Higher Education Resources

February 2007 Edition

 Key Resources for Course Choice 

UCAS website www.ucas.com

Degree Course Offers (latest edition) by Brian Heap

Course Discover (see Online Resources below)

Higher Ideas (installed on Careers Library workstations)

Sixthformer’s Guide to Open Days 2007

University Websites and Prospectuses

Brief details of these and other good resources are given below, listed by format (books, CD-ROMs, websites & online services). These resources can be consulted in the Careers Library.

 Reference Books

(a)   Choosing Courses

Degree Course Offers by Brian Heap (annual editions) Publ: Trotman

Lists the offers (A/AS level grades and points, and any crucial subject/GCSE requirements) made for each course by each University. This is a very useful guide for selecting Universities that will accept the sort of grades you and your teachers are expecting you to attain – but you must check for up to date entry requirements with institutions, as requirements may change after Heap’s publication date.

Also contains information on the HEFCE teaching and research assessments, on common interview questions and on preparing your UCAS personal statement.

Choosing your Degree Course and University by Brian Heap

Explanations of how courses differ subject by subject between institutions – profiles of thousands of courses. Advice on choosing your degree course by A level or by career choice criteria. Advice on how to judge the quality of a course; subject-specific questions to ask at interview or open day.

CRAC Degree Course Guides  2005/6 & 2006/7   20 volume set

Which Degree? Separate volumes for Humanities, Engineering etc   

Getting Into….. Course Guides Selected volumes in Careers Library, e.g. American Universities, Law, Medical School, Dental School, Art & Design

Insiders’ Guide to Medical Schools 2005/6 in Careers Library

The Art & Design Directory Annual editions Publ: ISCO

Lists all art and design courses (in FE, HE and at Postgraduate level). Information on each course’s content: readers can compare content but also ethos behind each course.

(b)  Admissions Test Preparation

Preparing for the BMAT   Publ: Heinemann

LNAT Mastering the National Admissions Test for Law  Publ: Cavendish

AS Critical Thinking for OCR  Publ: Heinemann

(c) Choosing Universities

The Times Good University Guide (annual editions)

Includes the Times University League Tables                                       

The Virgin Alternative Guide to British Universities (annual editions)

For students by students.                                                         

Sixthformer’s Guide to Open Days 2007 Publ: ISCO

Excellent overview of Open Day: dates, how to book, how to get the most out of Open Days etc. Also good section on Studying Abroad – useful contact points for USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, & Ireland.                                                                        In Careers Library.

Selected Open Days 2007 list is in the HE Booklet,

The Disabled Student’s Guide to University 2005 by Emma Caprez  in Careers Library

(d) Considering Oxbridge…..

The following are in the Careers Library:

Note also website: www.oa.waveflex.com has feedback from past Oxbridge interviewees about their interviews.

Getting into Oxford & Cambridge (2005 ed) by Sarah Alakija    Publ: Trotman/MPW

How to Get into Oxford and Cambridge (1998) by Moggridge, North & North Publ: PGR Publishing

A Guide to Oxbridge Application in Economics and in the Social Sciences (2003) by Russell Tillson  Publ: Anforme Ltd

Cambridge Interviews: The Facts  Cambridge Pamphlet

Interviews at Oxford   Oxford Pamphlet

(e) Fees, Scholarships, Bursaries, Sponsorship and other Funding

See UCAS website (use Course Search) for information on fees, bursaries etc

Hotcourses   website www.studentmoney.org   good database also previously called scholarship-search.org.uk.

Undergraduate Courses Money & Funding Guide 2006     Publ: Hotcourses

Coverage of awards, bursaries & scholarships. Same source information as the online database via www.studentmoney.org. Copy in Careers Library

Scholarships & Bursaries  Publ: ISCO

 Computer Resources

Websites    (all preceded by www.)   Other sites may be listed on school intranet

Course and University Choice

ucas.com – UCAS HE information with links to universities’ & colleges’ websites; has excellent  and very useful course search facility; gives entry qualifications; includes Entry Profiles for many courses www.coursediscoveronline.co.uk - see above

isco.org.uk – lists taster courses put on by Independent Schools Careers Organisation

hero.ac.uk – Higher Education & Research Opportunities in the UK – is the official gateway site to the UK universities, colleges and research organisations

push.co.uk – extracts from the PUSH Guide to Which University – chatty, informative

unofficial-guides.com – includes useful links to university websites

universityoptions.co.uk – good site run by Manchester University Careers Service, includes Graduate profiles searchable by subject, university attended etc

see SHSK Intranet Careers pages for other sites

Quality Assessments and League Tables

tqi.ac.uk – gives official info on quality of HE in UK universities incl national student survey 2006 results

qaa.ac.uk – Subject Review Reports by QAA/HEFCE (for teaching quality) & Institutional Audit Reports

hero.ac.uk/rae/results – results of 2001 research quality assessment exercise

hefce.ac.uk – results of the 1996 research quality assessment exercise

timesonline.co.uk – for The Times Good University Guide (click Education)

educationunlimited.co.uk – Guardian’s education website (find University Guide for The Guardian’s (interactive) University/Subject Guides, usually published each May)

Finance

ucas.com – info on fees, bursaries etc., all via the course search

scholarship-search.org.uk – (is same site as studentmoney.org)  excellent site run by Hotcourses, with database of undergraduate awards from academic institutions, commercial organisations, professional institutes and charitable trusts

studentfinancedirect.co.uk – the official national student support site; apply for student support online

slc.co.uk – Student Loans Company

dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport

oxfordshire.gov.uk   - click on Learning & Student Support -  Oxfordshire Student Support

Gap Year

yearoutgroup.org – excellent, clear with links to & profiles of the member gap organisations

gapyear.com – for students, parents and schools; general, chatty, lots of links

gap.org.uk – specific organisation GAP Activity Projects

yini.org.uk – Year in Industry site – good for gap year jobs

bunac.org.uk

vacationwork.co.uk

thesite.org – volunteering opportunities in the UK

Study Abroad

worldstudent.com/uk/studyabroad

braintrack.com

erasmus.ac.uk - opportunities in Europe

fulbright.co.uk - study in the US

Specific Subjects/Professions

asme.org.uk – Association for the Study of Medical Education, information on medical courses

lcan.csu.ac.uk – very useful site for prospective lawyers, run by the law careers advice network

lawsociety.org.uk

barcouncil.org.uk

bps.org.uk – British Psychological Society, with list of accredited degree courses

prospects.ac.uk – AGCAS guide to graduate jobs, careers & postgraduate study

careers-portal.co.uk – includes links to many professional institutions

University Prospectuses

Most prospectuses are available for reference in the Careers Library.

School Contacts – Staff and Recent Leavers

See separate list of Staff to Contact for Advice on Specific University Subject Areas

See separate list of Former Pupils now Studying at University