Check out the following websites:
- UCAS: The
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service operates the application process for British
universities
- STUDENT FINANCE
UK: Check if you’re eligible for a student loan from the Government, and
how much you might get
- FIND OPEN
DAYS: a new online platform providing details of all UK open days for
Universities and Colleges.
The key is to start early! It is vital that you do lots of research about your
university choice and the earlier the better.
You need to research:
- Courses: content and modules;
- Universities: big/small campus, town/city?
- Grades needed: points/grades? Can you realistically achieve the grades required?
- Do you need work experience?
If your course(s) needs work experience it may need to be over a period of time, not just a
single week, so you should use your school holidays. Subjects that require work experience are:
teaching, medicine (including radiography), paramedic, midwifery, physiotherapist, social work.
Remember your tutor will be writing your reference for UCAS! Make sure you are enabling them
to write an excellent one!
UCAS Key Dates
October: early applicant deadline (usually 15th
October)
January: deadline for the majority of applications (usually 15th January)
University Outreach: Many universities run outreach activities for secondary
school students and Sixth Formers, aimed at demystifying the university experience, or at
widening access to particular subjects such as science, engineering or law. These activities are
usually subsidised, or even free. We’ve listed a few of them below, but if there is a
particular university or subject area you’re interested in, it’s worth checking to see if
there’s something available. Do let your subject teachers or tutor know if you’re looking and
we’ll see if we can help! You may need to sign up to mailing lists to be notified when new
events are announced, because the most popular courses can book up very quickly.
