The Higher Education Website

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Introduction

The decisions you make on Higher Education will have profound implications for your future. The process which begins in March during your Lower Sixth year is not concluded until you finally enter university 20 months later (or a year beyond that for those who take a gap year). Not only will you be deciding where you want to study, but you could also be shaping the direction of your future career.

Your choices are not made in a vacuum. The government is determined to increase the number of students in Higher Education, and this inevitably leads to greater pressure on places. The funding of universities is an area of fierce political debate, and those universities which attract the most funding are becoming increasingly selective in their offers. Your chances of rejection on popular courses at popular universities increase every year.

This website is designed for boys in the 5th form, Lower and Upper Sixth at Tonbridge School and aims to guide you through all stages of the choice process, suggesting many further avenues of help (such as books and external websites); you will also attend seminar sessions which help you understand much of the detail. A universities evening in the summer term of your Lower 6th enables you to listen to and question admissions tutors. But the key point is this:

No-one can make the decisions for you. You will spend three or more years studying for just one course in one place. You must do the research yourself and do your best to make sensible choices after many weeks of research.

Why University

The benefits are obvious: graduates generally have better starting salaries and earn more in their lifetime than non-graduates (a recent report said £141,500 more over your lifetime); you will be able to study a subject you enjoy to a much greater depth and with more independence than is possible at school; you will be able to participate in a wide range of activities; you will meet, work with and socialise with a large number of other students from a wide variety of backgrounds; you will take responsibility for your own success.

But also take note of this: do not assume that your goal is just to get in somewhere - anywhere - to study something - anything. Everyone has different needs and ambitions, and these must be taken into account when choosing your path.

For some, a vocational course (such as Art or Design) at a College will be more appropriate than a university course. Remember that there are about 100 universities in the UK, but over 350 Higher Education institutions in total.

And just to add a further ingredient to the mix, how about a university abroad? Many students opt for applications to universities in other English speaking countries such as America, Ireland, Canada and Australia and many European universities are running courses that are taught wholly in English. We can help with these to a certain extent.

Advice

Some of the pages in this website have a lot of words on them! This is unavoidable since there is so much to learn from past experience. Don't read it all at once, but follow the general order:

The Universities and Careers Centre has many resources to help you with your decisions, as do websites such as the main UCAS site. Don't bypass these - you need help! A resources page lists the most useful books and software and tells what you can get out of them. You can also reach this page by clicking on any resources mentioned in the right hand sidebar on every page.

You will receive e-mails from the Universities and Careers department. They will give you details of taster courses, sponsorship and bursaries, new courses, gap opportunities and much more. So always read them and see if they're relevant to you.

Above all, use your housemaster and other staff dedicated to the cause. Mrs Rogers (AR) our Universities and Careers Adviser is available in the Universities and Careers Department. For specific subject advice go to the appropriate head of department or, for non-school subjects which interest you, there is a list of staff in the "Choosing Your Subject" section.

Deadlines

Deadlines are important! The earlier you can get your application in the better, and the more likely you are to get offers. By and large, you should have a reasonable plan of action by the end of the Summer Term of your Lower Sixth year. Look at the Dates and Deadlines page to see how it all works.

APPLY

APPLY (the online UCAS application form ) makes the application process much easier for you, but there are a number of pitfalls. Make sure you follow the advice on the APPLY page, and look at the Frequently Asked Questions. We will continue adding to these as questions get more frequently asked!

Good Luck!

It all seems like an impossible obstacle at first - there's just so much to take in, and so many imponderables. But persevere: it will all begin to make sense, and the ideas will begin to flow. And your final reward? To study something you really enjoy, with like-minded people, at a place of your choice. Good luck!