RO Relaunch: UCAS Applications and Personal Statements
The focus of today’s RO Relaunch blog post is UCAS applications and personal statements.
We asked all the RO Partner universities for their advice on making your application and writing your personal statement. Take a look through their top tips below!
- University of Birmingham
- University of Exeter
- University of Leeds
- University of Leicester
- Loughborough University
- Newcastle University
- University of Nottingham
- Queen Mary University of London
- The University of Sheffield
- University of Warwick
- University of York
Not sure what the RO Relaunch is? Check out this introduction to the RO Relaunch post.
University of Birmingham
Top tip!
Some universities have webpages specifically aimed at helping you apply for particular courses (such as Medicine and Dentistry). UoB has Medicine and Dentistry-specific pages, but it’s worth looking up whether other universities have similar pages for different courses!
Resources from the University of Birmingham:
University of Exeter
Top tip!
Spend some time checking out all the different options available on your courses. You’ll find that plenty of unis offer options like an integrated Masters programme, a study abroad year, a year in industry or multi-disciplinary approaches like Liberal Arts, (Flexible) Combined Honours and Natural Sciences. These can open your university experience right up, bringing about all sorts of new opportunities!
Resources from the University of Exeter:
University of Leeds
Top tip!
If you can, go to an Open day and speak to students who are actually studying the course you are interested in. Look around the campus and decide, is it the sort of place you could spend 3 or 4 years of your life studying and living in?
Resources from University of Leeds:
University of Leicester
Top tip!
Visiting and exploring the city which the university is based in is equally as important as visiting the university. You’d be spending a minimum of 3 years at the university and in the city so if you don’t explore the area, you won’t know if you truly belong there. Each town or city is very different and you’ll only know if you like the place if you experience it as a visitor.
Resources from the University of Leicester:
Loughborough University
Top tip!
Take the time to really reflect on what you’re looking for in a university – not just from the course, but also the wider opportunities on offer. How student life on the campus or in the city will suit who you are as a person and the experiences you wish to gain.
Resources from Loughborough University:
Newcastle University
Top tip!
Research your options! The same course will differ between universities, so have a look into the facilities, the modules taught and the teaching/assessment styles to see if you’re more suited to one than the other.
Resources from Newcastle University:
University of Nottingham
Top tip!
Details about entry requirements and contextual offers can be quite complicated, so don’t guess if you are unsure – always ask questions and get in touch with admissions teams if needed.
Resources from the University of Nottingham:
Queen Mary University of London
Top tip!
When applying to university, chat to current students – they’re the best source for insights on courses, campus life, and what to really expect. Platforms like Unibuddy make it easy to connect with them directly so you can hear first-hand about their experiences, why they chose their course, and their top tips for making the most of university life.
Resources from Queen Mary University of London:
University of Sheffield
Top tip!
Declaring personal circumstances such as disabilities or having lived in care on your UCAS application won’t put you at a disadvantage. Universities use this information to identify valuable support you will be eligible to access if you study with them.
Resources from the University of Sheffield:
University of Warwick
Top tip!
Attend open days! They will give you a real flavour of the different courses we have to offer, you could also chat to your course reps and course lecturers about any questions you may have around your subject of choice. Make sure you explore all avenues of courses available, including sandwich courses and integrated masters.
Resources from the University of Warwick:
University of York
Top tip!
When you are researching different universities and courses, it can be a lot of information to process. Often it’s impossible to make a decision entirely “on paper” and what can have the biggest impact for students is looking for that sense of belonging at the university you apply to – trust your gut.
Resources from the University of York:
