Good University Guide 2011

Good University Guide 2011: The step-by-step guide to applying for university
Laura Pitel
Applying to university can be daunting — there is a dizzying range of courses and universities from which to choose and the competition can be tough. You will be spending three or four years studying a single subject but it is also a time to have fun, meet new people and broaden your mind. The Times guides you through the process of embarking on this exciting journey, advises on points to consider and offers you help tomake sense of it all.

What is Ucas?

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, known as Ucas, is responsible for organising and regulating the university process. It acts as the middle man between you, your school and your chosen universities. Filling in the long Ucas form may seem like a slog but it is your passport to success, so it really is worth making it sparkle. Before you even think about tackling it, though, you need to work out what you are applying for and where.

The cost

A degree is an expensive undertaking but do not be deterred by the cost. Graduates benefit from higher salaries and broader job prospects. Help is available for those from lower-income families (bursarymap.direct.gov.uk) and most students work during term or in the holidays, or both.

New students can borrow up to £3,290 from the Student Loan Company for the next academic year. They can also apply for a maintenance loan — the most that can be claimed by those living away from home, within London, is £6,928 a year. For students living away from home, outside London, it is £4,950 and for those living at home, £3,838. Grants and bursaries are also available from universities or charities.

Choosing a course

The first thing to consider is which options are open to you. For some subjects, especially in the sciences, you will need the relevant A levels but many degrees require no previous formal experience of a subject. After all, how many people have studied architecture, physiotherapy or Mandarin at school?

If you have a career in mind, speak to someone in your chosen field about good subject choices. Media studies, for example, may seem like a no-brainer for a would-be journalist but newspaper bosses often prefer the knowledge and skills that come with a broader degree. If you have no idea what career to pursue, pick a subject you will enjoy, so you have a better chance of sticking it out and doing well.

Choosing a university

nce you have chosen your course, you need to work out which universities suit you best. First, look at your grades and find out which universities match your predicted A levels. You can apply to up to five universities (apart from medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, where you can choose four), so you can afford to have an ambitious option and a safer bet.

The approach of different universities to a single subject can vary vastly, from the teaching style to the course content to the examination structure, so it really is worth going through the course syllabuses with a fine toothcomb. You should also consider the performance of a university in your subject. Look at the Times Good University Guide subject tables, which rank departments according to the quality of their student intake, teaching and results. Prospectuses will give a flavour of an institution as a whole, and individual departments will provide more in-depth information on each course.

Apart from academic suitability, location is a factor. Do you want to be near (or far from) home? Would you prefer a campus-based university, where everything is concentrated in one site, or a city-based one? Consider the atmosphere of the university and its surroundings — are you a hardcore clubber or a quiet pub-goer? Do you crave a thriving music scene, or top-notch sports facilities? Many universities also have an alternative prospectus written by students for students.

The best way to get a feel for a university, however, is to attend an open day when you can meet potential tutors and check out the university’s buildings and facilities.

Applying to Oxbridge

Do not let the prestigious image of these two academic powerhouses put you off. Yes, you will have to have good predicted grades — usually three As — and the competition is stiff but, if you are academically strong , it is worth a shot.

When applying, you have the option of selecting a college, which acts as a base for accommodation and teaching. Although different in architecture and sporting strengths, the colleges do not vary wildly. However, some colleges are much wealthier than others and this offers benefits in terms of grants for books and travel as well as accommodation costs.

If this is your first degree, you can apply to only Oxford or Cambridge, not both, and must get your application in by October 15. Be sure to check the individual subject requirements. You might be asked to submit essays or other work as part of your application or you might have to sit an aptitude test. You are then likely to be called for interview.

How to apply

Ucas has an online application system that allows you to save your work and come back to it as and when you please. You fill in information about your education and qualifications and write a personal statement. This last bit is the most important part of the form and you should get help from your teachers to make it as good as possible. You should explain why you like your chosen course, why the university should like you and a bit about what makes you stand out from the crowd. Admissions tutors will be impressed by genuine enthusiasm for the subject so do your best to convey this, be it through an interesting story, a book that inspired you or your particular passion for a certain aspect of the course.

You will also need a reference from someone who knows you well enough to describe you and your suitability for your chosen course. If you apply while still at school, this will be one of your teachers.

Receiving an offer

Once you have hit “send”, the waiting game begins. You can track the process on the Ucas website, which will tell you when universities are considering your application and inform you of their decisions. Some universities will invite you for interviews at this stage, others will move straight to a refusal or an offer.

There are two types of offer. A conditional offer is based on a certain number of Ucas points or a set of required grades. An unconditional offer means that the university is happy to accept you based on the grades you have already achieved.

When you have received replies from all the universities you are interested in, you can respond to the offers. You can pick a maximum of two — one firm choice and one insurance choice. Your insurance choice should have lower entry requirements than your firm choice so that you still have a university place if your exams go less well than expected. Once you have chosen you are committed to your decision. If you do not receive an offer from any of your five choices, do not panic. You may be able to go through Ucas Extra, which lets you apply for a course with vacancies between the end of February and end of June.

Results

A-level results day is a nerve-racking time, especially for those whose first-choice universities have set high offers. You need to be available on the day in case things do not go to plan. If you achieve the required results, you will be accepted on your online Ucas application .

If you do not make the grade, several things can happen. Your first-choice university may decide to accept you, especially if you narrowly missed the mark you needed. It could make an alternative offer for a different course or start date. Alternatively, you may be turned down but accepted by your insurance choice.

Clearing

If you do not meet the conditions of either your first or second-choice offers, you will be entered into clearing — a Ucas system for applying to courses that are not full. There are no clearing places on many of the most competitive courses but it is still possible to find a place that suits you. If the options do not appeal, consider taking a gap year and applying again next time round, possibly with re-sits under your belt and some good travel tales to boot.