Eyeing fall session for UK?

Garima Upadhyay Rawat

London has always been a dream destination for Indians when it comes to higher education. Their world class universities, standard of living and cosmopolitan culture have time and again invited Indian students to challenge their learning faculties. Although visa rules for UK have become quite stringent, yet it remains the top destination for Indians planning to study abroad. In this article, we attempt to assist those students who are planning to study in UK in the coming fall session 2013.

Here are 5 steps you should have completed or should be completing soon to be able to start your studies in the Fall session of 2013:

1)      Choose your course carefully: Wrong course choice is often the primary reason why many students leave universities midway. Therefore, it is crucial to undertake in-depth research and decide on your course carefully. You must invest enough time to decide the course you want to pursue abroad. Deadlines vary for every course and university; hence, there is no deadline for any intake. However, at random, once you cross the month of September-October 2012, one should stop considering the spring session (2013) and March-April for the Fall session (2013). The best ways of getting information about the courses and universities is through the college website. For some, the choice of course will narrow down the number of possible universities to just a few. Like courses in veterinary science, Chinese, Burmese and other niche courses. However, if you are interested in one of the major subjects such as English, chemistry, law or mechanical engineering, there may be 30 or more similar courses on offer by various universities, so do your homework well.

2)      Apply to the chosen course/university: Compile your documents and complete your application form. Applications are usually sent to multiple institutions either through a single application form or through multiple forms depending on the admission criteria. Applications for the UG level are made through Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). You can apply for a maximum of five choices on your application, but there are restrictions on number of choices for some courses. Since British students undergo thirteen years of pre-university education as opposed to twelve years in India, outstanding marks from one of the two Central Boards (CBSE or ICSE) or their equivalent, or the first year of an Indian degree programme are therefore usually required for direct entry into an undergraduate programme in UK.
Transcripts or official records of your previous academic qualifications are crucial for your application. They must contain all your course subjects and grades. 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. Most international students are required to take IELTS exam, while some universities may accept TOEFL as an alternative. There are some universities which may waive IELTS if you have studied in English medium throughout and can prove your proficiency in the English language.

3)      Letters of Recommendation/ Statement of purpose: Letters of reference or recommendation play a very important role in your admission. A recommendation letter at the undergraduate level is a signed statement from a professor who has taught you in college. The letter must include your positive and negative qualities, strengths. Many universities have their own format with their set of questions to judge you. The statement of purpose (SOP) is generally an essay on which your application (for admission and financial aid) is evaluated. The SOP must be able to give the faculty an honest impression of you as an individual. The SOP allows you the platform to distinguish your application from other suitable candidates and market yourself. Usually, an SOP 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.

4)      Assess offers/ Results: Once you have sent your application to chosen universities and colleges, wait to hear from them. Generally, the time taken varies but irrespective of when you have applied, the universities and colleges have until early May to decide. Once you receive offers (they may be conditional/ unconditional) from all universities you had applied to, you can start the procedure of replying to their offers. If your offers are conditional, you can make a firm acceptance and keep the other as insurance choice. Your insurance choice acts as a back-up in case you do not meet the conditions for your firm offer. If your offers are unconditional, you only accept one, as you do not need to hold another. It will be your firm acceptance. If you have a mixture of conditional and unconditional offers, you can hold an unconditional offer as insurance if you firmly accept a conditional offer.

5)      Prepare for College: Your offer letters will usually arrive after about 2 months of applying. Once you receive your letters, you need to apply for visa, accommodation, plane tickets, and insurance.