There is still time to apply for UCAS courses
Career advice for the Class of 2021
With schools and universities in the UK closed, the UCAS deadline has been extended from January 15 to January 29. So, applicants have a little more time to finish their applications, but it will also help the many teachers in Ireland who were contacted for lastminute references.
Potential applicants do not need to worry about how Brexit may affect their opportunities to study in the UK or Northern Ireland. Agreements are in place that will allow EU students, but especially Irish students in Northern Ireland, to continue to study in this region without difficulty.
The UCAS application process is more challenging and extensive than the CAO application. In addition, UCAS colleges begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received. Therefore, if you have not already submitted your UCAS application, there is limited time to do so. The deadline for application to Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry, Oxford University and Cambridge University have already passed.
The form and process vary greatly from the CAO and involves a lot more work and preparation. All UCAS applications are made online through ucas.com. Students should first use this site to search for courses and institutions. Secondly, they should contact the institution to enquire about Irish Leaving Cert entry requirements, fees and any other requirements such as aptitude testing. They may find that many courses have lower entry requirements than in the CAO system . Students may apply for up to five courses in a normal UCAS application.
Applicants are required to submit information on their education, including Junior Cert results and Leaving Cert subjects. The main difference from applying to the CAO is the emphasis placed on the personal statement, academic reference and predicted grades. Personal statements will benefit from redrafting and input from adults such as parents and teachers.
A personal statement is an applicant’s chance to sell themselves to the college. While including work experience or extracurricular activities relevant to the course is important, applicants must also give an idea of their academic interests and work style.
If applying as an ‘individual’, applicants will be required to enter the email address of a referee. It is essential that the applicants ask the person they would like to be their referee before providing their email address. The referee can be any person who knows the student well, but they should be able to comment on their academic ability, work rate, style of learning and problem solving etc. Most applicants ask a teacher. This person will also be asked to enter predicted grades for Leaving Cert subjects the student is taking. The applicant should check with their school on how they might collate this information.