Home Work & Study
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

UCAS/Uni ??

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
Right i may sound really dumb here but i'm totally confused (I have a crap personal tutor at college who tells us nothing).

I'm about to enter my second year at college in September and i have a few questions which would be nice if they can be answered.

Is it vital that you apply to universities through UCAS, or is there other ways?

When are you meant to apply to universities, before the end of this year?

Have i left it all too late, i'm lost, please help clear this up :crying:
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    UCAS is the main way you apply to universities. You can't really apply any other way, like direct to the institution. However, some specialized courses require you to apply through a different method (like teaching) but generally the way forward is UCAS.

    I take it you are planning on entering uni next September (Sept 07)? If so, don't panic - you can't apply yet. They are still dealing with applications for this academic year and will be really busy as clearing still hasn't finished.

    You can apply from September to December for next year. Anything after that is classed as a late application and you may not get anywhere with it. You are not guaranteed any replies after that date.

    Seriously, don't panic too much. Have a look at the UCAS website here. It'll tell you a lot of what you need to know.

    What is it you want to do? Have you ideas and stuff?

    :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    you do have to apply through ucas for most courses but i think nursing courses are done through someone else.

    to be honest you only really need to be looking at unis at the moment, start deciding on the course you want to do then maybe pick around twenty unis you think your interested in.

    you dont need to start applying yet i think the deadline is mid december (not to sure) best thing to do is just look around first and get information, then by november try to have it down to 6 choices. you dont need to pick your final two till next may.

    to be honest theres not really much need to panic yet, if they still havent told you any information by middle of october id get onto the ucas website and have a look what they say
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    UCAS is the main way you apply to universities. You can't really apply any other way, like direct to the institution. However, some specialized courses require you to apply through a different method (like teaching) but generally the way forward is UCAS.

    I take it you are planning on entering uni next September (Sept 07)? If so, don't panic - you can't apply yet. They are still dealing with applications for this academic year and will be really busy as clearing still hasn't finished.

    You can apply from September to December for next year. Anything after that is classed as a late application and you may not get anywhere with it. You are not guaranteed any replies after that date.

    Seriously, don't panic too much. Have a look at the UCAS website here. It'll tell you a lot of what you need to know.

    What is it you want to do? Have you ideas and stuff?

    :)

    Hey thanks, that has made me feel a little less worried about the situation.

    So should i just apply for a UCAS card and fill in the application for now?

    Then worry about everything else nearer the time? Hopefully college will enlighten me a little bit more on the situation when i go back.

    I haven't a clue what i want to do as a career which doesn't help choosing a course :( i just can't imagine myself working, however i am thinking maybe Psychology, possible combined with Criminology. I'm unsure yet but time will tell.

    Thanks you two for the help there, any more advice is welcomed :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you're unsure, then do the Stamford Test on the UCAS website.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sofie wrote:
    If you're unsure, then do the Stamford Test on the UCAS website.

    I have done that, it came out with what i was thinking of doing in the first place, and others which weren't much of an interest.

    Thank you anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Deadling if you're applying to Oxbridge is November or late October.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do you know of anyone who has done the course you want to do? You could talk to them and ask them what it was like.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sofie wrote:
    Do you know of anyone who has done the course you want to do? You could talk to them and ask them what it was like.

    Not really, i met a stuck up girl in a pub once who said she did it but she didn't really say too much about it, just that the mathmatics side of it is a bit confusing.

    But either way, if/when i go to an open day i'm sure there will be plenty of Psychology students willing to give their opinions.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lucifer Devil is doing Social Policy with Criminology (I think?) so she might be able to tell you a bit about the criminology side of things.

    You really don't need to be doing any more than looking at courses and unis at the moment. I'm not convinced you can even access the application pages yet, but I'm not sure.

    In you application there's five parts: Your six course/university choices, your personal statement, your qualifications/educational background, your personal details aaaaand.. something else I don't remember. I think it's another bit similar to the personal details, but I'm not sure. Maybe there's only four parts. :confused: Then once you've done those, your college/sixth form should check it all off, add a reference (maybe that's the fifth part?) and send it to UCAS.

    The two that take the most time and effort are the personal statement, and the research into courses and universities - you can start both now, if you're anxious about getting it done on time. Research into courses and universities is pretty self-explanatory - get on the websites, order prospectuses, book in for open days, etc.

    There's plenty of threads on thesite offering personal statement advice, as well as a ton of others on the internet, so you can start getting some ideas together for that as well, though I wouldn't spend hours and hours on getting it drafted perfectly til you've had it scanned over by a tutor or someone similar.

    There's absolutely no rush though, unless you're applying to Oxbridge in which case you'll need to have your application in by late Octoberish. The deadline the past two years has been mid-January, and so long as your application is in before that date then the universities have to consider it.

    I've applied twice, and had six offers back both times - the first time, I started looking round universities in my first year, looked in more detail over the summer before my second year, started my application in September and submitted it in December. The second time, I did the entire application (university research, the lot) in less than two weeks (that was with the benefit of having done it before, though) and submitted it the day before the deadline, so there's absolutely no reason for you to be worrying about getting it done just yet. Obviously it's better to get it done sooner rather than later, just so it's a weight off your mind and you start getting offers back earlier, but it doesn't matter at all that you've not got it all done and finished by now. :)
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    squeal wrote:
    Hey thanks, that has made me feel a little less worried about the situation.

    So should i just apply for a UCAS card and fill in the application for now?

    Then worry about everything else nearer the time? Hopefully college will enlighten me a little bit more on the situation when i go back.

    I haven't a clue what i want to do as a career which doesn't help choosing a course :( i just can't imagine myself working, however i am thinking maybe Psychology, possible combined with Criminology. I'm unsure yet but time will tell.

    Thanks you two for the help there, any more advice is welcomed :)

    There is no point filling in the application form now. I don't actually know if there are any for 07 entry yet.

    Also, very few people have a real clue what they want to do at uni at this stage. Your best bet is to have a look at prospectuses, read up on various unis, look at the different courses and find out what interests you.

    Wait and see, in October, what your college tells you. I don't think you can do much til then anyway. Just have a look around and see what you fancy.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Lil Laura wrote:
    Lucifer Devil is doing Social Policy with Criminology (I think?) so she might be able to tell you a bit about the criminology side of things.


    well it's criminology and social policy actually but y'know. :p

    feel free to send any questions my way. i'm going into my 3rd year now. :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Have you been to a higher education fare yet?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sofie wrote:
    Have you been to a higher education fare yet?

    Not yet, there was one at Sheffield that alot of people went to which had alot of uni's there, however i had my driving test that day and i couldn't go.

    I know which uni i would like to go to, want to stay close to home so it's not really about finding out which one i would like to go to, as i already know.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Doesn't your college have a careers department? They should have info & maybe some prospectuses. Maybe go have a talk to them?

    Also while I don't doubt your tutor might be a bit crap, maybe cut them a bit of slack here - like others have said unis are still dealing with applications for this year, & it's the holidays. My tutor didn't say anything about uni until we went back to college in September for our 2nd year. Of course it's never too early to consider possible subjects though...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    squeal wrote:
    Is it vital that you apply to universities through UCAS, or is there other ways?

    When are you meant to apply to universities, before the end of this year?

    Have i left it all too late, i'm lost, please help clear this up :crying:

    As others have said, definitely before the end of the year (and October for Oxbridge and/or medicine).

    I would also suggest if you're applying to popular Universities - Psychology courses tend to be popular - that you aim to get the form in by the end of October. If you know what you want to do the earlier the better (bear in mind that if your college aren't great it might take them some time to put the reference together).
Sign In or Register to comment.