Ravens Wood School

1
Ravens Wood School Higher Education
Parents and Students Information Evening
2
Why university?
Brigitte BurrowsQueen Mary, University of London
3
Going to university - the decision-making
process
J D HulmeHead of Higher Education Applications
4
The Applications Process Timing Finance
5
In Year 12

• Centigrade helps students focus on realism and
  their futures
• Use the internet to research
• with an open but critical mind
• work hard to gather information
• Talk to teachers, other students, parents,
  university tutors

6
Year 12 - Continued
Research using www.ucas.com which gives you
Access to university web pages
Entry profiles for courses
Also use paper and on-line prospectuses
Attend Open Days - not more than two per term
Learn how to write a Personal Statement
7
In Year 13
Find out about the Internet-based APPLY
applications process from your form tutor
APPLY asks about

• where you want to go (choice of 5)
• your education and qualifications
• your personal details
• your Personal Statement
• your work experience

We write you a reference and send it all off to
Ucas
8
Year 13 - Continued

• Have a careers interview.
• Do your course choices match your career
  aspirations?

• Do you want a Gap Year?
• Research worthwhile things to do - not just
  working locally. - Lots of web sites - e.g.
  www.gap-year.com, www.gap.org.uk

9
Year 13 - Continued

• Find out your predicted grades (not your target
  grades)
• Predicted grades are what your teachers believe
  you will get in summer 2009

• Find out about the Ucas Tariff

• A level points
• A 120 points
• B 100 points
• C 80 points
• D 60 points
• E 40 points
• AS half A level points

10
Year 13 - Continued
Match your predicted grades with course
requirements in Entry Profiles and published data
Choose five courses that match your predicted
grades and your Personal Statement
Talk to your form tutor or to me about your
choices
11
KEY DATES
I need to see Oxford, Cambridge, Medicine,
Dentistry, Veterinary and Law candidates this term
Subject Reference Request forms to me before
October 2008
Follow the instructions on the shiny notice on
your form room wall
Finish your application before Half Term in
October if you are serious about university.
First come, first served.
Applications after 22nd November 2008 may well
miss Ucas' deadline.
February/March 2009 - Finance Forms online
12
When all your offers are in, reply to Ucas with
Firm and Insurance decisions
Keep your Ucas number and password safe
Find out about Clearing, just in case (when
students without courses are matched with courses
without enough students)
Results day in August 2009 - we are there to
help
September/October 2009/10
13
Student finance changes
Up-front fees are no longer charged for new
students
Instead, students take out student fee loans
However, universities will (almost) all be
charging undergraduate fees of 3,145 per year
14
So expect to leave university with a big debt for
fees plus the student maintenance loan
However, there should be lots of financial help -
e.g. bursaries - for students of parents on low
incomes
Students from families with incomes below 38,330
can apply for a non-repayable maintenance grant
if family income is below 22,100 the
full grant is available, worth 2,835 p.a.
Many universities offer non-refundable bursaries
to the least well off
15
Parents will be better off, as they wont have to
find the up-front fees
Graduates will repay their loans like extra
income tax when they earn more than 15,000 per
year
Graduates earning 20,000 p.a. will repay 40 a
month, for example
16
Questions?