Academic excellence for business and the professions

Admissions Talk

2 July 2014

• You may wish to sit near the front as the presentation contains screenshots of actual

UCAS forms which may not be clear if you sit at the back.

• We hope you enjoy the talk.

3

Richard Broom

Undergraduate Admissions Office

Admissions – A Basic Guide

▪Confirmation and Clearing

▪Statistics – Annual Cycle

▪Three applicants

▪Decision process

▪Qualifications and offers

▪Applying through UCAS1

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UCAS –Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

National Application System – Includes GTTR and CUKAS

Web-based course search and applications system

Applications to all full-time courses in UK inc Year 2 and deferrals

Facebook discussion groups and videos

Apply via the web through your school or as an individual

Thumbnail videos on each section

Enter educational qualifications, work background, personal statement and reference

Choose up to five universities

Track your application

See Decisions

Prompts to help you through the process

Make Replies

UCAS Form

• Accurate and complete

• Update when details change

• Read contextual help

• Passport nationality

• Invisibility of choices

• Email address

Qualifications

•Include unit/subject grades where available

•Don’t try to translate other quals into A levels

•Don’t skip the section – it’s probably the most important page!

Personal Statement

Why you have chosen the course and the reasons why that subject interests you?Evidence that you understand what is required to study the course

How any previous study or work experience relate to the course you have chosen?What you expect to do with your studies when you leave?Don’t use elaborate language or try too hard to impress

Similarity Detection - Plagiarism reports

A bit of preparation ……Scan your

GCSEs

Non-Standard Qualifications

Get translations

English tests

Passports/Home Office documents

Jan Feb Mar Apr May JuneSep Nov Dec July

UCAS TIMETABLEON-TIME, ‘LATE’ AND

EXTRA2015Jan Feb Mar Apr May JuneSep Nov Dec July

September – UCAS cycle opens

15th Jan Initial closing date

31st March Institutions ‘aim’ to have decisions

8th May Applicants reply until first DBD

9th May Reject by Default

6th June Main DBD

2015Jan Feb Mar Apr May JuneSep Nov Dec July

16th January Late applications start

30th June deadline for ‘late’ applications

Universities consider until 18th July RBD

25th July Last DBD

2015Jan Feb Mar Apr May JuneSep Nov Dec July

25th February Extra starts

3rd July Last Extra Referral

Everything else is held for Clearing

• Potential applicant finds a course

• Registers online with UCAS Apply

• Completes entire form and pays • Forms received by School / College & reference added

• School / College sends form to UCAS

• UCAS sends form out to HEIs

• HEIs make decisions (offers or unsuccessful)

• Applicant views decisions on Track

• Applicant decides what offers to accept

• HEIs confirm place when exam results known

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Qualifications and Offers

Entry Qualifications

• A/AS Levels• International Baccalaureate• BTEC National Diploma• Access Courses• International Foundation Courses• EU Qualifications• Overseas Qualifications• Other e.g. Professional

Preparation and Potential

Monitor progression over time

Adapt offers accordingly

UCAS Tariff, Grades and Offer Making

• Points system used to report achievement in numerical format

• Attempts to establish comparability across different types of qualifications and for applicants with different volumes of achievement

• Grades vs Tariff Not all Universities or courses use the tariff in offers Many use a combination

• Inherent flaws in tariff structure and methodology

UCAS Tariff – Main Qualifications

GCE/VCE A levelA* = 140A = 120B = 100C = 80D = 60E = 40

GCE/VCE AS Points

A = 60B = 50C = 40D = 30E = 20

Example:

A level Maths A = 120

A level Physics B = 100

A level Art C = 80

Total = 300

UCAS Tariff – Main Qualifications BTEC

Example:

BTEC Cert in IT DD = 240

BTEC Award M = 80

Total = 320

Framing offers?

BA Taxidermy

Standard offer BBB or 300 Tariff

ABB

BBB

ABC

AAD

CCCC

320 Tariff

300 Tariff

300 Tariff

300 Tariff

320 Tariff

!!BTEC ND 300 does not exist

!! IB starts at 260

!! ILC has own points

NARIC and International Qualifications

Entry Qualifications

Business Mathematics

Radiography Informatics

Decision Process

Three Applicants

Decisions and Replies (i)

• Unconditional- No further academic requirements (but qualifications have to be proven)

• Conditional – Offer based upon academic conditions to be achieved

• Reject – Unsuccessful application

• Withdrawal – Applicant did not attend interview/provide work etc

• Interview Decision – Only used in Nursing so far

Decisions and Replies (ii)

• A maximum of 2 offers may be held after the final decision has been received

• There are three replies that can be made F = Firm AcceptanceI = Insurance AcceptanceD = Decline

• If an Unconditional Offer is accepted firmly then no other offers may be held - applicant is then UF and considered placed

UCAS Speak

• UF Unconditional Firm• UI Unconditional Insurance• UD Unconditional Decline• U Unconditional No Response• CF Conditional Firm • CI Conditional Insurance• CD Conditional Decline• C Conditional No Response• R Reject• W Withdrawn• OD Outstanding Decision

BRUNEL

CITY

LON MET

UCL

WARWICK

Conditional ABB

Conditional AAB

Conditional CCC

Reject

Conditional BBB

Decline

Firm

Insurance

-

Decline

CD

CF

CI

-

CD

Applicant 1 Nadia

Applicant 2 Jennifer

CITY

HERTS

MIDDX

SUSSEX

QM

Conditional BTEC DDM

Conditional BTEC MMM

Unconditional for HND

Conditional BTEC MMM

Conditional BTEC DDD

Firm

Decline

Insurance

Decline

Decline

CF

CD

UI

CD

CD

Applicant 3 Dave

ASTON

BATH

ESSEX

KINGS

WEST

Conditional BBB ex Gen Studies

Reject

Conditional 280 inc B in Maths ex Gen St

Reject

Conditional 280 inc C in Maths

Firm

-

Decline

-

Insurance

CF

-

CD

CI

Statistics 2013 - Activity timeline

Statistics 2013 - Activity timeline

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Nov Jan March May July Sept

Apps

Decisions

RepliesResults

24478 Apps

9488 Offers3404 Firm1416Insurance

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1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

Demographic UK Applicants

Demographic Top 100 Feeder Schools

Global Picture

Applicant Progress - September0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

50

100

150

200

250

Applicant progress - December

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Applicant progress January

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

500100015002000250030003500400045005000

Applicant progress – April

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Applicant progress - June

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Confirmation and Clearing

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Confirmation and Clearing

• Confirmation is the point of the year when the applicant attains or not, as the case may be, the conditions set out for them by the University

Confirmation and Clearing

Clearing is the last opportunity for applicants not holding a place to match themselves with universities offering vacancies

Application Cycle

Polish Matura/French Bac – June/July

All India Year 12 - May

BTEC/International Bac - July

A levels –mid August

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Nov Jan March May July Sept

Confirmation – Exam Results Day

Receive Exam Results

Place Confirmed

Adjustment

Clearing

Change of Course

Applicant 1 Nadia

BRUNEL

CITY

LON MET

UCL

WARWICK

Conditional ABB

Conditional AAB

Conditional CCC

Reject

Conditional BBB

Decline

Firm

Insurance

-

Decline

CD

CI

-

CD

Nadia got AAB

UF

-so became UF at City

CF

Applicant 2 Jennifer

CITY

HERTS

MIDDX

SUSSEX

QM

Conditional BTEC DDM

Conditional BTEC MMM

Unconditional for HND

Conditional BTEC MMM

Conditional BTEC DDD

Firm

Decline

Insurance

Decline

Decline

CD

CD

CD

Jennifer got MMM

CFR

UIUF

-so was placed at her Insurance choice

Applicant 3 Dave

ASTON

BATH

ESSEX

KINGS

WEST

Conditional BBB ex Gen Studies

Reject

Conditional 280 inc B in Maths ex Gen St

Reject

Conditional 280 inc C in Maths

Firm

-

Decline

-

Insurance

-

CD

Dave got CCC/ 240 Tariff

CFR

CIR

- so was placed into Clearing

Clearing

• Clearing 2013 saw 40,000 applicants placed (9.6% of total)

• City received 33,000 calls on the first day• Clearing number will be visible on Track for an

eligible applicant• Vacancies published and updated throughout the

period– UCAS website– HEI websites– The Telegraph

Clearing

Applicants will not be able to add a Clearing choice until the afternoon of A level results day

Applicants must speak to the institution before adding them as a Clearing choice

This is to:– Give applicants the chance to research into suitable Clearing choices– Prevent applicants from rushing into submitting a Clearing choice through

Track

Once a Clearing choice is submitted the applicant will not be able to refer themselves anywhere else

Applicant progress - August

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

Applicant progress – early September (cleaned version)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

UF UI UD U CF CI CD C0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Questions

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept

Applications

Decisions

Replies

Confirmation

A Level

IB

Access

BTEC

Foundation

EU Qual

OS Qual

Other

If you want a copy of the presentation send an email to ugadmissions@city.ac.uk