YOU ARE ON LEVEL THREE: DEPARTURES
During Levels 1 and 2, you finalised your course choices and completed your personal statement. Now you are ready to find out more about college life and to submit your online applications.
Be prepared to apply to several colleges and to tweak each application - you might need to slightly change your personal statement based on the content of each course.
Apply direct to each college via the college website. All applications are made online.
College applications are processed in the order they are received, so if you apply early your application will be read before others. This means you have a better chance of being accepted for a place before the whole course is full.
VISIT A COLLEGE CAMPUS.
BE ACTIVE.
ASK QUESTIONS.
GATHER INFORMATION.
TALK TO PEOPLE.
GET ADVICE.
VISIT A COLLEGE CAMPUS
Visiting a college campus should be an active experience. Ask lots of questions, and gather as much information as possible. Talk to staff and students if you can. Find out what is on offer - student support, food and drink, sports facilities, and the student association. You will be at college for between one and three years, so make sure you like what you see. Ask for advice about courses, qualifications and what happens after college - usually you move on to university to complete a degree, or you apply for jobs or start your own business.
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATIONS TO COLLEGES.
APPLY EARLY.
APPLY TO LOTS OF
DIFFERENT COLLEGES.
SELECT THE COURSES CAREFULLY.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT LEVEL AND SUBJECT AREA.
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATIONS TO COLLEGES
You must get your application in early, usually in mid-January. You can apply to as many colleges as you like, and usually you can apply for two courses at each college. Once your application is in, you might be asked to visit the college for an informal interview.
YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION
When you complete your online application, make sure you include qualifications you have achieved already AND the ones for which you are awaiting results. These are usually called "PENDING QUALIFICATIONS". Your college application will be read by advisors and lecturers, and if you have the right qualifications you will usually be invited for an informal interview.
You should keep a close eye on your emails after you apply. Colleges usually send you a confirmation note to say your application has been received. You should also watch out for emails seeking further information, or most importantly, to invite you for an interview.
Don't panic if you are invited to interview or offered a place at more than one college. Take some time to consider what is your best option. Think about transport, the course content, the progression options and your feelings about the college itself. Once you have decided, call to accept your place and call the other colleges to say you don’t want to accept their offer. You might be offered an UNCONDITIONAL place. Or, you may be offered a CONDITIONAL place, which means you need to pass a certain exam. Finally, you may not be offered a place - which is why you should apply to several colleges at once.
YOUR COLLEGE INTERVIEW.
ARRIVE EARLY.
CHECK THE LOCATION.
LOOK SMART.
TAKE NOTES.
TRY NOT TO BE TOO NERVOUS.
RELAX AND ASK QUESTIONS.
YOUR COLLEGE INTERVIEW
When you are invited for interview, ring the college to confirm attendance. Check the address on the invitation and find out how to get there in plenty of time. All Glasgow colleges have more than one campus - get it right.
Arrive early! Tell Reception staff you have an interview and follow their instructions carefully to go to the correct room.
Dress smartly and take some time to appear clean, neat and tidy. You can wear your school uniform. Avoid wearing anything controversial!
Take some written notes with you, to help you answer questions. Print off your personal statement, and note down why you want to do the course, what makes you a good candidate and what you want to do once you finish.
Keep your nerves under control. You will meet some new people and they will know you are nervous, so they will try to put you at ease.
Make a good impression - smile, shake the interviewer's hand and make good eye contact. Take your time to think before answering a question. Use positive body language - don’t slouch, fidget or avoid eye contact. Switch off your phone and give open, positive answers, not just yes or no.
At the end, ask some questions about the course to show you are really interested.
CLIMB EVEN HIGHER.
AFTER COLLEGE,
GO TO UNIVERSITY.
FIND OUT ABOUT
THE ARTICULATION PROCESS.
THE ARTICULATION PROCESS:
A WAY TO GAIN YOUR DEGREE AFTER COLLEGE
Articulation is a process which allows college students to move on to university after an HNC or HND course at college. For example, if you study at college for two years and gain an HND in Bioscience, you may be able to enter 2nd year, or possibly 3rd year, of a degree course in Biomedical Science at university. The subject must be compatible - you can’t study Engineering and then transfer to Nursing.
Usually, the Articulation process means that you complete your degree in a total of four years - the same length of time taken by a student who goes straight into university in 1st year. Articulation can work in different ways depending on which course you are studying. For example:
College HNC (1 year) + 2nd, 3rd and 4th year at University = Honours Degree
College HND (2 years) + 3rd and 4th year at University = Honours Degree
Not all universities take part in Articulation. In the west of Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and University of West of Scotland (UWS) are the main universities which accept students from colleges in this way.
You should check when you are researching courses whether you can articulate to university after college.
