Fraser Keir
Job Title: Director of Scottish Recruitment and Wider Access
Institution: University of St Andrews
- What does your job involve?
- What do Admissions staff look for in a UCAS application?
- What are the most common mistakes that people make when completing a UCAS application?
- What if I don’t have the required grades for the course I’d like to study?
- I’m a bit concerned about how I will afford to study – do you have any advice?
- If you had to offer some advice to an applicant choosing a university, what would it be?
- In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
1.What does your job involve?
No two days are the same and that’s what makes my job very, very interesting! I direct the University’s student recruitment and outreach activities in Scotland. This involves working with Council Education Departments, external funding agencies, teachers, school pupils and mature students to ensure anyone who has an interest or role in guiding school pupils or mature students towards University has accurate and relevant information about the University of St Andrews.
The Scottish recruitment and access team are made up of seven members of staff including myself. We travel all over Scotland to recruit students to the University of St Andrews. This involves attending Higher Education Fairs every autumn in glamorous venues such as the Rothes Halls in Glenrothes and the University of Dundee Sports Centre. In the spring we make individual visits to almost one hundred schools delivering talks, workshops and attending subject-choice nights. To complement our off-campus activities we also run Summer Schools, twelve Visiting Days, Student Shadowing experiences as well as special projects with local schools in Fife and Tayside.
2. What do Admissions staff look for in a UCAS application?
There are three areas we study very carefully when we receive an application. Firstly, we look at qualifications to see if the candidate has met the academic entry requirements. We look to see what credit passes they have at Standard Grade level, plus their range and quality of Highers. Although we make offers based on Higher grades, our Admissions Officers are also interested in predicted Higher or Advanced Higher grades in sixth year.
Secondly, we look at the reference from the school to see what the teacher says about the candidate. We want to know how committed they are to the subject they are applying to study, but also if their exam results reflect their ability? We are also interested to know about any issues that may have affected their performance at school or if the candidate participated in any access initiatives e.g. LIFT OFF To Success, the Sutton Trust Summer School or the Working in Health Access Network?
Lastly, and arguably most importantly, we study the candidate’s UCAS personal statement. This is a very important part of the application, especially when candidates are applying for popular courses with limited places. In a personal statement, we want to see a real commitment to the subject they are applying to and the reasons why they are applying. We want to see a ‘rounded’ person but more than that I would hope to see knowledge, passion and commitment to the subject they hope to study at university. After all, if everyone is simply ‘well-rounded’ how can Admissions staff distinguish between the best candidates?
3. What are the most common mistakes that people make when completing a UCAS application?
I would say there are five common mistakes:
- Applying for a degree and then making no mention of the subject applied for in the personal statement. This is particularly common of candidates applying for Joint Honours programmes i.e. two main subjects rather than one.
- Listing every hobby, experience or position of responsibility a candidate has ever achieved at school. When applying to university it is definitely a case of quality of information over quantity.
- Poor grammar, not taking the time to use a spell-checker and using clichés. It’s also very important to have text structured into defined paragraphs.
- Applying for degree programmes where school grades don’t meet the minimum going rate for entry. Candidates need to be realistic about the universities/degrees they apply to and having researched their options thoroughly, make well-informed choices.
- Not making the personal statement personal. Admissions Officers want a real insight into who the candidate is and most take a dim view of cloned or copied statements.
4. What if I don’t have the required grades for the course I’d like to study?
Don’t panic and try to stay objective! When the exam results come out in August, the universities you applied to will usually know your results before you will. Talk to your first and second choice universities and see if they will still accept you with your current grades and if not, ask what preparation you need to do to make a successful reapplication. Don’t make rash choices and take up a place at a university just because you can. It might be better to take a year out to reconsider your choices. I didn’t make the conditions of my university offer after leaving school and so I worked for two years before returning to study. This was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Going to university involves a serious individual commitment in terms of your time and resources and so you should make the decision when you are ready. Never feel pressurised to go to university just because your friends are. Everyone is different and everyone will eventually find their own niche in life and I can say this from personal experience.
5. I’m a bit concerned about how I will afford to study – do you have any advice?
You should think of university as an investment in your future. It does cost money but a degree is a life-long investment. If you are concerned about finances, you should contact university admissions and student recruitment offices to see what scholarships are available and the ones you are eligible for e.g. the University of St Andrews can offer scholarship packages of up to £3000 per year of study. You could also contact Fife, Dundee, Angus and Perth & Kinross Councils who can offer educational trusts that can award up to £300 to pupils going to college or university. You should also contact the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and the Student Loans Company to see what government support is available.
Once you are at university, money advisers are available who will help you budget to manage or minimise the amount of debt you accumulate. Universities also have student job shops where you can find part-time work to make some valuable extra cash.
6. If you had to offer some advice to an applicant choosing a university, what would it be?
Everyone is different so any advice I would give would have to relate to that individual. However, I would encourage all applicants considering a university to ask the following questions to Admissions staff as part of the research process:
- How many applications are there per place?
- How does the minimum going rate for entry compare to grades achieved by candidates who are awarded places?
- What topics of study does each subject offer?
- How is the course assessed?
- What is the drop-out rate after first year and how many people graduate after successfully completing their degree?
- What is the staff to student ratio in each department/subject area?
- Are there opportunities to study abroad?
- Can you tell me the names of the companies that your graduates go on to work for? (If you can find out the job titles, even better!)
- On average, how much money do your graduates earn per year?
Many pupils are too focused on getting into university without focusing on seeing how their peers do while studying at an institution. If you are investing four years of your life, you will want to see what you will get in return when you graduate.
7. In your opinion, what are the three best things about going to college or university?
- Making new friends from all over the world. The friends you make will invariably be life-long and often you will find your husband, wife or partner at university! I met most of my good friends from the sports clubs and societies I joined.
- Being challenged, inspired and encouraged academically. There are an amazing range of new subjects to learn about and many lead into socially and financially rewarding careers. University isn’t just about education, it’s about finding out what is going on in the world around you and the forces that shape it.
- The sense of pride and achievement on your graduation day. You stand on stage wearing your gown with your family ad friends looking on and knowing deep inside that you worked ever so hard for that qualification and that you earned it and no one can take it away from you.
