My Tip Top Tips for Application to University

So you are thinking of applying for Politics at Univeristy are you? Well, Politics is as I am sure you aware a fascinating subject, it's a subject which is very much alive! Read on for more information on applying to University for Politics!

Application to University can be a daunting process with so many choices to be made. But at this stage all you Upper Sixth need to be focusing on is writing your personal statement and choosing your 5 university choices. It can be hard choosing one but here are several things to consider about your choice of university:

1. What is the course like? Do they have modules running in all years which you are going to enjoy studying?
2. What international options are available? Can you study abroad or not?
3. Is the city somewhere you are going to be happy living in for the next 3/4 years?
4. Consider what size University you want to be in, some have large student populations, others have smaller sizes.
5. What is that universities employability like?
6. What support can the University offer you?

Ultimately make sure that you visit the univeristies as well as you may find that whilst on paper you like it, the reality may be different. I know from my own experience that visiting is important.

Once you have an idea about what university you would like to study at you should look to your personal statement. This gives the universities the chance to see what you are like. It is your opportunity to show off and explain why it is they have to make you an offer. A good piece of advice regarding your personal statement is highlight any books or articles that you have read in you further reading around Politics and Economics. University will require a large amount of reading, so by highlighting these by name in your personal statement it not only shows work ethic but an active interest in the subject area.

In addition to your course mention how involved you are going to become in university life, after all its not just about your degree, talk about your involvement in college or outside of college and then say how you hope to continue this into University, it can be sports based, or about your invovlement in college such as Student Council's and more!

Another tip is to get that statement in quickly. Applications to unversities are allready starting to arrive, so you want to get in early to try and get your offer in early.

Finally get your tutor to read your personal statement and get someone who is unconnected to the process to read it to look at the flow of language rather than content. This is good practice for university essays as well!

Remember the UCAS Deadline is the 15th of January, but your college or school will need to have it earlier to make sure it gets in on time. Make sure you know when these deadlines are for your own school or college!

Good Luck!

Scott Thomas
Scott is a student of Politics and History at Newcastle University