Guide to filling in a UCAS form from a legal perspective

Filling the UCAS form is a daunting step when attempting to enter higher education; however, its importance cannot be underestimated. Below, there is a step by step guide helping you to avoid some common pitfalls that students encounter when completing their UCAS form and obtain a place at your desired university. This guide will be applicable to the online application form 2009. This guide will not cover steps that advice cannot be give i.e. filing in your personal details. This guide will concentrate on the steps which will help differentiate you from other prospective law students.

General points

• Research - You must research every detail of possible course choices and the possible university.
• Plan - Prior planning is a must as filling in the UCAS form cannot be left to the last minute.
• Time - If you have planned ahead, then time should be taken to analyse on each important section (see below).
• Unique - You must try and give examples of experiences which separate you from other candidates which make you unique.
• Check - After writing your answers, check for spelling and grammatical errors and re-read your answers. Make sure that the answer is what you want to show the universities.
• Review - Make sure to ask an experienced individual to review your application. Perhaps an English teacher at your school/college.

Specific points

The points below deal with the key steps in the UCAS application form. Attention must be drawn to these steps as they will help you differentiate yourself and another prospective student.

Additional Information

This step will give the university its first glimpse of your personality and achievements and so cannot be ignored when filling your UCAS form. In particular, attention must be draw to the ‘activities in preparation for higher education’ section. In this section, you must enter details of up to two activities that you have participated in preparation for higher education. These include summer schools, Saturday University, campus days, summer academies, taster courses and booster courses. If you participated in any such activity you must enter their details. This section will show universities of your eagerness to participate in Higher education. If you have not participated in such activities, not to worry as this step is only a preliminary to the all important personal statement, which will be dealt with below.

Course choices

The next crucial step when filling the UCAS form is making your course choices. From a legal perspective, this might seem like an easy decision but one that needs some attention. If you want to study English law at university (3 year course) then simply find the course code from the UCAS website and fill it in. If however, you wish to study law and a foreign language (i.e. law and French law) then you would read law for four years. Reading law and another language would only be recommended if you are studying or have studied the language at A Level.

Personal statement

The UCAS application form includes a personal statement and gives you the opportunity to tell universities and colleges about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study. You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment, and above all, ensure that you stand out from the crowd and emphasise your individuality. In some universities, interviews are not held so this is the only opportunity for you to make your case and ‘show off’ your qualifications and skills.

If you are applying for a law course, then your statement must be centred on why you and your skills would be best utilised at a university reading law. Explain why you are drawn to the subject or if you are applying to more than one course, then the statement must cover these too. For example, you could say that because of its ever evolving nature, studying law would challenge you intellectually and so your interest and desire to learn would be maintained. Also, it must be stated why you are interested to go to university and why a change of environment would suit you.

After stating why you are drawn to law, you must state why you are capable of reading law. This is not a chance to repeat your academic grades but a chance to state the skills you have obtained during your time at school/college. For example, ‘managing a busy schedule throughout my time at college demonstrates my time-management and organizational skills’. Show how your current or previous studies relate to law.

A good statement is one where the candidate gives specific examples of an experience or activity which makes you a good candidate. This makes the statement seem more personal and convincing, one which will catch the eye of the tutor. A specific example would expand on your experiences and give additional information to make it interesting. For example, a job at a check out could be described as: ‘a great opportunity to converse with clients from all walks of life. It gave me an insight into how large organisation operates and will be an invaluable experience for me’.

Stating your hobbies and interests is good way to show what skills you have obtained from them. The UCAS application form is an opportunity for you to state how interesting and different you are from the other candidate. When discussing your hobbies, you must elaborate on why they would be useful to you when reading law. For example, ‘I believe my team-working skills have been galvanized from playing rugby at weekends’. Details of non-accredited skills and achievement which you have gained through various activities must be stated. These may include the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Diploma of Achievement or a Volunteer scheme. If you have held any positions of responsibility, in and out of school, then you should state them in your personal statement. State any experience activity which you are particularly proud of and which emphasises your uniqueness.

Finally, be sure to re-read and check the statement for spelling and grammatical errors. Make sure to ask a qualified individual to read your statement so that you receive another perspective which will help you alleviate some errors.