UCAS: How not to miss the deadline
Getting your application in early means more choice for you
UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service) holds a major HE deadline across the UK and most likely one of the most carefully written applications you’ll be sending in during your college studies.
Here is a clear and simple guide to making sure you don’t miss the deadline, or risk getting into Clearing whilst ensuring you are applying for the right HE courses.
Get careers advice
Talk to your personal Tutor, subject teachers and more importantly with your career advisors to help you to explore options and talk in-depth about your future plans. They will be able to guide you and offer sound advice to assist you in making the right choice. Try to remember that these services exist for you so take advantage of it and book appointments to see them.
Search Higher Education courses
Book yourself time during the first year of your studies to conduct some research into degrees, or HND’s or apprenticeships. With so many HE courses and apprenticeships to choose from, you’ll need to invest more time to research different options and various pathways into your chosen career to leave you feeling confident about your final choices.
Why universities value career-driven vocational courses
They key to finding a good apprenticeship
Prioritise your workload
When you keep a note of key dates and important deadlines (in the right order) you will find that you are less pushed for time. Update your calendar as you go about your day. Have a checklist….
You will be able to figure out how much time you have between deadlines and then task yourself with what you should do first and what you should do last. You’ll also find that you’re less stressed and can focus a lot better.
10 tips for student to better manage priorities - Priority Matrix Productivity
Start drafting your personal statement early
The hardest part is getting started and knowing what to write in the first place. The best way to start is to begin writing about yourself and what you want for your future. Imagine you are talking to someone.
You can then go back to your draft and write more on:
why that particular programme is interesting to you
the work have you completed that relates to that programme
what units you have covered that have inspired you
any further reading or research you have completed to express your interest and passion for the subject
Make sure you ask your Tutor or subject teacher to look at your statement and give you any further advice and guidance. This will give you enough time to perfect your statement before submission.
How to start a personal statement: the killer opening
10 tips for writing a personal statement for university applications
Meet your Tutor and attend a second careers interview
There is no limit to the number of times you can speak to your careers advisor or your Tutor. Once you have completed your research, you can discuss this in more depth with your career advisor and Tutor. This will help you gain some clarity and reinforce your choices to make you feel more confident about your choices.
Submit your application
Give yourself a personal deadline, such as a week before the actual deadline. That will help to mentally prepare you for all the related research you need to do and the advice you need to obtain, along with working on your UCAS application form early.
This way you will have plenty of time for last-minute changes, without the stress of rushing through the whole process. You will also have a better chance of securing offers for your preferred HE courses as opposed to applying late or going through Clearing. Clearing can limit your overall options on a range of HE programmes and it is better to get a head-start on your career journey with all the support that is available to you at this point in your studies.
Filling in your UCAS application
Research related topics
Principal’s column: How to write an outstanding personal statement