APPLICATION PROCEDURE
DEGREE COURSES:
Application for admission to full-time and sandwich first degree courses, diploma of higher education (Dip HE) and higher national diploma (HND) courses at UK universities and most colleges of higher education should be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), P.O. Box 67, Cheltenham, Glos. GL50 3SF.
The UCAS is the central agency which acts on behalf of all UK universities and most colleges for higher education for processing of applications for entry to their first degree, diploma in higher education, higher national diplomas and certain university diploma courses. This centralized system attempts to make the process as fair as possible.
The UCAS form is available from 1st September each year and is generally made available at all British Council offices in the country.
Application schedule for international students
May - September - You should try and find out all you can about the universities and courses you are keen to apply to.
September - October - 1st September UCAS begins receiving applications. 15th October is applications deadline.
1st September - 15th January - Oxford/Cambridge application should be made.
November - December - UCAS member universities begin interviews. Last date for UCAS application is 15th December.
January - March - Art and Design Applications (ADAR). Last date being 31st March.
April - ADAR institutions begin interviews for first choice offers. Second choice interviews are in 3rd week of May.
May - UCAS acceptance deadline is 15th May for first choice institutions
June - ADAR placements
August - September - Clearing process begins from UCAS
Filling the form
In the UCAS form there is a section headed `Personal Statement'. This is for you to say why you are applying and to support your application you must give evidence of relevant interests or work experience. Put down anything you have achieved: Duke of Edinburgh Awards, sports certificates, participation certificates and awards acquired in curricular activities.
The cost for applying is £ 5 for a single choice and £ 15 for up to six choices.(subject to revision)
Referee's report or recommendation
Your `referee' (teacher, principal, and counselor) should fill in the recommendation page of the form. They should describe your academic achievements and your potential (including their assessment of what grades you will achieve), what type of student you are (how motivated and interested you are) and how you cope with organizing your work. This report is confidential. If you have experienced any particular health or personal problems which are known to the school, these may be mentioned here if your referee thinks they have affected (or are likely to affect) your exam performances at school.
The form must reach the UCAS office between 1st September and 15th December in the year preceding the proposed year of entry. UCAS forwards applications to universities/colleges who consider it at their discretion. The UCAS process is:
- The receipt in the UCAS office of completed application forms (applicants are asked on the form to name up to 6 courses to which they wish to apply) ;
- Transmission by the office of a copy of each application form to those institutions named on it by the applicant ;
- Communication to the applicant, by the office, of decision made by each university/college on his/her application ;
- A Clearing Scheme which enables applicants whose original applications were unsuccessful to be considered by other institutions with vacant places.
- The British system requires everyone to apply one year in advance of entry. UCAS allows an applicant to fill in only one form each year.
Application acceptance
Universities usually give an unconditional offer to those who satisfy entry requirements by their existing qualifications. UCAS institution sends acceptance or rejection directly to the applicant. Conditional offers are made when A grade level have to be considered. After receiving all replies a student has the option to keep one as firm offer and the other as a standby. Grades at your exam decide whether you will go to the college of your first choice. The responses must reach UCAS by mid May after decisions from all universities have been received.
On failing to fulfill conditional requirements for admission:
Conditional offers are made by Universities which define the Grades you need to achieve for getting a final offer; these are generally in relevant subjects at the `A' level. If you fall short of the desired grades for your first and second choice colleges you may take the `clearing option' through which UCAS places students in vacant places. Direct contact with the universities also helps since many universities accept students even after the term has begun.
The clearing process
Clearing is like a waiting place for applicants who fail to receive offers or who do not get the right grades. The clearing house has all remaining vacancies in institutions and hence it helps to place unplaced applicants into a vacant position.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE (ELC)
Some ELC can be started at any time of the year whereas others have fixed admission schedules. Students must apply directly to the school.
BOARDING SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
Most schools begin in September. Some admit students even a year in advance. Application can be made through British Council Libraries.
CAREER BASED COURSES
Students must apply directly to the institution offering these courses. There is no application deadline usually but students must keep ample time for making arrangements for travel & stay.
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SPECIAL COURSES:
Art and design courses
There are 2 types of institutions providing art and design degrees - the conventional universities and the studio based courses.UCAS is responsible for helping applicants to some design degrees while ADAR makes admissions to studio based courses in England, Wales and Ireland.
Address for contact:
Art and Design Registry at Penn House, 9 Broad Street, Hereford HRG 4 9AP,
Merger of UCAS and ADAR - Application for art and design courses from 1997 are submitted in 2 ways, 1st option: For some courses (given in UCAS handbook) 6 choices can be given and the form submitted by 15th December. Applications are sent to all 6 institutions. 2nd option: you may enter 4 choices send in your application by March. The order of preference has to be given on a separate form so that your application is considered in that order.
Fine art courses in the portfolio submission scheme - Since 1995 four separate portfolio submission schemes are in operation. These are listed below:
Central portfolio submission scheme - University of Wales, University of Edinburgh, Reading offer honors degree courses in Fine Art, and have a central scheme for the submission of portfolios during January. The scheme is administered by the University of Reading. A separate registration fee is payable for this service. Applicants who include on their application form a course in Fine Art at one or more of the above universities get details about the submission of portfolios.
For the Bachelor of Fine Art course at the Ruskin School, Oxford, applicants are to submit an Oxford application card by 15th October and a portfolio of artwork by 15th November. Portfolios are returned to applicants in time for the Central Portfolio submission administered by University of Reading, and the State Portfolio Examination.
Details may be obtained from:
Oxford Colleges Admissions Office, Wellington Square, Oxford OXI 2JD.
The Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London conducts an independent portfolio examination, in mid-January. A separate fee is payable for the examination. Applicants who include the Slade on their application form receive details of the scheme.
Goldsmiths' College, University of London assesses applicants through 12 slides showing examples of their work.
In order to be certain of receiving detailed instructions in time to meet the portfolio submission deadlines, application forms which include courses in Fine Art within the central portfolio submission scheme and the Slade Portfolio examination, should reach UCAS well before 15th December.
Each centre (Reading University, the Ruskin School, the Slade School, and Goldsmiths’ College) clears any doubts about the scheme, not UCAS.
Teacher's training courses
For B.Ed courses application must be made through UCAS at
Fulton House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL 50 34H
In Ireland the Department of Education is responsible for the teachers training program. Applications may be procured from -
Department of Education in Northern Ireland, Rethgael House, Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Dawn BT 19 7, Northern Ireland
For post graduation, the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) and the Indian Human Resource Ministry, coordinate the application process.
For Special Education address enquires to:
Information Section, Teacher's Training Agency, Portland House, Stag Place, London SW/E 5TT.
Nursing/Social work
To work as a nurse in UK a nursing license issued by UKCC is required. This is the regulatory body in UK. A qualified nurse from overseas works on annual contracts initially. Information about Indo-UK Nurses Association (INKUNA) is available on Website: www.indouknurses.org.
Nurses Central Clearing House (NCCH), PO Box 346, Bristol BS 99 7FB handles applications for individual nursing institutions in England. This organization keeps information about all current and proposed courses. UCAS also handles diploma and degree courses in nursing.
In Scotland the application must be sent to NBS Centralized application to:
Nurse Training Clearing House (CATCH) Post Box 21, Edinburgh, EH2 1NT.
For postgraduate courses in social work applications must be sent to (SWAS):
Social Work Admission System, Fulton House, Jessop Avenue, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL 50 3SF. Undergraduate placements are monitored by UCAS.
Applying to Cambridge and Oxford
Many applicants to Oxford and Cambridge Universities have been admitted on the basis of special entrance examinations organized by the colleges, but increasing discontentment with this system which is thought to discriminate against the maintained schools is leading both universities towards the use of 'A' grades together with interviews as the main method of selection.
The rules for Oxford and Cambridge applications differ from UCAS in the following ways:
Unlike UCAS the closing date for Oxford and Cambridge is 15th October
Oxford has an application card which must reach its office by that date
Cambridge preliminary application form should be sent to the Cambridge Intercollegiate office and to UCAS
Address for reference is as follows:
University of Cambridge Intercollegiate Application Office, Kellett Lodge, Tennis Court Road Cambridge CB 2 1QJ.
Oxford application too must go through UCAS and to Oxford Colleges Admissions Office
Address for reference is as follows:
Oxford College Admissions Office, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD.
Cambridge conducts interviews in September and December. In September interviews are held for those who are school leavers. Responses are sent out to reach the applicant by end of October/ January. Cambridge colleges often give conditional offer to those who are awaiting `A' level results.
Oxford admits students who have not yet taken (A) examinations, either by interview and conditional offer (mode N for post A level students) or by entrance examination (mode E for pre A level students). Cambridge, however, since 1987, has made use, for some candidates, of a new sixth-term examination (`STEP') as an adjunct to (A) examination.
Currently Oxford has stopped the separate entry exam.
Mode N has no written exam but has the scheme offering conditional offer. A level applicant gets conditional placements based on these grades.
Applicants cannot apply to Cambridge and Oxford in the same year except for those who are applying for `Organ award' at both these universities.
For Scotland universities applications must go through UCAS. The degree courses are of 4-year duration like in other university systems throughout the world. The first year is the foundation year for students from many faculties.
APPLICATION FOR POSTGRADUATE COURSES
Postgraduate courses in the UK are perhaps one of the best in the world. There are generally more applications than vacancies. The very best places have a high demand and get filled up very quickly. An international applicant will take roughly a year and a half to complete all formalities.Applications is received between November and March. You have to apply directly to the university and not through UCAS as for first degrees. There is no central clearing house for postgraduate courses. Application to the university may be addressed to the Central postgraduate admissions department or to the international department for overseas applicants.
International applicants are assessed on the basis of their application form, references and academic record. Universities welcome work experience. Both part time and full time work experience are considered when granting admission. University admissions office would like to assess your motivation. You may be asked to write why do you want to pursue the course or what do you expect after the course. Genuine interest in the program offered by the university brings a favorable response.
