A great deal of my time at the moment has been taken up with applying to university. From going to open days and looking around over a year ago, to the position I’m in at the moment where I’m moving out in 5 days, it’s been a really interesting and unique experience. I’m going to write an overview of what I’ve gone through, and share some tips and experiences.

What to look for

The course comes first. By far the most important thing to decide is what you’re going to want to study for three or four years of your life. Once you’ve come to that conclusion, you need to realistically assess what grades you’re going to get at A level. Then, just simply look for the highest regarded university who is likely to make you an offer.

Look at distance from home, accommodation (catered or not, ensuite or not), the size of the city it’s in, cost of living and all the other things you can think of. Factor it all in, and come to a decision of 5 universities.

Personal Statement

Applying through UCAS online is a very simple process - by far the most complicated aspect is writing your personal statement. I had guidance from all over when writing mine, but the most important pieces of advice were to keep it concise, cover all your strengths and explain specifically why you want to be on that exact course. You of course can’t be specific to one university, but ideally be specific and positive about that course. This is a copy of what was (almost) the final draft of my personal statement:

In Year 10, I was given the opportunity to complete a work placement at HBOS PLC in Halifax. This first experience of the business environment fascinated me, and from then on I have been interested in a career in management. My thoughts have been confirmed by two subsequent work placements. I spent one week at the O2 head office in Leeds, which involved looking at how the company operates as a whole as well as on a departmental level. This helped to improve my communication skills, by allowing me to talk to several different people on a daily basis about their role in the company. I also visited DLKW, a London-based marketing company (a placement I organised myself). It was amazing to see a large-scale London based company working with clients from across the world. I particularly enjoyed being shown the process of constructing a marketing campaign - from the initial brief to the finished product.

Through a degree in management, I hope to open up new opportunities for myself in that career field. I would like to focus on a generic management course (rather than a combined or specialised degree), as I enjoy looking at how the various aspects of management link together in an organisation. All my A-Levels involve being committed to the subject, working on coursework, and managing my time successfully. I enjoy AVCE Business, as it covers several different aspects of management and gives me the chance to look at how processes function in actual companies. These have included organisations such as Apple, who I have a particular interest in. I occasionally write for a website called ‘The Apple Blog’, reviewing Apple related products. AVCE offers a good combination of coursework and examined modules, which has allowed me to improve on both these methods of assessment.

I completed the OCR IT qualification to a Level 3 Diploma standard, to have something to show for the ICT skills I had acquired over previous years. It helped to educate me about business documents, and improved my proof-reading skills. I am also taking part in a Young Enterprise scheme with a group of other students, setting up a small business within college with the aim to make a profit.

I follow an interest in the Internet and computers, and have been designing websites for various companies since I was 13. This has involved liaising regularly with clients ranging from hypnotherapists to a film production company (even attending film premieres!). I also started to offer ‘web hosting’ in 2004, reselling packages to around 30 customers across the world (offering them space to put their company’s website online). This entailed setting up invoicing/payment systems, and has taught me to manage my finances. The venture was profitable from the outset.

I enjoy playing sport, and have recently been selected for a local tennis team. I have played squash for several years, and started to take lessons in golf last summer. I also enjoy playing the keyboard and have gained a merit in Grade 5 theory. I have completed six months voluntary work at a local Christian bookshop, and this has lead to working in various local schools with a Christian charity called CICS. This involves making regular presentations to classes and assemblies, a new skill for me. I am continuing with voluntary work this year, with a view to complete the Millennium Volunteers award in early 2006.

I am thoroughly looking forward to studying management at university. The chance to focus on the subject I have a passion for is a fantastic opportunity.

That’s the style that I followed, and it seemed to work fine for me. You obviously need to think long and hard about your personal statement as it’s something that can really set you apart from the rest of the crowd.

Responses

You then hear back gradually from one university after another as they let you know whether they have accepted your application or turned you away for one of various reasons. I was rejected from Warwick and Bath universities, I believe because they didn’t really accept the Double AVCE Qualification which I was working on. You then need to choose two to submit further as your Firm and Insurance choice. Your Firm choice is the one you definitely want to go to providing you get the grades. Your Insurance is generally a university which has slightly lower requirements, but which you would still be happy to go to.

Results…

This is always a tense time, whether you’re desperate to get your results to proceed to university, or whether you are just curious to see how you’ve done. If you get the grades you need, then you’re contacted by your university to welcome you into your place. If not, you need to go through a process called Clearing, where you compete for the remaining places which weren’t filled by other candidates.

Accommodation

Once you’ve confirmed your place at a university, you need to go through the process of applying for accommodation. This is often very much a decision about how much you’re willing to spend. It ranges from around £2500 to £5000 per year, and there’s a lot of scope for the quality of accommodation you’d like to stay at. Often, ‘Halls of Residence’ are provided to every student moving in in their first year. You are often expected to find your own accommodation in the years afterwards. This works well, as staying in Halls gives you a great opportunity to settle in and socialise in your first year at university. Or there’s always a camper van…

Leaving

Then you’re off! It’s incredible how quickly this process flies by - it doesn’t seem like two minutes since I was attending open days and looking into where to go. I’m thoroughly looking forward to moving out and experiencing university for myself - I’ve heard great things about it!