S5/S6 Moving to Post-School Study
Preparation for college/university
If your son/daughter is interested in going to college or university, they will begin working on their Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) application midway through S5 or S6. It is important they they familiarise themselves with the programmes of study that are available and the colleges and universities that provide them.
As a parent, questions you will want to consider when helping your son/daughter prepare for applying to college or university are:
- Do they know the date that their application must be submitted by (this is usually done through the school)?
- Do they know which colleges/universities they will be applying to (they can apply to a maximum of five)?
- Have they begun writing their personal statement?
- Do they know what the college/university will be looking for in their personal statement?
- If they are applying to the art school/course, do they know how to put their portfolio of work together?
- If they are applying for a music or dramatic arts programme, do they know the audition requirements?
- If they are applying for law or medicine, have they completed the necessary online tests?
- Do they know how to prepare for an interview, if this is required in the application process?