University Preparation Programme

UCAS stands for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It is a central service based in the UK that manages applications for undergraduate courses at universities and colleges. UCAS acts as an intermediary between students and educational institutions, providing a streamlined application process for prospective students.

Through the UCAS system, students can apply for multiple courses at different institutions using a single application. UCAS collects and processes applications, coordinates communication between applicants and institutions, and facilitates the decision-making process.

When applying through UCAS, students are required to submit their academic qualifications, personal statement, and reference letters. UCAS then forwards the applications to the respective universities and colleges for consideration. Institutions review the applications and make offers based on the criteria they have established, such as academic achievements, personal statements, and sometimes interviews or admission tests.

• Visit universities - try not to base on hearsay or league table ranking.

• Decide the subject first and from that look at the institutions for that.

• If you are looking at the league table ranking, don't focus broadly but on the individual subject(s) you're looking to apply to

• Things to consider: student satisfaction, costs, campus vs city, close vs far away from home

• Think about grades and back up - don't pick universities with the same offer grades in case you need a backup.

• There are lots of choices about universities and subjects and where it leads - try to do research for yourself e.g., if I want a job at X, I need to go to X and study X

The UCAS personal statement serves as an opportunity for applicants to showcase their skills, experiences, and motivations to universities. It allows you to explain why you are interested in the chosen course of study, highlight relevant academic achievements, and demonstrate your suitability for the program.

The UCAS personal statement typically has a word limit of 4,000 characters or 47 lines, whichever comes first. It is important to carefully consider the content of your statement and structure it effectively within these limitations.

• It's one personal statement so you need to make it work for all the subjects, courses, and universities that you're applying for

• ‘Show don’t tell’ - don’t say ‘I’m passionate about’ but indicate your passion through the depth of your example.

• Universities want to see a passion for the subject - the extra mile.

• Ensure the extra-curricular section is limited (3 lines max)

Students should start preparing for UCAS from the summer after Year 11 (GCSEs).

• Use the long summer to visit universities (campus-based, city, countryside)

• Work experience – it’s great to be exploring the subjects beyond A level

• Different pathways – degree vs degree apprenticeship? You can apply through UCAS to universities and apprenticeships. This is really worth considering before.

We don’t expect you to want or need to change your mentor. Families are permitted one change if things aren’t work effectively.