Some students know from a very early age what they want to do in the future. It tends to be our future doctors, dentists and vets who have a clear vision of what they want to study at university long before they reach the sixth form. Those who intend to study English Literature also tend to exhibit early signs, the novel or book of poetry in their pocket at all times for instance.
The majority of students however, do not know what they want to study and only put their minds to it when university application date looms large. This can be a time of enormous pressure. Parents, grandparents, parents of friends, teachers, mere acquaintances begin to ask the daunting question; “What are you going to study at university?” It is all too easy to have a knee jerk reaction and provide an answer, any answer, merely to stop the questions.
The sheer breadth of options available to young people is bewildering. No student could possibly research everything alone. Most schools do a very good job at urging students to focus on their potential future course. Nevertheless, it’s not an easy decision to make without a helping hand. This is where Fiona Pocock Education can help.
Getting to know you
Typically, for a student who has no idea what they might study at university, an initial online meeting helps break the ice. Is usually offered free of charge so that a potential student can get to know me, and I can work out how much work is likely to be involved in supporting the university application. From this initial meeting I can generally provide a quote of what the services might cost.
By asking the kinds of questions that encourage a student to reflect on what they enjoy and where they excel at school, some potential options generally come to mind. Quite often these might be areas that are entirely unfamiliar because they are not school subjects. Through informal conversation, it is possible to provide an overview of what studying a subject at university might entail. Sometimes the disappointing reality for the student is that the subject sounds utterly dull, and that is hugely helpful because we can disregard that area and focus on something else. Whilst I cannot decide for any student what they should study at university, I rely on over 25 years of experience to provide some shortcuts for their decision making.
Making the subject choice is probably the most difficult part of the UCAS process. Once we have an idea as to some potential areas for future study, we can look more closely into details of course content and at some point, the outlines of what is studied will awaken the future applicant’s enthusiasms. There is nothing quite like sensing this kind of excitement and this is what we need to capture for an engaging and compelling application.
Choosing the Institution
Having identified potential subjects to be studied we can investigate which universities might appeal best, taking into account not only an individual’s preferences but also the entry requirements.
Now and again, I can provide input based on the experiences of past students. Certainly, I am likely to have attended a Teachers’ Day at the more popular universities and can often provide insights to the potential applicant that are perhaps not obvious from a website.
The UCAS Form
I can help an applicant complete most parts of the form quickly as a result of my familiarity with the process. This can save time as the student does not need to go through all of the choices and probably more importantly, my input can help an applicant feel confident that they are doing things correctly.
This is true of most parts of the form, until we reach the Personal Statement. This part is going to take longer.
The Personal Statement
With students who have already chosen their course and their institution, they may simply want me to take a quick look at their Personal Statement to be assured it is as good as it can be. A quick review that does not take more than an hour will probably cost in the region of £75. This would Include small edits to ensure the word count and line count are not exceeded.
Others need more time-consuming support. It may be that the content needs building just a little. It may need a significant input, perhaps a whole new paragraph. The average cost for support on a Personal Statement that is semi complete when I receive it is around £150.
It is not unusual for a student to be struggling to start their personal statement. This can cause extreme anxiety, and I can help by suggesting a structure, and then talk through some ideas for the detail. It is not unusual for me to look at up to 9 or 10 drafts until everyone is happy and we are secure that it will fit in the word and line limit. With this kind of very close support the cost might be £750. Costs are always discussed in advance and I aim to keep fees low. Even for a candidate with nothing in writing initially, a session or two may be enough to set them on their way.
Post-Application Support
Generally, once an application has been sent, my input is very limited. In some cases however, the offers may not have been forthcoming and we may need to work together closely to look at UCAS Extra to add additional choices.
All applicants will need to identify the Firm and Insurance choices once they have received a response from all 5 institutions. I can help with this decision-making. Depending on how much work is involved, my advice may be chargeable.
Exams Season
We would hope that exams go well and that each candidate has their very best outcome. At times however, things may not go smoothly, and it may be useful to contact the university admissions office or UCAS with a query. In such cases I can advise how best to communicate the matter and to whom. This is generally an additional charged service, unless you have bought a full support package. Costs are always discussed in advance, once I know the scope of the requirement.
Results Day
When a University Place is confirmed, this is clearly a time for celebration. There are occasions however, when there is sadness, and we need to look at Clearing opportunities. It can be a busy, confusing and stressful time. This work can be very rewarding, as in most cases a student will find a place on a course at an institution which is a good fit for them. I can guide a candidate through Clearing, reducing anxiety, using experience to inform good and confident decision-making.