REGISTERING ON THE UCAS WEBSITE

Transcription

1 REGISTERING ON THE UCAS WEBSITE This guide will take you step by step through the registration and the initial part of your UCAS application. It does not cover the whole process so please use the UCAS help for full information and ask your tutors in the first instance if you are unsure of anything. A further guide will be issued at the start of the Autumn Term covering completion of the final Choices and Personal Statement sections. 1. Go to the UCAS homepage From here you can access all sorts of helpful information, advice and guidance on searching for courses, using UCAS, interviews, finance etc. Throughout the system there are loads of help links and videos. 2. To start your registration, click on red REGISTER box (top right) 3. Click on UNDERGRADUATE REGISTRATION (or on CONSERVATOIRES registration if you are applying for one of the music or darma scholls that use the conservatoire system) 4. Click on REGISTER AND APPLY FOR 2018 ENTRY (Do not use 2017 entry)

2 Your parents can also register for regular newsletters on this screen. 5. Click on Register - you will be assigned a username and password once you have registered. NB: You will only use the Register button once in future you will use your Username and Password in Log in section. 6. READ THE NEXT SCREEN CAREFULLY particularly about noting your username and password - Then click next 7. On next screen read and accept the terms and conditions, then click next

3 Fill in your personal details on the next screen as per the example below. Click next Fill in your postcode on the next screen and press next For the vast majority, if not all, this will be UK Click next Your address will drop in and then press next

4 Fill in details on the Personal Details screen. YOU MUST USE AN ADDRESS THAT IS APPROPRIATE AND NOT YOUR SCHOOL ADDRESS. You need to scroll down and remember to check the boxes saying how you would like to receive correspondence from UCAS (choices are all or some of , text and post). Choices can be changed at a later date. Click Next this will take you to a key screen where you set your password and security questions. You must set your own password

5 YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS - Make a note of it as it will not be displayed at a later stage. You may want to use the proforma available for download from Q:\Other\UCAS & Post 18\UCAS\UCAS Registration Details Proforma.docx to record all your user details etc. You then need to set up 4 security questions. It is important that you can remember the answers to your security questions and that they cannot be easily guessed by others. If you lose or forget your password you will be asked one or more of these security questions in order to identify you. Press next You will then get your username WRITE IT DOWN NOW (you will not get another chance) Then click log in now to continue with your application. If you do not have time to continue then select go to UCAS homepage and you can continue later by logging back into APPLY 2018 (not APPLY 2017 or anything marked TRACK)) Remember, as you have now registered you will need to use the LOG-IN button and use the username and password that you have just been assigned. When you see the screen above, you will automatically be sent an asking you to verify your address. The will contain a verification code that you will need later. Obviously you may not be able to access your home address from school, so you will need to complete the verification process at a later stage. You can still carry on with APPLY even if you have not yet verified your address. Once you have clicked log in now, you should see the screen on the next page, which asks you how you are applying to university

6 You need to select the option Through my school You now need to enter the school s buzzword on this screen. The buzzword is TBSHS18 and it is case sensitive. Check that the school that has come up is The Bishop s Stortford High School and click yes. Select your tutor group from the drop down menu.

7 Don t worry if you are going to have a new tutor next year, the school will be able to reassign group names as required. Year 14 is only for those who have left school already. You will then be given your Personal ID. WRITE THIS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!! You will need it if you have to phone UCAS for any reason. There are short guidance videos available at the beginning of most sections of the application process that will give further guidance on filling out that section From this screen with your personal id, you can also: Watch videos to help with various parts of your application Verify your address Read through guidelines about applying through your school please do this. From this screen you can also access the other parts of your application that need filling in by you. The sections you need to worry about at the moment are Personal Details, Education and Employment.

8 These sections should be fairly self-explanatory but there are a few areas you need to be careful of. Some of these are difficult to represent on screen shots, so please follow the instructions below. Click on the section you want to complete. Remember to press save at the bottom of each section and to tick the box section complete when you have finished a section. This helps your tutors with checking your progress with your application. You can still go back into that section and change information in it if you need to. Nothing is finalised until you finally submit your application in October. GENERAL POINTS: Use the see list button where it exists only the entries in the drop down list are allowed. Click on the help icon for more information on any question Fields marked with an * are compulsory Use UCAS videos, help and FAQs PERSONAL DETAILS: Area of permanent residence This is the county of your home address, not school. For many of you this may well be Essex rather than Hertfordshire. Residential Category You will need to select UK Citizen or EU National, NOT Settled in the UK. If you think you fall into a different residential category, please see me. Reference Numbers: Your Unique Learner Number (ULN) is printed on your AS level exam timetables and statements of entry. You can continue without filling in this information Passport details Only needs to be filled in if your permanent residence is NOT in the UK. Student Support, Fee Code This should be 02. Then you need to select from the list the local area (county) where your home address is, i.e. it should match your area of permanent residence.

9 Residency Questions you need to select answers from the drop down box to the two questions about whether you have ever worked in the EU or if your parents are EU nationals (not from the UK). For most of you this is likely to be no. Criminal Convictions Only tick the box if you DO have one! Nominated Access You do not have to fill this in, but you it is advisable to nominate someone, e.g. a parent who, should you be unwell or unavailable for any reason would have authority to discuss your applications with universities. Disability Category You will need to select one from see list drop down, even if it is No disability. Do not be reticent about declaring any disability. It will not be used in any selective way and will actually benefit you by ensuring appropriate support measures are in place for you and the full context of your academic achievement is understood. It might be especially important if you are called for an interview. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This becomes visible after you have filled in Personal Details. This section Collects information about your ethnicity, religious belief and gender for equality monitoring purposes. Universities and colleges have a legal obligation to make sure applicants are not discriminated against or disadvantaged. This information will not influence any decision in respect of your application and will only be shared with the universities and colleges after you have secured a place or at the end of the application cycle. For questions, apart from Ethnic Origin, you can select I prefer not to say. Information is not shared with the school.

10 Gives you the opportunity to record any university summer schools, taster sessions etc that you may have attended in preparation for post-18 education. Use the see list to identify the location and select Other if the type of course is not in the list of sponsors in the drop down box. DO NOT LIST ordinary university Open Days in this section. Asks if you have been in care. Again this is to ensure appropriate support is put in place. Whether a parent/step-parent/guardian has any higher education qualifications again you can choose not to answer this question. Universities and colleges may have different policies as to if, when and/or how the information may be used. For example, it could be for statistical monitoring purposes after decisions have been made, or it could be used at the application stage to help to provide a fuller picture of an applicant's background. If you have any concern as to how a university or college may use this data, if indeed they do use it, please see the university or college website or contact the institution for further details. Asks for job/occupation of your parent/guardian or earns the most. Press find and start typing a job title into the search box to get a list to select from. The more you type in, the easier it will be to find the right job title. This is mandatory information. This data is used for Contextualised Admissions it can be used to assess an applicant s prior attainment and potential, in the context of their individual circumstances to provide a broader picture of an applicant. Universities use it in different ways to provide additional consideration of various sorts. STUDENT FINANCE: This becomes visible after filling in Additional Information. Any answer you select now does not commit you to a particular course of action and you can change your mind at a later date. Therefore, I suggest that you tick yes or don t know you will then be asked if you want to share personal details with the Student Loans Company and if you want to receive an automatic notification when applications for finance open. Answer yes to both of these. EDUCATION: This is the area that is most tricky and liable to error! See next page to start..

11 You need to select Below honours degree level qualifications from the drop down box You will need to add a school for each school you have been at when you have received formal qualifications (GCSEs, AS levels etc.) If you went to a different school to TBSHS for your GCSEs you must enter this school first and then enter TBSHS Press Find and start typing in the school name. Use Bishop s with an apostrophe! Select TBSHS (or previous school) and then confirm your dates of attendance. Put start date as September of the year in which you started. This will generally be 2011 for those who started at TBSHS in year 7, and 2016 for those who joined TBSHS in the 6 th Form. Finish date will be August 2018 (these are dates of the academic year). You need to say, yes to receiving qualifications you will have GCSEs and/or AS and A2s to enter.

12 Once you have done this you will need to add qualifications : Don t worry about this warning. It s just pointing out that the school you have entered is your current school Once you click on this, we have shortlisted the qualifications most students will have taken (including some of the non-academic ones) but there is the option for you to add others which are not there by using a search facility. ENTERING GCSEs - YOU WILL NOW NEED YOUR EXAM CERTIFICATES! You need to enter all of your GCSEs and you can, if you wish, enter AS levels on as well. When entering your GCSEs (but not igcses), click GCSE (Grade A*-G) in the Popular Qualifications list.

13 You will see the following screen and need to fill in the information see notes below: Subject Check your certificates carefully to see exactly which subject you studied (this is particularly the case for Science). Qualification Date This should be the month when you got your results (for most of you it will be August 2016 for GCSEs and August 2017 for ASs). If you took any GCSEs early, e.g. in Year 10, enter the appropriate date that will be on your certificate. If you resat any GCSEs just enter the subject once with the details for the sitting at which you got the highest result. Awarding Organisation This is the exam board (see your certificates). Grade Select the appropriate grade from the drop down box. Press save and add similar to add another GCSE or save and then add qualification to pick a different sort of qualification. If you want to cancel entry on that screen, click back to summary rather than save. ENTERING igcses In Popular Qualifications list select: Level1/Level 2 Certificates (Ofqual-approved IGCSE, e.g. for UK state schools Enter the other information as for GCSEs above. Press save and add similar to add another igcse or save and then add qualification to pick a different sort of qualification. If you want to cancel entry on that screen, click back to summary rather than save. ENTERING BTECs TAKEN in Yr11: If you took a BTEC during your GCSE years, e.g. in Applied Science, you need to select BTEC Diploma (QCF) from the Popular Qualifications list and you will be taken to the following screen:

14 Select the BTEC subject from the drop down box, e.g. Applied Science. Fill in Qualification Date and Awarding Body (see notes for entering GCSEs). Level: For your Year 11 BTEC course, the Level is 2. You must fill this in to distinguish it correctly from the BTECs taken in 6 th Form which are level 3. Result: Select the appropriate result as printed on your BTEC certificate. DON T BOTHER ENTERING INDIVIDUAL MODULE DETAILS ENTERING AS Levels: You can enter your AS level subjects and grades in much the same way, but you need to select GCE Advanced Subsidiary. Qualification date will be August 2017 For your AS exam grades, select pending. You can then update with your results after the summer holidays.

15 ENTERING A2s: Of course, when you send off your UCAS form you will not have completed your A2 levels BUT YOU STILL NEED TO ENTER THE SUBJECTS YOU ARE TAKING. When you go to add qualification, the following applies: GCE Advanced Level = A2 BTEC Diploma (QCF) = BTEC in Sport / BTEC in Science but select Level 3 (see notes re BTEC above) The others should be self-explanatory. You fill in all details for each subject in the same way as you did for GCSEs with one main difference: FOR THE GRADE BOX, YOU SELECT PENDING. Obviously the award date will also be in the future (August 2018 for most of you). OTHER QUALIFICATIONS: I have added the Extended Project (use this is only for the Level 3 course run in Sixth Form that counts as an AS level, not for anything done at GCSE), Duke of Edinburgh and a number of other music, speech and drama qualifications to the popular list. However, if you have some other qualification not listed, then you can search for it amongst the many that UCAS have listed. Type some description or the title of the qualification into the Search box to find it. EMPLOYMENT: In this section you can add details of any employment you have currently or have had in the past. Ensure the details are accurate, as otherwise this creates a bad impression. NB: When you finish each section, please press the section complete button at the bottom of the screen. This will help tutors track your progress with your application. Don t worry, you can still go back and edit any of the data in that section. While you should be working on your Personal Statement and your university and course long list NOW, DO NOT complete the two sections on Choices and Statement in UCAS Apply. You will complete these on-line in the Autumn Term. Help Contact UCAS There are many on-line sources of help on UCAS (including Twitter, Facebook, Videos and student blogs) as summarised in the following link summarises these: They have a manned APPLICANT HELPLINE on NB: You will need your Personal id and answers to security questions so that you can be identified properly before they will be prepared to discuss your application.