Going to College The first deadline for UK applications is almost upon us

Right now, most Leaving Cert students are researching a wide range of courses, planning which open days they will attend and comparing the content of similar courses in different colleges. For those students who are hoping to study in the UK, even in these politically uncertain times, attention must be paid to the first application deadline, which is already upon us.

Any young person who is considering studying medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, medicine/science, or hoping to apply for a course at Oxford or Cambridge University, must submit their application to UCAS by October 15. A UCAS application involves a lot more work than a CAO application and is not something one should leave until the last minute.

In order to apply for any course in the UK, applicants must go through the UCAS system. UCAS is the UK equivalent of the CAO, however there are many differences in the way applications are processed. Most notably, applicants are asked to submit a personal statement and academic reference with their application. There are also different closing dates for different courses, the first of which is our present concern. Additionally, UCAS applicants may benefit from submitting their applications early, as universities process them as soon as they are received.

Students may apply for up to five courses. Later, after they have heard back from all the universities for which they applied, they may choose to hold offers for two courses.

Medicine, veterinary and dentistry applications

Only four of the maximum five course choices can be from medicine, veterinary or dentistry, and they should be listed in the order in which they appear in the UCAS handbook. In addition to the UCAS application, the vast majority of health-related courses in the UK require students to take an admissions test. This may be the UCAT, BMAT, HPAT UK (a different test from HPAT Ireland) or the GAMSAT (for graduate medicine only).

The main tests are the UCAT and BMAT. Students should check which test the institution to which they are applying requires. UCAT is required by Queens University Belfast, while BMAT is the chosen assessment for admission to Oxford and Cambridge, amongst others. Unlike the UCAT, which is an aptitude test, the BMAT includes a section on scientific knowledge and requires students to brush up on their school science curriculum before taking this assessment.

Oxford and Cambridge

Applicants may place only one course from either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge on their UCAS application. Admission to each is highly completive, but both institutions are relatively open with regard to what they are looking for from candidates. They want excellent grades, however they will take into account extenuating circumstances and the type of school the student attends, such as a school with a weak tradition of sending pupils to third level.

Students must submit both a personal statement and a reference. The personal statement should clearly communicate the applicant’s interest in the subject area for which they are applying, as well as their knowledge and critical thinking in the area to date.

Students may also nominate the college within Oxford or Cambridge that they would like to attend. This often causes Irish applicants far more concern than necessary. The college is where the student stays and where they take their tutorials. Applicants can choose which college they would prefer or they can complete an open application and the university will assign them to a college.

Whichever route the student chooses, it should not affect the applicant’s chance of success in any way. Depending on the courses and institution, applicants may also be asked to submit written work, complete an interview or take an assessment.

Aoife Walsh is a guidance counsellor at Malahide Community School, Co Dublin