Helping your child secure a place at university

[AD] University is the time in which children have the opportunity to really explore their independence and who they are. It’s compulsory for some careers like medicine and nursing whilst not for others. Before they get to be a fresher, there are several steps that must be completed. That involves completing what is known as a UCAS application, choosing 5 potential courses to study and narrowing them down. If you would like guidance on how to help your child in securing a university place, keep reading.

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What to Study

This will essentially determine your child’s entire life trajectory and is a huge investment. It’s important that your child thinks carefully about the course that they want to do as while they can transfer on to a different course later down the line, it will cost them time and a year’s worth of tuition fees. 

Applications

When putting their applications together, your child will need to create what is known as a personal statement. This is a 4000-character long piece of writing on why they wish to study the courses that they do. This will ultimately sell themselves which is why it must be well constructed. To help eliminate mistakes we recommend that children get as many people to read this as possible - including you. 

Schemes for Accessing Higher Education

Universities acknowledge that there may be barriers facing minority students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. To help level the playing field and ensure that students from all backgrounds have access to quality education, many have introduced schemes and pathways for those students, often lowering entry requirements. 

The criteria usually looks at factors like household income, postcodes, whether parents have been to university, disabilities and care responsibilities that students have which make meeting their requirements a challenge. If you believe that your child is affected by any of these, it's worth having a look to see if there’s any help available with regards to university applications.

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