Going to University is something that most of us do, but the process of getting into a University can be confusing. One part of the application process that you may find confusing is UCAS points.
UCAS points are mostly earned through examination results but there are additional ways you can earn UCAS points to get into the university of your choice.
While some Universities will accept additional activities for UCAS points others may not, so when applying for University check out your top choices first to see what options you have available to you.
Today in this blog post we will be looking at the top ways you can gain UCAS points to get into the university of your choice.
The most common method of gaining UCAS points is by doing A-Levels. A-Levels are sat at school or college and most students will study 3 different A-Levels. Some students may do 4 which is a good way of earning extra UCAS points.
With that said, if you can’t handle 4 A-Levels, it may be better for you to only do 3 as a fourth A-Level may put you under too much stress and cause your other grades to slip.
If in doubt you should talk to your tutors first and see what they recommend, but ultimately only you know how hard you can work and what level you are at.
When choosing your A-Levels you should consider what you want to do after them. You shouldn’t pick A-Levels that aren’t relevant to the area you want to study at University as it could make your application process more difficult.
If you don’t know what A-Levels you should choose, take a look at the courses you are interested in at University and then take a look at their entry requirements. This will tell you how many UCAS points you will need to gain as well as what subjects you should gain them in.
Another common way of earning UCAS points is through sitting AS-Level exams. An AS-Level is worth around 40% of an A-Level and this is reflected in UCAS points. You also only gain the AS-Level UCAS points if you don’t hold an A-Level in the subject too.
An AS-Level takes one year and can be sat in either the first or second year of the sixth form. An AS-Level is a great way of boosting your UCAS points without having to do a full A-Level. This is useful for students who don’t think they can manage 4 full A-Levels.
For most students, it makes sense to do the AS-Level subjects during their first year of study in sixth form, that way they won’t be finishing off their A-Levels and AS-Levels at the same time in the second year.
Not all Universities will accept AS-Level UCAS points so once again it’s worth checking with your university to see how flexible their entry requirements are.
When not at school it’s still possible to earn UCAS points. You can earn UCAS points at home by carrying out extracurricular activities such as taking dance or music exams.
Once again not all universities will accept these UCAS points so it’s worth checking before you go out and purchase that new piano. But if you do these things anyway it’s worth checking to see if you can get UCAS points for them. Music exams for example will require you to be at a certain level before you qualify for points.
You can do other extracurricular activities to gain UCAS points while not in school. Horse riding can gain you UCAS points if you do it through the British Horse Society.
Open learning qualifications or courses from places such as the open university can give you a chance to earn more UCAS points other than the points you pick up from your A-Levels.
Once again it’s worth checking if your potential university accepts UCAS points from courses provided via distance learning.
If you aren’t taking maths at A-Level but want to show your university that you are proficient in it then taking a free-standing maths qualification is not only a great way to show proficiency but also a great way to gain UCAS points for university.
Taking a freestanding maths qualification can earn you an additional 20 UCAS points depending on your final grade.
Volunteering not only gives back to the community but can also show potential universities the person you are. If you do already volunteer you could pick up additional UCAS points by taking an ASDAN community volunteering qualification. Taking a volunteering qualification could earn you up to 50 extra UCAS points.
Earning UCAS points outside of school or college is a great way of getting into that course that you want to study at university but before you go signing up for courses or planning how you are going to move to university be sure to check the entry requirements for your course first of all.
Without the right entry requirements, you could be left disappointed.
We hope this article has shown you some of the ways you can get extra UCAS points to get into the University of your choice. If you do have to move to university when the time comes you may want to consider investing in self-storage.
At Urban Locker, we provide affordable storage for students that can help minimise stress when moving day comes. Our student storage facility also provides peace of mind by keeping your valuables safe at the end of term.