WOO FOR MY FIRST MASTERPOST! This is the first post of the university series I have decided to do this summer. I thought I’d help by sharing my experience, soooo here you go: a quick guide to applications to schools in the UK.
If you have any questions/comments/requests feel free to ask me.
THE BASICS:
All applications to UK universities are made through UCAS (Universities and College Admissions Service), with the exception of 3 private universities (University of Buckingham, Regent’s University London and Richmond The American University of London).
When applying to universities/colleges in the UK, you apply for admission to a specific course/program, and not for general admission into the uni itself (unlike many schools in the U.S).
Here are some resources to help choose/decide what universities/colleges and courses to apply to: UCAS What to Study, UCAS Search Tool, Complete University Guide
Once registered for a UCAS account, you can begin your application.The application consists of several components, I’ve listed them here briefly:
Personal Details (name, age, nationality, criminal convictions etc)
Additional Information (to be filled out by UK students only)
Choices (here you select the universities/colleges you wish to apply, the courses you’re applying for and when you’d like to start)
Education (your education history/qualifications)
Employment
Personal Statement (A 4000 character application essay that is sent to all the unis you choose to apply to)
References (Typically completed by your school, unless you are applying independently )
Pay/send (payment for when you’re ready to send your application)
A detailed video explaining the each part of the application form can be viewed here.
CHOICES:
UCAS allows you to apply up to a maximum of five different combinations of courses and universities. The reason I say combinations is because you are allowed to apply to the same university/college more than once for different courses (I did this!), however each counts as one of your five. You can also apply to less than five if you wish.
On UCAS under the choices section you must select the school, course and your intended start date.
Most students choose to apply to five similar courses (if not the same course). This is important to consider because you have to write a personal statement that is sent to all the universities you apply to, so you need to be able to write something that is applicable to all the courses you want to apply for.
THE PERSONAL STATEMENT:
The personal statement is a 4000 character/47 line essay that you write to be sent to all universities you apply to through UCAS.
I think that the personal statement is the most important part of your application as it’s the only part where you get to speak on your own behalf to the uni, demonstrate your passion for the course, and provide the school with a sense of who you are as an individual.
I’m speaking from experience when I say that an excellent personal statement can really make an application. It can be the factor that pushes top tier unis to consider making you an offer, so it is crucial you make sure it is as best as you can.
Different people choose to structure their statements in different ways, but generally they all should convey:
Your interest in the course
Why you’re right for the course
What you’ve done outside the classroom and why it’s relevant
General Tips:
Do not draft your personal statement on UCAS. Draft and finalize your statement on an external word processing software and then copy and paste it into the designated part of the application website when you are done.
Start well in advance, the personal statement is not something you want to be doing last minute.
Draft re draft and draft again.
Get someone you trust (if possible more than one!) to read it over, provide feedback, check for grammatical errors etc. It’s definitely worthwhile to ask an english teacher to give it a read through just to make sure its perfect.
Change your word count in your word processing software to character count.
In addition to the above, as you’re writing every now and gain you should copy and paste what you have so far onto the UCAS system, so that you can check where you are on the line/character count according to them.
Tips for getting started:
Read the course descriptions for every course you’re applying for, and take note of what qualities they mention. These words will be useful to incorporate into your essay.
Get a blank piece of paper/empty word doc and write down all your ideas. It doesn’t matter if it’s a mess, getting your ideas down on paper allows you to have an overview so you can sort through and eliminate what’s good from what’s meh.
One method I like to use (not just for application essays but for all essays) is to start by writing out the first sentence of each paragraph, because then you’ve got a framework of sorts, and can go back and fill in the blanks. While you’re writing this is especially reassuring because it reminds you that your essay is going somewhere.
Just get started. Often the best way to finish is just to get started. Open a word document and just start writing.
Tips for Writing:
Be general. You have to be general if you are applying to more than one course/uni because this statement will be sent to all of them, and cannot be altered to a specific course/uni choice. Don’t include specific university names in your writing, or specific course names (if you are applying to a multitude of courses).
Be specific. This may sound confusing since I literally just said you had to be general, but you also need to be specific enough in your writing to convey your passion for the subject you are applying to enter. Give specific examples to corroborate the things you say.
Be concise. You only have 4,000 characters, that is nowhere near enough, so you have to use it wisely. Use meaningful vocabulary. If you have a sentence that means the same thing when you take out a word, then take out the word. If a sentence does not add anything to the essay, take it out.
In terms of what to include in your essay, the main focus of it should be academic and your motivations for wanting to apply. Use examples from your experiences and extracurriculars to back up what you say.
Don’t just list your extracurricular activities, if you can’t find a way to use them examples for your interest in the course/your strengths as an individual don’t mention them at all.
APPLICATION TIMELINE:
Over the last few years, the deadline for UCAS applications has consistently been in mid/early January.
Usually Oxford, Cambridge, as well as some medicine and veterinary courses require you submit your applications earlier (usually sometime in October). Several art & design courses have a later deadline (usually sometime in March).
Your secondary school/high-school administration may impose an earlier deadline to complete your application so that they have sufficient time to add in your references and academic transcript to your application before it is sent off.
No matter what course/uni you are applying to, it is important to take note of the application deadline, and aim to submit your application well in advance, so you have ample time to deal with any unforeseen complications.
APPLICATION FEE
Once your application is complete and ready for submission, you have to pay a fee for it to be finally sent off. When you click the pay/send button you will be prompted to agree to some terms/conditions and then enter your payment . The fee to submit your application is 23 pounds, however if you only applied to one university/course there is a reduced fee of 12 pounds.
Note that if your school is paying for your application, UCAS will not prompt you to enter your payment information, instead you will recieve a confirmation that your school is paying.
TRACKING YOUR APPLICATION
After you’ve submitted your application, you should now login to UCAS through UCAS Track to keep up to date with your application status. Although you will also be notified via email, you will receive any interview invitations, acceptances/rejections through here.
It is important to check track regularly to make sure you are making any changes that are necessary (i.e. accepting offers etc.)
INTERVIEWS, TESTING AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
After submitting your application, but before you receive any offers some schools may request an interview. If you are requested for interview this will appear on UCAS, but usually someone from the uni will additionally contact you via email to make arrangements.
Getting an interview can be scary, but its usually a great sign as unis usually only tend to interview people they are considering to admit, and have “passed” the preliminary selection round. Depending on the school/where you live they may offer skype/phone interviews or require you to fly out and interview with them face to face (as is the case with oxbridge and many medical schools).
Advice for interview prep:
Know your personal statement inside and out, as that will likely be the basis of a significant portion of your interview questions.
Google interview questions for your specific course/unis - you’d be surprised how many students post the questions they received online
See if you can set up a mock interview with a teacher/guidance counsellor - my school did this which was excellent and really reassured students. Otherwise set one up with your parents/friends, as them to “quiz” you on your personal statement and ask questions about your interest in the course
Some courses like medicine and law require testing as a part of the application. I didn’t apply to any of these programs so I don’t know the specifics but you need to make sure you have done all the required testing for the course you are applying to. Additionally information about testing will definitely be found on the course page for the uni you are applying to, if you are uncertain you should contact the uni directly.
Outside of interviews and testing some schools may request an additional statement or something similar. This will likely be communicated to you via email, along with instructions for exactly what to do.
RECIEVING AND WITHDRAWING OFFERS:
After some time (anywhere from weeks to months depending on when you submitted your application), you will start receiving offers and/or rejections. This will be viewable on your UCAS track page.
There are three potential replies you can receive from universities:
Unconditional Offer - You have already met the academic admission requirements to the uni, and you have been offered a definite spot at the university for next year.
Conditional Offer - Admission to the uni is contingent upon your final exam marks (IB, A level, AP etc). The school will likely send an email detailing the conditions of your offer (i.e attain all 6s in your IB HL courses, or all AAA etc) and this will also be viewable on your UCAS track page.
Unsuccessful - your application was unsuccessful and you haven’t been offered a spot at the university.
(Withdraw) - either you or the university has withdrawn the application to the university
FIRM AND INSURANCE CHOICES:
After receiving all of your university responses it’s time to start thinking about firm and insurance choice unis. Basically this entails narrowing down the pool of unis that have given you offers to just two.
Your firm choice is your top choice university. If you have received an unconditional offer from your firm choice uni, congrats you’re in! You don’t even need to think about an insurance choice. However if your firm choice gave you an conditional offer, it is highly recommended you select an insurance choice to fall back on incase you do not meet the conditions (final exam grades) of your offer.
Your insurance choice university is usually one that has lower requirements (if it’s a conditional offer), or has given you an unconditional offer. It is basically a safety net in case you don’t get into your firm choice.
You confirm your firm and insurance choices on your UCAS track page, if I remember correctly there is usually a deadline to do so.
NOTE: If you get your results and meet the requirements of your firm choice, you cannot choose to go to your insurance (at least without penalty). The insurance is really and option, it is a safety net.
WANT TO APPLY TO MORE UNIS? UCAS EXTRA:
In the case that you either: a) recieve no offers or b) didn’t apply to five courses and decide to add more, you can add an extra course through UCAS Extra.
DID AMAZING? UCAS ADJUSTMENT:
UCAS adjustment is basically a system where if you did amazing on your exams, and exceeded the requirements for your firm choice, you can choose to seek out opportunities at more competitive universities for admission.
NO OFFERS? NO PROBLEM - UCAS CLEARING:
UCAS clearing is basically a service that allows you to get into a uni, from a pool of unis that are looking to fill up spaces if you:
a) didn’t recieve any offers
b) didn’t meet the requirements of your firm or insurance choices
c) are applying to uni after June 30th
OTHER NOTES/RESOURCES:
Applying to university is super stressful for most students, but trust me everything works out in the end.
I also think it’s important to note, and I will repeat this on all of my posts: University is not the path for everyone. Sometimes it’s not the best immediate path to take (a gap year might be the thing for you!) or you might find it’s not for you at all. Uni or not, you can still be successful.
Here is a list of some other helpful resources:
TheStudentRoom - a student discussion forum
Example personal statements by course
The Complete University Guide
So that’s it my little study beans! I hope this was helpful! Keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks for more university/application masterposts.
Again feel free to message me with any questions, comments or requests ♡
