Application Support Archives - Page 4 of 5

Differences between UK and US university degrees

19 February 2018

Making an application for any competitive university worldwide needs consideration, forethought and preparation. Normally this would be for a year or two before actually submitting your application.

What do I want to study?
Where do I want to study?
Have I got the right qualifications; level, grades and subjects?
How do I enrich my application?
How important are my extra-curricular activities?

Applying to study in the UK can be very different to applying to study in the US. Students in the UK are admitted on their academic record. Studying is more intensive, it is likely that you will be applying for one subject and expected to study that subject for three years or more. There are combined subjects that you can apply for but generally there is less flexibility in the UK, so you need to be sure of your commitment and passion for the subject before you apply and definitely before you accept your offer and begin your studies!

US degrees offer flexibility, so students don’t need to be certain of their subject choices before they enter. It’s quite common for students to change their major in the first year and they may not have to commit to their course of study until part way through their four-year degree. Students studying in the US accumulate their grades through each module they take. They can take a break from their studies at strategic times and even move between faculties or institutions.

Entry requirements

Before you apply to the UK you will need to check the entry requirements and subjects. High ranking universities will expect you to have the equivalent to three A levels – grade requirements can vary, typically from A*AA to AAB/ABB. So, for instance an A*AA subject may require a US student to have a good High School Diploma with 3 APs plus one SAT subject scored at 720. Some degrees may require specific subjects to be studied beforehand. For instance Economics often requires students to have high level maths. Engineering will require Maths and Physics and Medicine will require Chemistry and often Biology. There may well be additional tests to take and you may need to register for these before the application is submitted so make sure you check all the requirements first.

It’s always a good idea to get ahead and start to think about enriching your application a year or two before you apply. In the UK most students are encouraged to do some kind of work experience. This is beneficial to gain an understanding of any careers and to skills and attributes before attending university. If you cannot get work experience, try voluntary work or do them both! Volunteering helps you to help the community and you gain skills and experience at the same time! Compassion, time management, communication skills, leadership, empathy, tolerance, patience and understanding are all valuable attributes to take with you to university. Enrichment activities can include some in-depth reading, (it’s important to go beyond the school curriculum), summer schools, debating events and conferences. Anything that can improve your confidence and help you to articulate your interests and passion for the subject.

Extra-curricular Activities

What about your extra-curricular activities? US institutions are more interested in your extra curricular activities. The UK view is that they are important for your health and wealth being – universities in the UK have excellent Student Unions offering sporting and social activities but Admissions Tutors are looking at your academic abilities rather than your sporting prowess. Your UK application should include a Personal Statement of which 75% is about your academic ability and 25% about your extra curricular. There are of course exceptions depending upon your course of study. Read more about differences between UK and US universities.

As qualified, experienced and expert university advisors, we offer a range of application support packages. Find out more.

Applying to highly selective courses – top tips

1 August 2017

Highly selective courses are those that receive many more applications than they have places. Universities are likely to specify that students have or are predicted particular grades, often in required or preferred subjects.

Admissions tutors need to be able to differentiate between large numbers of well qualified applicants and will be looking for excellent UCAS applications that contain well written and subject focused personal statements and appropriate references. If you are applying for one of these courses then you need to be well prepared.

Be realistic. You will need to be able to achieve the required grades. Very competitive courses have little leeway in grade requirements when accepting students. You will need to check the requirements for each individual institution – not only A-level/IB level qualifications but GCSE level as well.
Check deadlines and find out whether you will be asked to sit a test or submit written work as part of the admissions process. If so, do some practice.
Ensure you have a good understanding of the subject that you are applying for. Even if you have studied a subject before it may be very different at undergraduate level.
Apply for similar courses in the same subject area. You can only submit one personal statement on the UCAS application and it will need to be focused on the course you wish you study.
Do your research. Look in detail at the modules on offer at different institutions and see if they reflect what you are interested in. Ensure that you understand the structure and composition of the course, including how it is taught and assessed.
Develop your subject knowledge. Follow the latest developments in the media, online and in specialist publications. Try to experience the subject as well as reading about it. Download lectures and podcasts and try to visit relevant places. Look for summer schools, masterclasses and public lectures offered by universities.
Develop your transferable skills. Think about work or voluntary experience that may give you practical knowledge and skills – this is particularly useful for courses linked to professions.
Invest time and effort in writing an excellent, appropriate personal statement – this will make a real difference as to whether you receive an offer or not.
Talk to the person who is writing your reference, discuss the courses that you are applying for and what you have done to prepare. Look at the advice given by universities.

UK Study Options are experts in supporting students in applying to highly selective course and institutions – have a look at our university application support packages to see what services we provide.

Preparing for Results Day

18 July 2017

Worried about how A-level exams went or already have your results but haven’t had your offers confirmed? Read on….

While some students (those taking the IB or international qualifications) will have received their results already, for the majority of students the big day is 15th August when A-level results are published.

If you already have your results and have met your firm choice offer then your university should be in touch to confirm your place. If they haven’t then it is worth checking to see if they are waiting for you to send confirmation of your results to them. UCAS receive many results directly from exam boards but if your qualification is not on their list you will need to send official confirmation of your results to your universities.

If you already have results but have not met the grades for your first choice university and have not heard from them, then you should call admissions and ask whether they have made a decision about whether to take you. They may let you know immediately or ask you to wait until A-level results day to find out whether they will confirm your place or decline it. This is because the universities need to wait until the A-level students have their results in order to determine whether or not they still have places available and consequently whether they are prepared to be flexible over offers. Remember that if you have made the grades for your insurance choice university then you will have a place at that backup university whatever the final outcome at your first choice.

If you are in this uncertain position or if you are an A-level student concerned that the exams didn’t go according to plan then it is certainly worth working out a strategy in advance of August 15th.

UCAS have now issued a list of Clearing vacancies – this is a list of courses that still have places available. Be aware though, that this list is fluid and many universities will only add courses to Clearing once the A-level results are out. If you have concerns over your results then this is the time to do some additional research. Go back to your original shortlist of universities and courses – is there somewhere that has slightly lower entry requirements? Give the universities a call, explain your situation and ask whether they are likely to be making Clearing offers – get ahead of the game! If you have applied for a particularly competitive course then look again at allied courses and subjects that may be similar in content but less popular.

On A-level results day you need to be prepared – it can be stressful. Check in advance that your contact details are up to date, ensure that you have your Track sign in to hand and that your phone is charged. If you are not going to be available to talk to universities then make sure that you have ticked the nominated access box on the UCAS form and given details of a trusted individual to act on your behalf. Check with your School or College to make sure that you know when you can pick up or receive your results. UCAS Track should go live at 08.00 UK time on 15th August, so it may be that you are able to see whether your universities have accepted you before you receive your results.

Hopefully all will go well on Results Day, but whatever happens it is important not to panic and to take your time over making decisions.

Read our blog Clearing Explained for more info on results outcomes.

UK Study Options can support students whatever their journey to university. If you need post-result support, please get in touch to see how we can help.

What makes medicine applications different (2)

11 April 2017

In the second blog of this series we consider some of the course related factors that need to be considered by prospective medical students.

Course length and qualifications

The standard medical course (for school leavers) is usually five years long. There are over 30 UK institutions offering standard courses, which lead to a variety of primary medical qualifications – MBchB, MBBS, BMBS, MBBCh, MBBChir, BMBCh. While this variety can appear confusing, students can rest assured that these qualifications are all variations of ‘Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery’ and are all validated by the GMC (General Medical Council).

At some universities (Oxford, Cambridge, UCL and Imperial) an extra 6^th year of study leads to an intercalated or additional degree as a compulsory part of the course. This extra qualification is optional at many more medical schools, although it is worth noting that selection for the intercalation programme may be competitive and only open to the top ranking students in the year.

For students who have high academic achievement but who don’t hold the science subjects required for entry to a Standard course there is the option to apply to a six-year ‘Medicine with a Preliminary Year’ course. These are either Standard Entry courses with an additional year at the start, or sometimes the preliminary year is taken as a standalone one-year course. This is not an option for students who haven’t achieved the required grades to meet the entry requirements of Standard courses.

Cost

How much a medical course will cost you in tuition fees depends on whether you are classed as a Home/EU fee payer or an Overseas fee payer and on the institution you apply to. The difference in fees for Home and Overseas students is substantial (for more information read our ‘fee status’ blogs) and to further complicate matters there are different fee systems in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The universities will assess each student’s application for Home/EU fees on their own merits. Home/EU students are responsible for their tuition fees in the pre-clinical years but the NHS pays the tuition fees for years 5 and 6 in full.

Type of course

Although all UK medical schools adhere to standards set by the GMC each course is different and each uses different teaching methods. It is therefore very important that applicants think carefully about the type of learning that would suit them best. Courses can generally be divided into:

Traditional pre-clinical and clinical – as practised by Oxford and Cambridge. These courses start with 2 years of mainly lectures and tutorials covering science based modules. These are followed by three years of a clinical course which will include GP placements and hospital work in addition to subject based lectures. This course structure often appeals to students who wish to have a solid grounding in the science before much patient interaction.
Integrated – this method is now practised by the majority of medical schools and combines theory with patient contact from the very start of the course. In contrast to the traditional courses, scientific knowledge is taught by topic rather than discipline. Integrated courses can be further subdivided into those that specialise in Problem-based learning (PBL), Case-based learning (CBL) and Enquiry-based learning (EBL) all of which may appeal to the student who is a good independent learner and proactive in their approach to study.
- PBL is practised by Manchester, Glasgow, Queen Mary, Peninsula, Sheffield, Keele, Hull and York, Barts and East Anglia. Here the emphasis is on peer-to-peer teaching, small group learning and problem solving. Different medical schools use PBL to a greater or lesser extent, some teaching entirely by PBL with others using the method only occasionally.
- CBL is offered by Liverpool, Cardiff and Glasgow. This is very similar to PBL and uses virtual ‘trigger’ cases to prompt learning of a particular area of the curriculum.
- Enquiry-based learning (EBL) as practised by Birmingham. Again this is similar to PBL but learning starts with the posing of questions, problems or scenarios.
As well as differing in terms of teaching style, structure and patient contact, UK medical schools also differ in their methods of selection. Research is key in order for students to fit themselves to the school that best suits them and we will consider some of these differences in the next blog.

What makes medicine applications different?

24 February 2017

Students applying for places at medical schools in the UK need to be aware that a medicine application differs from most UCAS applications in a number of important areas: early deadlines, number of choices, entry tests, competitiveness, interviews, work experience, degrees awarded, funding and costs, course length, personal statement, type of course, intercalation etc.

This is the first in a series of blogs looking at these factors, how they impact on students and the preparation needed to make a competitive application.

Early deadlines

In contrast to most applications (which have a deadline for home students of 15 January), medicine applications have to be sent to UCAS by 15 October (along with Dentistry, Veterinary and Oxford and Cambridge applications). This means that medicine applicants must be ahead of the game, be organised and start writing the personal statement early.

Number of UCAS choices

Instead of the normal 5 course choices, medicine applicants are only allowed to apply to 4 medicine places on their UCAS form. The fifth choice can be for a backup course, usually in a related subject. Most students choose to add this insurance choice option – even if they later reject an offer made for this alternative course.

Entry tests

Nearly all medical degrees use an additional admissions test as part of their entry requirements. There are 2 tests for undergraduate medicine courses and applicants can sit either or both, depending on which medical schools they intend to apply to. This is in contrast to the majority of UCAS applications, which do not require additional entry tests.

UCAT – an online test used by 26 Medical Schools. Applicants must register and sit the UCAT before the UCAS application is made, giving details of the scores on the application. This means that students have a good idea of how well they have done in the test before applying and should use this knowledge to influence their choice of medical schools.

BMAT – a ‘paper and pencil’ test used by 5 Medical Schools. Applicants must register for the BMAT before they send off their UCAS application but the actual test is taken after this at the beginning of November. The score is then sent automatically to the relevant medical schools. In other words, students apply not knowing how well they have done and should consider carefully the number of medical schools requiring BMAT that they include in their application.

Competitiveness by numbers of applicants

The number of students applying to UK Medical Schools far exceeds the number of places, with more than 17 UK/EU students and more than 40 international students applying for each undergraduate place at some universities. In contrast to most UK courses (where the number of students that can be admitted to courses is determined by each university), the number of home/EU medical students is set by the UK Government. The number of international students is also regulated, with most UK Medical Schools being allowed to take only a small number (7.5% of the total). However, there have been recent developments of interest to international applicants in that:

The University of Central Lancashire, UCLAN’s MBBS programme only accepts international students.

The majority of places at Aston University’s Medical School are reserved for international fee paying students.

The University of Buckingham’s Medical School has no cap on international student places.

Competitiveness by grades

Entry to Medical School is also highly competitive in terms of grades. Students will need a minimum of 3 A-levels (or equivalent) at grades AAA minimum (with 8 standard entry medicine courses quoting at least 1 A* grade for 2017 entry).

This is different to most subject choices simply because it is not possible to ‘shop’ around for courses that offer a range of entry grades. Applicants will need predicted grades that match or exceed the quoted entry requirements.

Competitiveness by subjects

Many university courses are flexible over the subjects that a student must have already studied whilst at school in order to be accepted onto the course. For medicine this is much more restrictive. The primary subjects that are required are Chemistry and Biology and many prospective medical students take a third or fourth A-level science, either Physics and/or Mathematics. Some Medical Schools have a preference for a contrasting subject e.g., a language, an art or a social science subject so it is therefore important to study the course requirements of each university you wish to apply to.

These are just a few of the basics of a medicine application. Success will depend upon the effort a student is prepared to put into an application, the depth of research and the dedication demonstrated through work experience and volunteering. For individual advice and guidance on your medicine application speak to a member of the UKSO team.

Replying to UCAS offers

6 February 2017

Once you have sent off your UCAS application you will start to hear back from your choices. You will either be made an offer (conditional or unconditional), be rejected outright or be offered an interview or audition. Once you have received decisions from all the universities that you have applied to then you can start to think about which ones to accept and which to reject.

If you receive all your decisions by the end of March then you have until May to reply to the universities through the UCAS Track system. If you have an unconditional offer then you can select it to confirm your place and if you have conditional offers you can select two – a firm choice and an insurance choice. At this time you must reject any other offers that you are holding.

An unconditional offer is usually made when a student already has the results of all his/her examinations before applying. However, universities will sometimes offer unconditional places to students who still have to take their exams. This means that the place is yours regardless of your results but be warned – it is still important to get the best grades you can for future employment prospects.

A conditional offer will depend on the results of any examinations that you are yet to take. Conditional offers can specify particular overall grades, particular grades or scores in certain subjects or overall UCAS tariff scores. If you achieve these results then the university is required to give you a place. If you are not clear what the exact conditions of an offer are then it is really important that you contact the university concerned and ask for clarification.

Assuming that you are holding conditional offers you will need to decide which to accept as your CF (conditional firm) choice and which to accept as your CI (conditional insurance) choice.

The CF choice should be your first choice – the course you really want to study at the university that you really want to go to. It needs to be the right fit for you as an individual and it is worth spending time checking that the course description and modules on offer are what you are looking for.

The Insurance Choice should be your backup and should be a lower offer than your Firm Choice. Then, if you fail to meet the requirements of your firm offer and are subsequently rejected by that university you will hopefully have still met the conditions for your second choice. Be honest with yourself over offers – if getting the required exam results for your Firm Choice is going to be difficult then it is doubly important that you choose a realistic Insurance Choice.

If you are finding it difficult to choose try to visit each university, even if you have already been to an open day. You may be offered a ‘post-offer’ visit but if not arrange a tour independently. Take the opportunity to talk to current students and academics within the department. Ask about the support offered, both academic and pastoral and try to get a feel for whether you would be happy to study there.

Liberal Arts Degrees – why study in the UK?

13 September 2016

Liberal Arts is an internationally recognised approach to studying the humanities which leading UK universities are now investing in. It is the model of education more associated with the US than the UK but fourteen English Higher Education Institutions (spanning the Russell Group, Million+, GuildHE and the former 1994 Group) now offer liberal arts degrees with 3 further institutions planning new courses to begin in 2016.

A Liberal Arts degree is one of the strongest models of undergraduate education across North America, combining breadth with depth and having some course requirements. The UK liberal arts programmes draw inspiration from the US model, but different institutions have different interpretations of what “liberal arts” means, giving students the opportunity to select a course that really suits them both philosophically and structurally. The UK model extends the idea of course requirements, to ensure that the students develop a range of identifiable skills with programmes based around a strong core curriculum ensuring that they are truly interdisciplinary.

Although the UK liberal arts courses are a recent development their popularity is growing. They appeal to students interested principally in the humanities and social sciences, who want a structured degree programme but don’t want to be limited from the outset to traditional disciplinary boundaries. Most attract high achievers and frequently demand A*AA at A-level (or equivalent) as an entry requirement.

Some institutions have extended the idea beyond the humanities and social sciences to encompass natural sciences giving students a truly interdisciplinary perspective across a broad range of subjects. University College London launched their BASc Arts & Science programmes in 2012, allowing students to major in one of four pathways: Culture, Health and Environment, Sciences and Engineering. Those choosing to major in Cultures or Societies must take a minor in one of the other pathways and vice versa. The other 50% of each year consists of compulsory core modules which include a modern language. The University of Birmingham offers a Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences degree offering the flexibility to choose a Major as students progress through the course, alongside a year abroad and an alumni mentoring scheme.

Students (and parents) may be wary of a liberal arts degree because of its unfamiliarity. However the reality is that given the globalized nature of the job market, employers are seeking students with a wide range of interests and skills and taking a liberal arts course will allow individuals to demonstrate these.

University accommodation

22 August 2016

For most new undergraduate students in the UK university will be their first time living independently, away from home and family. It is important to consider what accommodation is available and to check websites for application details and deadlines.

Most first year students opt to stay in “halls of residence” – accommodation owned and run by the university where they are part of a community and easily able to get to know other ‘freshers’. Everything in halls is sorted upfront: the rent usually includes bills and some cleaning services and is paid for at the beginning of each term. Other advantages include pastoral care services, disability support and maintenance services being on hand.

The majority of UK universities guarantee accommodation for first year students (although it is worth checking the small print to see whether this guarantee only applies to those who have accepted the university as their firm, or first choice). For ‘campus’ universities, such as the Universities of Warwick and Exeter, halls of residence are likely to be on the same site as the teaching and research and leisure facilities. For ‘city’ universities, students may have to travel to lectures from their accommodation (LSE students have an average travel time of 20 minutes from their student halls). Collegiate universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, York and Lancaster offer accommodation within their colleges, with Oxford and Cambridge offering this for the whole of the undergraduate degree period.

Within ‘halls of residence’ there will be a range of choices available in terms of location, facilities and cost – although there is no guarantee that everyone will get exactly what they want. Facilities will vary, from a single study bedroom in a flat with a shared kitchen and bathroom, to en-suite accommodation with all meals provided. Other choices could be between single gender or mixed gender facilities, single or twin rooms and contracts that are term time only or throughout the whole year. All of these come with cost implications with rents varying from £3,000 to £7,000 a year. Applications for accommodation are made online and it is very important to check individual university websites as different institutions have different application dates and procedures.

After the first year, most students choose to move out of university accommodation into private rental accommodation (often sharing with a group of friends), or private, purpose-built student halls. Whichever choice you make your university housing office should have lists of approved landlords and student-friendly lettings agents and be able to provide advice on tenancy agreements.

Clearing Explained

16 August 2016

For some students A level results day will mean that things haven’t gone quite to plan and they find that they haven’t been accepted at either their firm or insurance choice universities. Instead they have been entered into the UCAS Clearing system – but this doesn’t have to mean disappointment.

In 2015, 64,300 students used Clearing to find a university place and this year it looks as though even more courses will be on offer, including those within the Russell Group. Many of these places are taken very quickly once results have been published so the key to a successful, stress-free Clearing period is preparation.

Before results day, look over your personal statement and think about what made you apply to university and for the courses you picked in the first place. Then look at what courses are on offer and make a list of the universities and courses you are interested in, together with their Clearing helpline numbers and your UCAS number. Just as when you first did your research, it is important to remember that courses can differ substantially between universities. Ensure that the courses you are considering offer the options that you are interested in and that you are likely to meet the entry requirements. It is important to be open-minded and flexible about different universities but it is also crucial to remember that you need to be happy studying and living at a particular place for three or four years.

On results day, your UCAS Track status will tell you if you are eligible for Clearing and will give you a Clearing number. Make a note of this as you will need to give this number to any universities that make you an offer. UCAS’s search tool will show students the available options and The Telegraph newspaper will publish all Clearing vacancies on Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August as well. If you do find yourself in Clearing you should consider getting in touch with your original university choices to see if they will accept you or even offer you an acceptable, alternative course. If not, then move onto the universities on your additional list and ring them on their individual Clearing helplines. Keep calm and treat the conversation as a mini-interview giving details of your results and why you are a suitable candidate for the course you are applying for. If you get an offer by phone, ask for written confirmation via email, and don’t feel you have to accept it straight away. Clearing choices can’t be entered into Track until 3pm on results day but often universities will hold places for a day or two to give students enough time to make a considered decision and to visit if necessary.

Whatever you do, remember that thousands of students have been through Clearing before and ended up having a brilliant and rewarding time at university.

What is a ‘sandwich’ course and why take one?

3 August 2016

A so-called ‘sandwich’ course is a degree course that includes time spent on a placement, often in industry or business, away from the university. ‘Sandwich’ courses can be ‘thick’ with one long placement or ‘thin’ with two or more shorter periods on a placement and are favoured by a number of high ranking universities.

A number of UK universities including Bath, Lancaster, Surrey, Loughborough and Aston are particularly keen for students to take advantage of this type of course. At the University of Bath, for example, most of the undergraduate degree courses have the option for students to take a ‘sandwich year’. Placements usually take place after the second year of the degree course, so students will spend the first two years of their degree studying at Bath, followed by a ‘sandwich’ year on placement before returning for their final year(s) of studies.

Modern Language courses typically follow this pattern with Year 3 being spent abroad either teaching in a school, studying at a university or working in an industrial placement. A large number of other subjects offer placements and include Business, Engineering, Finance, Psychology and Sport Studies.

Although ‘sandwich’ courses are usually one year longer as a result of the placement there can be significant advantages:

An edge when applying for graduate careers. In a competitive graduate job market, employers are increasingly looking for applications that stand out, and a good work placement helps students to do just that.
The development of skills and understanding that will help during the remaining year(s) of study.
Insight into potential areas of employment.
The possibility of full-time employment with the placement company after graduation.
Insight into how the principles, skills and knowledge developed during the course are applied in a work environment.
If the placement is in a relevant field, the student may be able to attract a higher starting salary or a more senior position upon graduation.

‘Sandwich’ courses do not appeal to all students, with some seeing a placement as an unwelcome interruption to full time study. However, if the university subject being studied is vocational, it is certainly worth considering and it is important to check the following:

The amount of assistance the university gives in finding a placement.
The variety of placements available and the selection criteria.
The amount of support given by the university whilst on placement.
Whether/how the student’s performance on placement is assessed as part of the ultimate degree result.
Whether the student will be paid whilst on placement.
The fees due to the university whilst the student is on placement

Do you have a question about the different types of courses on offer at UK universities? Need some help with a UCAS application? Contact the UKSO team on hello@ukstudyoptions.com.