Tips on UCAS applications

Marcus Williams
Deputy Director of Student Recruitment
GCSE answers

Q: What is meant by momentum?

A: What you give a person when they are
going away
Q: What is meant by a vacuum?
A: Vacuum: A large empty space where the
pope lives
Q: What is meant by gravity?
A: Gravity was invented by Isaac Walton. It is
chiefly noticeable in the Autumn when the
apples are falling off the trees
GCSE answers

Q: What is the Fibula?

A: A small lie
Q: What is a seizure?
A: A Roman Emperor
Q: What does the word ‘benign’ mean?
A: Benign is what you will be after you be
eight.
What we will cover

☐ The context of applying to university

☐ What admissions tutors look for
☐ Why demonstrating skills is important
☐ How to structure a personal statement
☐ Examples of the good, bad and the ugly
Learning objectives

☐ To understand the importance of the personal

statement to HEIs
☐ To understand what to include in a personal
statement
☐ And what not to… (by way of examples)
☐ To understand your responsibilities
Applicants to places – which is the
hardest course to get into?

Civil Engineering
Dentistry
Drama
History
Law
Medicine
Psychology
Ratio of applications to acceptances (by
subject. Source UCAS) UK applicants, 2007 entry

Subject Total Total

applications accepts
Ratio
Medicine 73,374 7,837
9.4 : 1
Dentistry 11,283 1,199
9.4 : 1
Drama 49,509 6,822
7.3 : 1
History 47,111 7,444
6.3 : 1
Applicants to places – which is the
hardest university to get into?

Birmingham
Bristol
Durham
Exeter
Oxford
Southampton
York
Ratio of applicants to places for 07 entry
(Sourced UCAS web site 10th March 2008)

Number of Number of
Ratio
applicants places
Bristol 43,891 3,846
11 : 1
Durham 29,684 3,651
8.1 : 1
Birmingham 41,050 5,335
7.7 : 1
York 20,150 2,745
7.3 : 1
Applicants per place at Birmingham
(Based on 2007 entry)
Subject Apps Accepts Ratio
☐ Biological Sciences 873 125 7.0
☐ Civil Engineering 673 79 8.5
☐ Dentistry 1,100 75 14.7
☐ English 722 110 6.6
☐ Law 1,295 220 5.9
☐ Medicine 2,652 332 8.0
☐ Physics 640 95 6.7
☐ Psychology 1,263 147 8.6
What is it
Admissions
Tutors look
for?
The Personal Statement – How is it
used?
☐ Used to contextualise the application
☐ Used to confirm the reference
☐ A good one will help with borderline
cases
☐ To find students who will
be interesting to teach
☐ May be used as a basis for
interview
Admissions tutors are looking for ...

☐ Confirmation of motivation and interest in the course

☐ Confirmation of meeting the academic requirements
and that the applicant will cope with the course
☐ Confirmation that the applicant has relevant skills to
succeed
☐ Confirmation that the personal statement and
reference are consistent
The statement needs to address subject
specific skills – e.g. Medicine
E.g. Medicine - Sound academic background
☐ Physical stamina
☐ Manual dexterity
☐ Communication skills
☐ IT skills
☐ Study skills
☐ Team working
☐ Self motivation
Suitability for and interest in the course

For example, if applying for:

☐ Modern Languages, have they visited the country?
☐ Science / Engineering, is their maths good enough
☐ English: can they critically appraise a text?
☐ History: do they understand the use of sources?
☐ Psychology: do they understand the scientific as well
as human side?
Academic skills and potential
Skills for University
Academic achievement, skills and
potential
☐ An indication of their potential for degree level study
and factors that will make them good HE students:
☐ Are they motivated to learn?
☐ Are they capable of independent study?
☐ Do they have an enquiring mind?
☐ Are they able to present an argument?
☐ Can they talk and discuss confidently in class?
☐ Are they good at problem solving?
 A word on predicted grades

☐ Be realistic
☐ This is all that some Admissions Tutors will look at
☐ Some Admissions Tutors will tailor the offer to the predicted
grades
☐ Short explanation of the prediction (especially if not obvious
e.g. if predicted to go from a poor GCSE to good A level
result because of illness, late development etc)
☐ If they’ve done well in their AS results, say so.
Predicted Grades

☐ It doesn’t do the applicant any favours if their

predicted grades are CCC and they are applying for
courses that need AAB for entry
☐ Many Admissions Tutors place great store by GCSE
results and use predicted grades to confirm
judgements made based on the GCSE results
Non-academic information
It’s what they say about the subject that
really matters
☐ 70% of the form should be subject related
☐ If they quote, make sure it’s correct
☐ Give evidence of reading around the subject and
quote off the syllabus
☐ Mention of extra-curricula activities should relate to
the skills that have been developed and are relevant
for the course
We like evidence of critical thinking

☐ Have they done Critical Thinking or

General Studies
☐ Do they read newspapers daily?
☐ Do they read subject specific
journals (e.g. Lancet)
☐ Evidence of research
(e.g.Law in Focus, Radio 4 etc)
 What the Personal Statement should
contain
☐ The reason for the course choice – why they
want to study that subject
☐ What they enjoy about that subject
☐ Relevant skills and interests
☐ Relevant strengths and achievements
☐ Relevant work experience and employment

LESS what has been done MORE what they got out of it
Some examples from real
Personal Statements
Not so good
I enjoy the theatre and used to go a couple of times a
year. (Drama)
I am a keen reader and committed to the study of human
behaviour through TV soaps. (Psychology)
My interest in medicine stems from my enjoyment of
‘Casualty’ and other related TV series. (Medicine)
The world is becoming increasingly global. (Economics)
“To be or not to be, that is the question”. It was this quote
from Shakespeare’s Macbeth that persuaded me to study
English. (English)
Not so good
English has been a subject which has fascinated me and I
cannot imagine studying anything else. (Joint Honours
English and Cultural Studies)

I would dearly love to become a vet. Alternatively I would

like to work with animals in either veterinary science or
one of the associated industries, eg dentistry or animal
chiropractor. (Physiotherapy)

Radiography appeals to me ... helping patients

emotionally and physically ... enjoy a wide range of topics
in biology. (Joint Honours Drama and English)
Good ... showing sustained interest

I organised a reading circle for Year 9 children in

school, where we read and discuss books and produce
book reviews for the school newsletter. (English)

My English teacher introduced us to the war poets in

Year 11, and ever since I have been reading as much
of it as I could find. Last year my family and I travelled
to France and we visited some of the war graves. It
really helped my understanding of the feelings they
expressed in their poetry. (English)
Good … interest in the subject

I am also particularly interested in the dominant role of

the language in French culture, finding the
Francophone determination to preserve the language
fascinating (especially when compared to the English
attitude to language). (French)

I am interested in the way that language shapes society

and consequently how people are affected by changes
to a language. I am also fascinated as to how analysing
literature can enable us to study a society and its
culture in more depth. (English)
 Good ... understanding of the subject

The discipline, logic and challenge of mathematics interest

me greatly, and during the A Level course I have
particularly enjoyed studying mechanics as I am very
interested in the subject’s scientific applications. As a
physics student I have had opportunities to apply the
mathematical principles I have learnt to physical
situations. (Mathematics)

The problem solving aspects of maths challenges appeal

to me as they bring together different branches of
mathematics and go beyond what is taught in the
classroom. (Mathematics)
 Good ... understanding of the subject

Geography is a subject that I have always found

fascinating, especially since I realised how it
encompasses both social and political issues.
(Geography)
Since I was a child, I have had a passion for history, but I
had always thought that the colourful characters of the
past had no connection with the modern world. However,
my A level studies have shown me that the machinations
of Cardinal Wolsey in the sixteenth century were not so
different from those of modern politicians. (History)
 Good ... interest and clear reasons
The English dramatist Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote that
‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. The written word’s
power is precisely the reason I wish to study English
Literature at university. I have always been fascinated by
the effect good writing can have on a reader, and by the
way a writer uses words. (English)

My favourite aspect of literature is poetry. I love to study

both form and meaning, mainly in modern poets like Carol
Ann Duffy, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, although I have
also read and enjoyed work by John Donne, John Clare
and of course Shakespeare. (English)
 Good … relevant work experience
During my work experince with Honeywell, I joined a team
of chemical engineers and was able to observe them
implementing a project at a petrochemical plant. This not
only gave me an insight into their work, but also allowed
me to gain knowledge of the petrochemical industry.
(Chemical Engineering)

My work experience at Ove Arup involved designing a

building, as part of a team of other students, and then
presenting our ideas to a group of engineers. This helped
my presentation and team working skills as well as giving
a valuable insight into the work of a civil engineer. (Civil
Engineering)
Good ... understanding of skills
My decision to study medicine has been reaffirmed
over the last year after undertaking work experience
placements in various parts of the health service …
these enabled me to gain an insight into the working
life of a doctor and showed the need for good
teamworking, communication and interpersonal skills.
(Medicine)
Good … brings together joint honours

For one of my pieces of French coursework, I will be

studying the issue of children fathered by German
soldiers during the occupation. This allows me to
combine the disciplines of History and French, and
in preparation for this, I will be reading 'Enfants
Maudits' by Jean-Paul Picaper and Ludwig Norz,
and 'Carnets de Memoires' by Michele Rotman.
(French and Modern History)
Good ... knowledge and realism
I know that in medicine there is not always a perfect
solution to a patient’s problem, but there is always
something that can be done. I would like to bring my
caring and compassionate qualities, together with
communication, confidence and teamwork ... to ensure
the best possible outcome for the patient. (Medicine)
General Guidance on the Personal
Statement 1 of 2

☐ At least 70% should concentrate on course or

subject related issues and why they want to study
that subject
☐ They need to show motivation, commitment and
enthusiasm for the chosen course or subject
☐ Analyse experiences and skills and relate them to
the course or subject
☐ They need to be specific, honest and positive
 General Guidance on the Personal
Statement 2 of 2

☐ It must be well structured, with correct grammar and

spelling
☐ Don’t start every sentence with ‘ I ’
☐ Ensure they get someone else to read it (preferably
every time they re-draft it)
☐ If possible, avoid banal over-used words such as ‘I am
passionate about…’
Interviews
☐ Not all institutions interview
☐ Not all courses interview
☐ Some have to interview
☐ Have they researched the course content?
☐ How will they present themselves?
your interviewers will not be dressing up for you so should
you dress up for them?
☐ Do they need to take anything?
☐ Should they have some questions to ask?
 The ideal interviewee for medicine
☐ Has a clear idea of what doctors actually do
☐ Understands the education and training requirements
☐ Can show evidence of genuine interest in medicine
☐ A fluent and articulate speaker who is able to converse
on a range of subjects and shows warmth of personality
through non-verbal behaviour
☐ Has a variety of interests and hobbies (including
participation in sport), at least one of which has been
pursued to a reasonably high level of proficiency
☐ Well read and with a good knowledge of human affairs
Taking a Gap Year
☐ Get them to think about it carefully … is it right for
them?
☐ 7.4% of students nationally take a GAP year
☐ 95% of Admissions Tutors are generally not against
a Gap Year – none are at Birmingham
☐ However, Gappers have often got out of the habit of
studying and may struggle with maths-based
subjects
☐ If they decide to take a Gap Year, get them to do
something constructive and make it clear in their
application what they are doing and why
Summary
☐ Research the courses on offer
☐ They should try and visit an institution / several HEIs
☐ Know the competition / ratios of applicants
☐ Make clear:
Student potential
Any unusual circumstances
☐ Ensure that their personal statements are original and in
their own words
☐ Get the applications in as early as possible