Learning Centre How to... fill in your UCAS application Alternative formats available If you would like more help and advice on finding information or using any of the resources available in the Learning Centre, please ask a member of the Learning Centre staff. © Coleg Gwent Learning Advisors 2012 You can find this document at: http://moodle.coleggwent.ac.uk … Learning Centre Online 2 Apply Apply is the UCAS application system. It allows you to apply online for full time undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges. Before you apply You need to know what you want to study and where you want to study. You also need to have details of qualifications you have already gained, plus your work history, if applicable. Overview You are asked to complete the following sections on Apply: • • • • • • Registration Personal details Choices Education Employment Statement You must mark every section as complete before sending your application to UCAS. 3 Introduction You need to register with UCAS to use Apply. In this section you give personal details such as your name, address and date of birth. You must read and accept the terms and conditions for using Apply. If any of your personal details change whilst completing the application, you are able to amend them. • You decide on your own password which is used to log in to Apply. • You need to note four responses to security questions. You will need these if you forget your log in details or if you phone the Customer Service Unit. • The registration process generates your username. • You need the college buzzword so that your application is linked to the college. • At the final stage of registration you are given a personal ID number. Registration takes about 15 minutes. How to access the UCAS website You can access the UCAS website from any computer that is connected to the Internet. Connect to the Internet, go to: http://www.ucas.ac.uk and the UCAS home page is displayed. Select Apply on the left hand side of the page. 4 This takes you to Apply. Click on Register/Log in to use Apply 2012 This takes you to the Log in page. If you have already registered, go to page 11 of this guide and log in now. 5 How to register If you have not registered yet, select The Register: Welcome note appears. Read the information on this page, then click at the bottom of the note. Read the Terms & Conditions for the use of Apply. Tick the box at the bottom of the page to accept them. Then click The Register: Initial details registration page appears. Fill in your details and select 6 The Register: Previous contact with UCAS page appears. Select the option that applies to you, then click on The screen Register: Postal address loads. Select the correct option and click on The next screen is Register: Your postcode. Enter your house number and postcode. Click once and select the correct address. 7 This screen then appears: Enter your telephone number, mobile number and your email address. Make sure you can access this email address in college. The mailings section is for marketing purposes. You do not have to tick a box; all information will come by post. Click The next screen is Register: Security 8 Password – you choose the password yourself and you must remember it. The password must be between 6 and 14 characters long. It must contain at least 1 number and 1 letter. Security questions and responses – you must choose four unique security questions and your own correct answers. UCAS will use one or more of these questions chosen at random to identify you if you lose or forget your password. Note: Do not use passwords or answers which might cause offence. It is important for you to be able to remember your password and answers to questions. When this page is completed click This takes you to the Register: Success page. You are given your username now. WRITE IT DOWN. Note: It is important for you to write down your username at this point as it will not be displayed later. When you have written down your username, select at the bottom of the page. This displays the Initial UCAS questions: How are you applying? screen: Select Through my school/college and click 9 This then takes you to the Initial UCAS questions: How are you applying? buzzword screen: The buzzword is supplied by college/your tutor and is case sensitive. Take care to type in the buzzword exactly as supplied. Click Coleg Gwent, Newport Centre is displayed. Click Yes to confirm and then select Select the name of your Tutor/application group from the drop down menu and then click When the Welcome screen and personal ID number page appears, write down your personal ID number. Click on the link to verify your email address. You are now registered. 10 Logging in Connect to the Internet and go to the UCAS homepage at: http://www.ucas.ac.uk Select Apply on the left hand side of the page. This takes you to Apply: Click on Register/Log in to use Apply 2012 11 This takes you to the Log in page. Fill in Username and Password and click The welcome screen appears after logging in to Apply. The main sections of the application are listed along the left hand side of the page. Logging out Ensure that you log out by clicking on the tab at the top of the page when you have finished inputting data. If you do not log out properly, information can be lost. 12 Completing the application You are asked to complete the following sections on Apply: • • • • • • Registration Personal details Choices Education Employment Statement Note: You are able to amend any information on the form up to the point when you pay UCAS. Do not pay until your tutor tells you to. You can fill in the sections in any order. You do not have to complete one section before moving onto another. Compulsory fields are marked with an asterisk (*). Before leaving any section, click ‘save’ to ensure that all of your information is saved. Once you have completed all compulsory fields, click ‘section completed’ and then ‘save’. As you finish each section, a red tick appears in the box alongside that section. If a section is part finished, three green dots are displayed in the box. The box remains empty if you have not started the section. You have to mark every section as complete before sending your application to UCAS. A help screen is available for each page you view. 13 Personal details Some of this section is automatically filled in during registration. You must check that all of your personal details are correct. You also have to complete further information required by universities and colleges, such as nationality, residential status and an outline of any disabilities. You are required to verify your email address. Choices In this section you enter course codes and institution codes for the universities and colleges to which you are applying. Click on ‘see list’ next to the institution/course/campus code to generate a list of all codes. The choices can be entered in any order; there is no preference order as Apply stores the choices in random order. For each choice you have to state whether you are going to be living at home or in student accommodation and if you are applying for deferred entry. It is very important that you check the entry very carefully before marking this section as complete. Education UCAS needs to know where you have studied and which qualifications you are taking or have already taken. First enter the schools’ and colleges’ details (up to ten schools/colleges), then list your qualifications. Make sure that all your relevant qualifications are included; those you have already completed and those you are currently studying. Dates must be entered accurately for each institution otherwise you are unable to proceed. Coleg Gwent, City of Newport Campus centre number is 68365. Employment Fill in details of your work history and employers. If you have not had any jobs, you can leave this section blank, but it still needs to be marked as complete in order to continue with your application. You can add details of up to five employers. 14 Statement You are asked to complete a personal statement, which tells the universities and colleges why you are applying for a course and why they should select you as a student. For more information on writing a personal statement, it is essential to follow the advice provided by UCAS on their Personal statement page. You can also pick up a free copy of the Learning Centre guide, ‘How to…. write your UCAS personal statement’ from the Learning Centre. You can also download it at home or in college from Learning Centre Online on Moodle. Click here for the ‘How to…’ guides. Produce the statement in MS Word as Apply does not have a spell check facility and will time out after 35 minutes of inactivity. Once you have written your personal statement, ask your tutor to check it for both content and accuracy. Don’t forget that you can book an appointment with a Learning Advisor to check the spelling and grammar in your final draft. Note: Do not exceed 4000 characters, including spaces. Do not exceed 47 lines of text. 15 To load your personal statement into Apply: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • open your completed, proofread personal statement in Word highlight the document – use ‘Control A’ click on the ‘Copy’ icon minimise Word log into Apply click on ‘Statement’ click in the Personal statement box click the right mouse button click on ‘Paste’ your personal statement appears in the box click on ‘Save’ before doing any final editing click on ‘Preview’ and check the number of lines and characters to make final changes use ‘Edit’ make sure you save all changes produce a printout of the statement for your tutor to approve when you are sure that the statement is approved and complete, tick the ‘section completed’ box. Declaration Once each section has been marked as complete and only when your form has been approved by your tutor, you are asked to agree to the declaration. Ensure that you read the declaration carefully and, once you have agreed to its terms, move on to the payment section. Pay and send Note: Do not do this until instructed to do so by your tutor. You are able to amend any information on the form up to the point when the payment is made. The Pay/Send link is available as soon as the application is complete. This screen does not appear if you are applying through a school or college that has an alternative payment arrangement with UCAS. Otherwise, pay the application fee online using a credit or debit card. After this section is complete, the application is sent to your referee. 16 Reference The application requires a reference from a tutor or other professional who knows you well enough to write about your suitability for the course. The completed form is viewed by the referee who inserts the reference. When the form has been checked and approved by the Head of Learner Services it is sent to UCAS. View all details You are able to produce printouts throughout the application process so that you and/or your tutor can check the application. Click on ‘View all details’ to display everything completed so far. Options/Opsiynau This gives you the opportunity to change your password and security questions/answers. You may also alter the default language (English/Welsh) that is presented when you enter the site. Note: Please see your tutor if you have any questions or problems. 17 You can find this document at: http://moodle.coleggwent.ac.uk … Learning Centre Online The image below is a QR 2D bar code. Download a free QR code reader app for your phone at the iTunes App store or at: http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software Take a photo of the image with your phone and your browser will take you to Coleg Gwent Moodle. Log on with your college username and password to view all of the Learning Centre “How to...” guides. © Coleg Gwent Learning Advisors 2012 18