University applications:
- Before returning to Year 13, all students wishing to apply to university should create a UCAS profile and fill in all their data, including their previous exam results. After 18 August they will be able to complete this using their exam results. They should use the buzzword stmichaels2018 to link their application to this centre.
- Students should search courses and institutions before making up to 5 choices on their application. Regarding their suitability for certain courses, they should look at standard offers, using their AS results and A2 or BTEC target grades as a rough indication of what they can hope to achieve in Year 13.
- Students should start to draft their personal statement. The statement will go through several drafts before it is ready to go. Guidance for writing the personal statement is here
St Michael’s deadline: students will decide courses and produce a first draft of their personal statement by September 18th 2017. They would ideally be ready to submit applications before October 20th, 2017.
Early entry confers two possible advantages: firstly, some institutions will make early offers of places; secondly, having UCAS applications completed earlier means that students are able to concentrate on passing their A levels/ OCR Nationals or BTECs in what is a busy and demanding year.
EPQ
All students should take the opportunity to re-draft their EPQ essays and artefacts over the summer, submitting a deadline upon return to Year 13.
St Michael’s deadline: The central part of the Extended Project Qualification- the essay or artefact- should be completed over summer 2017. Only those students who have a realistic chance of meeting or exceeding their target grades will be entered. Decisions on entry will be made based on draft work submitted.
Completing the product over summer allows students freedom to focus on study and UCAS application in the Autumn term. The relatively light work of the reflection and presentation stages of the EPQ can be done, largely independently, in the Spring term.
Summer Transition tasks
Students are expected to complete tasks set by their class teachers in all subjects if they are studying for A level, or an OCR national/BTEC transition task.
St Michael’s deadline: These are submitted upon return to Year 13.
Should students have any issues with the UCAS process they should contact me at school.
Mr G Smith
Asst. Principal- Sixth Form (UCAS and Enrichment)
