Higher Education and UCAS: A Guide

What is UCAS?

UCAS stands for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

If you want to go to University or a College of Higher Education full time then you can apply through UCAS

UCAS can help you find the right course and University for you and has lots of other useful information about H.E

Research, Research, Research!!!!

What to study? – What are my interests? Talents? Career Aspirations?

Where to study? – Close to home Away from home In a city Campus based Facilities/Nightlife

Requirements for course entry?- Grades Qualifications Experience Admission tests or interviews

What Qualification do I want to study for?- Degree

HND/HNC Foundation degree

Types of Higher Education

Degree Full Time Part Time

Sandwich Degree Foundation Degree HNC/HND

Where Can I get Answers?

Take the Stamford Test at www.ucas.com

Research jobs and careers at http://www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/

Use the Course Search application at www.ucas.com

Request University and H.E Colleges prospectuses www.ucas.com

Attend an Open Day, details can be found at www.opendays.com

General advice and opinions from existing HE and university students at www.thestudentroom.com

What Else?

Check out the Entry profiles of each course at www.ucas.com

Entry Profiles can be found via the ‘Course Search’ application

Entry Profiles provide details about courses, the University or College offering the course and information you need concerning their entry qualifications, selection criteria, admissions policy and how the course is taught

Applying through UCAS

Check to see what the 3 application deadline dates are!

Check the start date of your course…not all courses start in Sept/Oct

If you want to take a Gap year you may* be able to defer entry until the next academic year

*Check with the institution and other conditions may apply

The Application System

Registration Personal Details Additional Information- Equal opps. etc Choices: Courses/Institutes Education Employment Personal Statement Reference Declaration Pay and Send (If you are at a school or college when

you apply they will deal with the payment to UCAS)

What happens next?

Your application is processed

You’ll receive a Welcome letter and a Personal ID number

Your application is accessed by the Universities and Colleges

Your application is considered against the Institutions admissions criteria and decisions are sent back to UCAS

You can view decisions on the UCAS ‘Track’ application

What happens next?

When you have received your offers you must reply in one of the following ways:

Firm acceptance (F) Insurance acceptance (I) Decline (D)

Make sure that both the course and institution are right for you because once you accept an offer you are committed to that course!

Check the deadlines for accepting offers!

Offers

Unconditional Offers are offers made to you with no additional requirements attached

Conditional Offers are offers made to you with attached conditions e.g you may have to get certain grades in your exams or attend an interview

If you accept a Conditional Offer you may also accept a second offer (Insurance offer) in case you don’t make the grade for your first choice

Once you have decided which offer to accept and any insurance offer you must decline all other offers

If you do not want to accept any of the offers you have received you can decline them all and become eligible for ‘Extra’ or ‘Clearing’

UCAS Extra

UCAS ‘Extra’ allows you to add one more choice at institution's where vacancies are still available

To use Extra you must: have already made 5 choices have received decisions from all these

choices had either no offers or declined all the

offers you received

UCAS Clearing

Clearing is used by applicants who have not managed to secure a place at University or College for the current year

You can use Clearing if:

You have not withdrawn your application

You hold no offers

Your offers have not been confirmed because you didn’t meet the conditions

You have declined your offers or have not responded on time

UCAS Adjustment

Adjustment allows applicants who have met and exceeded the conditions of their firm choice the opportunity to look for an alternative place while holding their original confirmed place.

This means that if you do better than you think in your exams you have the possibility changing to a university with higher entry requirements.

Further Information

Check out www.UCAS.com For information about student

finance www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance Have a look at the websites of the

institutions you are interested in