Help with University Applications
Bartholomews (Barts) has an established reputation for giving the fullest assistance with applications to higher education. We have been particularly successful with our students’ applications to read medicine, for example, in which 28 of our last 34 candidates have secured places. The majority of these were re-take candidates who had made unsuccessful applications before joining the College.
Particular attention is given at the time of making initial applications, but this is often only a small part of the overall process. Help is available at every stage in the application procedure and your personal supervisor will help ensure that your application is followed through to a positive conclusion upon receipt of examination results. It is a very unusual occurrence for any student at Barts seeking a place in higher education to be unsuccessful. In fact, we are proud to say that the majority of our students are successful in obtaining a place on their favoured ‘firm’ choice.
We recognise what an important time this is in our students’ lives, with them wanting to make the most of opportunities ahead and choose the most suitable route to get them there. Some students who join Barts know exactly which course and career route they want to take, whilst others might need a bit more time and guidance to help them reach this point.
Weekly supervision and application support
If you study at Barts and make a university application through us, you will have weekly meetings with your personal supervisor to discuss and explore your higher education and career ambitions. During these weekly sessions, students will receive expert advice and support regarding the UCAS application process. This includes:
- Which degree course would be most suitable to study, considering your interests, skills and abilities.
- Which universities to apply to, to best advance your academic and professional career.
- Course entry requirements, making considered choices to ensure a good range of offers.
- Registering with The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), linking it to Barts to ensure we can support you fully.
- How to write a successful personal statement, with regular feedback to ensure this.
- Interview preparation and practice.
- Extracurricular activities to support their application.
- Notice of key dates, including the following application deadlines:
- 15th October 2021: Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry.
- 26th January 2022: All other UCAS undergraduate courses.
- How and when to respond to university offers; deciding upon Firm and Insurance choices.
Application support post-Barts
If you would like to apply to university once you have obtained your grades, we would always be happy to support your application as a former student of Barts. In fact, depending on your individual circumstance, it might be our advice to do just this. Re-take candidates, for example, may be in a stronger position to apply for certain degree course and/or particular universities once they have secured their improved grades. Having closely supported students throughout the process each year, we are able to offer up-to-date expert advice to each individual university applicant.
‘Top-up’ students
We encourage all students applying to university to do so through Barts. However, some students who are studying externally and coming to Barts for ‘top-up’ tuition only, might prefer to apply through their main college. If so, we would be happy to provide a supporting statement, which can be included within their college reference.