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KINGDOM : ADMISSION PROCESS |
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Admission Requirements for International Students
The most important thing to check while seeking admission
in UK is the validity of ones’ academic qualification
in relation to the institute and the course that he or
she aspires to join and pursue. The Universities and other
institutes are not bound by any regulation in UK and are
independent to recognize and accept a particular international
qualification for admission into a specific course. The
best guide for such information is the prospectus of the
chosen institute/university which would carry entry requirements
for all the programs that it has to offer.
Broadly class Xth of CBSE with 75% marks is considered
equivalent to GCSE and such students can seek admission
for A-level courses. Similarly those with outstanding
grades in class XII of CBSE or equivalent are eligible
for admission in undergraduate degree courses, and those
with lesser marks may get admission in vocational and
foundation/bridging courses. However universities like
Oxford, Cambridge and London School of Economics do not
give credence to any of our class XII qualification for
admission in undergraduate courses.
All international students, whose mother tongue is not
English, must have or gain English Language qualification,
which is acceptable to the university or the institute
to which he or she is seeking admission. Among many qualifications
acceptable for this purpose are a score of 550 or more
in the paper based test and 220 or more on the computer
based tests of TOEFL and an overall score of 5.5 in IELTS.
Another distinctive feature of the education system in
UK is the "Mature Student’ scheme under which
the age of the student is no bar for seeking admission
and for many programs their experience is even accepted
as an alternative to academic qualification. Under the
same scheme many universities also offer the facility
of part-time study, which may particularly those with
family and job commitments.
A candidate can choose and apply for a maximum of six
institutions at a time. UCAS sends copies of the form
to all the institutions mentioned in the form by the candidate.
An institution may offer or reject admission straightaway
or offer a conditional admission subject to the result
of the qualifying examination. Some universities, before
making an offer, may like to invite the candidate for
an interview. The candidate is communicated the result
through UCAS and in case he has a clear offer and accepts
it, he has to send the acceptance through UCAS. Students
have further opportunity for admission through UCAS Clearing
Scheme. This scheme enables universities to offer vacant
places to suitable applicants outstanding in the UCAS
files.
In case of postgraduate courses and doctorate programs
a candidate has to apply directly to the university and
not through UCAS. The application is assessed mainly on
the basis of academic track record, score in IELTS/TOEFL
and research proposal in case of research programs. The
references given by the candidate also matter.
Once a candidate has a confirmed offer from an university/institute
it should be ensured that all necessary documents like
the evidence of required qualification to enter the desired
course, the offer of the university/institute etc are
available for fulfilling the immigration rules. These
would also be required for applying an entry clearance,
on the basis of which the Visa is issued.
Application Forms
Applications are made through a computerized national
system known as Universities and Colleges Admission Service
(UCAS). Students must complete a single UCAS form which
allows them a choice of six universities and courses so
that they don’t have to make costly and time consuming
multiple applications. UCAS forms are available at all
British Council Offices in India for self funded students.
When to Apply?
UCAS forms should be ideally submitted before 15th December
of the preceding year. Students can start applying even
if they have received their final results. However, even
after 15th December, applications can still be processed
in the normal way until 30th June. After that, applications
will be handled through "Clearing Process".
Application Requirements
Academic Records
Full details of your education including your course subjects
and grades are required in the applications. Transcripts
or official records of your previous academic qualifications
are crucial for your application.
Students applying for are required to submit an official
transcript from each college or university that they have
attended after secondary school with complete details
of the subjects, credits involved and other details like
correspondence courses, diplomas etc. Most universities
ask for the transcript to be sealed in an envelope and
signed and attested across the seal by the registrar.
This procedure is to be done for each and every college
that you have attended. Some universities may ask for
more than one transcript but most require only one.
If the originals are not in English, copies and a good
English translation must be enclosed. If your undergraduate
qualification or university is unknown to the admissions
tutor, the British Council would be able to advice.
Standardized Tests
IELTS: For most courses and universities, International
students are required to take IELTS (International English
Language Test) which is regularly administered by the
British Council. Some universities may accept TOEFL as
an alternative.
Note: Some
Universities may waive IELTS if you have been studying
in English medium throughout and they are convinced that
you are proficient in English.
Letter of Recommendation
Letters of reference or recommendation letters play a
very important part in your admission especially in courses
that earn you a master’s or doctoral degree. A recommendation
letter is a signed statement from a person who knows you
well professionally or has taught you in a subject that
is related to the course you are applying to. It should
list your positive and negative qualities, strengths and
other such information.
The author or teacher must indicate his position, how
long he/she has known the applicant and in what capacity.
He/she should briefly discuss the need, importance and
usefulness of the study the applicant proposes to undertake.
Authors are usually asked to rank applicants in their
letters of recommendation, which helps admission officers
to interpret the academic credentials of foreign students.
Students should obtain letters of recommendation (often
on the prescribed forms sent by the institutions) from
teachers who know them as a person as well as a student.
You may like to request your author to give concrete examples
that may show your qualities and help your case.
Many universities have their own format and questions
that have to be answered by the person who is giving the
letter of recommendation on your behalf. Letters, which
do not give enough information, can jeopardize a candidate’s
chances of selection.
Statement of Purpose
The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose, play
a very important role in the process of evaluating your
application for both admission as well as financial aid
because it gives the faculty assessing your application
their most significant impression of you as an individual.
This section is the key to distinguish your application
from other suitable candidates and a chance to market
yourself.
A personal statement should include your reasons for choosing
a particular course, the suitability of your education
and experience for the chosen course, your personal interests
and career goals.
Work-Experience Details
A number of professional and vocational courses require
relevant work experience. For instance, many MBAs or master’s
courses in information studies require at least a couple
of years’ work experience. Most Australian universities
are pretty strict about this.
A detailed Résumé is an important part of
your application. It should include all information of
professional work experience along with the details like
positions held, achievements and range of work.
Cost of Education
Education in UK has lots of financial benefits:
Professional degrees are offered at undergraduate levels
There are many One-year Masters’ degrees including
MBA
Access to National Health Centre; which is free for students
registered on courses of six months or longer
Free school education for registered dependent children.
Expenses (In Pound Sterling) :
Undergraduate
| Courses |
Average Total Tuition Fees per academic year |
Average Living Costs per academic year
(9 months) |
Average Total Costs per year |
Science |
8,130 |
6,600 |
14,730 |
Medicine |
15,660 |
6,600 |
22,660 |
Others |
6,210 |
6,600 |
12,810 |
Postgraduate
| Courses |
Average Total Tuition Fees per academic year |
Average Living Costs per academic year
(9 months) |
Average Total Costs per year |
Science |
8,200 |
6,600 |
14,800 |
Medicine |
15,450 |
6,600 |
22,050 |
Others |
6,303 |
6,600 |
12,903 |
Scholarships/Financial Aid
There is very little financial aid in the UK for international
students. Some universities may give students with good
or exceptional backgrounds, a part tuition fee waiver.
Some universities give discounts of 1000 - 1500 Pounds
to students with good academic backgrounds.
There are a some scholarships especially for postgraduate
and research studies. Information about these scholarships
is available on respective university websites.
For a list of the available scholarships you can refer
to the following link :
http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-scholarships.htm
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