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University Applications

A Timeline to Success

If you’re hoping to gain a place at university, you need to start thinking about it in year 11. Competition is intense these days, so the better prepared you are, the better your chances of getting onto that course! By the way, if you’re reading this at the end of year 11, now is a good time for us to remind you that

under no circumstances should any type of holiday be booked during term time in years 12 and 13!

It’s not just good exam results that are needed to get places on these courses. You also need to think about the following things:

Work experience – it’s useful to be able to point to actual experience in the field you are trying to get into.

Courses – there may be courses available to you that show your commitment to a subject, or which help you with the application process (Advanced Extension Awards, for instance).

Wider reading around your subject will help you stand out if you’re called to interview (especially useful for Oxbridge, medical, dentist and vet applicants).

Are there any professional journals, magazines or papers you can subscribe to get background knowledge that will help your application?

What other school activities do you get involved in which will help you to stand out (e.g. sports, music, D of E, etc.)?

To give yourself the best chance, you need to refer to the timeline on the following pages.

Year 11 Year 12

Year 13

Year 11	September	Make your decision about whether or not you’re going to apply this month. You’ll need to be working very hard indeed all year to boost your chances of success in getting on to the course you’re after at the university you want to attend. Start looking at the UCAS website to find out more about the colleges and courses you’re thinking of applying to/for. It’s important you have a clear understanding of what you need from your GCSEs and A levels as well as any other requirements the colleges and courses have. BE REALISTIC at this stage. If your performance so far does not suggest you’ll be able to get the grades you need, it’s better to know now so you can think about alternatives.
Year 11	October	Year 11 into sixth form parents’ evening. This is useful to make sure your parents are as prepared as you for the sixth form. VI form open evening. Attend this to find out more about what A level courses involve.
Year 11	November	New subject sessions. A chance to experience taster lessons in sixth form courses that are not taught at GCSE. Find out if they are for you.
Year 11	September to Christmas	Make sure any course work is up to scratch. If not, talk to your teachers to see if it’s possible to re-do any of it to make it as good as it can be.
Year 11	January	If you’re an Oxbridge/med/dent/vet applicant, look out for and attend the meetings that the sixth form team will organise for possible Oxbridge candidates. You’ll be given lots of guidance there about preparation for applying. Make your application to the sixth form, ensuring that you have selected the right courses for your chosen course and college.
Year 11	February	Attend your sixth form entrance interview with clear ideas about what you need to get to your chosen college and/or course. Listen to the advice of the sixth form team in making sure it’s the right route for you!
Year 11	The rest of year 11	Work really hard to get the best marks. It’s worth finding out what extra help your subjects may provide with revision, etc., and accessing as much of it as you can. Be prepared to attend after school sessions, then, especially as the year draws closer to exams. Start revision in the second half of the spring term (at the latest). Identify any weaknesses in your skills and knowledge and try to address them. Extra help can come from the Internet, your teachers, the library, etc…. Easter is a good time to deal with any particular issues you have in your GCSEs.
Year 11	May/June	Do the best you possibly can in your exams. GOOD LUCK!
Year 11	June	Induction Days. Two days where you find out about life in the sixth form.
Year 12	September	Make sure you’re organised and that you are working hard to achieve the grades you need. In fact, you need to think beyond just grades as it is very likely that Oxbridge (and perhaps a growing number of other universities) will be looking at UMS points achieved in each module. Obviously, the higher the better. Be sure you’re aware of any course work deadlines and whether or not you’ve got January exams to work towards. By the way, Oxbridge (etc.) prefers candidates to get the grades they need first time around!
Year 12	November	Start revising for any January exams. Make sure you’re fully prepared to do your best.
Year 12	January	Exams GOOD LUCK!
Year 12	February	Register for the UCAS card. Higher Education Evening. A night for your parents to find out more about university applications. Oxbridge/Meds/Vets/Dentists need to let us know they’re thinking of applying. Regular meetings for you will begin straight after half term to get you ready for applying. Open days tend to start around now, so look out for details. It’s best to target appropriate colleges having found out as much as you can about their unique features. Remember, the maximum number of open days you can attend during school time is three.
Year 12	March	AS results for January exams Consultation evening this month. Find out from your tutors whether they think you’re on course to achieve the results you need. If not, is there anything you can do to get back on track? If not, again, BE REALISTIC. If it’s unlikely you’re going to succeed, it’s worth thinking now about alternative. Identify any weaknesses in your skills and knowledge and try to address them. Begin revision now for summer exams It’s worth finding out what extra help your subjects may provide with revision, etc., and accessing as much of it as you can. Be prepared to attend after school sessions, then, especially as the year draws closer to exams. Extra help can come from the Internet, your teachers, the library, etc….
Year 12	April	Revision should be in full swing.
Year 12	May	Year 12 study leave mid May Year 12 exams begin GOOD LUCK!
Year 12	June	A2 courses begin mid June Futures Conference in June. A day (possibly two) to begin the online applications process Find out if you need to register for and take any admissions exams (e.g BMAT, LNAT, etc.).
Year 12	July	Higher Education Conference in July, probably. All the major universities will be there to give you information and guidance about their courses. Only 150 places booked, so make sure you get one! Oxbridge talks. Hopefully, we should be able to persuade some Ex SUS students who are already at Oxbridge to come and speak to you about the experience. Medical students may be sitting the new UKCAT exam in July. Many (perhaps most) universities will require this. End of term, Friday 20^th By now, your personal statements should be finished in draft at least. Your online applications should also be close to completion, as long as UCAS get the system up and running in time. All that will be left to do next term will be to collect your references and send it all off after final checks and revisions.
Year 12	August	AS results are issued on 16^th August. If you haven’t got the grades you were expecting, you might need to look at retakes, *if your teachers* *think it’s appropriate*.
Year 13	September	Talk to your teachers about your results. Find out if they think you need/should attempt resits to boost results. The higher the UMS marks, the better, as they’ll count towards your final A2 grades. Do trust them, though. Taking a resit when you don’t really need to only puts extra pressure on you when you could be focusing on your A2 courses. Top universities are increasingly stipulating that results are achieved at the first attempt (i.e. without using resits). At this stage, you again need to be realistic about your chances. If your results, and the advice of your teachers, indicate you are not heading for the grades you need in your A2s, it’s best to begin looking at alternatives/a plan B now. Be optimistic, by all means, but do also be realistic! Otherwise, you’ll be unlikely to succeed in gaining the place you want, which can be disheartening as well as reducing your other choices. Check again now if you need to register for and take any admissions exams (e.g BMAT, LNAT, etc.). Make sure you register and know exactly when and where the exams take place.
Year 13	October	Deadline for Oxbridge/Meds/Vets/Dents applications. Monday 15^th Start preparing for interviews (if necessary). All Oxbridge candidates will be interviewed, and many med/dent/vet students will too. Talk to us about organising practice interviews for you, but do it in plenty of time as we rely on volunteers who will need plenty of notice.
Year 13	November	Subject consultation evening. Double check things are on course for the grades you need. Oxbridge interviews begin. BMAT, LNAT, etc. usually occur around this time.
Year 13	December	Make sure you are ready for any January exams. Talk to your teachers to get any advice you need before you go off for your Christmas revision break! Internal deadline for all UCAS applications, Monday 3^rd.
Year 13	January	Year 13 module exams GOOD LUCK!
Year 13	March	Consultation evening. Last formal opportunity for feedback from subjects. January exam results issued. Identify any weaknesses in your skills and knowledge and try to address them. Begin revision, if you haven’t already for summer exams It’s worth finding out what extra help your subjects may provide with revision, etc., and accessing as much of it as you can. Be prepared to attend after school sessions, then, especially as the year draws closer to exams. Extra help can come from the Internet, your teachers, the library, etc…. Route B advisory closing date, 7^th March. UCAS Extra starts.
Year 13	April	Revision should be in full swing
Year 13	May	Study leave begins during May GOOD LUCK!
Year 13	August	A2 results are issued,16^th. Obviously, you’ll be hoping that your results match the offer you got. If so, congratulations and good luck for the future. If not, you’ll need to look to your insurance offer to see if that is a viable alternative. If things have gone wrong, don’t panic! Things are never as bad as they seem, and there’s always a solution. The sixth form team will be there to help you sort out the best possible way forward. That may involve contacting universities to plead your case, or thinking about gap years, retakes, entering clearing and other alternatives. WHATEVER HAPPENS, PLEASE BE SURE TO ATTEND THE RESULTS DAY SO WE CAN BE ON HAND TO HELP! If you decide to go on holiday that week, be aware that you’ll miss chances to sort out any issues and that it’ll be more difficult when you get back (everyone else will have been on the phone to universities taking up the spare places)!