30 June will be considered as late and
universities are not obliged to consider applications they receive (Popular
courses may not have vacancies after this date)
Late January Universities can close courses with a 15 January application deadline once
all applications have been processed. Late applicants will not be able to
apply for a closed course.
25 February Start of Extra service. Applicants who have used all five choices and do not
hold any offers can refer themselves to another choice through UCAS Extra
for the first time
24 March Deadline for the receipt at UCAS of applicants for those Art & Design
applications not listed with a 15 January deadline
31 March Universities aim to have sent decisions on all applications received by 15
January. Applicants who receive all decisions on their application by this
date will have a reply date of 4 May
3 May Reply date for applicants whose last decision from universities was received
by 31 March (unless applying through Extra). Offers where a reply from
applicants is outstanding will be declined by default after this date
155 May Any outstanding decisions from universities on applications received by 15
January are made unsuccessful by UCAS on their behalf
7 June Reply date for applicants whose last decision from universities was received
by 5 May (unless applying through Extra). Offers where a reply from
applicants is outstanding will be declined by default after this date
21 June If you receive all your uni/college decisions by 8 June, you must reply to any
offers by today (except if you are using Extra to find a place), or they’ll be
declined.
30 June Applications deadline for immediate consideration for 2018 entry – after
this, applications will be held and entered into Clearing
4 July Last date to apply through Extra
5 July Clearing service starts – clearing numbers will automatically show on ’Track’
for eligible applicants
12 July Any outstanding decisions from universities on applications received by 30
June are made unsuccessful by UCAS on their behalf
19 July Reply date for applicants whose last decision from universities was received
by 13 July (including applications through Extra). Offers where a reply from
applicants is outstanding will be declined by default after this date
16 August A Level results are published
Clearing vacancy information service stars
Adjustment process opens for registration – available until 31 August
31 August Deadline for meeting the conditions of any offers for 2018 entry or for a
deferred entry place for 2018 through UCAS
Adjustment closes
20 September Last date for receipt of applications through UCAS for 2018 entry
30 September Clearing vacancy information closed. After this date you should contact
universities directly to discuss vacancies.
23 October Last date to add a Clearing choice and final date a university can accept an
applicant through Clearing. Any outstanding Clearing referrals will be
rejected by default
What needs to be done by these dates?
1. Make sure your completed application reaches UCAS.
2. Your reference is included.
3. You've paid your application fee.
Leave yourself plenty of time to do everything
• You might need time to sort out any problems your teachers or advisers point out.
• Schools and colleges sometimes give you earlier deadlines to fill in your application than ours –
this is to make sure they can write your reference and send your application to us on time.
• If you're applying as an independent applicant (not through a school), we recommend you ask
your referee to complete your reference well in advance of the deadline to avoid any delays.
Also remember to look into student finance. It's a separate application to your UCAS one, so if
you're applying for any loans or support make sure you know what you need to do and when.
16Early start dates
If you're applying for courses starting between January and May you might need to apply earlier
than for courses with the more typical start dates of September/October.
• This kind of variation in course start dates can affect deadlines, so get in touch with the
university or college to make sure.
• You can add further choices with more typical start dates to your application later on, (as long
as you haven't yet accepted any offers), but if you're interested in any courses with earlier start
dates, make sure you don't miss any of the earlier deadlines.
Late application
If you miss your deadline, most universities and colleges will still look at your application if they
have vacancies left on the course you apply for, but there are no guarantees.
• Late applications can be sent up to 18:00 30 June.
• We recommend you ask the university or college if you're allowed to apply late – especially
for courses with a 15 October deadline, as it's unusual for them to consider late applications
because their courses are really competitive.
TAKING A YEAR OUT AFTER SCHOOL – GAP YEAR
If you decide to take a year out you can still apply now and defer your start date by a year.
This way you can get all your results confirmed and hopefully receive an unconditional offer for the
following year.
The ‘rules’ are the same as for applicants starting their courses in 2018.
• You apply by the same application deadlines
• You choose a start date in 2018 when you add your choices
• You must meet the conditions of your offer by 31st August 2018, unless a different date is
specified by the university or college.
Before applying, we recommend that you contact the university or college to check they will
consider deferred applications. For some courses they may not – for example, the course may not
be offered the following year or they prefer there not be a break in study.
17ADMISSION TESTS
If you are applying to study any of the subjects at any of the institutions listed on the following
pages from September 2016, you will need to take an admissions test as part of your application.
Some tests are taken at the university and some are taken at school. Some tests will examine your
subject knowledge and some assess your skills and abilities. Key points to remember if you do need
to take an admissions test are: find out when and where you need to sit the test; investigate what
the test is assessing and prepare accordingly; and look for sample tests online and practice.
Please make sure that you speak with Mrs Orrin, Examinations Manager, if you need to sit an
admissions test for which you must be entered by the school.
All applicants for a course at University of Oxford are strongly advised to check the application
requirements for their proposed course at www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses. For further
information about any pre-interview tests, including practice papers, see the website
www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/ests. Some subjects, including Economics, Music and Philosophy, require
applicants to also take a written test as part of the Oxford interview process during December –
arrangements will be made for you by the university.
Similarly, all applicants for a course at University of Cambridge are advised to check whether they
will be asked to take tests either when attending for interview or beforehand. Information about
the additional forms of assessment used by each college for each course can be found at
www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduates/tests.
Sample papers are usually available via the university website for that of the testing organisation
(see also www.ucas.com). Kaplan run free practice seminars online – www.kaptest.co.uk – or call
0207 930 3130 for more information.
Medicine or Dentistry applicants (see website for details of 26 University Medical and Dental
Schools which require applicants to take this test)
UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) – www.ukcat.ac.uk
1 May Registration opens and bursary applications processed
1 July Testing begins
20 September Registration deadline and bursary application deadline
4 October Last testing date
15 October UCAS application deadline
The test is offered at 150 test centres in the UK. Owing to the high demand, students should register
as soon as possible to ensure they are allocated a slot at their chosen test centre. Test fees are £65
if taken in July or August or £80 if taken in September or October and are payable online at
registration. There is a bursary scheme which is available to candidates struggling to pay for their
18UKCAT test (fees will be waived for UK/EU students in receipt of certain state benefits). Candidates
will receive their results immediately after taking the test.
Medicine at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University
College London; Biomedical Sciences at University College London; Biomedical Sciences with
Management at Imperial College, London; or Veterinary Medicine at University of Cambridge or
The Royal Veterinary College
BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) – www.bmat.org.uk
September Entries Extranet opens for registration
1 October Standard closing date for registration
15 October Last date for late entries
UCAS application deadline for Medicine or Veterinary Medicine courses
2 November Test takes place in school
25 November Results released
Candidates are not able to register themselves, but must be entered by an approved BMAT Centre.
Entry fee of £45.00 payable on registration (additional late fee of £32.00 if register 2-15 October)
Law
National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT) – www.lnat.ac.uk
1 August Registration opens
1 September Testing starts
5 October Deadline to register and book test slot for University of Oxford applicants
15 October UCAS application deadline for University of Oxford
20 October Deadline to sit LNAT test (University of Oxford applicants only)
15 January Deadline to register and book test slot for applicants to other LNAT
universities
UCAS application deadline
Deadline to sit LNAT test for applicants to Kings College London
20 January Deadline to sit LNAT test for applicants to other LNAT universities
LNAT is required by the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Glasgow, King’s College
London, Nottingham, Oxford and University College London. Check on website for information on
whether taking the test is necessary, approved test centres and deadlines. You should aim to take
the test as early in the academic year as possible for maximum choice of test venue and availability
and to meet admissions deadlines. The LNAT must be taken in the UCAS year in which you are
applying to university. You may only sit the tests once in the cycle and results cannot be carried over
from one year to the next.
Test fee is £50 payable online at registration but there is an LNAT bursary scheme which is available
to candidates struggling to pay for their LNAT test (fees will be waived for UK/EU students in receipt
of certain state benefits). Candidates must apply for their bursary before booking their LNAT and it
19will take at least ten working days to process a bursary application from the date of receipt –
candidates must allow for this extra time when planning their LNAT booking.
Mathematics at University of Cambridge or University of Warwick
Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP) – www.stepmathematics.org.uk
Please note that the University of Bath, University of Bristol, Imperial College London and the
University of Oxford also encourage applicants to take STEP.
Candidates will normally be required to take two of three papers – to be advised by the university.
The standard STEP entry fee for on-time application is £48.00 per paper (£65.00 for late entries)
March Entry Extranet for STEP Mathematics opens
April Standard entry closing date
May Last date for entries
June STEP Mathematics Paper II - sat in school
June STEP Mathematics Paper I – sat in school
June STEP Mathematics Paper III – sat in school
August Results released online
Physics; all Engineering courses; Materials Science; Materials, Economics & Management at
University of Oxford
Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) – www.patoxord.org.uk
1 September Entries Extranet opens for registrations
15 October Last date for entries and UCAS applications deadline
2 November Test takes place in school
Candidates are not able to register themselves, but must be entered by an approved centre (school)
POST SUBMISSION
Once UCAS receive your application their built-checks in Apply make sure that most errors are deal
with before your application is submitted to them. Occasionally, they may send to query something
with you – if this happens there may be a delay in sending the application to the universities and
colleges.
Once an application has been process through the UCAS databases, it is usually with the universities
and colleges within two working days of being sent. They will be able to see the whole application,
but at this stage they cannot see your other choices of university or college.
Once received by the university and colleges they begin their decision making process. This differs
between them and even for different courses at the same university or college.
20Applicants will hear about each of their choices at different times – sometime you are contacted
very quickly, or it may be several months before you hear anything.
The universities and colleges have a deadline by which they have to make a decision on an
application – this date depends on when the application was submitted to UCAS.
Applications received at UCAS on or before University or College must make a decision on
or before
15 January 2018 5 May 2018
30 June 2018 13 July 2018
If UCAS do not receive a decision from the university or college by this deadline, UCAS will
automatically make the application unsuccessful. This is explained to the applicant in Track.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Track – You can follow the progress of your application on line using Track. When a university
or college makes a decision about of your choices, UCAS will email you telling you to look at the
change in Track www.ucas.com/track.
• Contact details – You can change your contact details in Track – it is important you keep these
up to date.
• Checking for decisions about choices – when the universities and colleges have considered
applications they sent to UCAS their decision and UCAS will update Track for you to see. UCAS
will email you to let you know something has changed – so it is vital they regularly check your
email.
Sometimes you are invited to undertake an assessment before the university or college can
decide whether or not to make an offer. You may need to sit an Admission test or attend an
interview, perhaps both, depending on the subject and popularity of the course. Art and design
students in particular usually need to present a portfolio of your work.
Invitations to submit a portfolio or attend an interview or audition may be received in Track or
direct from the university or college. Please remember you must respond to invitations to
interview as soon as possible. You can accept, decline or request a new time or date – if they
want to do this you must contact the university or college directly.
21All decisions are made by the universities and colleges. UCAS does not have any involvement in
deciding whether or not to make an offer.
• Offers – An offer will be either conditional or unconditional. It will show the year and month
the course starts and the point of entry (for example, the second year of the course rather than
the first). Offers can be viewed in Track.
• Conditional Offer – This means the offer has conditions. For example, the applicant has to
achieve certain exam results. Unless a different date is specified, the conditions must be met by
31 August 2018 (even if entry is deferred to 2019). The conditions may include achievement of
specific grades possibly in names subjects or a certain number of UCAS points to post-16
qualifications used for entry to higher education. It includes qualifications offered in the UK as
others studied elsewhere in the world.
• Unconditional Offer – Usually means that you have already met all the university or college’s
entry requirements for the course. They mist still have to meet other requirements such as
financial or medical conditions.
Offers may also be for an alternative course. This option can be used, for example, if you have
changed the subjects you are studying or if the university wants to make an offer for its HND
rather than degree. The university or college should discuss an offer for a different course with
the applicant before formally making the offer.
There are two other decisions that a university can make:
• Unsuccessful – the university or college has not offered you a place on the course
• Withdrawal – the application to the course has been withdrawn usually because:
o You asked to withdraw
o you did not attend an interview, test or audition
o You did not reply to letters from the university or college
o The course has been withdrawn and the applicant has not chosen an alternative
Replying to offers
When you have received decisions from all of your choices you will need to decide which one you
want to accept. The date you must reply to your offers is shown in Track.
• You can accept one offer as your firm choice
• If that is a conditional offer and you want to you can also accept a second offer as an insurance
choice – this is in case you do not meet the conditions of your firm choice
• Any other offers must be declined
You must reply to your offers in Track.
If you firmly accept an unconditional offer, you are committing yourself to take up that place and
cannot hold an insurance choice.
22You must think very carefully and make sure that you do not accept an offer from any university or
college if you are not prepared to attend that course.
Remember – you do not have to hold an insurance choice if you are not sure that the offers are
right for you, it must be better to wait and see what is available in Clearing. This way you do not
have to negotiate your way out of an offer that you do not want
It is important that you reply to your offers by the date that you are given. UCAS call it your reply
date and you see this in Track. The date depends on when you receive the last decision from the
universities and colleges you have applied to.
Last decision from university or college Applicants must reply on or before
received on or before
31 March 2018 2 May 2018 (unless you have a postal address
outside the EU or are using Extra to find a
place)
3 May 2018 7 June 2018
7 June 2018 21 June 2018
12 July 2018 19 July 2018
You must remember this date may be different from your friend’s deadlines – there is no single date
for all applicants.
Important message for all students – if you do not reply to your offers in Track on or before your
reply date UCAS will decline them on your behalf. This means you will lose all your offers.
The UCAS application process complies with consumer law and the Competition and Markets
Authority’s advice. This means you have 14 days to change your mind after you have accepted an
offer, which constitutes contractual decisions.
Extra – a chance to apply to more universities and colleges
All is not lost if you are not offered a place at any of your five initial choices, or if you decline all your
offers. You can use Extra to apply to other universities and colleges who still have vacancies – it is an
23opportunity to look for a place earlier instead of waiting for Clearing. Yu can apply for several
courses in Extra, but only one course at a time. There are four steps to using Extra:
1. Search for courses with Extra vacancies using the search tool: search.ucas.com
2. Think about related and different subjects.
3. You can get in touch with the university or college to check they can consider you. If you want
to apply to a course different from your initial choices, you can explain that you have changed
your mind and offer to send them a revised personal statement to support your application.
You cannot change your original personal statement.
4. Add details in Track.
The Extra process operates from 25th February to the beginning of July 2018. Find out more at
www.ucas.com/extra
EXAM RESULTS AND CONFIRMATION
UCAS received exam results from many UK awarding bodies and sends them to the universities and
colleges that are holding offers for you. If you are taking any other qualifications, you must send
your results to your firm and insurance universities and colleges yourself and as soon as you receive
them. Universities and colleges will want proof of all qualifications entered in Apply (eg GCSE).
When universities and colleges receive applicants’ exam results they decide whether or not the
applicants have met the conditions of your offers. If you have they will confirm the place and your
are placed. This is called Confirmation. It can be viewed in Track.
UCAS does not update Track at midnight on A level results day, you will need to wait until the
morning to see if you have been accepted.
• If a university or college confirms a ‘firmly accepted’ offer, the applicant is committed to
taking up that place. The insurance choice, if any, becomes redundant.
• If a university or college does not confirm a ‘firmly accepted’ offer, they may meet the
conditions of their insurance choice, in which case they are committed to take up that place
If you choose an insurance choice they must be willing to take up the place. If you end up
committed to your insurance place and do not want it, you will have to withdraw your application
altogether or negotiate with the university or college to be entered into Clearing. The university is
not obliged to agree to release you from your commitment with them, if they do agree they may not
action this very quickly.
24If a student has achieved better results than expected and has met and exceeded the conditions of
your firmly accepted offer, you have a short time to research and secure an alternative course in
Adjustment.
If you do not meet the conditions of either of your firm or insurance choice you may still have your
place confirmed. This is at the discretion of the university or college and depends on a number of
factors; how far off your results are from their offer, other students’ exam results and the popularity
of the course. Once the results have bene published, if no decision has been made, it is often worth
you calling the university or college to talk them about your application.
If you do not have either your firm or insurance place confirmed they will atomically be able to use
Clearing, unless you are offered an alternative course. See below to see how this works and
information on Clearing.
Change of course
If you do not meet the conditions of your offer, a university or college may offer a place on an
alternative basis to their original choice, such as:
• A different course
• A deferred entry (2019 instead of 2018)
• A different point of entry (a ‘a year zone’ foundation year instead of year one of a degree
course)
If this happens you have five days to decide if you want to accept it. All your options would be
explained in Track
Delayed or late exam results
Universities will wait until 31st August to receive exam results, unless they specify a different date. If
the results are not available until after this date, they are not obliged to hold the place open. If you
know of any results likely to be subject to delay, it is important the university is notified in a good
time.
Re-marks and appeals
You who use the re-mark and appeal services have no guarantee that your offers will remain open.
It is imperative that universities are notified of a possible change of grade as soon as a Priority
25Service 2 application is lodged with the awarding body. Although universities and colleges are under
no obligation to agree to wait for the re-mark or appeal, you should ask them if they are able to hold
the offer open.
Results are better than expected – think about Adjustment
If you meet and exceed the conditions of your firmly accepted offer, you have up to five calendar
days from the time your place was confirmed or A level results day, whichever is the later to
reconsider where and what to study. This process is known as Adjustment.
You can register for Adjustment in Track. Although the option to register is visible for all applicants
whose conditional firm (CF) place has been confirmed, only those who have met and exceeded their
original CF offer are eligible. It is up to the universities and colleges to verify whether you have ‘met
and exceeded’ their conditional firm offer. For examples of meeting and exceeding offers, please go
to www.ucas.com/adjustment.
A summary of Adjustment
• It is optional
• You can use Adjustment to look for an alternative course without losing your secured place
• The Adjustment process runs from 17th (a levels results day) – 31 August 2018
• You have five calendar days to use Adjustment, from 16 August or the day your application
status changes from CF to UF
• If you register for Adjustment by mistake, please do not worry and do not take any further
action. When the five day period is over, your original place will remain unchanged
• There are no Adjustment vacancy lists. You will need to contact a university or college to
discuss an Adjustment place
• To secure an Adjustment place, you must receive an alternative offer through UCAS before the
five day period ends
• If you do not receive an alternative place you remain accepted on your current university or
college
• Single entry applicants need to pay an additional application fee of £11 to Adjustment
Results not as good as expected – think about Clearing
If you do not get the exam grades you have hoped for and your places are not confirmed, you could
find another course by using Clearing. The Clearing process runs from 5 July 2018.
Who can use Clearing
• You become eligible for Clearing at different times for one of the following reasons:
• Place is not confirmed after your exam results are published
• No offers received
26• You declined or have not replied to a confirmed offer of a changed course and, as a result, hold
no offers
• Applications was made after 30 June 2018
If you only made one choice on your original application and paid the reduced fee of £13.00 you can
go through Clearing if you pay the additional fee of £11.00.
How to use Clearing
• From 5 July, if you are eligible for Clearing you can apply for a course in Track
• Lists of courses with vacancies in Clearing are published from 5 July until late September on the
search tool on ucas.com and in some national newspapers
• You should check the lists for suitable courses and then contact universities and colleges to find
out more about the course and to see if they will offer you a place. You must do this yourself –
admissions tutors want to speak to you, not your parents or teachers.
• You can apply for any course that has places left. You do not have to keep to the same subjects
that you first applied for.
• If you are provisionally offered a place you want to accept, you enter details of the university
and college together with the course in Track. The university or college will then confirm the
place – provided it is still available. If you are unsuccessful you can repeat the process.
Find out more about Clearing at www.ucas.com/clearing
27APPENDIX 1 - STUDENT FINANCE
• Since 2012/13, universities have been able to charge annual tuition fees from £6,000 going up to
£9,000 if they can meet strict criteria to ensure that all eligible students, regardless of
background, can access their courses. The amount charged may vary between courses as well as
between universities.
• Universities are required to submit Access Agreements outlining what fees they intend to levy
with the Office For Fair Access (OFFA). These agreements will set out the university’s proposals
for maintaining access to their courses so that students from all backgrounds are encouraged to
apply, and a significant feature is a description of the bursaries and scholarships on offer. It is
important to read Access Agreements when you come to apply to universities and they can be
found on the OFFA website (www.offa.org.uk).
• Eligible undergraduates will not have to pay any fees before starting their course or while they
are studying. Instead, students will take out a loan to cover their fees from Student Finance
England, who pay the fees directly to the institution. Students will start repaying the loan after
they have left higher education and are earning more than £21,000 a year, repaying 9% of annual
earnings above this sum. Loan repayments will begin in the April following graduation. If the
salary falls below £21,000, if you take a career break or are unemployed, for example,
repayments stop and will only start again once the salary returns to this level. The rate of interest
applied to the loan will be dependent on the salary. Loans not repaid after 30 years will be
written off.
If your course begins in the 2018 to 2019 academic year, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and
Maintenance Loan.
Tuition Fee Loan
The loan is paid directly to your university or college. You have to pay it back.
Full-time student Tuition Fee Loan
Full-time Up to £9,250
Full-time at a private university or college Up to £6,165
Maintenance Loan for living costs
A maintenance loan will be available to help with living costs such as food, accommodation and travel.
The loan is paid directly into your bank account at the start of term. You have to pay the loan back.
Full-time student Loan available for the 2017/2018 academic year
Living at home Up to £7,097
Living away from home, outside London Up to £8,430
Living away from home, in London Up to £11,002
You spend a year of a UK course studying Up to £9,654
abroad
28Disabled Student Allowance (DSAs) are available to those who face an additional financial burden
because of a medical condition.
NHS bursaries are available to UK students on courses leading to certain health professions.
For more information on the reform of students finance since 2012, see
www.bis.gov.uk/studentfinance.
For further information on available support, see the Student Loans Company
http://www.slc.co.uk/services/undergraduate-support.aspx
For all the latest information on fees, and application for loans and bursaries visit www.direct.gov.uk
and search ‘student finance’.
There is more information and links to useful website on the Sixth Form section of the school’s
website.
Estimated Living costs
Expenditure Weekly 39 week academic year
University-owned or managed self-catering £101-£158 £3,939-£6,162
accommodation (including utility bills)
Food £30-£60 £1,170-£2,340
Clothing, shoes and laundry £20-£40 £780-£1,560
Books, stationery, etc £10-£15 £390-£585
Social life (including sport) £25-£55 £975-£2,145
Personal items £5-£10 £195-£390
Travel (local) £10 £390
Phone £5-£15 £195-£585
Other costs (including insurance and TV Licence) £5 £195
Emergencies £5-20 £195-£780
TOTAL: £216-£388 £8,424-£15,132
(This estimate is based on student’s costs at University of Kent, and will be considerably higher in
London and some other cities. Please visit individual University websites and search ‘estimated living
costs’ for a more accurate overview).
Money saving tips!
• Get student council tax discounts
• Don’t overpay tax on any jobs you do
• Get an NUS card for 200+ student discounts
• TV licence refund for summer holidays
• Bag Microsoft Office for free
See http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-guide for more money saving ideas
29You can also read
