The University of Strathclyde has long recognised the crucial role parents/carers will play in helping their child make a successful transition from school to university. The links below will take you to the relevant web pages which provide information on the application process, student finance, campus accommodation, our support services, effective study and careers advice.
If you would like to speak to an adviser please contact the Recruitment & International Office and one of the team be pleased to help with your enquiry.
There are many reasons why Strathclyde is a great choice for students and some of these can be found at 10 reasons to choose Strathclyde.
Researching the options
There are many universities and courses available, hence it is vital your child researches their options before making decisions. Useful informal about courses can be found on university websites and in their prospectuses. The UCAS course search facility is a useful tool for finding out which universities offer the course(s) of interest and you can also compare entry requirements here. If there is a Higher Education convention in your area then your child can attend this to speak to representatives from each of the universities of interest.
Once your child has an idea of which courses they would like to apply to they should attend University Open Days if possible to obtain further information.
Application
Applications to undergraduate courses are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Applications should be made online on the UCAS website between 1 September 2010 and 15 January 2011. Students can apply for up to five courses and full details about the application procedure can be found on the UCAS website. The majority of our courses will make offers based entirely on the UCAS application. However some courses may invite candidates for interview or ask for a portfolio of work. If an interview/portfolio is a requirement then this will be stated in the entry requirements for the course in the prospectus.
Receiving offers
Once our academic selector has assessed your child’s application, and undertaken an interview/viewed a portfolio if relevant, they will make an offer. There are three types of offer:
- unconditional – the applicant has met all of the academic requirements and we are happy to accept them
- conditional – we will offer the applicant a place if they meet certain conditions, which are usually based on their exams
- unsuccessful - we have decided not to offer the applicant a place
Decision time
Once your child has received offers from all of their course choices they must decide on which offers they would like to accept. At this point most universities will invite them to visit the university again. These post application visits usually provide more in depth information about the course(s) than general Open Days, therefore it is a good idea for your child to attend so they can make a more informed decision.
Accepting offers
Once your child had decided which courses they would like to accept they must then communicate this to UCAS. They will choose one course as their firm choice. This is their first choice, so if they meet the conditions of this offer, or if it is unconditional, then this is the course they will study. They also choose an insurance choice. This should have lower conditions than their firm choice, so if they fail to meet the conditions of their firm choice they have this as a back up option.
Exam results
The University receives a copy of Higher/Advanced Higher/A Level results directly from the awarding body. If your child’s offer is conditional on exam results and they meet this condition, we will send confirmation to UCAS that we will offer them a place. UCAS then communicates this to the student. If you child does not meet their condition and we cannot offer them a place, we let UCAS know of this decision and their insurance university can then consider their exam results.
Registration
We will send new students details of how to register in mid-late August. Registration will take place between Monday 20 and Friday 25 September 2010.
Further information about both tuition fees and financial support for student's living costs can be found under the Student Finance Office.
You may also find the information in our Finance FAQs useful.
If your child will be moving away from home then information about accommodation will be essential. Further information can be found in the student accommodation webpages. Our accommodation FAQs may also answer some of your questions.
At the University of Strathclyde we have a range of support services to help your student throughout their time at the University. The links below will provide you with information about each of the individual services.
Students often find that the way they are taught and learn at university can be quite different to school. There is lots of support however to help students settle into university learning. The Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement provides a variety of different support mechanisms.
Further information can be found in our Studying FAQs and in our Teaching and Learning Leaflet leaflet.
The Careers Service works with students throughout their university career to help them identify career options, explore ways of achieving their goals, improve their job search skills and secure suitable employment. Full details of the services they offer can be found on the Careers Service website.
For further information about the external agencies you may come into contact please visit our external agencies page.