Getting accepted into university in the UK

Hello everyone! My name is Lourdes and I am going to tell you a little bit about my journey on getting into Arts University Bournemouth (AUB). I am currently studying my first year of BA (Hons) Fashion. Honestly, it was not easy to get where I am right now, but I have to say that all the struggles and efforts were worth it.

Before I came to Bournemouth to study, I had been staying in the UK to complete my two years of the International Baccalaureate programme, which counts as high school. My school was located in a small town called Torquay. It is very much like Bournemouth, it is such a quiet and calming town, and my memories of Torquay are one of the reasons why I chose Bournemouth as the place to live and study. When I came to AUB for my interview, there were some struggles I had to face. To get to Bournemouth from Torquay, I needed to catch a train, and change trains three times. Also, I was late for the interview because the train was delayed. But I managed to get through it all.

Based on my experience, I am going to give you some information and suggestions about the journey to get into university.

What do I need to do to apply to university in the UK?

1. Start searching for the universities and courses you are interested in.

2. To apply, you need to go onto a website called “UCAS”, and start filling your information (name, age, education history, etc.)

• UCAS has a limitation of 5 choices of universities.

• To complete your application, you need to have an essay called a “Personal Statement”, which is a statement about you that supports your application to study at universities, and to articulate why you would like to study a particular course or subject, and skills and experience to support your passion for your chosen area.

• You are only allowed to submit one personal statement, which contains 500 words maximum.

1. Once your application has been assessed by your chosen universities, each university will ask you to attend an interview (almost all arts universities will ask for an interview). If you are not able to come on the date given, you may ask for a reschedule.

There are two types of interview:

• If you are studying in the UK or you are living in the UK, they will ask you to come to the university and meet the interviewer in person.

• If you are not able to come, or you are living far away from the UK, they may give you an opportunity to be interviewed online (usually via Skype).

1. For my interview at AUB I was asked to bring my portfolio; it doesn’t have to be a work related to your subject you choose, it could be some life drawings you did on an event, or anything you have done in the past. But if you have it, that would be an extra point for you!

If you are super worried about the interview, please don’t be!

1. Here are some suggestions on how to do well on the interview:

2. Don’t panic! You have done your best, if they asked you for an interview, it means they are interested in you and there is potential they can see from your personal statement. You are already one step ahead.

3. Practice makes perfect, make sure you know what you want to tell the.

4. Smile! Don’t be gloomy. Show them that you belong to this university.

5. Have enough sleep. There is no point in having an amazing portfolio if you don’t have enough energy to deliver them.

6. After the interview, you will need to wait for 24-48 hours. Could be more, could be less. Again, don’t panic and just wait patiently.

7. Usually, you will be accepted with a “conditional offer”. Once you finish your current education, and you have met the grade they required, the offer will change your offer to “unconditional offer”.

I hope this helps with your struggle to apply to university. If you’re going to AUB and you have read this blog, please find me! It’s always nice to hear your experience. Good luck!