Welcome to our Higher Education advice page for Parents and Students.

We hope the information and links provided here will assist you in your decision making.

Which routes are possible?

• Full time employment
• Professional apprenticeship, usually 4 days in the work place and one at university
• Full time employment with a course, such as those provided by the Open University
• Gap Year, work and/or travel
• A Year in Industry, then on to university
• Full time university

Full Time Employment or a Professional Apprenticeship

• In the Autumn Term, Amy Marshall, our Connexions Advisor, will first see all students who do not want to apply to university.
• This will be followed up with as much support as possible. Local job opportunities start to be released from March onwards.
• Amy has all the contacts for apprenticeships and will help students with applications and making appointments.
• There will be a Careers Convention early in the Autumn Term.

GAP YEAR

• The group, 'Year in Industry' have already presented to students.
  Project Trust have presented today on experiences working abroad.
  Many Gap Year companies had stands at the GMEX Higher Education Convention in March and booklets are available in school.

Applying to University and Making Choices

• What support has already been given?
• Tutors have delivered an options and choices session
• Students have been to the Higher Ed Convention
• A presentation on Centigrade, a personality test to identify strengths and best fit with courses and universities.
• MMU – An Introduction to Higher Education
• University of Salford – Life as a student
• University of Salford – Making use of Open Days

Applying to University: What Next?

Universities and Colleges Admissions Services

• Sign on to www.ucas.com and do the Stamford Test, this matches interests and abilities to possible subject choices.
• Use the ucas web site course search to link with the universities which offer courses that you are interested in. Check the Course/Entry Profiles carefully, either on the internet or in the prospectuses.
• Use The Big Map to locate the universities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree: 3 or 4 years of study resulting in a BA or BSc.
• Joint Honours (2) or Combined Studies (3)
• Sandwich course: a year in industry, often paid employment. Languages often require a year abroad, usually unpaid in a school
• Foundation degree: 2 year vocational course which prepares students for a degree
• HND: 2 year course, which if you achieve high grades can lead to the 3rd year of a degree course

Types of University

• CITY – University of Manchester
• CAMPUS – Lancaster, Keele
• NEW (often city) –    Edge Hill    Manchester Metropolitan University
• RURAL – Cumbria or Aberystwyth
• COLLEGIATE – Oxford, Cambridge, Durham

Where to Study?

• The university that has the course that interests you most, so long as you can meet the entry criteria.
• Decide how far away from home you want to be. Do you want to be within 1/2 hours travelling distance?
• Find out if the university guarantees First Year students a place in halls of residence.
• Do all the rooms in halls have internet connections?
• What are the facilities?
• What is the cost of living like in that location?
• Do you need to pay a deposit to secure a place in you preferred halls?

The Courses

• Be thorough. Check the content and choices of each year of the course. Entry Profile (EP) or Course Profile.
• Check the grade/point score requirement and allowed combinations of AS & A2.
• Check subject requirements for certain careers.
• Are there any bursaries available at that university, for a particular course or for a student with a talent or from a certain background.
• www.unistats.com for how students rate the quality/quantity of the teaching.

Useful Websites

• www.opendays.com
• www.educationguardian.co.uk/university guide2011
• www.timesonline.co.uk/to/life_and_ style/education/good_university_guide
• www.qaa.ac.uk/students
• www.hero.ac.uk
• www.whatuni.com
• www.tqi.ac.uk
• www.hcstuff.com
• www.careercompanion.co.uk

Course Choice and Admissions Tests

• Students select 5 courses
• MDV may only select 4 courses but a 5th may be non-MDV
• Oxbridge students must choose between Oxford and Cambridge
• Admissions Aptitude Tests are needed by all Medical, all Dentistry (UKCAT/BMAT), many Law (LNAT) and others.

What is the UCAS tariff?

Examples of UCAS points and grades related to overall achievement.

Example of results and university offersto study Business French

A highly selective university would require ABB/AAB at A Level, excluding General Studies
A newer university, like UCLAN would require 200 points, this may/may not include GS and may state points or grades required at A2.

Open Days 

www.ucas.com/opendays

• Visit: 3 years is a long time if you don’t like the location
• Ask to see the buildings where your lectures will take place & the halls of residence.
• Ask what proportion of the time is taught in each year of the course.
• Check out the library and leisure facilities
• Talk to students already on your course
• If an interview is likely, discover as much as you can about the format it will take

The University of Aberystwyth has an excellent guide on how to approach Open Days - including a Parents' Guide. Click this link to take you directly to the website.

Interviews – which subjects , who is selected and the format?

• MDV, Oxbridge, Languages, Teaching, Music, Theatre, Health Care, Art & Design, Architecture, Journalism, LSE, UCL etc
• What determines if you are asked for interview?
  Subject choice, uni selection policy, distance, numbers of applications, special cases
• Interviews are often individual but are increasingly observations made of your interaction within a group.

The Application Process

• www.ucas.com/apply
• In July students complete the online Apply form using the school buzzword
• £23.00 for 5 invisible choices
• Personal Statement: Advice by University of Salford and within Sixth Form - booklet
• Chance to personalise the application and sell yourself. Explain why you want the course and are most suitable for it.
• References: Mrs Lyons, Mr Kearns, Mr Copestake, Mr Parker and Form Tutors

Deadlines

• UCAS is now open will but will not forward applications to universities until 1st September
• Personal Statement: First Draft – first day back in September. Up to 3 reviews with staff.
• MMU come in to give advice early in October.
• Send UCAS application to referee, preferably before middle October so that we can write the reference.
• Reference written and application despatched.
• UGS closing date 1st December. Official deadline  for receipt of applications, 15th January.

Early Deadlines

• Oxford & Cambridge
   Medicine, Dentist and Veterinary Sciences
• All have to be received by UCAS on 15/10/08
• School will require first draft by 11th July

What Next?

• Students receive a Welcome letter with Personal number needed for all communication with UCAS or universities.
• Track: UCAS online system to view an individual application. Offers and invitations to interviews are
      made on Track:
                                  Conditional Offer: require certain grades or points.
                                  Unconditional Offer: no requirements
• Students only accept or reject offers when all five universities have replied. The deadline for students to decide is in May. Only TWO offers can be selected:
                                  Firm Acceptance: a student’s first choice
                                  Insurance Acceptance: a student’s second choice

Further guidance

The Russell Group of Universities have published their own document aimed at advising Parents and Students how best to apply for their Universities. It is entitled "Informed Choices". Click here to go to the Russell Group web site where you can download the full document.

The current membership of the Russell Group is:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• Cardiff University
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• Imperial College London
• King's College London, (University of London)
• University College London, (University of London)
• University of Leeds
• University of Liverpool
• London School of Economics, (University of London)
• University of Manchester
• University of Newcastle
• University of Nottingham
• Queen's University Belfast
• University of Oxford
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Warwick

And finally...

• For up to date information on loans and grants check:
  www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance (see p19 of the 2009 Parent Guide)
• 2/3 of jobs are open to all graduates
• Over a full career, graduates out-earn non-graduates
• Outside London average graduate salaries start between £20,000-27,500 NW average 2011 - £22,000
• Students only start repaying loans when they earn over £21,000