Source：Ksenia Starostina 2020-06-10
Good day!
My name is Ksenia Starostina and I am an expert in applying for higher education in Paradise. We are engaged in admissions to British universities, European universities (such as Germany, Holland and France), and American and Canadian universities. Today we will discuss British universities.
COVID-19: Does the university accept applications?
The question that worries many people is: “Is it necessary to submit documents? Considering the current epidemic and the crisis related to COVID-19, what will usually happen to college admissions.” My answer is: “Yes, you can apply for college. “The plan will receive documents in normal mode. In order to understand why the process went smoothly, let us first understand the submission deadline.
Application deadline
For example, in universities in the UK, the deadline for submitting applications is September 2021-January 15, 2021. There is an earlier deadline-October 15th. It is suitable for those who apply to Oxford or Cambridge University, and those who succumbed to the medical field to become veterinarians, dentists, etc. Applications will be accepted at the beginning of September, that is, the admission cycle of 2021 has not yet begun, but it is planned to start in the normal mode because there is still a lot of time before this date. It is important here to understand that in order to submit documents and have more opportunities, it is necessary to make a robust application. In order to make the application more powerful, in addition to being a strong candidate, you also need to present the application in the best way and be prepared. Therefore, when asked how much time should be taken in advance to prepare the application and participate in admission, we suggest: the sooner the better.
How much do I need to prepare for further studies?
At least one year, two years is better. This will give us enough time to select, prepare, and strengthen the image of the candidates in order to prepare for admission and to appear before the selection committee in the best possible way.
University admission process-UCAS
Let’s talk about how the admission process is organized. British universities apply through a system called UCAS. UCAS is an online system, it is a website that allows students to apply to universities. Almost all British universities have UCAS representatives. You can apply directly to several universities. These are usually private universities. UCAS allows you to apply to up to five universities. You can submit one or two, but up to five. Naturally, it is best to seize every opportunity. It is important to understand that the same application is sent to these five universities. The university cannot see that you sent your application elsewhere. They only received the one sent to them. This means that we can only apply for related directions and majors, or that they should be the same. For example, you cannot study engineering, physics, business and any other subjects. For example, you can go to business, economics, business management or business economics. In other words, you can write a paper because it should be a subject related to the subject. Cannot write papers in completely different disciplines. All universities will receive the same essay. If it is multi-directional, then the selection committee will have a question as to how much a person wants to study this particular subject. The answer is likely to be “no”.
UK University Application Form
Let us talk about what an application is. First of all, this is the questionnaire itself, in which there can be no mistakes. The name, passport number, address, school, grades, internship information, etc. are displayed here, and only paid jobs are displayed. One of the key elements of the application is PersonalStatement. A personal essay can make candidates talk more about themselves. Compared with other applicants, it is a tool that makes you stand out. Recommendation letters are also one of them. Because it should be written by the school teacher. Again, the recommendation letter is very important because it can affect some directions. Generally, most universities do not require an interview for a bachelor’s degree, unless it is Oxford or Cambridge, or an art major. For example, if you apply for computer engineering, sometimes Imperial College will also have interview elements. However, interviews are usually not part of the admissions process. Universities also often conduct additional tests. For example, the aforementioned Imperial College of Technology conducted a critical thinking test. Oxford and Cambridge universities conduct their own tests of logic and critical thinking. They also use other math tests in many areas. All these tests require additional preparation. In other words, even if you study according to the British school curriculum, then the tests required by many advanced universities (such as STEP 1 and STEP 2) are different from A Level courses. Therefore, to achieve higher results, you need to prepare in advance. Again, this takes time, so it is best to start early. If you are an art major, you need to prepare a portfolio. Usually, it can be design, fashion or painting. The portfolio must be prepared according to the specific requirements of the university. It cannot be prepared in a month-at least two years or at least one year. If there are works from previous years, it is good, but recent works should also be there.
Personal statement
I want to talk about personal statement-personal essay. Why play such a big role? The fact is that grades are a very important factor, but they are not enough, because people with high grades can apply for the best courses, and universities need to choose among these people. Therefore, the personal statement is a tool used by the university, including a tool for making decisions. First of all, for British universities, academic activities are very important. This is very important. In other words, you need to talk about a student’s achievements in school and what his academic interests are. In the United States, universities are more interested in understanding the integrity of students, so topics and questions such as “What have you achieved?” often appear in their papers. What difficulties did you overcome? Tell us about your leadership skills? Tell us have you failed? And what did you learn from it? “Wait. Usually their format is very small, but there are many formats. PersonalStatement papers are 4000 characters or 37 lines long. This is about A4 pages. The text should be very dense. This means there should be no moisture, introductory phrases. , Empty common phrase, so it is necessary to write a personal statement many times to make it the best, so as to communicate well to the university why this particular candidate is needed. The first and main content of the personal statement should be the applicant’s Enthusiasm for the subject. How to express this enthusiasm? You can’t just write in the first line “I have been interested in computers since I was a child and have played computer games.” Through the books students read, the school communities and clubs he participates in, Carrying out, organizing or just participating in other extracurricular activities, winning the Olympic Games, some extracurricular activities he participated in, showing his enthusiasm for the subject. Travel (research, travel, internship) that can be contacted here. In addition, we can not only talk about We can also talk about the so-called «transferableskills» “transferable skills” in the direction we are interested in, that is, skills that can be applied in completely different fields. The important thing to remember, whether in a personal statement As mentioned, it must be related to your program. You cannot simply say: “I am still very good at boxing”. What needs to be said is that you are a champion and win in such a competition. This allows you to learn discipline and self-control . This will help you become an excellent medical student, because everyone knows that they are under a lot of pressure. That is, whatever you write, you must emphasize how this will help you become a success in this program Students, and why the university should choose you.
How to improve admission opportunities?
In the last two years of high school, in addition to studying, I actively participated in various student communities, organized some things myself, participated in lectures on the subject, read books on the subject, and said some clever phrases on the subject. important. You can also do an academic internship at a university. If students are studying in the UK, we recommend that, especially those who go to the scientific field, go for university internships, such as working in a laboratory under the guidance of a doctorate and writing a doctorate. This looks very good in the personal statement and is very useful for the students themselves so that they know if they are heading in the right direction. The personal statement should reflect all these advantages. Therefore, if the student does not do anything special, if he meets the deadline for writing a personal statement, the result may be somewhat insufficient. If you are prepared in advance, then you can plan your extracurricular activities to enhance the candidate’s profile and usually help enroll and prepare for admission.
Can I enter a British university immediately after graduation?
People are often asked whether they can directly enter a British university after graduating from high school. Unfortunately, it cannot go straight up. The truth is that there are two main options. First, graduate from high school, and then complete the preparatory course. The foundation is like a zero-year university; the course is usually for international students and is a bridging course that can bridge this gap and enter the first year. The second option is the British A-level school course or IB (International Baccalaureate) course. Usually, these courses last for two years. At the end of these two years, students take an exam, which is the university entrance exam. If you visit the website of any university and see Entry Requirements (called “Entry Requirements”), you will see the requirements for students enrolled in A Level courses and students for IB studies, because in this case they are equivalent. Back to the foundation. These programs are presented in completely different ways. The university’s courses have built a foundation, and then, if you apply for such a foundation, usually through the UCAS system, that is to say, it will not be a three-year undergraduate as usual in the UK, but a four-year Undergraduates, because it adds the so-called preparatory course in the zero year. The foundation is provided as an independent program, through external education, there are separate courses, but in universities, if you reach a certain score, you can automatically transfer it to a specific university degree program. It is also important to know that for the Foundation program, you have to choose the direction. They are very broad, but for example, they can be called “business and management”, “arts and humanities”, “mathematics and engineering”, and “natural sciences”. Therefore, it is important to clearly understand why this is done and where to go next.
Art professional portfolio
The important point that not everyone knows is that if you choose an art major, such as graphic design or fashion, then to enter the Foundation, you need a portfolio. It should be a completely different set of works. In this sense, the selection committee likes freedom very much. Don’t draw the same style of work in one way or a certain project, but show that you can do pencil sketches, involve photos, create collages, etc. That is, you need to show the breadth of skills and interests-the breadth of what you have tried. Usually, talking about the portfolio and the method of art and creativity is a separate topic of discussion because it is different from the classic works that many people are used to. This is the purpose of Foundation. It is important to know that to enter a good foundation course, you need to have good academic performance, that is to say, according to the five-point system, it is best to have 4-5 points and not 3 points. Although the requirements for some courses are relatively simple, some 3 points may appear. However, generally, in a stronger university, the more competitive, the higher the grade. If you have a European passport, you usually cannot apply for the Foundation program. Assuming that a candidate has a low score in the IB course, even if they have two European nationalities, they cannot apply for many basic courses because they are only for students who do not have a European passport. There are a lot of detailed information related to passports, rules, and grades. Of course, I think it’s worth mentioning that when choosing a course, people will understand that these small things are necessary to pay attention to, and they must be taken into account, because they may be very The essential. I would also like to say that basic admission usually requires an essay. Unless you submit it via UCAS, it is usually simpler than an essay for individual claims.
What might the university answer?
First, you filled out an application, uploaded a paper, and the school provided suggestions. Important point: You cannot pay and send the application until the school teacher uploads the recommended content to UCAS. Then, you are waiting for the answer. When will the university respond? As a rule, they have the right not to respond until May. Now, for example, in this case, for those who arrive in September 2020, UCAS has extended the response time by another 2 weeks, so now they can only answer at the end of May, so they have more time to get it. Know what to do. But usually, of course, the university will respond earlier. Therefore, if a student submits in November, he will most likely get the answer in December or January. However, most universities usually answer between February and March. In some cases, especially if some popular courses, will not reply until March, which is normal in principle. In this sense, it is of course best to participate early because this is the last year of study, and then at the end you will need to focus on the exam without worrying about applying. When the answer comes from the university, which is very pleasing, you may know: “Well, conditional admission letter, you can proceed with the evaluation shown in it.” What are the possible outcomes? You went to five universities. The university sends the answer: they can refuse or provide a place. Usually, this is a conditional offer, that is, a conditional offer of a venue. This is a local quotation, on the condition that you have certain evaluations. The conditions may look like this, for example: “If your score is not lower than AAB, we will take you, and in mathematics the score should be A”. Let me give an example of mathematics. This clarification may or may not exist.
What is the university admission score?
What are we talking about evaluation results? The fact is that students in the UK will get grades if they enroll in the A-Level system in August (ie, two weeks before the start of their studies). Therefore, they are submitted in a grade called “expected achievement”-expected achievement. These grades are provided by the school. They are based on previous learning. Therefore, it is very important to study well from the 12th grade, not just thinking about the 13th grade exam. What happens sometimes? Students think: “Well, the exam is two years away, a lot of time, I will not work very hard now.” But first of all, if we are talking about A-Level, the course is very complicated, if you do it yourself, then it Will be very difficult. In other words, this is not the amount of material that can be learned the night or even a week before the exam. Second-Research has been conducted based on how students learn and how they show up in the first year of sixth grade. Based on this, and based on the mock exams he wrote (the so-called “mock exams”), insert the expected results. British schools give these performance assessments fairly. If they overestimate the score, it will be trivial, because if they start to overestimate too much and predict some unrealistic high scores, then the student’s test scores will be greatly reduced, then the university will take note of this and be right The confidence of the school will also be damaged. Therefore, the reputation of the school is very important-as much as possible to evaluate the authenticity of the students. First of all, learn right and wrong
Often important, because grades are a necessary condition, although insufficient, but necessary. For example, if the prediction is lower than the minimum score required to enter a certain procedure, the probability of a negative response during the first screening of the application received is very high.
Your behavior after receiving a reply from the university
After getting the answer from the university, you will have to choose two of them, and the rest will refuse. In other words, we choose two from five universities. We answered in one of them: “Yes, this will be our “mainchoice”-the main choice.” Therefore, the second one will be “insuranceoption”-the alternate choice. This option is only valid if the requirements to enter the university are lower than our main option. When the results are ready, whether it is in mid-August (for A-Level or at normal levels), or for early July, for those studying IB, or if someone is working on the Foundation program, they will be in earlier Time to receive the results. If you meet the conditions for providing a location, for example, if the acceptance condition is an AAA rating, and you receive that rating, then you will automatically be credited. You can choose a hotel, apply for a visa, etc. If you get an AAB and this is a requirement of your preparatory university, then you will automatically be admitted to your preparatory university. If you do not meet each other’s requirements, there are several possible options. The first option: you get A*AB instead of AAA. Here, you need to talk to the university. If the difference is small, they may give you a chance. If you do not meet the main options or backup requirements, there is a program that mainly starts in July, which is fully effective in the second half of August, that is, it may be this year, because this year will be different, but by next year Everything should return to normal. Therefore, when the university reports that they have their position, they will settle the settlement. Why are there universities? Universities will provide places, but they are not sure that students will choose from five options. Therefore, usually, even in excellent universities, but usually in Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews University or Imperial College not, but in There are places in other very good universities. It is important to know that the admission requirements of these universities will not be reduced. The requirements remain the same as before. However, you can directly contact a specific university with a specific location, and if you meet the minimum requirements, then in principle, they can be admitted and registered very quickly. There is also a procedure called “adjustment”. If the student’s grades are much higher than the teacher expects, then there is the opposite situation, which gives him the opportunity to apply for higher requirements and stronger universities.
U.S. University Application Date
The fact is that it is difficult to apply individually for each university or partner university, which is a much more time-consuming process than even applying to a UK university, so you need to start early. Application deadlines are also set at different times, but there are deadlines. For example, at the end of November, January and February are deadlines. You need to understand this and you need to follow this rule, because in American universities, you Still need to take the SAT test and so on. Many details must be considered.
COVID-19: Cancellation of 2020 exams
We will return to enrollment in September 2020. All deadlines have passed, and now students have received conditional admission letters, or they are waiting for more answers from the university. Due to the epidemic situation, they may not answer later this year. This year, the final exams for A-Level and IB were cancelled. The Ministry of Education is now formulating procedures to stipulate how to score scores so that it is fair, and if someone disagrees with these scores, an appeal procedure must be filed. These are now being discussed. For those who are going to university and will complete their final exams, they are the priority of the university. The university will decide how best to solve the problem. The exam is likely to be through an online platform, such as Moodle. Generally speaking, the same is true for other universities around the world. If this is a dissertation, then it will be easier because distance learning can still be done remotely. Everyone is working hard to ensure that students get the diploma they deserve so that it reflects as fairly as possible the level they should achieve.
I think it’s time to end my statement about British universities and their admission experience. It is necessary to talk, discuss and tell about these. Thank you very much for your attention. And if you have any questions, please contact us. I wish you all the best! Healthy body!
Reference: