University branding, the real UCAS deadline, and what education is actually for.
😊 Welcome
This week we look at something a bit off-beat: university branding.
Now I’m very aware that in 25 years of working in universities I’ve never had a single student show the remotest interest in university branding.
But that’s what makes this newsletter a bit different, right? Because if you want to find a university that matches your values, and fits your personality, there is 100% something to learn from the way universities brand themselves.
We also learn a super-important fact about the UCAS deadline.
And we hear an interesting philosophical take on what education is really for.
✍️ ‘I just liked the logo’: How branding can help you make your university choice.
I’ve spent pretty much all of my career in university marketing and admissions, and so I have more than a passing interest in branding, and in particular in how university brands actually impact on your decisions.
I realise, however, that most people don’t really care about marketing and I doubt many of you have ever really thought about a university as having a brand.
But I expect at some point, you will all look at a university website and think ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for!’, or perhaps ‘Nah, this isn’t for me’. And trust me, a lot of that will be to do with their brand, and how they have presented themselves. Because of this, I wanted to give you just a few thoughts about university branding.
Bear with me; I promise there will be some useful take-aways at the end, and along the way you’ll learn some new stuff about marketing and strategy.
💡 Did You Know?
The main UCAS deadline is 31st January this year.
But if you submit your application on the 31st, you are almost guaranteed to be late.
Why?
Because if you are applying through a school or other UCAS centre, when you hit 'submit', the application goes to the school, not to UCAS.
Your school then needs to check the application, make sure your qualifications are correct, and add the final predicted grades and reference. Then they will submit it to UCAS.
This will take time.
So, check what the real deadline is with your school if you want to make sure your application gets in on time!
📢 Quote of the week
“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.”
Herbert Spencer
Philosopher and Psychologist
So when you think about your university education, maybe it's worth thinking less about what you will learn, and more about what the learning will enable you to do.
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
🎯 In case you missed it
📅 Next week
Parents just want you to be happy: But what does 'happy' actually mean?
