Now that GCSEs are fast approaching, many of you will be thinking about your future. If you want to carry on in education, you will most probably have to apply for college. Even if your school does have a Sixth-form, college is often a better option. They offer more courses, a greater variety of subjects, different types of qualifications (i.e. T-levels, BTECs and NVQs) and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Note: In July 2021, the government announced that they plan to make A Levels and T Levels, the main further education qualifications at age 16 in England. They’ll sit alongside apprenticeships. Funding for overlapping post-GCSE options, including many BTECs, will be removed. The plan is that the withdraw will start from 2024.
Going to a college offers you more options, you don’t just have to go to the one that is closest to your home, although depending on how lazy you are you might just go for that option. You can, if you want to, though, shop around a bit. Also, unlike secondary schools, colleges can be a bit selective in their pupils. Because of this, they want to know more about the students applying to them. Colleges want to see whether they are the right college for you and whether you are right for them.
This means that there is a proper, formal application process, normally done online. This can be a bit scary if you’ve never done anything similar before but don’t worry too much, here is our guide to doing the application right. Note that the order of the section might be different for different colleges.
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Section 1: Personal Details
On a typical application form, you will be asked general questions like your name, date of birth, address and phone number.
Section 2: The Courses you are Applying For
This part of the application will question you about the courses you are enrolling in. You may be doing more than one course, or have one in reserve and colleges want to know how to fit this in a schedule for you. They also want to know why you chose the course. Course numbers are usually quite limited so they only take the best students. Therefore, you have to make sure you really explain why this course particularly interested you. Just be honest. There must have been something that attracted you to this course so just explain what that was in the best way you can.
Section 3: Additional Support
This section asks about any health issues, disabilities or learning difficulties. This may seem quite personal but it is there to determine what sort of help and support you will need, while at college.
Section 4: Equal Opportunities
This section asks you about your ethnic background.
Section 5: Residency
Colleges want to know where you live because many have more than one campus and may be able to enroll you in their college closest to where you live. Also, bear in mind, if they have more than one campus you may live much further away from the campus that runs your course. If this is the case, you will also have to bear in mind transport costs and factor in travel time to your day.
Section 6: Criminal Convictions.
In this section, although it may jeopardise your chances of going to college, you must be honest because you will get found out anyway. Don’t worry too much, if it is a minor conviction, the college may let you in but have you supervised and monitored for a while.
Section 7: Qualifications.
The course you want to get onto may have specific qualification needs (i.e. 3 6s at GCSEs). Most college courses require fairly low grades to give everyone a chance to get on the course that they may want to study. As a general rule five 9-5s are needed to study A-Levels and slightly lower grades are needed for NVQs and BTECs, although this does depend on the college and the specific course you are studying. Whatever your results, you have to be honest on the application because they will ask for your certificates as proof anyway.
If you've not currently got your GCSE grades the college will ask for predicted grades and your teachers will be able to tell you what you're predicted in each subject.
Section 8: Tell us about yourself.
Try and make this section as interesting as possible. This is the only area of the application form where you get to make a bit of an impression. Treat it as though you're applying for a job; talk about your hobbies and what you do in your spare time but be specific. For example, don’t talk about shopping or ‘hanging out with friends, or even just reading, instead talk about what genres you like to read or what activities you do with your friends. Also try to mention what you want to get out of your college course and what you plan on doing after college, whether it's an apprenticeship, a job or university.
Section 9: References.
Give this form to a teacher or previous/current employer if you have one. Do not fill out this form yourself because the college will contact the person and catch you out! Just try and choose someone that knows you well, perhaps the teacher of the subject you'd like to study at college and who you get along with and hopefully they will fill out the form honestly and in your favour.
Remember to ask your references for a statement in advance of your college application deadline giving them a few weeks to write something for you.
Once you've completed your college application form, send it in and wait patiently. All you have to do now is get revising so you've got the grades to get into your dream college!
Top photo by Alejandro Escamilla via free Unsplash License.
