Clearing Explained

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?

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.

University Open Days

Planning on applying to university this autumn? Have you looked around the institutions on your shortlist? It doesn’t matter whether you are interested in Oxford, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial, Warwick or any of the other UK universities – it is really important that you try to visit and get a feel for whether you would be happy there for three or more years of study.

UK universities hold Open Days, usually in June or July and September or October in order to showcase their courses and facilities to prospective students.

They offer an opportunity:

  • To find out what university life is like
  • To find out about the challenges, opportunities and rewards of academic and social life
  • To meet with the academics, as well as current students
  • To gain advice before finally deciding on which degree course you should take
  • To view the accommodation, the library, access to computers, the careers office, cafés and restaurants and much more
  • To check out the Students’ Union and find out about the social and sports clubs that they offer and how you can get involved

This is your chance to ask questions such as:

  • What ‘A’ level grades do I need? Are there any specific subject requirements?
  • Which qualifications are acceptable?
  • Are there any alternative courses to consider?
  • How does the selection process work?
  • What do you look for in the application and Personal Statement?
  • Can you recommend any reading or activities to inform my Personal Statement?
  • Do you hold interviews or is selection based only on the UCAS application?
  • Are gap years and deferred entry applications acceptable?
  • Is it an advantage to get my application in early?

Check out the university websites and book a place – beware of any deadlines!

Can’t make an Open Day? Then check online to see if they offer ‘special visiting days’. Universities are aware that not everyone can visit at specific times so they may offer additional dates for you to visit. You might be able to arrange for a student-led tour or take your own. Don’t forget that many of the universities also offer virtual tours.

If you want to get a ‘feel’ for the place you will need to visit the university during term-time. This will give you a better idea of what university life is like. Not only will you ‘feel the buzz’ but you will also be able to meet students who are already studying there.

If you require any assistance in arranging a university visit or would like more information about Open Days contact us at hello@ukstudyoptions.com

Careers talks ‘boost future earnings’ – research

By Sean Coughlan, Education correspondent, BBC

Careers education given to pupils in secondary school can be linked to higher earnings in adult life, according to researchers.

A study published in the Journal of Education and Work suggests that better-informed teenagers are likely to make more advantageous career choices.

It measures the earnings benefit as an extra £2,000 per year for every six careers sessions when aged 14 to 15.

Researchers used the British Cohort Study tracking 17,000 people.

The research, commissioned by the Education and Employers charity, found that once other factors were taken into account, such as exam results and economic background, there were higher earnings for those who had received sustained careers advice in school.

The study, by Christian Percy and Elnaz Kashefpakdela from the University of Bath, used data from the British Cohort Study which has been tracking the health, wealth and education of people since 1970.

It concluded that there was a long-lasting employment impact from careers talks and lessons.

Where there were “higher levels of employer contacts, in the form of careers talks with outside speakers”, researchers found that this was linked to higher returns in the labour market.

They concluded that getting careers information and meeting employers in school had a “meaningful and statistically significant impact on later earnings”.

Anthony Mann, director of policy and research for Education and Employers, said: “Other well-known studies have highlighted the benefits of employer engagement, but never before have we had such a robust analysis drawing on such rich data.”

Nick Soar, head teacher at Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation in east London, backed the benefits of outside speakers from industry.

“The pupils love it. They ask endless questions and you can see it really brings home to them what they need to do to succeed in the workplace,” he said.

CBI president Paul Drechsler said: “This report makes clear the importance and impact of great careers insights and advice from people in the business world.”

Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s education director, said the study provided evidence for how “career education translates into measurable earnings advantages”.

Education and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah said the research “provides further evidence of the positive impact an employer can have on a young person’s future career”.

Article courtesy of BBC Education
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36312068

Business Degrees – What’s In A Name?

Interested in studying the popular area of business but don’t know the difference between Business Studies, Business Management, International Business or plain Management?  There is a huge selection of ‘business’ and ‘business related’ courses available at UK universities and it may be harder than you think to identify which is best for you.

Degrees in Business and Management are certainly very popular with both home and international students and searching on UCAS will bring up a plethora of course titles.  So how do you differentiate between them? The first thing to realise is that you shouldn’t rely on the course title.  Don’t ignore a course because you are determined to study a BA in Business and it happens to be a BSc in Management.  Different universities may give similar courses different titles and conversely different sounding courses may have very similar content.

Whatever the exact title, the core focus of any business degree will be on how organisations operate – what they do, their styles of management and their business strategies and will cover subjects such as accounting, finance, business administration, economics and human resources.  As with all undergraduate degrees it is important to do your research and establish not only what the compulsory modules are in each year of study but also how much optional specialization is offered and how the course is taught and assessed.

Broadly speaking, business related degrees can be split into those that cover a wide spectrum of business related subjects and those which focus more specifically on a specialist area.   If you are a student who is interested in business as whole, but not sure of which area to focus on, then you could consider the Management BSc offered by the London School of Economics (LSE) or the Business Studies BSc from Lancaster. Love maths and interested in working in technology?  Then perhaps the Management Science course at UCL is for you. More specialist still are the courses designed for students who are absolutely sure of their future career path such as the Business and Automotive Management degree offered by Oxford Brookes.

Entry requirements for business courses differ markedly from university to university with the most selective institutions asking for 3 A grades at A-level (or equivalent).  Most do not require specific subjects to have been studied although popular choices include Maths, Economics, IT, Computing and Geography.  Very competitive universities will often offer Management degrees which do have particular requirements, usually for Maths A-level.   The BSc Management course at LSE asks for Maths A-level but also likes students who can offer an “eclectic mix of contrasting subjects.”  King’s College London, on the other hand, asks for 3 A-levels “to include at least one humanities or social science subject.”

Some undergraduate business courses offer so called “sandwich years”, giving students the opportunity to take a placement year, putting their learning into practice and giving them valuable work experience for their CV’s.   Other courses offer students the chance of spending a year abroad, gaining the first hand knowledge of another culture that can be crucial in business.

Joint honours degrees are also popular within this area allowing students to combine business with a second subject, often a modern foreign language.

Whichever course you choose you can rest assured that you will be studying a subject that combines both theoretical and practical work.  Most business courses in the UK have good working relationships with local and global organisations.  Academics develop close links with industry either as consultants or through research giving students the opportunity to learn from real-life case studies and acquire the transferable skills that will be useful to them in their future careers.

Looking for more detailed information on choosing subjects and courses to study at university?  Contact us at hello@ukstudyoptions.com

Plan Ahead with your UK university choices: Pre Personal Statement Tips and Ideas!

Get ahead of the competition – Personal Statement 1

As a Higher Education specialist I help many students who are considering applying to either Oxford or Cambridge or to a competitive course such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary, law or economics. There are two important UCAS application deadlines:

  • October 15th 2016 for Oxford OR Cambridge – this means you have to get your application in if you are applying for any course at all at these institutions for 2017 entry.
  • October 15th 2016 if you are applying for medicine, dentistry and veterinary at any university in the UK for these subjects for 2017 entry.

The second deadline January 15th 2017 is for all other subjects for UK and EU nationals (except Art and Design). Technically international students can apply up to the 30th June in the year of entry but this is not advisable as your application will be stamped LATE and the institution may not have any places left by the time you apply.

The other thing to bear in mind is some subjects are extremely competitive to get into in all the universities. Economics and Law are two competitive subjects that spring to mind. It is better for international students if you get ahead and prepare to submit your UCAS application at least by the end of October and by the January 15th deadline if you possibly can.

So, where do you start? ….

…Bearing in mind that there may be as many as 12 applicants, all with the specified grades for each place. You have to really stand out and:-

  • Decide on the subject/s you are most likely to succeed at and enjoy studying for three years or more.
  • Start reflecting upon what it is about the subject/s that really fires your passion.
  • Think about your natural preferences in your studies and potential careers.
  • Think about the skills you gain by studying each of your subjects at school.
  • Go to the UCAS website AND the Departmental Website of your shortlisted courses – check the Eligibility Requirements to make sure you are a good fit and have the required subjects.
  • Make sure you also have the right number of subjects and grades at GCSE or equivalent.
  • Look at the Application Process on the Departmental Website – see if there are any other requirements to be fulfilled such as Admissions Tests, Interview or Supplementary work to be submitted.
  • Have a look at the Course Modules on the Departmental website: There will be a lot of information for prospective students to help you gain momentum with your preparation.

Many universities have pre-study reading or recommended books listed on their websites. Why? Because up to 25% of students drop out of their course each year because they were not aware of what the course and subject entailed. Student selection in competitive institutions is a very well-tuned process. It is all about student retention! It’s important to select the right students and that the students know exactly what is expected of them. All this advance preparation will certainly give you the edge with that all-important Personal Statement.

UK University Rankings – what do they mean?

I’ve been asked to present on UCAS and Competitive UK university applications at a YPO College Prep Weekend in Dubai this April. One of the aspects of making a competitive university application is knowing something about how universities are ranked and how the different league tables compare.

World Rankings v UK Rankings

To get a good overview of the rankings for a student, particularly if they are international students who are considering the UK as well as the US as a study destination, I look at the World University Rankings 2016 such as the QS World University Ranking and the THES rankings to see how the UK universities compare to their counterpart institutions around the world. I would then look at a couple of the generic rankings within the UK. My choices would be the Times Good University Guide and the Guardian to get a good overview.

It’s all about the methodology!

When looking at league tables, it is important to know how they are compiled, particularly if you are looking from the perspective of an undergraduate student. Some rankings emphasise the number of Nobel Laureates, Employer Reputation or the number of Citations; although this may be important to you as a postgraduate or PhD student, students on their first degree should be engaging with their studies, inspired by their lecturers and generally having fun!! Who cares how many Nobel Laureates the institution has – if your first lecture on a Monday morning is as boring as watching paint dry you are not going to do well enough to worry about what your potential employers think – you probably won’t even be there!

The Times Good University Guide is a good quality benchmark – the methodology is based on

  1. Teaching Quality.
  2. Student Experience.
  3. Research Quality.
  4. Entry Standards.
  5. Graduate Prospects.
  6. First Class/2:1’s.
  7. Completion Rates.
  8. Student/Staff Ratio.
  9. Services/Facilities spend.

The Guardian University Guide is more focussed on the Student Satisfaction:

  1. Satisfied with the course.
  2. Satisfied with teaching.
  3. Satisfied with feedback.
  4. Student/Staff ratio.
  5. Student spend per 10.
  6. Average entry tariff.
  7. Average entry score.
  8. Value added score.
  9. Career after six months.

All these elements should be taken into consideration when choosing a degree course and institution, but they are just part of the process when deciding upon which institutions to shortlist. Then there are the subject league tables to consider…..

University degrees: essential and useful A level subjects

With so many students choosing their A level subject choices this term I have put together some advice for making the right choices to give you the best chance of receiving offers from your university.

Here are just a few university degrees with the essential A level subjects required by the top universities. Many universities like to see breadth as well as depth in a student’s application so, an ideal combination may well be a science subject to help with logical thinking, an essay writing subject to assist with report writing and communication skills and perhaps a social science subject to promote critical analysis. However, there are certain degrees where it is important to offer a specific subject at a high level. One example of this would be an Economics degree; many top universities will state Maths A level as an essential subject rather than Economics A level. Of course it is useful to study Economics A level if you are interested in studying Economics at university but it is not a requirement. It is much more important to have a high level of working knowledge and aptitude for Maths.  

Degree Essential A level choices Useful subjects
Actuarial Science Mathematics Further Maths, Economics
Biology Biology, usually Chemistry Maths, Physics
Biochemistry Chemistry, poss Biology Maths, Physics
Biomedical Science Two sciences: Biology /Chem/Maths, Physics – some specify Extra science and/or Maths
Business Studies/Management None but Maths sometimes specified Maths, Economics
Chemical Engineering Chemistry and Maths and occasionally physics Physics, Biology, F Maths
Chemistry Chemistry, sometimes Maths Maths, F Maths, Physics, Biology
Computer Science Maths, some courses specify Computing or Computer Science Maths, F Maths, Physics, Philosophy, ICT
Dentistry Chemistry, Biology, may require Maths or Physics as well Maths, Physics, F Maths,
Economics Mathematics and perhaps Further Maths Economics, Business Studies, Computing, History
Engineering (most disciplines) Maths, Physics Further Maths, DT
English English Literature History, Modern Languages
History History English, Economics, Politics, languages
Law English perhaps Breadth and depth in subjects offered
Languages Modern European languages
Mathematics Maths, perhaps Further Maths F Maths, Physics, STEP Maths,
Medicine Chemistry, Biology and Maths or Physics Further Maths and a contrasting (non-science) subject or perhaps a language
Philosophy None specified (if PPE Maths may be required) Maths, Classics
Physics Maths, Physics F Maths, Chemistry, Computing
Politics None Social Sciences: government, politics, history, economics, law or English literature,
Psychology Biology, Maths, Physics or Maths Biology, Maths, Sociology (some accept Geography)
Veterinary Medicine Chemistry and Biology, and one Maths and Physics Further Maths.

 

UK Qualification reforms and university offers 2016/2017 – A brief overview

You may be aware that AS and A level qualifications are undergoing significant changes within the UK with the end of a tripartite agreement on qualifications between England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  • England will decouple the AS level from the A level in certain subjects – reformed A levels will be phased in with the first revised A level results in 2017.
  • Teaching A levels will be in a linear format rather than a modular one apart from Maths, Further Maths and Design and Technology.
  • Subjects reformed will be: Sciences, English, Art/Design, Business, Computer Science, Economics, History, Sociology and Psychology.
  • Additional subjects such as Maths, Ancient and Modern Languages and Geography will be developed at a later stage.
  • Many schools will expect students to start out by studying four subjects but may opt out of taking the fourth subject to a full A level during the course of the sixth form study.

Reformed qualifications and university offers:

Most universities will continue as they have done in assessing university applications holistically using a combination of elements consisting of the a) predicted grades, b) the personal statement, c) the reference, d) contextual information about the school, e) possible interviews, supplementary work to be submitted, additional exams required eg STEP and individual course requirements.

  • The main change when making offers is that the AS level will not be necessary for most subjects; if it is required it will be specified as an extra requirement on the eligibility criteria on the departmental websites.
  • Most universities including the Russell Group will make their offers based on three full A levels. Any extra qualifications required will be published on the eligibility requirements and ‘Essential Subjects’ section of each university website.
  • Students taking AS levels may still wish to take them as a useful measure of their academic performance but they will not be widely required – the AS result will be separately awarded and certificated.
  • Science subjects will have a Practical Skills test results of which will be included in the offer.

UK Study Options support ‘Donate a Stove’

UK Study Options donated five stoves to a school in Kibera before Christmas vis EcoZoom a not-for-profit organisation in Nairobi distributing energy efficient charcoal stoves.

We received the email below we wanted to share.

Dear Donors!

On Saturday the 13th of February, we visited the Kibera slum in Nairobi for one of our ‘Donate a Stove’ events. It was great to make another 20 families happy!

Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. Estimates of the population range from 500,000 to well over 1,000,000. Unemployment rates are high, and most residents live in extreme poverty, earning less than $1 a day.

With your help, these families are now able to save up to 70% of their spending on charcoal, improve their health thanks to 60% less smoke, as well as save time on cooking!

The difference that your help has made to their lives is enormous, and we wanted to thank you for your donations!

Get in Touch

Contact Us
hello@ukstudyoptions.com
+44 (0)208 1871865

Henge Barn Pury Hill Business Park, Alderton Road,
Towcester, Northamptonshire, England, NN12 7LS