Your UCAS personal statement is a vital component of your university application. The personal statement is representative of you – your ambitions, your aspirations, your interests – everything that separates you from the thousands of other applicants.

Writing a concise, eloquent and stand-out UCAS personal statement can be daunting. Your use of language and knowledge are put to the test. Gabbitas provides bespoke guidance, ensuring you demonstrate your academic prowess and genuine passion for your chosen field of study. In this article, we are going to walk you through the process required to write a winning personal statement.

 

What to Include:

1. Passion for the Subject: Clearly articulate your passion for your chosen subject, using particular features of your chosen subject that got you ‘hooked’.

• What books have you read? Is there an inspirational figure in your field?
• What life experiences have intrinsically linked you to this subject?
• What first got you fascinated?

2. Showcase Your Achievements: Include those moments you should be proud of. Highlight your biggest academic achievements, instances where you’ve gone above and beyond, and any additional qualifications and courses you’ve done.

• How do these make you come across as a strong candidate?
• How do they relate to you field of study?

3. Extracurricular Impact: The activities and interests you have outside of the classroom have shaped you and will continue to play an instrumental role in your further and higher education. Discuss your participation in sports, clubs, volunteering and other extracurricular activities. Be sure to emphasise any leadership, teamwork, or instances that demonstrate your skills and depth of interest beyond the classroom.

4. Future Aspirations: Outline your future goals and explain how the course you’re applying for aligns with these aspirations. Showcase your understanding of the field and your commitment to furthering your knowledge.

5. Use of Language: Looking through your personal statement, ensure your vocabulary is varied, developed and mature, and that subject specific words are correctly used. Punctuation and use of paragraphs can make a personal statement flow seamlessly, highlighting vital points, making it an easy read for an admissions officer. The register of the personal statement is also crucial.

• How does it sound to a new reader?
• Is it approachable and professional? Does it express you?

 

When is all this happening?

UCAS 2025 Application Submission Deadlines

3 September 2024: UCAS Undergraduate Deadline

2 October 2024: Deadline for conservatoire/music applications

15 October 2024: Oxbridge, medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science deadline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit: Cambridge University

 

How can we help?

We provide personalised guidance to help students clearly articulate their motivations and craft compelling personal statements that stand out.

Our services include:

• • • Subject specialist support from Oxbridge and Russel graduates
  • • Strategic planning
  • • Interview practice with subject experts
  • • Admissions tests preparation
    • Help with selection of target courses/universities

 

Please contact us for a complimentary telephone discussion about your application.

Front Image Credit: Oxford University

CATALYST by Winchester College provides novel programmes aimed at developing and propelling students in their critical thinking and metacognitive skills through current issues.

 

Our immediate climate, whether socio-political, cultural, or environmental has polarised young people’s everyday life – and subsequently their lifestyle.

Social media activism, increasing coverage of protests and nationwide strikes, cuts in social care and health – in addition to global warming and the consequences of globalisation and technology.

These fundamental and immediate issues are inescapable and demand full attention from every corner of society – including education.  

Education and educators are catching up. Whilst the traditional education syllabus might fail to actively address current issues, schools across the UK are increasingly borrowing pedagogy from higher education institutions to better deliver a theoretical framework directly addressing real-worlds problems and solutions.  

By means of incorporating current events, real-world issues and new theoretical ideas, students are much more likely to connect their learning to the world around them.

To ultimately prepare the next generation of young people to become active and engaged citizens, capable of creating positive change to society.  

 

CATALYST by Winchester College 

Novel courses such as Winchester College’s summer programmes by CATALYST, aims to help with just that.

Through a pedagogy of inquiry-led practice which teaches students how to think, challenging established opinions and engendering a passion for discussion and exploration – the courses’ interdisciplinary approach is concurrent with epistemological ways of navigating real issues.   

Through a combination of online seminars, lectures, teamwork, and off-screen activities – students from around the world are connected to top UK educators and wider global leaders.

With this new type of pedagogy in secondary education – it is therefore appropriate to introduce new mediums of study.  

Their course is predominantly taught online through their virtual campus.

Designed specifically for the course (and completely exclusionary to the zoom archetype), the virtual instillation of the Winchester College campus conjoins elements of gamification to foster a space for interaction, idea sharing and cohort community building.    

What is most interesting about their courses, is that they draw on Winchester College’s unique pedagogy, Div. Div ‘defines the liberal character of Winchester academic life’, by teaching students to think, discuss and debate far beyond the syllabus.

Div contextualises students’ metacognitive abilities and ways of processing information and critical thinking – which ultimately bleed into a student’s syllabus, exam preparation, future education and further into their adult lives. Learn more about metacognition here.

CATALYST in the same respect, develops the DIV framework by simultaneously also including themes of dynamic change and theoretical volatility – to catalyse change. Read more on their mission here.  

 

How are the programmes marked?  

A key feature of the course is the opportunity for students to engage in one-on-one sessions with educators from Winchester College, along with the benefit of small class sizes.

This personalized approach to instruction affords students the opportunity to receive invaluable feedback and enables them to acclimate to a learning style closely aligned with that of their future university experience.  

The candidates are subject to thorough monitoring and analysis by their educators, resulting in heightened levels of feedback and attention to individual areas of improvement.

Upon completion of the course, candidates are presented with a transcript that includes personalized feedback on their strengths and weaknesses across six distinct competency areas:

• Negotiation & Resolution  
• Narrative Defence  
• Empathetic Collaboration  
• Critical Analysis & Problem Solving  
• Quantitative Fluency  
• Effective communication  

Typically, conventional marking practices lack the specificity found in CATALYST’s evaluation system. Although traditional methods may provide grades, annotations, and marking criteria, they generally do not offer the depth of categorization and analysis that CATALYST provides. 

Through the rigorous feedback included in CATALYST’s transcript, students gain invaluable insights into their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to target specific areas for improvement in critical thinking, understanding, and argumentation.

These competencies are essential components for success in higher education and beyond, as students embark upon their future careers. 

 

University Help  

Their courses are particularly suited for ambitious, highly motivated and independent thinkers. International or domestic home-schooled candidates that are thinking about attending top universities or secondary schools would gain an invaluable experience of British Independent education.  

Alongside a critical thinking framework and the study of current issues, CATALYST focuses on developing students for their university and school applications . 

Upon course completion, CATALYST provides outstanding students with a personalised letter of recommendation for Winchester college to the university or school of the student’s choice.   

The course also embeds further assistance to students through their coaching and advisor initiative. Students will get a chance to be coached by expert advisors for university entrance and school exams and admission processes, in addition to establishing their personal statements for university applications.  

The programme also offers funding for students to further develop their individual change projects after completion of the course. 

 

Programmes Available  

CATALYST currently has spaces on just three of their courses. Below is a summary of what they include:

 

• Foundations Programme 

Dates: 10-14 July 2023  

Duration: 1 Week  

Ages: 10 – 13 

Location: Remote/Online  

About: This programme focuses on building skills in communication, critical thinking, negotiation, and narrative defence. The course focus on societal change through a range of different topics such as technology, science, philosophy, and ethics.  

Enquire here

 

• Rethinking Change System

Dates: 17-28 July 2023  

Duration: 2 Weeks  

Age: 13-18 (average age 15) 

Location: Remote/Online  

About: This is the most selective programme offered by CATALYST which explores the foundations of change – particularly exploring how students can facilitate change in their own communities.  

Enquire here

 

• Rethinking Change Systems

Dates: 31 July-11 August 2023  

Duration: 2 Week  

Age: 13-18 (average age 15) 

Location: Remote/Online  

About: This is the most selective programme offered by CATALYST which explores the foundations of change – particularly exploring how students can facilitate change in their own communities.  

Enquire here

 

Get in touch 

Get in touch with our expert team of consultants to find out if CATALYST is right for you or if you need more information on these programmes. Gabbitas offers an expansive list of summer schools to choose from. If you are interested in viewing our full summer schools list for 2023, email info@gabbitas.com or call +44 (0) 203 026 7443. 

Here at Gabbitas, we often receive enquiries from international students curious about the difference between Russell Group and non-Russell Group universities, and the benefits of each. Although the Russell Group (RG) is often attractive due to the well-known names within it, it’s always worth considering other options, where students have the chance to pursue specific highly-ranked courses as opposed to just the traditional sciences and humanity subjects.

This article would highlight some of the best non-Russell Group universities as well as courses in which they are ranked highly for compared to Russell Group universities.

 

What is a Russell Group university?

The Russell Group consists of 24 prestigious universities who all play a significant role in the cultural and economic life of the UK, and all share a common characteristic: their focus on producing leading research and maintaining a consistent reputation for strong academic achievement. Some of them include the world renowned Oxford and Cambridge, London School of Economics (LSE), Durham and so on.

Given their reputability, RG universities tend to have very rigorous admissions criteria. Their entry requirements are often higher than those of other universities, leading to a competitive admissions process, especially for the more highly sought-after courses, like medicine, sciences, economics, and law.

 

Best Non-Russell Group Universities

Despite the Russell Group’s popularity for both British and international students alike, there are approximately 106 other universities in the UK outside of the group that perform equally as well and sometimes even better; are known for their academic excellence; teaching and employability rates; and offer unique courses.

Notable names such as St. Andrews, and Bath rank consistently high in league tables each year, yet they are not part of the Russell Group. They are often mistaken to be because of their outstanding performance and provision of excellent quality education.

More non-RG universities include Loughborough known for its excellence in criminology, media, and sports (2020); Royal Holloway for its sciences and management (2021); SOAS for its development studies, anthropology, and politics (2020); and City University for its strong business and industry links.

 

Why choose a non-Russell group university?

Non-Russell Group universities are often more flexible than their highly selective RG rivals, usually having lower entry requirements. Of course, this depends on the degree — some courses still have high entry requirements, but they tend to be more realistic or achievable. Whilst St. Andrews require AAA-AAB for medicine, Imperial – a Russell Group university – requires A*AA-AAA for the same degree. Where Durham (RG) offers AAB for business management, both the University of Westminster and Royal Holloway require lower at ABB-BBC and AAB-ABB for the same degree, respectively.

Notably, there is often less rigidity and, in some cases, more willingness to consider applicants who fall short by a few marks or have complicated cases with their grades and educational background. Additionally, they are often happy to consider late applicants (aside from UCAS Clearing). This is due to non-Russell Group universities usually still having spaces available, which in comparison is unlikely at Russell Group universities, due to being oversubscribed, making chances of available spaces after initial admission deadlines small.

 

Quality of Education

In the past, the quality of education provided by non-RG universities has been questioned, especially internationally. One thing that has helped change this view is the option to participate in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which measures the quality of the student experience provided by each university, especially within the areas of teaching, learning, and graduate employability or further study outcomes.

Participating universities are awarded bronze, silver or gold. Not all RG universities participate, but for those that do, most achieve silver and gold awards. However, there are many non-RG universities that achieve the same awards. For instance, Bath, Birmingham and Loughborough have attained the gold award, just like Cambridge and Imperial College, as seen on the Office for Students.

Additionally, Brunel, City University, and Brighton have all achieved the silver award, just like King’s College, UCL, and Bristol.

Evidently, some of the participating RG universities have the silver award whilst some non-RG universities have gold, indicating that despite not being a part of the Russell Group, an excellent quality of education is still offered within these institutions.

 

“My course equipped me with important skills to thrive well at university. For example, how to write a good and analytical essay at an advanced level.

The teachers have been so helpful and easily accessible. Coming from Pakistan, my high school qualifications were not able to provide access onto an undergraduate degree in the UK, therefore a foundation course was my only option. I was really pleased to receive an offer from SOAS.

I appreciate their focus on Africa and the Middle East, which I very much look forward to delving into upon completion of my foundation year.”

 

Aryana K from Pakistan
International Foundation Course (IFC) at SOAS University

 

Specialist Courses

Another great advantage of non-RG universities is their reputation for providing specialist courses, allowing students the opportunity to choose a degree that is tailored more to their interests, or focused on a specific field.

Some examples include Greenwich University, the University of Westminster, and Goldsmiths, who, despite usually ranking lower down league tables, offer some of the most unique courses in art and design, business, media, music, technology and more. Many students opt for these universities because of the unique courses they offer, which RG universities do not always provide.

 

Selected Courses

Goldsmiths, University of London
BA Promotional Media

Royal Holloway, University of London
BSc Earth, Climate and Environmental Change

University of Greenwich
BA Film and Television Production

University of Bath
BEng Electronic Engineering with Space Science and Technology
BSc Sport Management and Coaching

Loughborough University
BSc Chemistry with Computing
MSc Construction Project Management with Building Information Modelling

City, University of London
BSc Investment and Financial Risk Management
BSc Music, Sound and Technology

Heriot-Watt University
MSc Brewing and Distilling

 

Student life

Universities in the UK actively ensure that international students settle in well for the duration of their studies. This is evident in the wide range of support and well-being services on offer, some including help with immigration issues, finding accommodation, academic support, careers advice, and counselling. Some universities even go as far as assisting students with arranging airport transfers, creating international clubs and societies and student buddy systems, allowing current students to offer support to the new, as well as make friends.

Many students praise non-RG universities on their welcoming and multicultural atmosphere, and for regularly organising social events to encourage networking. Often commended is Royal Holloway for its network of support, sense of belonging and community feel.

 

“I was unsure what I wanted to study at university but I am so glad I chose accounting and management. It was a very useful degree; I was able to choose different modules to tailor my degree to my interests, for example I really enjoyed Management Psychology.

At university I played hockey, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I would say my friends from hockey club made my university experience; we had regular training sessions and attended social events. We also did a lot of volunteering, helping local charities to raise money.

I am still in regular contact with all my university friends and I absolutely loved the experience.”

 

Tammy W from Hong Kong
Accounting and Management at the University of Essex

 

 

 

Get in touch

In summary, there are many non-Russell Group universities that perform just as well as those within the Russell Group, and provide equally satisfying environments, support and student experience, meaning that it is definitely worth considering them when making applications to UK universities as an international student.

Our expert team of placements consultants can help advise further on both RG and non-RG university options as well as help with applications, read more here. Alternatively, please get in touch today by emailing info@gabbitas.com, or by calling +44 203 026 7443.

 

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This article from Sarah Oshun-Williams at Gabbitas first appeared in Great British Education Magazine from Independent School Parent

More than half a million international students enrol into UK Universities each year. This is not surprising as Oxford, Cambridge and the Russell Group Universities are amongst the best in the world. Employers and academics worldwide recognise degrees awarded by these universities and understand their significance.

For most students, a UK University degree can be an important stepping stone to developing the required skills to drive their careers forward.

Our team has put together a list of the top 5 most frequently asked questions by international students who want to study in the United Kingdom.

If you are thinking about continuing your education journey in the UK but you are unsure how to proceed, the following questions might help you decide. If you need more in-depth information we are always here to help. You can reach us at info@gabbitas.com or call us at +44(0) 203 026 7443.

1. How can I study in the UK?

The first thing you should do after deciding to study in the UK is to select the university and choose the course that you which to follow. We recommend that you consider a number of criteria when choosing a university. First and foremost the course, followed by the style of University – is it campus based, is it in a city, does it have a good reputation for the course you have selected, what are you future career prospects?

We have a useful blog on choosing a university which outlines some of the important questions you should consider before determining your selection.

If you already know what you would like to study, but you are unsure about the university, it is a good idea to look at how universities compare in rankings. For a quick glance on how a university performs in your chosen subject area take a look at league tables by The Complete University Guide.

The next thing you will need to do is to apply through the UK’s University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

Top Tip: Make a list of several universities and courses in case your first choice does not work out immediately.

 

2. What is UCAS?

Every student who wants to study an undergraduate degree in the UK in a publicly funded university MUST apply through UCAS. UCAS works on strict deadlines. Most application deadlines are usually around the 15^th of January but there might be exceptions if you want to study courses such as medicine or have chosen Oxford or Cambridge as your goal university.

If you are applying through Clearing (a chance for students to apply for universities with availability in courses that haven’t filled up) make sure to read our guide University Clearing – How does it work? for more information. Applications for Clearing start on 6^th of July so make sure to be ready on time.

To apply to UCAS you will need to pay a small application fee and submit your personal information, education history and a detailed personal statement. Submitting your best work and really polishing your application is the key to success when applying for university in the UK. If you need help, get in touch with us to see how you can make your application stand out.

Top Tip – Give yourself enough time to revise your application repeatedly until it is the best version it can be to boost your chances of getting into your dream university.

 

3. Do I need a Visa to study in the UK?

Unless you are from Switzerland or the European Economic Area (EEA), you will need a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK for longer than six months. While Tier 4 visas will most likely remain unchanged, visa conditions for students coming from Switzerland or the EEA might change in the future with new Brexit regulations.

If you do need a Tier 4 visa there will be some documentation you will need to submit to apply. The list of documents you will need to provide might change depending on where you are from but make sure to check these essentials:

• Offer of place – An unconditional acceptance offer by a registered Tier 4 sponsored university
• Proof of English Proficiency – can be obtained through completing an English Language test
• Passport – valid travel documentation with passport sized colour photograph
• Proof of financial support – you will need to prove that you have enough money to pay for your course and support yourself throughout your studies
• Tuberculosis test – depending on where you are from (https://www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa/countries-where-you-need-a-tb-test-to-enter-the-uk) you will need to provide a negative tuberculosis test.

Once you gathered all your documents, you can begin the application process online. It will take three weeks to receive a decision. For more detailed information make sure to look at the government’s website regarding Tier 4 visas. https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa

Due to Coronavirus some of these requirements have changed. For a more detailed overview visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

Top Tip – Do not wait until the last minute! It can take a long time for all of these requirements to be completed. Contact us if you need help.

 

4. How much does it cost to study in the UK?

University fees in the UK are split between ‘home’ and ‘oversees’ fees. Home fees are for British nationals as well as for passport holders of Switzerland or the EEA. Oversees fees apply for any student who requires a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.

Oversees fees are extremely course dependent and therefore it is impossible for us to say how much a course will cost without having a consultation with you first.

Generally, you should expect to pay a minimum of £3,500 to £18,000 per year depending on where and what course you study. You can find more information about oversees fees here. Other costs such as cost of living, travel or insurance are not included in university fees.

Top Tip: Contact your chosen university directly to ask about fees for the course you want to study. They will be able to give you the most accurate costs.

 

How will my study in the UK look like under Coronavirus restrictions?

It is unclear how long the measures set in place to contain Coronavirus in the UK will continue. COVID-19 has created a great deal of uncertainty for international students who will be starting their courses in September 2020.

However, many universities have already been working on contingency plans to offer all their students the highest quality learning and student experience as possible. Some universities have already notified their new undergraduate and foundation year students that they will conduct all their lectures for the first term online. In the meantime, they will be working making sure that lecture theatres and campuses can support social distancing.

For more detailed information we recommend contacting your chosen university directly. They will be able to give you more information on what measures they have decided to take during COVID-19. Please get in touch with us if you are unable to do so. We will be happy to help.

Universities UK has also published FAQs around how Covid-19 affects current and future international student.

If you want to study in the UK, but you need more information tailored to your specific needs do get in touch with us. We will be able to work with you to find the best possible university and the most suitable course as well as making sure your UCAS application stands out. We will also be able to give you more information on how your course might be affected by Coronavirus and what to expect when you are coming to the UK to study.

Email us at info@gabbitas.com or call us at +44(0) 203 026 7443.

As an international student starting at a UK University, we are sure that you are feeling a mixture of relief, excitement and anxiety at the moment.

Relief about your results and the fact that you have secured a place on a course at a University in the UK; excitement about the new adventure that lies ahead and a vague sense of anxiety about what you need to do before you go; how will you make your way there? What will it be like when you get there? Will you make friends and will you enjoy the experience?

Well – don’t worry about the last two. Yes, you will make friends and yes, you will enjoy the experience even if it feels a bit odd to begin with. As for the rest of the questions – we can help – here are the things that you need to think about before you head off.

Valid Passport

Make sure that you have a valid passport with more than 6 months to run and at least 2 clear pages. You will not be able to secure a visa or to travel without a valid passport.

 

CAS and Visa

As an international student you will require a Tier 4 Visa to study in the UK. Your University should have already been in touch with a ‘confirmation of acceptance for studies’ or CAS number. Once you have this number you can apply for your study visa at your nearest British Visa application centre. Print this letter so you have a hard copy to produce wherever you need too.

 

Bank Statements

To secure your visa you will also need to produce documentary evidence that you have enough money to pay the tuition fees and cover your living costs whilst you are in the UK, this normally requires you to produce bank statements showing where the money is.

 

Short Term Visa

Initially you will be granted a short term visa which lasts for 30 days, this allows you to enter the country and then collect your BRP.

 

Biometric Resident Permit (BRP)

This permit says what you are doing in the UK and how long you are allowed to stay there. It will be issued when your visa is approved. You will have to collect this permit before you short term visa expires once you are in the UK. Normally you can pick it up from a designated post office near your University or from your sponsor. Your BRP will have digital photo of your face and your fingerprints. You need this document to prove your identity and the fact you have the right to study in the UK.

 

Other Certificates

Check if you need an X Ray or vaccination certificates, sometimes these are required before entry to the UK.

 

Plane Ticket

Once you have all of the right documents in place then it is time to book your plane ticket – now you are really on your way! Don’t forget to check out regional airports which may be more convenient than landing in London and then having to travel to another part of the UK.

 

Contact Details

Make sure that you have all the contact details for your University printed off and safely stored. Your university should have sent this through to you so if you do not have this information now then go into the website, call them and ask them to a support phone number. Also make sure you have your CAS, and your letter of acceptance of study plus information about the course you will be studying. Why print it off? You will need this information when you land in the UK so now is not the time to rely on a phone or tablet that has just run out of battery….

 

Meet and Greet

Check if there is a meet and greet service from your University – if there is – book it! It will be a great relief to arrive and be greeted by a friendly face and not to have to worry about the onward journey.

 

Onward Journey

If there is no meet and greet – make sure you have planned your route to the University and booked train or bus tickets to get your there. You will be nervous enough as it is without having to worry about how you are going to get there.

University can be a fantastic experience but the more planning you do in advance to make sure things go smoothly the better.

 

Useful websites:

UK GOV – information about visa applications
UKICSA – information about immigration and fees

Gabbitas Education has worked with hundreds of students across the years when choosing a University and securing a place at the best Universities in the UK. Here are the top ten factors to consider when looking for a University.

1. The Course

Pick a course that you think you will enjoy, if the course doesn’t interest you then by the time your final year rolls around you will be struggling to maintain your motivation.

 

2. The Course (Pt. 2)

Bear in mind that it is also important to pick a course that you can see a future in. Your degree is vital in getting you a job once you finish, for most employers a good degree from a well recognised University is enough to get you through the door but some careers require a more vocational path so make sure you have done your research.

 

3. The Department

Courses vary from university to University, depending on the Faculty and the research programmes.  Make sure the courses you pick are going to give you the degree specialisation you want.

 

4. The Campus

Does the University look and feel like a place you’d like to be? Do you want bright lights and a city life or would you rather have a tightly knit campus feel? Work out what would suit you best and take this into account when you are planning.

 

5. The Location

Each University has a different feel depending on where it is located. As an international student it is worth bearing in mind travel connections, whether you want to experience life in a well known city, or perhaps to have a mixture of a smaller town in a more rural area.

 

6. The Union

A strong Student Union is important, as they are the voice of the students and they can be a big part of your University experience. It is worth finding out how they are organised and how they are regarded by current students.

 

7. The Halls

Most students live in University Halls in their first year, again do your research! Do you want self catering or fully catered? Which Halls have the best reputation amongst current students? How close is the accommodation to the lecture halls?    Bear in mind you will probably end up sharing in year 2 with students you meet in your first term, so it is important to get it right at the beginning.

 

8. The Students

What are current students saying about the University? It is easy to find out these days by checking out online student posts or find a friend who knows someone there.  If you have a chance to go on an Open Day ask the students the good and bad things about their experiences.

9. The Overall Package

Having considered all of the factors above, you need to weigh up which is the best course for you and which University is going to be your best fit.  This can be a tricky process of elimination to get down to your 5 UCAS choices.

10. You

Our best advice is to do what you want to do. University is often your first step into the adult world and you have to make the choice yourself. Don’t let your parents or this list influence you too much!

Students today have the opportunity of going to universities anywhere in the world.  We regularly work with students who want to continue their studies all over the world but the number one destination for most of our Gabbitas students remains the UK. So what are the top reasons why the UK remains such a popular choice?

One of the questions we are most regularly asked is “which is the best university?” and the reply always has to be “what do you mean by ‘best’?”

For best means different things to different people.  Do you mean the best in terms of the University League tables?  Do you mean best for student employment? Do you mean the best place for student satisfaction? Do you mean the best university in terms of where the big companies recruit from?  There are so many different criteria to consider and that is before we even get started on the different degree programmes! We share some of our top tips when looking at university rankings.

If you are looking at the University league tables then the annual Sunday Times table is a good starting place – Oxford and Cambridge vie for number 1 and 2 on the list every year and the same names tend to feature each time in a different order.

This ranking is based on a wide number of criteria which include student satisfaction with teaching quality, research quality, graduate prospects, entrance qualifications held by new students, degree results achieved, student/staff ratios, service and facilities spend, and degree completion rates.

But this list can vary widely from the one published by the Guardian for example and if you take the QS World University Rankings you may find that the British Universities appear in a different order again when compared to their international counterparts.

We think for most students, much as they appreciate learning for the pleasure of knowing more about their subject, recognise that the end goal is to be in employment of some kind.  Therefore it is interesting to look at where the Magic Circle Law firms and the Big 4 Accountancy companies, among others, go to recruit. This shows a rather different picture, whilst some of the university names may have featured in the Sunday Times list they appear here in a very different order.

And if we take this one step further and look at the employment statistics for the different universities, the names change completely.

Not many people will have heard of some of these universities – Robert Gordon, for example, runs one of the UK’s leading Oil and Gas programmes, which given its proximity to the oil capital of the UK, Aberdeen, is hardly surprising.

But what is interesting about Robert Gordon is that all of their courses across the different disciplines are designed with industry professionals, many of them have part of a professional qualification embedded in the degree and all of them feature a year in industry as a compulsory part of the 4 year programme.  No wonder their graduates are snapped up as soon as they leave!

So when asked about which university is best, we counsel students to think carefully about what it is they want to achieve from their university years and what constitutes the “best” for them.

University League Tables and rankings should always be analysed with a degree of caution and we would strongly suggest not slavishly picking 5 universities from a ranking table just because they are at the top.

Nothing replaces the research that each student should undertake to make sure they understand about each individual university and what makes up the degree programmes that they offer. By investing the time, this is the only way to ensure you find the right university for you.

Gabbitas are experts in helping students find the right course, at the right university. Get in touch to see how we can help you find the right fit to achieve your potential today.

London, the capital city of the UK is one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in Europe. It is full of history, culture and celebrates a long tradition of academic excellence. London is high on the list of university destinations for many international students as home to world recognised institutions such as  UCL, Kings College and Imperial.

But living within a major international city is not without its challenges. In this blog, we look at the pros and cons of Universities in London so you can work out if it is right choice for you.

The Pros

 

You’ll be living in London!

London is without doubt one of the greatest cities in the world. There is always something exciting happening and there is no excuse to ever be bored.  Whether you are looking for great food, museums and galleries, historical sites or diverse entertainment and nightlife… you will certainly have all of these on your doorstep. But be careful, as these can always easily become a distraction from your studies!

 

Excellent academic reputation

Universities in London have a superb academic reputation and, after Oxford and Cambridge, London is the next top choice for many prospective students. Of the 24 Russell Group universities, 5 are based within London. Plus, with the federal teaching opportunities through the wider University of London your study opportunities are diverse and varied.

It is also as great place to network and build up your contacts. London is a working city so there are many opportunities to gain valuable work experience, and graduates from London universities have excellent job prospects and high graduate employability.

 

Very diverse city

London is a city that attracts all kinds of people. It is a great opportunity to meet and connect with people from multiple cultures from all over the globe as it is such a popular destination for international students. Plus, because you’ll be in the ‘real world’ rather than campus ‘bubble’ you’ll mix and engage with all kinds of people, not just students.

The Cons

 

It’s very expensive

You’ll find you pay more for everything in London, from fees to rent to food to entertainment… When considering universities in London you will need to think about your living costs and how they stack up. For example, you may end up paying the same as your friend in Manchester but living in worse housing.

 

It can be overwhelming

The sheer size and pace of London can be hectic and stressful, especially when travelling from place to place. If you’re not used to this, it can be overwhelming. Many students also report that there can be a lack of community when studying in London. It is certainly not a dedicated student city so you will have less of a traditional student experience.

 

They are competitive

Unsurprisingly due to their popularity, getting into universities in London is  fiercely competitive. They usually ask for the top grades and many don’t interview, so your application will be based entirely on your expected grades and personal statement.