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What is contextual admissions?

Thu 25 July 2024 - 11:39

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 requirements or give extra consideration when deciding whether to give you an offer. 

These considerations may include: 

  • the school you attend
  • where you live
  • if money is tight at home
  • if your parents went to university themselves
  • if you have been in care
  • if...

My experience as a service child applying to university

Wed 5 April 2023 - 15:05

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 back on when I returned to civilian life.

So, I got a Level 3 electrical engineering qualification, and then spent a year working with an alarm and CCTV company as an apprentice. But I wanted more – so I enrolled on an Access to Higher Education course, as I didn’t have many other qualifications.

I...

Replying to offers: give yourself enough time

Wed 17 July 2024 - 13:04

By UCAS in Applicant

You’ve waited anxiously for your university choices to make their decisions. You’ve logged in 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. Check the dates you need to reply to your offers here.

Reply sooner rather than later
Once you’ve had decisions from all of...

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...

How To Kickstart A Career In PR After Graduating

Fri 15 November 2019 - 08:39

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

Congratulations! You’ve graduated, and now have a hard-earned degree to add to your CV. Have you thought about a career in PR? Public relations can be surprisingly interesting and diverse, no matter what subject your degree is in. If you follow the news, social media, and what’s currently trending, PR could be a great career choice for you.

PR can encompass many skills – from writing and editing to marketing and media relations. Whether you are science or arts trained, you can put your in-depth skills and experience to good use in PR consultancy by specialising in your field of expertise. Think about sports PR, working in PR for a financial institution, or perhaps satisfying the insatiable appetite for digital and social PR. Working in PR within a field you are passionate about will certainly not be a boring desk-bound job. 

So, what qualities do most corporate communications consultancies look for when recruiting a...

Working in the financial sector as a new graduate

Thu 7 November 2019 - 15:33

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

Working in the financial sector is a great option for many graduates – especially for those who have studied relevant degrees. 

The financial services industry offers young professionals a plethora of varying roles to pursue in a fast-paced environment, and fosters continual acquisition of knowledge through additional qualifications. 

From financial advisers, tax planning, accountancy, wealth management, commercial banking, pensions and insurance – the world of finance exists in every household and business.

Here are some reasons why working in the financial sector could be the best career choice for you.

Graduate schemes
The finance sector is well-known for offering a range of graduate schemes...

How to complete your personal statement

Thu 11 July 2024 - 12:27

By Aimee in First year

I can imagine that you are getting pretty fed up of the extremely long and boring talks you are getting from your teachers about how to write a good personal statement so I’ll summarise some key points for you in a short and snappy blog post.
 
Firstly I’m going to emphasise the name of this ‘personal statement’. Therefore make it completely and utterly personal and when doing so, make a statement - stand out!
 
You’ve got to show passion. You’ve got to show charisma. You’ve got to show love. You’re doing a subject that you love and/or find interesting (if you’re not then seriously consider spending the amount you are paying for something you don’t enjoy).
 
When I started mine, I thought about what led to my interest in the subject which, for me, was a TV program (it can literally be anything). I...

How to be energy efficient

Tue 15 October 2019 - 11:23

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

As a student with numerous financial constraints, you might feel it’s difficult to be super energy efficient. We all know how important it is to try to do our bit to help the planet, but if it costs extra money to do so you can sometimes find yourself torn about what to do.
 
Being energy efficient, however, isn’t only good for the environment, it will almost always save you money in the long run – a double whammy of goodness.
 
Whether you are heading off to uni for the first time, or you’re moving out of halls and into a shared house, there are a number of things you can do to become an energy efficient student, help save the planet, and help to save your pennies as well.
 
1. Heating
Heating is one of the most energy thirsty parts of the home. So, by reducing the amount of heating you use, you reduce the energy you use, and also save yourself money....

Things I have learned since graduation

Thu 3 October 2019 - 15:41

By Chloe Price in UCAS advice

It's been over a year since I graduated from Bath Spa University, and I've learnt so much in this time. 

Leaving your student home and stepping out into the real world can feel like a slap in the face. Suddenly the friends you saw every day are scattered across the country, and, when you thought you had worked as hard as you possibly could during your degree, you now have to work even harder. 

The thing with university is that it compasses you into a bubble. The outside world is far away, everyone you know are students, and all that matters is getting out of bed, completing your degree, and finding the cheapest night out. You don't really know who you are yet – even if you think you do, you'll be surprised at how much you learn about yourself once you venture outside of student life. 

With that in mind, here are some of the things I have learnt since graduation. 

1. Keep searching for the job you love
When I...

Seven tips to smash your personal statement

Wed 17 July 2024 - 12:35

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Your personal statement is a key part of your application. It’s your chance to show the uni or college what kind of person you are, and how you’re suitable for their course. Here are seven top tips to help you write a killer personal statement:

  1. Start early – The deadline for applying to most undergraduate courses is 15 January, but don’t think you can start your personal statement the week before and casually hit ‘submit’ at 17:59 on deadline day. Your personal statement is the one section of your application that will set you apart from everyone else. Unsure where to start? Sign up for the UCAS Hub and get started with the personal statement builder!
  2. Write everything down – Your personal statement is limited to 4,000 characters, or 47 lines (whichever comes first). Remember, it’s 4,000 characters, not words! When you start off don’t set yourself any...

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