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Three things to do while you wait

Fri 10 January 2020 - 12:07

By UCAS in UCAS advice

So you’ve sent your application – great! Now it’s just a case of waiting for decisions, right? One after the other they’ll pop up on Track and you’ll get those notification emails. Right... BUT don’t expect it to happen straight away. You could find that it’s several months before you hear from a university, or for the lucky few it could happen straight away. The truth is every university and college will take a different amount of time to get back to you. It’s undoubtedly an anxious time and it can seem to last forever, but I assure you it won’t. Although you don’t know exactly when you’ll get all those heart-stopping Track notification emails, you can be certain that it will either be by 6 May (if you applied before 15 January) or by 13 July (if you applied after 15 January and before 30 June).

To pass the time as you wait for decisions, you – like many others – might find yourself compelled to log in to Track day and night to...

What is contextual admissions?

Wed 8 January 2020 - 14:51

By Binda Patel - Head of Innovation at the Sutton Trust in UCAS advice

A university community should be diverse and represent the full makeup of our society. Universities recognise the value in diversity, so are working hard to ensure they have students from all walks of life on campus. 

Unis know that grades can be influenced by a range of factors, so to make the processes fairer, some unis offer something called contextual admissions. This is where the university considers any barriers you may face, and will either reduce their grade...

Returning to education with arthritis

Tue 4 February 2020 - 08:10

By UCAS in UCAS advice

I’ve had arthritis since I was seven years old, and I just thought, ‘Will I be able to do this?’

Rolene Phillips, human nutrition student, Greenwich University

Being older it’s very difficult to adjust to an academic environment again where things have moved on – particularly the technology. I feared doing something outside of my comfort zone, but I believe in pushing yourself.

I researched online for possible places to study nutrition, and the prerequisites for admission. I had been away from formal studies for a while. I had experience as an extra in film and TV, and as a professional role player in teaching...

My experience as a service child applying to university

Fri 10 January 2020 - 13:59

By UCAS in UCAS advice

University was something I never really considered important. I thought, if I wanted to join the Army, what did I need a degree for?

 

Lewis Ritchie, Physical Education and Youth Sport graduate, York St John University, and Masters by research student  

Being a service child, I always wanted to follow my father’s footsteps by joining the Royal Engineers, as do the majority of service children. So, I thought, what did I need a degree for?

My parents wished for me to gain a trade before joining the Army
This was so that if I did join the Army, and later retire, I would have a trade to fall...

Replying to offers: give yourself enough time

Tue 21 January 2020 - 14:01

By UCAS in Applicant

You’ve waited anxiously for your university choices to make their decisions. You’ve logged in to Track to check thousands of times and now you’ve finally received all your offers. You’re probably thinking “What a relief, the wait is over!” but don’t relax just yet, as once you get to this stage there’s a big decision to make: which offers will you accept?

Know your reply deadline
Although you might still be weighing up your different offers, there’s one thing that’s certain, and that’s the deadline you need to reply by. If you’re wondering when it is, it all depends on when you received the universities’ decisions. The first deadline is 5 May, which is for those who received all decisions by 31 March, but Track will display the right deadline for you so make sure you check.

...

Think carefully when you reply to your offers

Fri 10 January 2020 - 12:09

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Replying to your offers is a big decision and one you need to think about carefully. You could be spending at least the next three years of your life at whichever university you accept, so you should weigh up all the pros and cons before rushing a decision. Here are five important things to consider before replying…

1. Accept your favourite choice as your firm choice
Think carefully about which choice is your favourite - think back to which one wowed you at an open day and offers the course you’ve dreamed of. Take the same approach with your insurance choice, because if you don’t meet the conditions of your firm, but you do meet the conditions of your insurance, then that’s the uni you’ll be going to. Remember, you can’t choose between your firm and insurance when you get your results.

2. Once you accept a place, you’ve entered a contract with that university...

15 January FAQs

Thu 19 December 2019 - 08:51

By UCAS in UCAS advice

As the 15 January application deadline approaches, here are some of the top questions we’re answering at the moment.

Q. Why can’t I sign in to my application?
A. If you can’t sign in to your application, first of all make sure you’re trying to log into Apply and not Track by mistake. If you’ve forgotten your username or password, try our ‘Forgotten login?’ link to retrieve or reset your details. If you’re still having trouble, then give us a call so one of our advisers can help.

Q. How do I add my qualifications?
A. Before you can add any qualifications you need to add the schools or colleges where you’ve taken them. This...

The 15 January deadline is nearly here. Are you ready for it?

Thu 19 December 2019 - 08:52

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Your application needs to be with us by 18:00 (UK time) on 15 January to guarantee it’ll get equal consideration by the unis or colleges you’re applying to. If you apply after this deadline, the unis you’re applying to don’t have to consider your application.

If you’re a relaxed sort of person who likes to leave things to the last minute, you’re putting your application in danger. Here are the top reasons why leaving it to the last minute is really not a clever idea:

Stress – if you finish your application now, you don’t have to worry about it over the Christmas holidays, and so can relax and have fun without the nagging guilt of an unfinished application.
 

Technical issues – if you...

Supporting someone applying to university

Tue 3 December 2019 - 09:37

By UCAS in UCAS advice

We started this journey in S5, after the National 5 results were received. 

Our first port of call was an event held at Elphinstone Hall Aberdeen, where a range of universities attended. Pop-up banners helped us look for the universities that had sport on offer, as this was Eden’s thoughts at the start of S5. We picked up lots of prospectuses and talked to the personnel on the stands, which was extremely helpful for the next stage. 

School provided a list of open days, and based on the universities which had courses Eden was interested in, we created a timetable to work out which open days we could attend. In September/October time, we attended the university open days, and this gave Eden fantastic information about the university, courses, accommodation, UCAS process, funding, and study abroad opportunities.

Eden then concentrated on his Highers, and having received the results for these, set about developing his personal statement....

Helping your child apply to university

Tue 6 July 2021 - 12:30

By UCAS in UCAS advice

The first thing to remember is that every individual is different, so your child needs to make the right decision for them. Start by researching the different options available, such as degree courses, apprenticeships, internships, employment, and gap years. Help them to consider how each option fits with their skills, strengths, and interests.

Both my children decided that studying a degree at university was the right path for them. Our next step was then to decide on a course. Their enthusiasm for a particular subject helped get them started, but courses differ greatly, so looking at the entry requirements and the course structure helped to narrow down the shortlist. Would your child prefer a more practical approach or would they rather study theory? Is there an option for a year abroad, year in industry, or a combined honours, if of interest? Are the entry requirements realistic for your child’s current achievement and projected grades?

The distance from home is...

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