UCAS

What is UCAS?

UCAS stands for Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

It’s the centralised service that students use to apply to university. Almost everyone who wants to study an undergraduate degree in the UK will have to apply through UCAS.

Through UCAS you can select and apply to universities, the universities take your proposal and decide whether or not to offer you a place. It’s all about helping students find the right university and helping universities find the right students.

Students use UCAS’s online services, namely its ‘Apply’ function, to put together and send off their university applications. Essentially, they are there to make sure your application to university runs smoothly.

Our Sixth Form College provides bespoke support from the start to end of the UCAS application process. With a dedicated team of UCAS-trained mentors, you will be guided through the process to ensure you have the best possible change of securing your dream university place.

What is Unifrog?

Unifrog is an exclusive online platform used by North Chadderton Sixth Form College.

It is a user-friendly website that makes searching for ideal university courses and apprenticeships incredibly easy. It also provides exceptional guidance and support in completing your UCAS application, with thorough advice available on the personal statement section of your application. 

All students at our Sixth Form College have their own personal Unifrog account and, throughout their time at our college, receive training and support in utilising this wonderful platform.

To find out more information about Unifrog, visit www.unifrog.org

OPEN DAY CHECKLIST

1. Identify what you want to know before you leave the campus. Make a note of everything you want to know before you start the day so you can refer to it during your visit. If you haven’t covered off something by the end of the day, you can find someone who can answer your final questions for you.
2. Plan your day. There’s often a lot happening at an Open Day and you won’t want to miss the things that are most important to you. Figuring out what’s happening when and where will make your day much more productive.
3. Attend a subject session. Each university will offer slightly different activities for their courses but it’s important to attend a session for the course (or courses!) that interest you. This will be your chance to get a really good insight into what the course is all about and to ask any questions that you have.
4. Grill someone about the course! Find out if the module options, course content and exam structure will suit you. There are a lot of courses on offer so make sure you choose one that will work for you.
5. Talk to a student ambassador. Talking to current university students is a great way to get behind-the-scenes knowledge about the universities you’re interested in. They’ll give you some great insights into what it’s like to attend the university and will be happy to share their experiences with you.
6. Visit the Students’ Union. University isn’t all about hard work! Make sure you check out the Students’ Union and find out what clubs and societies are available. There’ll be plenty to choose from but it’s good to see the sort of activities that are on offer.
7. Check out the accommodation. What options are available? Where are the different options based? How much does it cost? You’ll want to know this information for each of your top university choices.
8. Have a look at the IT facilities and the libraries. You’ll spend a lot of time studying during your degree course so make sure you know what facilities will be available to you.
9. Ask about the types of jobs that graduates get. It’s important to understand what career you might like to go into when you finish your degree. Asking about the sort of jobs that graduates get when they leave will give you some food for thought before you make your decision.
10. Suss out the public transport. If you don’t have access to a car whilst you’re at university, you’ll want to know how you can get out and about when you’re not studying. Check out what public transport is available so you know how easy it will be to get around.

Students

If you don’t know where to start click here for the ‘UCAS Apply’ webpage. There is a video to explain things, you can register, log-on or just browse the site.
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
www.prospects.ac.uk/index.htm