Transcript Where Next? Summer / Autumn 2014
Farmor’s School Sixth Form
WHERE NEXT?
SUMMER / AUTUMN 2015
POST A-LEVEL OPTIONS
Employment Gap year HE / FE study Voluntary work Apprenticeship
Support for Tough Decisions
26 th March 2013: UWE UCAS Convention • 9 th May Study Leave Starts • 18 th June EPQ Trip / Post A Level Info • 19 th June Oxbridge Trip
• 20 th June Careers Day: Job applications, interviews, careers guidance .
• 19 th June Careers Fair: careers guidance and routes • 23 rd June Lessons resume
•
Specific Support for Medicine
: • 29 th April: Dare to be a Doctor • 6 th May: Medical Society Meeting on Work Experience • 9 th July Hunterian Museum Visit
Starting Point:
What are you interested in?
‘Nothing works unless you do’
Common Threads to all routes:
•Finance advice •How to sell Yourself: personal statements and letter of introduction •References •Personal advice and guidance from tutors •Personalised pathways
WHAT THE UCAS FORM ENTAILS
Personal details Education history and results Employment history Choices (up to 5 for all courses except medicine which have 4) Personal statement (4000 characters or 47 lines) Tutors then add predicted grades and a reference.
INTRODUCTION – WHY APPLY ?
University provides students with 3 or more years to think about what career they want to go into.
Students can develop a range of skills that provide a strong foundation for employment A university degree is flexible and provides access to a range of careers; apprenticeships only focus on one particular profession.
WHY NOT TO APPLY NOW
Really no idea of course / career University is not for you.
School leaver programmes offer routes into professions like accountancy, law, retail, IT, banking.
You will not have debt to deal with.
First hand experience through working with professionals.
You can gain professional qualifications and get paid for it.
OVERVIEW
A massive choice: 50,000+ possible courses at over 325 institutions reduced to a maximum of five
Oxbridge Deadline: 15/10/14
Medical deadline: 15/10/14
UCAS deadline: 15/1/14
W H AT I F I WA N T A G A P Y E A R ?
Generally well received by universities Usually best to apply now and defer – where will you be in October/November next year ?
Odd courses do not defer entry – watch out What if I apply for 2015 and then decide I want a gap year?
THE UCAS TARIFF
AS level A level
A* A B C
Points
140 120 100 80 A B C D E D E 60 50 40 30 20
OFFERS
OFFERS a points offer: eg. 280 points and
•
a grades offer eg. BBC Some offers include AS grade, others do not - BEWARE
AN OFFER EXAMPLE:
Psychology: This offer is subject to you excluding General Studies. Obtain Grade B or to you obtaining A minimum total of 280
C H O O S I N G C O U R S E S & I N S T I T U T I O N S
A vast amount of information available:
Tutors / Sixth Form Management Team
Teachers, friends, parents
HE/Careers days / Open Days
Websites:
Literature from institutions, careers guides.
Prospects Careers Advisor
WEBSITES
www.ucas.co.uk
www.fasttomato.com
www.apprenticeships.org.uk
www.gapyear.com
www.thetimes100.co.uk
www.notgoingtouni.co.uk
www.yini.org.uk
www.unistats.com
HOW TO CHOOSE A UNIVERSITY
Student Lifestyle
Social Life / Clubs & Societies / Cost / Sporting facilities
Distance from home
What is the optimum
Campus or City University
What’s the difference?
The University
Teaching facilities & Study facilities etc.
Accommodation
Cost and availability
Make the most of Open Days
Entry Requirements :
Be realistic
Course Content / Structure Methods of Teaching and Assessment Career Opportunities / Intentions Tuition Fees, Scholarships, Bursaries & Grants Interest Type of Degree:
Foundation / Honours Single / Joint
Opportunities to Specialise Duration of Course Sandwich / Industrial Placements Subject Specific Open Days
How to Choose a Course
OTHER PLACES
Books
The Times Good University Guide
The Guardian University Guide
The Heap Guides – Course Offers / Details
The Virgin Alternative Guide
The UCAS Directories
Open Days
www.opendays.com
The Guardian
STUDENT FINANCE
4 prongs
Maintenance Grant Student Loans to cover Maintenance / Living Costs Loans to cover Variable Tuition Fees Sponsorships / Bursaries / Discounts / Offers in Kind
RE-PAYABLE LOANS
A fee loan to cover all fees up to £9000 Maintenance Loan between £3610-£5555 Repayable when earning reach £21K p.a.
Written off after 30 years.
Interest is charged.
STUDENT LOAN FOR MAINTENANCE
65% available to everyone regardless of parental income 35% dependant on parental income Annual Amount but allocated termly Higher figures if attending London universities
STUDENT LOANS
FREE MONEY
Maintenance Grant for households earning less than £42600 up to £3387
DISCOUNTS / SCHOLARSHIPS / BURSARIES
You may find some offers: Discounts – likely for shortage subjects (Cash Sum) Scholarships – to encourage able students Bursaries – for low-income / disadvantaged students.
Students receiving full maintenance grant and paying full tuition fee will receive a bursary of at least £300 Offers in Kind – free laptops / rent rebates / sports memberships etc Disability Allowance – specific support like a laptop for dyslexic students.
University of Bath…
SCHOLARSHIP EXAMPLE
An applicant applies for a place on a degree scheme at Lancaster and receives a conditional offer (via UCAS) of a place provided that they achieve BBB at A-level. The applicant may be told that if they achieve grades of AAB or higher, and make Lancaster their firm choice, they will receive an Academic Scholarship of £1,000 per year.
CHOOSING THE WRONG COURSE / UNI …
Many people do it Can be a very costly mistake Do everything you can do make sure you choose the right uni / course If you’re not sure: DON’T GO! University will still be there in years to come.
THE
APPLY
SYSTEM
Students will be applying online This enables UCAS applications to be done at home Training to be given in school • • They will receive a guidebook and full support Lunchtime drop-ins available throughout the autumn term
ENTRY TESTS
BMAT: for Medicine, Veterinary & Pharmacology at Cambridge, Oxford, Royal Veterinary College, UCL, Imperial Test is 5 th November. Apply by the 15 th October.
£42.50 (2013)
UKCAT: Medicine – testing £65
Booking opens 1 st May– testing begins on 1 st July – 3 rd October LNAT: for Law at Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Glasgow, Kings, Leeds, Nottingham, Oxford, UCL -
£50
Other Entry tests –
for example: Maths @ Cambridge, History @ Oxford, Natural Sciences @ Cambridge
Role of the Student
Carry out research – and get going NOW Work Hard – it’s a competitive world Ask for help
Role of the tutor
Provide support and guidance with applications Check forms / personal statements Write the reference Monitor offers / rejections Primary source of advice
Head and Assistant Head of Sixth Form
Check all Personal Statements & References Guidance & Support
Parents’ Role
Open days / applications / career choices ‘Gentle’ encouragement
WHO GOES?
60% of current Y13 have applied.
92.9% of those who applied last year were successful (national average 73.2%) 78.6% offer rate to Russell Group (national average 57.9%) 58.5% of students last year went to Russell group Universities.
1 student went to Oxford; 6 gained places at Med / Vet School; Other routes included apprenticeships, gap years, employment.
Every year group is different.