Posts Tagged ‘university places’

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English Literature: a classic A-level choice

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Competition for university places is particularly fierce, thanks in part to the new generation of A*grades coupled with a drop in available university places as funding for higher education decreases. As it becomes acutely important for candidates to stand out, hiring a personal tutor is an excellent way of cultivating an edge for prospective university students.

There has been much news in the papers recently about the lack of validity of certain A-level subjects in connection with the competition for university places. Many deans have spoken out about the need to take more traditional subjects as opposed to newer subjects, which may not be taken as seriously by admissions tutors.

Choosing a classic academic A-level subject augmented by regular tuition can help a student to differentiate themselves from the competition, especially when applying for places at Oxbridge and the Russell Group universities. English Literature is such an A-level subject. It is traditional, academically rigorous and highly regarded by all of the universities.

English Literature prepares students very well for university study because it involves heavy amounts of reading, research and essay writing. It also encourages students to be precise yet engaging in their writing and to energize their critical faculties, both in class discussions and in essay writing.

English Literature A-level involves the study of various texts, including poetry, plays and novels from classic and modern authors as well as criticism from a range of perspectives. For those students who wish to gain the most from their A-level study, First Tutors can recommend a host of specialists in English Literature. Browse our database for a specialist tutor near you.

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Preparing your child for A-levels

Friday, August 27th, 2010

With competition for university places getting steeper, the pressure on A-level students is more intense than ever before. So how can you prepare your child for sixth form without stressing them out? Here are a few of our top tips:

1. Your child may have mixed feelings about their A-levels before they’ve even started them. Assure your child that with the right discipline, they have as much chance as anybody else of attending a good university.

2. Unfortunately sixth form coincides with a very busy social time for teenagers. Explain to your child that if they do well in their A-levels they can socialise all they want at university. It’s worth keeping social activities to a sensible minimum for two years to secure a bright future.

3. Check that your child is happy with their choice of A-level subjects and that their choices are accepted by their target universities. The top institutions are very fussy about what they accept. If they’re not happy, they must tackle this and change subjects as early on as possible. Better to change and do some catching-up than to suffer later on.

4. Make sure that your child feels organised, happy and on top of things generally. Check in with them on a regular basis and reassure them that they can discuss any problems or issues with you – you’re there to help.

5. Encourage your child to supplement their studies with some well-chosen activities. Not only will these help to refresh and recharge their brains, but they’ll also look good on their UCAS forms. It’s often these activities which help candidates to stand out. Visiting old people’s homes, learning an instrument and taking the Duke of Edinburgh awards are good examples.

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A-level results show record numbers of top grades

Thursday, August 19th, 2010

This year’s A-level results have been described as “record-breaking” as around one in 12 exams were awarded the new A* grade which was brought in to help top universities select the very best candidates. First Tutors would like to offer warm congratulations to our A-level tutees and tutors – well done!

More than 69,000 exam entries (just over eight per cent of the total) were awarded the A* according to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

To earn an A* a student has to score an A overall, plus at least 90% in each of their papers in the second year of their course.

More than one in four entries (just over 20 per cent) were awarded an A, a slight increase from last year.

The success comes in the first year of the revamped A-levels, in which students sit four modules instead of the previous six and answered new “stretch and challenge” questions designed to help them demonstrate their knowledge.

The most popular subjects this year were English, Maths, Biology, Psychology and History, with Modern Languages decreasing in popularity while the Sciences experienced a resurgence.

There was also good news for the overall pass rate, with 97.6 per cent of entries awarded an E or above. This was an improvement in the 97.5% pass rate in 2009 and marked the 28th year in a row in which A-level pass rates have increased.

Around 300,000 students received their results this year, but with more than 660,000 applications to undergraduate university courses, it has been predicted that up to 200,000 learners could miss out on their desired place.

David Willetts, the universities minister, said: “The most competitive universities really are very competitive indeed, so it does mean that there are people who can get three As at A-level and not find that they have got a place at those intensely competitive universities.”

He advised students to have an insurance offer for a less competitive university and to “think about doing the things that would make their CV even more distinctive and stand out for universities next year.”

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Choose your A-levels wisely

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

As A-level results day looms near, news this week reveals that some students might not be offered a place at university – not because of their A-level results, but because of the A-levels themselves that they studied.

David Willetts, the minister for universities and science, stated this week that many pupils were studying A-levels that were unsuitable for their intended degree. He said: “There are people who do stay on for A-levels but they are doing PE, religious studies and geography, and they say they want to be an engineer.”

Mr Willetts has called for better careers advice to pupils in Years 10 and 11 and more carefully considered input from teachers in order to help them select the A-level subjects that university admissions tutors would actively seek out.

Worryingly, he also said that “perhaps a quarter” of all A-levels studied by young people were “not valued” by most universities.

Although representatives from teaching unions have denied the claims, these are striking  comments and that younger pupils should take on board. The lesson here? It’s so important to research university admissions requirements properly when choosing which A-levels to study. If your child doesn’t know what degree subject to study when they choose their A-levels, then they should find out which subjects are generally well-regarded by the institutions that they might apply to.

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Cuts to university places expected next year

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

With A-level results right around the corner, many students’ minds are turning to university. More than 660,000 people applied for a university place this year, up almost 12% on last year (which was itself a record-breaker, at 592,312 applications for 373,793 places).

The surge in university applications is largely explained by people opting for education rather than trying to find a job in a tough economic climate. There has also been a significant increase in university applications from prospective mature students and from people who missed out on places last year.

However, anyone thinking of taking a gap year and applying next year when the economy may be stronger should think again. All the signs point to competition for university places increasing yet further in 2011 because the new Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has ordered a radical shake-up of higher education. It’s very likely this will result in fewer university places being made available.

Tony Blair set the famous target of getting 50% of young people through university, but Cable has made clear his concerns that the increase in available university places has devalued degrees. Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, disagrees with Cable’s view and has warned that reducing university places would “jeopardise the fragile economic recovery and place us at risk of returning to a higher education system accessible only to a liberal elite”.

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Debate of the week: Too much competition for courses?

Monday, January 18th, 2010

This week, the university think tank Million+ revealed that competition for university places this year is set to be tougher than ever. According to Professor Les Ebdon, chair of Million+, applications for degree places will rise by nearly 40% in some institutions and an average of 20% in new universities. Professor Ebdon says that many students will fail to gain a place on a course as a result of this huge competition for places, deeming it an “absolute tragedy”.

With no end in sight to this growing trend, should we still be encouraging our young people to apply for a place on a degree? Or should we encourage them instead to avoid the competition, and potential stress and disappointment?

Clearly, our universities are being overstretched. Funding cuts are on the horizon, as we reported last week, and this will surely decrease universities’ capacity – terrible timing, given this swell in interest from students. What’s more, the continuing economic crisis has made more people than ever consider attending university, whether that’s to increase their job prospects or to change careers after the death of their sector.

However, we at First Tutors believe that this is no reason to dissuade young people from applying to university. Education will always be important and those with the right aptitude and attitude should always be encouraged to improve their skills and knowledge.

What’s more, competition is a fact of life, and there is nothing wrong with having to work hard to gain a place at university. A spokesperson for the Business, Innovation and Skills department told the BBC: “The number of places in any year has always been limited and getting a place at university has always been, and should be, a competitive process.”

Despite the rise in applications, the basic fact remains the same: universities will always be most interested in those students who work hard and show enthusiasm and aptitude for their subject. Let’s encourage young people to demonstrate those qualities and focus on their exam revision, rather than worrying about the competition.

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Public spending on schools in no danger

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

In his latest address to the labour party, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged not to cut spending on schools and other places of education. In addition to this, he has also promised vital work experience opportunities for young school leavers who are looking for work, more university places to be made available and a marked increase in apprenticeships and internships.

“We will ensure school leavers training, guarantee the young unemployed work experience, expand university places and to increase, not cut, the apprenticeships we need.” He commented to the party conference, “And for all those mums and dads who struggle to juggle work and home, I am proud to announce today that by reforming tax relief we will by the end of the next parliament be able to give the parents of a quarter of a million two-year-olds free childcare for the first time.”

He also revealed details of a new scheme that will help young teenage Mums in raising their babies correctly. “It’s time to address a problem that for too long has gone unspoken, the number of children having children. For it cannot be right, for a girl of sixteen, to get pregnant, be given the keys to a council flat and be left on her own. From now on all 16 and 17-year-old parents who get support from the taxpayer will be placed in a network of supervised homes. These shared homes will offer not just a roof over their heads, but a new start in life where they learn responsibility and how to raise their children properly.”

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Massive rise in number of foreign students

Monday, September 28th, 2009

In the last ten years, the number of non-European students studying at UK universities has practically doubled according to a survey conducted by HE action group Universities UK. This figure takes into account both first degree and post-graduate enrolments.

The report’s author Professor Geoffrey Crossick said of the findings: “The report demonstrates how the diversity of the UK higher education sector has increased over the last 10 years, giving students from a wide range of backgrounds the opportunity to study at and beyond first degree level.”

This is good news for universities from a fiscal point of view, as students from outside Europe have to pay significantly higher tuition fees. The influx of foreign students is now so high that many universities are receiving more income from this stream than through government research grants. The effect is such that in 2007/08 university income rose by 10% on the previous year.

This is obviously fantastic news for universities and students (be there European or not) alike, allowing more investment in facilities, grants and student support. However, is this a safe revenue stream? As different global markets rise and fall, so does the ability of these countries to send their students abroad. For example, a significantly large number of students hail from China. Were this economy, which has so far remained robust, to falter then the knock-on effect on UK Higher Education could be highly damaging.

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University students still waiting on tuition finance

Friday, September 18th, 2009

Students about to start the new year at university are having to source emergency funding, due to a back-log in processing student loan applications.

A student about to start a course in Birmingham told the BBC she is planning to sell her car to cover her tuition and living costs. University authorities and student welfare officers, however, are advising cash-strapped students to apply for emergency funding from the institutions where they will be studying.

The Student Loans Company has been unable to say how many funding applications will still remain unprocessed when the university term begins next week.

Last week Derek Ross, deputy chief executive of the Student Loans Company, said that “everyone who applied on time should be paid on time,” yet the organisation says it is unable to put a number to how many applications for funding remain unprocessed. Nor can it say whether the number of unprocessed applications is rising or falling, given record numbers of students applying for last-minute university places through this year’s Clearing process.

It is estimated The Student Loans Company is receiving 100,000 calls every day from concerned applicants. The company administers student finance in England on behalf of the government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

A spokeswoman for the department told the BBC that, although the issues are being monitored, there are no plans to intervene.

Are you a student concerned about securing finance for your university tuition? We’d like to hear about your experiences.

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Entrance exam preparation

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Those who have gone back to school for their final year will already be thinking about what comes next, with some pupils facing the rigours of entrance exams or coursework submission for secondary school and university places.

When submitting coursework as part of an application, the student and tutor should work together to choose the best examples of work from the previous year. Nothing should be written solely for the application as universities want to see natural potential. However, it is acceptable to ‘tidy up’ the document, removing minor typos, grammatical errors etc. which may have been missed the first time around.

For entrance exams it is important that students remember the same rule applies – schools look for potential, not present ability. If pupils were already perfect, there would be very little point in continuing with education. Devise an entrance exam revision plan, in that same way that you would for any other exam. Most importantly, make sure you stick to it – this also helps identify and improve on any weak points.

The school’s selection criteria should be identified. This is especially relevant if the student is applying for a scholarship. This knowledge will help to create a strongly targeted and concise study plan, increasing the chances of success.

Do enlist the help of a private tutor to help with exam preparation and revision. Home tutors are usually more than happy to advise and assist those students who are bright enough to consider sitting these non-compulsory exams.

As well as mental preparation, it is important to prepare physically as well. A good night’s sleep, healthy diet and exercise will all come together to ensure any student is as prepared as it’s possible to be.

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