51Âþ»­

More than 6,000 sixth-form students are heading to 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) for the East Midlands UCAS Higher Education Fair.

A total of 160 exhibitors will have stalls over at The Venue and the QE2, where students will have the opportunity to speak to representatives from universities all around the UK. 

The stalls will be manned by experts from UCAS (The University and College Admissions Service), university and college representatives, and industry professionals who are on hand to answer questions about what each university can offer.

It is a chance for students to hear about the courses they are looking to study and get first-hand answers from students about campus life.

Vanessa Haye from 51Âþ»­ Schools and Colleges Recruitment spoke about why the fair was important for students who are thinking of applying to university:

She said: “What we find in our job is that not every school or institution gets to actually visit the campus, they normally get us to go out to them, and so for students to actually come and visit and ask their own questions – I think it’s a much better experience.”

Vanessa said that hosting the fair this year has been a great opportunity for 51Âþ»­.

She said: “It’s nice to be on the other side of organising this kind of event - normally we do university experience days on a smaller scale. To have the schools that we identify with coming on campus, hosting them, getting them to see a bit more about what we’re about - it’s thrilling and we feel proud to be part of such a huge exhibition.”

The fair coincides with 51Âþ»­’s Festival of Teaching 2019, a free programme of events to celebrate creative teaching at the university, open to staff, students and the general public.

51Âþ»­ hosted a live steam on campus to answer some FAQs about the UCAS application process and 51Âþ»­:

What is UCAS?

UCAS stands for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It’s where all university undergraduate admissions are processed, but it also serves as a hub of information about applying to university, from personal statements, finance, and information for parents too.

When do students apply?

The main deadline for applications is usually early January, but some schools and colleges set their own deadline before Christmas to ensure applications are ready on time. There are also some individual courses with different deadlines, so it is always best to double check.  The next UCAS cycle will open in September.

What sort of things should I include in my UCAS application?

Your application is the chance to sell yourself, so in your application you should explain why you will be a value to the university and also what you want to get out of the course.

Why is it worth attending a UCAS fair?

At a UCAS fair all the universities from all over the country are in the same place so you get a great overview of what is on offer.  The fair will give you the chance to ask lots of questions about things like entry requirements, the course, and unique selling points of that institution.

What should students look for when choosing a University?

The first step is to decide what you want to study and see which institutions offer that course. If you get the chance, attend open days and try to ask lots of questions to get as much out of the experience as you can. Think about things that might be important to you like the course content, the accommodation on offer, international opportunities on offer, and placement years.  It is also a good idea to consider how you feel in the city and campus, as you will spend a lot of your time there during your studies. You will get five choices on your UCAS application and you can use these however you want. They can be five courses at the same university or the same course at different universities – it’s up to you!