10 things I learnt at an Oxford Open Day, choosing an Independent Education Counsellor, the UCAS Tariff, and the importance of making mistakes... quickly.
😊 Welcome
This week we have a bit of a bonus, with two very different lead articles.
Firstly, I give you the run down on my top 10 learnings from attending a University of Oxford Open Day earlier in the summer.
Secondly, we have part 2 of our “Help me, it’s all getting a bit complicated…” trilogy. This time we look at how to choose an Independent Education Counsellor to help you with your university applications.
In addition, we find out a little bit about the UCAS tariff, and we learn the importance of making mistakes… quickly!
✍️ Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Oxford Open Day
At the start of the summer, I was staying with my brother in London, and his niece had booked to attend the University of Oxford Open Day. “Would I like to go along with them?” they asked.
In my 30+ years working in universities, I’ve visited Oxford numerous times, and I’ve shared a stage with University of Oxford admissions tutors even more often. But I’ve never been to an Open Day there, and I’ve never been right inside any of the individual colleges. I couldn’t resist the opportunity!
I’ve also been involved in delivering more than 100 open days and visit days across eight different universities, and so the chance to be on the other side for a change was too good to miss!
So what did I learn from my visit? Well, quite a lot, but I’ll break it down to just ten areas where I was either surprised, delighted or slightly disappointed…
✍️ “Help me, it’s all getting a bit complicated! - Part 2”
AKA... How to choose an Independent Education Counsellor
Last week, we looked at how best to work with your school’s university counsellor. Many of you will have one at your school or college, so if you do, please have a look at last week’s article.
Many of you, however, won’t have access to expert advice and support in your school or college. This will mainly apply to those currently at schools outside of the UK, but even some of you in the UK might feel that the support you are receiving is not quite enough for you.
If this is you, then read on.
This week we’ll be looking at independent education counsellors, while next week we will look at student recruitment agents. Both may be options for you, and which you choose will depend on your needs and circumstances.
💡 Did You Know?
Some universities use UCAS tariff points to calculate and issue offers, but most don't. Instead, they'll typically make grade offers for the specific subjects and courses you are taking.
Always check closely the likely offer grades advertised on the university websites before applying.
For more on the UCAS tariff, check the official information on UCAS.
📢 Quote of the week
"If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner."
Tallulah Bankhead, American Actress
You can't learn from your mistakes unless you make them. And the faster you make them, the faster you'll learn!
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
🎯 In case you missed it: How to work best with your university counsellor
📅 Next week: Top 10 things I learnt at the University of Cambridge Open Day and How to choose a student recruitment agent
