Admission Procedure for Undergraduate Level in UK
Across the United Kingdom there are may university colleges, university departments and institutes of higher education to offer college degree programmes. To get admission in an Undergraduate course, you can apply online through UCAS. Admission process is highly selective competitive.
Eligibility Criteria for College Admission
Before applying, you necessitate to determine that you hold or are likely to achieve the right grades at the right level and in the right subjects for the course you have selected.
For undergraduate courses you normally need to have achieved further education qualifications such as A-levels, International Baccalaureate (IB), Scottish Highers, or equivalent qualifications from your country in related subjects. 18 years of age is compulsory before joining an undergraduate course of studies.
Dates and Deadlines
Deadlines for most courses are in January, but some are in October or March – check at https://www.ucas.com/. You can apply for up to five courses at the same time.
English Language Requirements
Students whose first language is English or are nationals of a majority English-speaking country are admitted without an English qualification.
If English is not your first language, it is indispensable that your English language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) are good enough for you to take on an intensive academic course that is taught and examined in English. Therefore, you may be required to submit the scores of one of the formal qualifications listed below.
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System)– normally a minimum overall grade of 6.0 or above in each element
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) IBT (Internet-based): Minimum score of 80.
Different universities require different test scores. For exclusive details see Standardized Tests
Tariff Points
For undergraduate courses, some universities and colleges use UCAS Tariff points along with specific qualification in their entry requirements. The UCAS Tariff is a way of allocating points to compare post-16 qualifications used for entry to higher education. Usage of the Tariff varies.
Key Documentation
Following are the significant documents needed at the time of applying to a particular course and university:
- Brief details of the course and qualifications that you have undertaken
- Academic: Grades and academic credentials
- Personal Statement: Personal Statement should include details like reasons for applying to this particular university or course, what makes you the suitable candidate for this course- the skills, education and achievements, work experience and Extracurriculars pertaining to the course. You can use up to 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text including spaces and blank lines.
- Reference: Reference from your teacher, professional, tutor or adviser who knows you academically must be submitted online. It should include about your post-16 academic performance, achievements, work experience (if any), extracurricular activities, skills and qualities related to your chosen subject area. For International Students: Comment on their ability to write and verbalize in English, and indication if any of their studies were taught in English is a must to be mentioned in the Reference. You can use up to 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text (including spaces and blank lines) – whichever occurs first.
- Application Fee: Varies from course to course.
- Score Reports- IELTS, TOEFL (If applicable)
- Interview: Interview varies across different subjects and universities/colleges. Seeing you in person is an ideal way for the institutions to ascertain if you'd be a good fit for the course. A bit of research and preparation can make you stand out from the crowd. You can ace the interview if you’d done your homework. Sort out any travel or accommodation you need. Stay calm, alert and confident. Know your subject area and application information well. Be on time.
Types of Offers
- Conditional Offers: These indicate what conditions you have to meet to get your place confirmed- grades, scores or subjects.
- Unconditional Offers: These mean you've already met the entry requirements, so the spot is yours.
- Other Decisions: Consists of “Withdrawn application”, which signifies a course choice can be withdrawn by either you or the university/college or “Unsuccessful application”, which means they've decided not to proffer you a spot on the course.
If you don't get any offers, don’t worry as you might be able to “add extra choices”. Extra can be used if you weren’t accepted by any of the five course providers or you declined the offer. Search for courses with Extra availability. At http://search.ucas.com/ search for the subject you’re interested in and then click ‘Applying through Extra’ on the left-hand side of the screen to view a list. Get in touch with the university or college to determine they can consider you.
To know more about it, visit http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/undergraduate/tracking-your-application/adding-extra-choices
Financial Support
Students are provided with grants and loans to cover their expenses in the UK. Most students receive tuition fee loan to cover the costs. Fees vary by course providers. There are a variety of ways you can apply for financial support- from your course provider or from other governing bodies and systems.