Applying to study full-time

Here is a basic guide to what you will need to do and what info you will need to provide;

Accessing the Internet
Application Fee
Registering
The application form
Subject Choices
Previous education
About You
Personal Statement
Tracking your application (UCAS Track)
Offers
Interviews
Accepting Offers
Making additional applications (UCAS Extra)
UCAS Clearing
Deadlines
Applying for Financial Support
Art and Design Courses

• Not everyone has access to the internet at home so UCAS have online centres throughout the UK where you will be able to access the internet to make your application.
  

• This service is absolutely free.
  

• There are over 900 centres throughout the UK. To find a South West online centre near you, go to http://www.ucas.com/apply/online_centres/sw/index.html
  

• At these centres you will be able to access the UCAS website, set up your account, apply to the institutions of your choice and track your application progress.

There is a small fee for applying to UCAS:

• £5 if you apply for 1 course

• £15 if you apply for 2 or more courses

Your teacher, tutor or careers advisor can tell you how to go about paying this fee. Your school may arrange to pay UCAS or you may need to pay online using a credit or debit card.

If you are a care leaver, your local authority may pay for your UCAS application.

If you are applying as an independent, you need to pay online via credit or debit card.

1. Go to www.ucas.com/apply08

2. Click on Student Login

3. Click on Register

4. Read and agree the terms and conditions

5. a. If you are at school or college: Select that you are registering through a school or college.

Your school or college teacher, tutor or careers adviser should be able to help and give the ‘buzzword’ (password) for your school or college.

5. b. If you are a mature or independent student: Register as an individual – you will not need a ‘buzzword’

6. Follow the instructions to register your personal details (your name, address, telephone numbers, email)

7. Choose a password

8. Click send to create and issue a new username for you

9. Make a note of your username and password, which you will need to start your application and every time you login.

On this page is a quick breakdown of the main sections in the online application form.

• You can find much more detailed instructions on filling out the application at

• www.ucas.com/apply08

•  

• If you would like to speak to someone, you can call the UCAS Customer Services Unit on +44 (0)870 1122211, open Monday to Friday, 08:30 - 18:00 (UK time)

• You can apply for up to 5 courses.
  

• You should have decided which courses you are going to apply for before you start filling out the application.
  

• A good place to start looking for courses is in the Study Southwest HE Prospectus or online at www.hotcourses.com or at www.ucas.com.
  

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You will need to provide full details of all of your previous qualifications – make sure these details are 100% accurate and you have the original certificates or qualification documents as evidence. If this section is inaccurate, your application can be cancelled.

If you have been on a Summer School then you will need to provide a code for it. CODE SUMMER SCHOOL TYPE

Personal Statement

This is a very important part of your application. It is your chance to tell universities and colleges why they should choose you as a student.

It can be up to 4,000 characters in length.

It is best to write your Personal Statement offline then copy and paste it into your application when it is finished and then save it straight away so that you have a copy of your work and it doesn’t get lost if the internet connection fails or your session times out.

The type of information to include in your Personal Statement includes;

• why you are interested in the course you are applying for

• what you hope to do after your course

• any job, work experience, placement or voluntary work you have done and the skills and experience you gained

• any non-accredited achievements you have like the Duke of Edinburgh Awards

• any Aimhigher activities you have been part of like Summer School, mentoring, taster days, master classes.

Remember, you could be applying for up to five courses but you will only be entering one personal statement so make sure your statement is relevant to all the courses you are applying for.

For lots more information and helpful tips about writing your Personal Statement got to;

Uni4Me - UCAS Personal Statements

Once you have completed the UCAS form you can track the progress of your application using the UCAS Track system. As soon as each university or college makes a decision on your application, UCAS updates your record on Track. You can also be alerted of a decision by e-mail or by text message.

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There are many websites that offer helpful information on preparing for an entrance interview;

University Options Interview Guide

Uni4me Interview Guide

Connexions Interview Success

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As well as receiving offers via the Track system, you will receive a Decisions Letter from UCAS with a list of offers available to you.

Choose which course you would most like to do and mark this as your "Firm Acceptance"

Choose your second favourite offer and mark this as your "Insurance Acceptance" which you will eventually decline if your first choice goes ahead

You can accept or decline offers

1. online using the Track system
2. by filling in the form attached to the Decisions letter and post it back.

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UCAS Clearing

Clearing is a way to find a place on a course that still has vacancies if:

• you don’t have any offers

• your offers have not been confirmed because you have not met the conditions (such as not achieving the required grades)

• you have declined your offers

• you have applied after 30 June (12 June for Route B art and design courses)

If you are eligible for Clearing you will automatically receive a Clearing Passport by UCAS.

You can find out which courses still have vacancies by:

• Looking on www.ucas.com

• Looking at the The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers

• Ringing the Helpline. This number will be made a available just before Clearing starts.

For more information on the UCAS Clearing process got to;

http://www.ucas.com/getting/clearing/index.html

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Deadlines

Entry in 2008

You can start applying through UCAS online now.

The main deadline for entry in 2008 will be in January 2008.
(this guarantees that your application will be considered)

The deadline for late applications will be in June 2008.
(this does not guarantee that your application will be considered)

There are 2 ways that you can apply for Art and Design courses.

• Route A - If a course is listed as Route A, you must use Route A to apply for it You can list up to 5 courses

• Route B - If a course is listed as Route B, you must use Route B
  You can list up to 3 courses

Route B allows time for applicants studying a Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design) to identify their specialisation and prepare their portfolio so the deadline is slightly later than Route A

Both types of courses are listed in shaded boxes in the UCAS Directory. Route B course codes contain an 'E'.

For more information on applying for Art and Design courses go to
http://www.ucas.com/getting/how/art.html

For more information on Art and design courses and careers go to
www.creativesteps.org.uk