Education
Applying for courses
Once you’ve decided which course is for you, you will need to apply for it. If you still haven’t decided, have a look at the choices section for advice on making decision.
On this page:
How to apply for courses to do in Years 10 and 11
How to apply for courses to do after Year 11
How to apply for courses to do after sixth form, college or training
Interviews
Getting your results
How to apply for courses to do in Years 10 and 11
Once you’ve decided what you want to study in Years 10 and 11, you need to:
- attend any taster sessions that your school are holding
- get hold of an application form — most schools give them out with their options booklets at their open evening or Year 9 event, and
- check when your application form needs to be handed in by — ask your form tutor, head of year or look on Routes Ahead
Once you’ve handed in your application form, your form tutor will let you know what will happen next — it may be that your asked for an interview or you may need to sit a test depending on the courses you’ve chosen.
How to apply for courses to do after Year 11
Each sixth form and further education college will have their own application system but it will usually involve:
- completing an application form — you will need to know your predicted grades
- attending an interview
- completing an assessment, and
- getting a reference from your form tutor.
If you have a sixth form or college in mind, you can look at their courses, find out how to apply to them and check their application deadline on Routes Ahead. You can also apply to some providers through the Routes Ahead online application system — check the Want to apply? section on the course pages for details.
After going through the application process, you may get an offer which is subject to you achieving certain grades or qualifications. Find out what to do when you get your results.
If you are interested in doing an Apprenticeship, there are several ways to search and apply for vacancies.
How to apply for courses to do after sixth form, college or training
If you want to complete a higher education qualification, you will need to apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) using their online application system. This will allow you to apply for up to five courses using one application form.
Your completed application form will include your:
- personal details
- chosen courses
- education
- employment history
- personal statement, and
- reference — usually written by your tutor.
To start your application, you will need to register at www.ucas.com with your sixth form or college’s buzzword — you can get this from your tutor. If you’re not currently studying at a sixth form or college, you can register without a buzzword — as an individual — but you will need to ask someone to write your reference. You will also need to pay for your application using a debit or credit card.
For help with your application and your personal statement, visit the Connexions information point in your school, college, training provider or local Connexions centre, or speak to your Connexions PA.
There are three different deadlines for applications through UCAS - 15 October, 15 January and 24 March. The application deadline for most courses is 15 January before you start the course in September. For some art and design courses, the application deadline is 24 March. You must apply by 15 October, the year before you start the course, if you want to study medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science, or if you want to apply to the universities of Oxford or Cambridge. You will need to check the deadline for each course you are applying for.
Find out more about how to apply through UCAS. You will also need to apply for financial support. After going through the application process, you may get an offer which is subject to you achieving certain grades or qualifications. Find out what to do when you get your results.
If you want to complete a higher education qualification part-time, you can apply directly to the university or college for the course you are interested in. You will find details of courses and application procedures on their websites.
Distance learning HE courses are available at some universities and the Open University. Application procedures will vary, but will usually involve completing an application form. Check out the university’s website for more details of how to apply. You might also need to apply for financial support.
If you are interested in doing an Apprenticeship, have a look at work and training section for ways to search and apply for vacancies.
For some subjects, you may need an interview with your form or subject tutor. It’s nothing to be afraid of. Your tutors just want to make sure that the course is right for you and that you understand what it covers and how much work is involved.
At the interview, make sure you:
- tell them why you are keen to study the subject, including how it fits in to your career plans
- show that you are committed to the work
- ask questions about the course to show that you are interested in the subject, and
- look smart and presentable — this shows that you can put the effort in!
If you want a practice interview, ask your Connexions PA.
Year 11 results
Year 11 results day will probably be on 23 August 2012. If you get the results you want — congratulations! If you don’t, don’t worry, there is support available to help you with your options.
Whatever your results, you will need to let the sixth form or college you have decided to study at know before you start your course in September. They will either confirm your offer of a place on your chosen course or offer you an alternative.
If you don’t get an offer of a course or training programme, you should speak to your Connexions PA as soon as possible.
AS and A level results
AS and A level results day will probably be on 16 August 2012. If you are studying towards other level 3 qualifications, you may get your course results earlier than this.
If you have applied for a HE course, your offer of a place may be conditional — subject to your course results. If you are relying on certain course grades to get on to your ideal course, results day can be quite nerve-racking!
If you get the grades you need — congratulations! If not, don’t panic, you can:
- contact the university or college — they might still accept you on to the course or offer you another course, or
- go through Clearing — a process which allows you to search and apply for courses that still have places.
Find out more about results day and clearing.
