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During the Advent Term our Upper Sixth pupils were hard at work on their university applications, personal statements and first rounds of interviews. Virtual workshops were arranged with several universities, allowing pupils to find out more about their shortlisted universities and in support of their application process.
In the Lent Term the process will kick off for the Lower Sixth, with upcoming events including the launch of Unifrog and talks from Durham and Southampton.
The process is vital in ensuring that pupils receive all the necessary support from the University Applications Co-ordinator and all their College Tutors, whether it is to write a statement, prepare an interview, or learn more about the courses and institutions of their choice. So far in this academic year we have seen many successful applications resulting in offers from Russell Group universities.
Last term the whole Upper Sixth cohort attended a session with the ‘University Ambassadors’, where a number of top flight universities and courses were showcased by former Lancing pupils. We are very grateful to our young OLs for supporting current pupils by being helpful points of contact during the application process and upon arrival at their destination university.
In the past few years the College has been offering an additional support with the Overseas Applications programme. Applying to overseas institutions as well as through UCAS can open up an array of additional opportunities for the future. Moreover, studying abroad can offer extra benefits: in some countries courses are financially more accessible than in the UK, and the cost of living can be more affordable. In addition, living and studying abroad can provide a whole breadth of experience – while perhaps learning a new language in the process – and can be seen as an extra strength by potential future employers.
This academic year has been a bumper year for applications to US university. So far one pupil has already received an offer from an institution in Florida with a sport scholarship, whilst another has had an interview with Harvard and is expecting another with Yale. Many pupils have sent applications to US universities whilst at the same time applying via UCAS in the UK.
Mrs Helen Robinson, Overseas Application Co-ordinator, commented: ‘The process of applying to the US is a marathon rather than a sprint; there is an enormous amount of preparation involved, SAT/ACT tests have to be taken and essays have to be written. There are also so many universities or colleges that it takes time to research them all and work out which would be a good choice. For this reason at Lancing we start working on the whole process early on in the Lower Sixth.’
In addition to the US, this year we have also seen several applications going to Ireland, Canada, Spain and Hong Kong, which shows the variety of opportunities on offer for our pupils.
The University Ambassadors are part of the College’s My Future programme. Lancing Ambassadors are OLs and undergraduates currently studying at over ten UK universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Exeter, Warwick, Durham, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Sheffield. The programme aims to help our Upper Sixth pupils not only to consider their options upon leaving Lancing, but also to be supported as they settle into university life. Ambassadors will hold talks at Lancing once a year and will be helpful points of contact during the UCAS application process and upon arrival at university.