Six Top Tips for an outstanding UCAS form
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To apply for a university place you must submit a UCAS application form. That goes to admissions staff- we'll call them 'the Admissions Tutor'. If what the Admissions Tutor sees on your form is convincing you'll get an offer, otherwise you will be rejected - end of story.
So, the UCAS form is VITAL, and this article is all about making it the best you can. The UCAS website has plenty of information about the practicalities of applying.
Top Tip 1. Know how Admissions Tutors work
If you understand how Admissions Tutors review your UCAS form you are half way towards success.
Admissions Tutors want to be fair, and they want to fill their places with good students . Being fair means reading through your UCAS form carefully and applying their Selection Criteria exactly. Good students are interested, rewarding to teach, sensible and independent.
Selection Criteria are the guidelines Admissions Tutors use to decide whether your application meets their minimum standard. If your form doesn't meet the Selection Criteria you will probably get rejected unless your reference gives convincing reasons for making an exception in your case (see Top tip 3).
Selection Criteria aren't always clear, but nowadays most courses publish what they expect applicants to have. Look at the UCAS website and the course-entry pages of individual universities. Those will tell you what subjects you should be taking, what points they're expecting, what GCSE background they want, and whether there are other specific things they're looking for.
Make sure your UCAS form tells them all they want to know.
Top Tip 2. Have good enough grades
This comes down to the Selection Criteria. You need good grades at three levels: GCSE, AS and A level.
It is alas entirely possible to get rejected just because your GCSE results don't meet the Selection Criteria. If you've not done GCSE yet, this is a cast-iron argument for getting the best grades you can at this level. If your GCSE results are not up to scratch the Admissions Tutor may have mercy on you if your referee makes a good case and if your AS results confirm that you're doing better now.
You have to show AS results if they've been certificated by your school (certificated AS results slips show a letter grade as well as numerical marks). You may also show results from individual units if you want to. Ask your tutor for advice on whether this is a good idea.
Your reference will include a prediction of the grades you will get at A level. Knowing your predicted grades is a crucial aspect of making sensible university choices because you're very likely to get rejected if you apply for a course asking for higher grades than your referee says you will get.
It is perfectly in order to ask your tutor what your predictions are, and if you think that your predictions may be lower than you need the next Top Tip becomes even more important.
Top Tip 3. Make sure your referee is on your side.
Your reference is as important as your results and your personal statement. In it your referee predicts your A-level results and make the case for offering you a place. You need to have your referee on your side and you must make sure that he or she has all the ammunition available to write a reference that helps your cause.
Take care to build a positive relationship with your referee: be on time for meetings, stick to deadlines, ask for advice etc. Your reference will be coloured by the experience your referee has of you: if you're unreliable with him / her you can't expect the reference to praise your reliability...
Ideally your referee knows everything relevant about you, but it's best not to assume that, particularly if you need him or her to make a case for why past results aren't a real reflection of your ability. Talk to your referee about it and if necessary give him or her a sheet of points you think are relevant: there's no guarantee it will get used but if you can convince your referee, he or she will go to bat for you in the reference.
Predicted A-level grades are decided by your referee, with input from your teachers. If they're lower than you need them to be you can try pleading but while you can expect the benefit of the doubt, you can't hope for an A grade prediction if you're scoring solid Cs.
It's worth trying this though: ask whether your referee will raise your prediction if over the next few weeks your work improves. If your relationship is good and you can pull off the improvement you might find those all-important predictions get higher. You will have shown you can raise your game, and hopefully you'll keep the improvement going.
Top Tip 4. Write a convincing UCAS personal statement
The UCAS Personal Statement is where you write about why you want to study your chosen degree, who you are and what you've done. What you say matters and how you say it matters too. Here's where you show your commitment and where you describe your interests and achievements. The Personal Statement enables you to speak with your own voice, to come across as a real and worthwhile person. So, it's REALLY important.
For many degree subjects which lead directly onto a particular career (law, medicine, management etc) you'll find that the Selection Criteria go beyond subjects and results. Admissions Tutors want to know that you have particular experience, qualities or skills which the career requires. You can find out what these are by reading guides and prospectuses. Your Personal Statement is where you convince the Admissions Tutor that you meet these 'soft skills' Selection Criteria. And ideally your referee will say something positive in these areas too.
In addition to demonstrating soft skills, the Personal Statement can go a long way to showing an Admissions Tutor that you will make a Good Student, and the final two tips look at aspects of this. For detailed advice we suggest you look at another CIFE guide How to write a good UCAS Personal Statement.
Top Tip 5. Show your commitment
Admissions Tutors like commitment. If you are committed to your subject you are likely to work hard and make a success of the course. Use the Personal Statement to make your case. The best way to do this is through explaining how some relevant practical experience has led to your choice of course.
If you haven't got anything practical to write about you still need to say something which reassures the Admissions Tutor that you've checked out your proposed degree in detail and that you will enjoy it. For example, you could relate the content of the degree to your interests and to the sort of work you liked best in your sixth form studies.
If you are applying for two different degrees (eg medicine plus safety-net subject) it's fine to focus mainly on the first choice subject, especially if the safety-net one is related to it.
It's harder if you've decided to go for two quite different subjects, but the best answer will come from asking yourself 'Actually why am I doing this?'.
If it's because you can't bear to choose, you must be careful. Have you done all that you can to compare these courses or are you just avoiding the possibility of a mistake? It's a tough decision but you need to make it before you fill in the UCAS form. Talk it through in detail with your tutor / teachers / family.
Top Tip 6. Breadth and independence: explain your interests
Admissions Tutors like to see that you have found time to get involved in challenge outside the class-room. Challenge can be anything you have put personal time and energy into which goes beyond purely social activity.
Why is this valued? One reason is that it shows you've got good academic results without having to spend all your spare time studying: you're likely to have plenty in reserve. Another is that you'll probably contribute to university life by joining things, helping organise etc. Finally, students who are independent-minded tend make the transition from sixth-form to university better. They take living away from home and personal time management in their stride while other students may find it all too much.
Your interests almost certainly help show how you meet and soft skills Selection Criteria. The CIFE guide How to write a good UCAS Personal Statement has a lot of ideas on how to put them across effectively.
GOOD LUCK!