I. The UCAS Hub
Of all the European application systems, England's UCAS is like a hybrid of the College Board and the Common App The University and College Application System is both a search engine for university programs, like the College Board offers, while also being the national application system. The Hub, allows you to track your college research, save and compare the stats of your favorite schools, as well as connect you with open days and additional information at the schools you like.
Compare your favorite courses:
II. Applying VIA UCAS
The second aspect of UCAS is the application system, which is very similar to the common app in many ways. You add your personal details, including residency and nationality questions which will be used to determine what tuition fees you would have to pay (international or UK home). They then provide student finance information which can be confusing, but all you have to do for this section is check the "I have read the information" box.
Making Selections:
Similarly to the Common App, you have to add your chosen universities to your application. In this instance however, you simply provide the "institution code", "Course code", and "Campus code" which can all be found in the UCAS hub. The big difference between UCAS and the Common App, is that there is no additional questions, supplemental essays, or individual fees for each university.
For example: The institution code (which tells UCAS which school you are applying to) is B80 for the University of West England, and the campus code for my program is G. The course code for the Bachelors of occupational therapy is B920, and it is the same for every
school that offers OT. This information will all be found on the UCAS hub page for the Universities OT program.
The Personal Statement:
The UCAS personal statement could not be any more different than the common app essay. You are allowed 1000-4000 characters (characters, not words.... I learned that the hard way) to discuss your reasons for wanting to study your chosen course, the skills you already have that are applicable to the chosen course, and describe previous experiences that demonstrate your passion for the field you have chosen. You wont want to write a narrative story that leaves the application reviewers reading between the lines to work out who you are, you will come out and directly say "I took AP Biology in my senior year, because the content, which included a good focus on human body functions, is highly relevant to my chosen subject of Health Science." or "As a volunteer in a special education classroom, I was able to work in direct contact with several occupational therapists which inspired by desire to pursue OT at university". (Stay tuned for more updates on how to write the UCAS personal statements and where to find examples)
Testing Requirements
Most European schools want to see three test scores as the primary focus of your application. Ideally these would be all AP tests with a score requirements which are dependent on the university and the chosen program.
For example: The University of Southampton requires a minimum of a BBB A-Level (the UK exam) for entry. The University has a table which translates these A-Level requirements to the American equivalent. BBB is equivalent to three AP scores of a 4 or higher or 3 SAT scores of a 650 or higher or a combination of the two.
Reference:
The reference system is similar to the Common App as well, though because of some of the information which is required to be given it is best to chose your Guidance Counselor as your "referee" or recommender instead of a teacher. They will have to provide their recommendation and predicted grades for any exams that are after the application deadline (yep... you read that part right). Your reference will need to be completed before you submit your application.
Overall, UCAS seemed to be more user friendly and far less time consuming than the Common app, despite being a less aesthetically pleasing application. Additionally, you only have to pay one fee of 25 GBP or around $30 to apply to all your choices, rather than upwards of $75 per school like the common app.
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