COVID-19 Outbreak

​18+ applications for university
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Following the closure of schools and the cancellation of all examinations and assessments in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in response to the COVID19 outbreak, the UK government and  Ofqual have asked education providers to provide  a fair and objective grades for GCSE’S, A Levels, Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) and Advanced Extension Award (AEA) in Math. These grades will be based on your previous attainment (from GCSE’s and/or mock exams), non-exam assessment such as coursework, general performance and your predicted grades. These grades will be available on the scheduled results dates (A Level results date 13th August 2020 and GCSE results date 20th August 2020).

​If you are not satisfied with your given grades there will be an appeals process through your education provider and/or an option to sit formal exams in Autumn 2020 or summer 2021. People who chose to sit the exams will have the choice of using whichever grade best reflects their ability. The Government and Ofqual are working with education providers to determine a way of grading vocational programmes such as BTEC’s, we will publish the information here as soon as possible.

What does this mean for UCAS and university applications?
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​To ensure the health and safety of all participants, UCAS have postponed all UCAS higher education exhibitions until 31st July 2020. New dates will be announced in the summer for anyone wishing to reschedule. UCAS have also requested that all universities stop offering unconditional places on programmes or making any amendments to their offers; this is to ensure that applicants do not rush to make decisions, it is vital that you take time to consider all options that are available to you and ensure that you are making the right choice for your future.   
 
If you would like more information, guidance regarding your options, or to speak to a student currently at university the ‘UCAS Hub’ is available to provide advice regarding your personal statement, courses, student finance and university updates. Click on the link to check it out  https://www.ucas.com/what-are-my-options/create-your-ucas-hub-today
 
If you have already accepted a university offer and are concerned about the impact of COVID19 on your scheduled start date please contact your university for up to date advice and guidance. At present all universities plan to launch the 2020/21 academic year as scheduled in September 2020.

If you have applied, don’t forget that the deadline for new university students finance applications is 22nd May 2020 (19th June 2020 for those of you who are returning to university).
​Visit https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/ for more information.

​FE students who have not yet applied to university

If you are due to start your UCAS applications in the next academic year (from September 2020) but have concerns about the impact of this years predicted results please do not worry. If you do not feel like your results are reflective of your work there will be an option to sit exams, your college or sixth form will provide you with details of this once they open again. There will also be an option to sit exams in 2021.

​ It is also important to remember that your UCAS application is not based solely on your grades, your personal statement will have a huge impact on the decision making processes at all universities, so you now have an opportunity to consider your personal statement, enhance your skills, take up new hobbies and- if you are healthy and able to, why not get involved in safe volunteering opportunities within your community (please ensure that any volunteering or hobbies that you do reflect safe practices during the COVID19 outbreak) to enhance your personal statement even more.

Undergraduate Courses

There are over 50,000 undergraduate courses over 395 providers in the UK so there is definitely a lot of research to do before picking one. Picking the right one has a huge bearing on your overall university experience so narrowing down what you might want to do is really important!
Click on some of the links below to start...
UCAS Advice on Choosing a Course
UCAS Subject Guides 
UCAS Search Tool
Prospects Guide to Choosing

Student Finance

Hear from Student Finance England 
Click here to learn more about how you're assessed and paid your loans
Click here for an SFE Factsheet

Open Days and UCAS Fairs

Whilst doing online research is great, actually visiting different universities gives you an insight into what it would really be like to study there. University staff and students will be on hand to tell you all about their institution and support you in deciding if it is the right place for you. 
Click here for useful open day tips
Click here for a list of open days
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Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 many universities are now delivering virtual open days. These days will provide you with an insight into campus life, facilities available, local community an you will also be able to chat to staff and students online. 
To access a list of universities offering virtual open days and the dates of their events please click here.

Key Dates

You can take a look at all key dates for applications on the UCAS website here

Interviews
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Take a look at our top interview tips here
Click here to get our CV template

Choosing a University

Did you know there are 140 universities in the UK?
Some student know exactly where they want to study, some haven't even thought about it and both are fine.
Want to move away from home? Stay at home? Did you know there are 14 universities just a 30 minute journey from Coventry? These are all things you should think about before choosing the university for you.
Check out the top 5 tips from UCAS here
See which universities do virtual tours

Applying

All applications are done through UCAS Apply. You don’t need to do it all at once – you can save your progress and sign back in anytime. Some courses have different deadlines, and many are a long time in advance of the start of the course so it's important to know when your course deadline is. Click on some of the helpful resources below to learn all you need to know about applying:
ThinkHigher's Guide to Applying
The Application Process
​UCAS Application Guide

Personal Statements

A personal statement supports your application to study at a university or college. It’s a chance for you to articulate why you’d like to study a particular course or subject, and what skills and experience you possess that show your passion for your chosen field.

Student  Life

Moving to university is a big step and for many, the first time they'll live independently so hearing from students already doing it is a great way to settle the nerves and normalise things. Here's some useful links to look at:
The Student Room
Student Life
UCAS Chat to Students
Student Discounts