UK University Application Timeline
To my Year 13s and/or 12s, I hope this blog will help you gain some clarity into university applications, and give you comfort in knowing what should be done. xoxo
1. UCAS Personal Statement
By the holiday of Year 12, you should be ready with what you want to pursue in university. With that said, holidays will be the best time to start your Personal Statement, now you could always postpone this close to your submission date, but it wouldn’t give you enough time for a proper review.
So, at the very least, plan your Personal Statement during the summer holidays, and read through lots of examples of personal statements under the course you want to study. Remember, you’re not just reading for inspiration, but studying how successful students have presented themselves through their essays.
Quick Tips for what to include in your Personal Statement:
Study your intended course. Not just what you’ll be learning, but learn what is being taught. Ok that’s a bit vague. An example would be Mathematics, learning beyond the A2 curriculum, watch online lectures on university-level maths on abstract algebra or analytic geometry. Read beyond the bounds of the curriculum to show your interest and curiosity in the subject.
Tie experiences to your intended major. Now, if, let’s say, you’re a prospective Veterinary student, you don’t necessarily need to have experience working at the vet. Perhaps you participated in Debate and advocated for animal rights, or you were in Media and began taking pictures of stray cats to spread the word for adoption. If you have none of these experiences, tie everyday activities to your major by showing the values they have taught you. Perhaps being on MUN taught you how to collaborate, or working as a school event medic allowed you to experience the rigours of the field.
Show ambition. Aside from how you’ve been doing at school, or overloading on your co-curricular list, use your essay to list out the aspirations you have while at university and after. Talk about how you’d use your future education.
2. References
Timing and choice are very important with this one.
Make sure you ask your teacher, at the very least, a month prior, or even better, two months prior. You want to give your teacher ample time to write you a stellar reference. With that said, make sure you hint to your teacher about certain values you wish they’d show. Be subtle about it, you could say: ...since you’ve seen first hand the progression of my grades over the years or ...like when I’d been a leader for the competition.
References are out of your control, so make sure you have a teacher who can not only show academic excellence/improvement/perseverance but also values that are highly valued in a university environment (collaboration/initiative/leadership).
3. Oxbridge
Oxbridge will need you to submit by October 15th. Make sure if you are applying to one of the two universities, that you don’t miss any supplemental examinations required for your intended program.
In Biomedical Sciences, you’d need to take the BMAT examination. Make sure to get this done long before the intended due date, in case anything goes south.
4. Rest of the Universities
Whether you’re applying to Imperial or King’s, if you’re done with your personal statement by now, all you need to do is focus on your grades.
In my other post, Keeping Up with AS/A Level Schedule, I told you that the first semester is vital. First, and foremost, it’ll be the foundation for your A2 predicted grades, you must do well in it.
Make sure you list down all the due dates for each university you’re applying to, in their specific program, remember that certain programs might require early submission, such as Medicine, and you’d need to make sure you keep on track with it.
