HURTWOOD HOUSE CAREERS DEPARTMENT 

APPLICATIONS 2010-11 

Dear Parent, 

At Hurtwood we are very conscious that, from the moment a student joins us we need to be thinking about what happens when they leave! The choices are diverse and decision making can be stressful and difficult. Our aim is to help find a way through this mine-field so that a student leaves us with a sense of purpose, excited about the course on which they are going to embark.  

The debate surrounding Higher Education has a high media profile with confusing, contradictory and even misleading information!  We believe that time invested in each student and their application is the route to success. We encourage them to work with us at every stage of the process; we have experience and information in abundance and aim to be facilitators so that they can make the right decisions.   

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR? 

v  An introductory meeting for all students early this term outlined the application process, its timescale and gave useful starting points for research. 

v  All students have been invited for a preliminary interview to discuss their initial ideas about life after Hurtwood. 

v  Students have the opportunity to take a diagnostic test to identify areas of potential study. 

v  An initial meeting and individual discussions have taken place with potential Oxbridge students. 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? 

v  The research process continues with individual consultations available for every student. 

v  Compulsory sessions after the AS exams in the summer term help students begin their applications. Representatives from the University of London visit us and we take students to a university open day. We run sessions to prepare students for the on-line application process.  We invite a university admissions tutor to talk about the personal statement - a student’s personal and unique selling point! 

v  Oxbridge students will be taken to open days in the last week of the summer term. 

v  The application process begins in earnest in the last week of the summer term. Those interested in Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science must complete all their applications by October 15^th.  

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? 

v  Ask your son or daughter if they have been to register in the Careers Room – if the answer is ‘No’, send them along! 

v  Make use of the internet – www.ucas.com is a good starting point as it can help you find courses and has links to every university web site in the country.   

v  Contact us in the Careers Department – we are open from 9am-6pm Monday to Friday. We can offer advice by email, over the phone or in a personal meeting. My phone number is 01483 279104 or I can be contacted by email on sue.teal@hurtwood.net. You can also contact Niki Gilford at niki.gilford@hurtwood.net or Tina Jackson at tina.jackson@hurtwood.net.  

v  Encourage your son or daughter to visit universities – better still, take them! Even if they have no firm plans seeing the different facilities on offer is important. University websites will advertise formal open days but you can just turn up and have a stroll around to get a flavour for the place - crucial if your son or daughter is going to be happy! 

v  Help your son or daughter to get organised over the summer holiday - they will have been given a sheet during the summer term sessions itemising information they need and they can start to work on a personal statement – again they will have received guidance on this.  Good preparation will allow for an early application making the whole process less stressful. Many universities start to make offers as soon as they receive applications so it is a good idea to beat the rush!  

v  Work experience is vital for courses such as Law, Medicine, Dentistry and Media and is a key addition to any student’s personal portfolio. If you can help your son or daughter with this it can only be beneficial to their application.  

v  A successful gap year needs planning and it’s never too early to start.    

OTHER KINDS OF APPLICATIONS 

We can help with applications to institutions other than universities: 

Art College – The Art Department arranges college visits and helps with the application process. 

Drama School – Our Theatre Studies Department offers specialist advice and audition preparation for those who want to pursue this route. 

American Universities – As well as advice, we assist with preparation and entry for SAT tests and help with the paperwork needed. 

We can help with all sorts of other applications – just ask!  

We offer a specialist, individual service – we have an excellent track record in helping students gain places at their chosen university studying a course which they will enjoy and where they are likely to succeed. 

We will work very hard on a student’s behalf – we ask in return that they take their responsibilities seriously by talking to us, doing their own research and meeting deadlines; after all, they are the ones who are going to go to university!  

I hope you have found this introductory information helpful.  Later this term you will receive details of our summer programme and your son or daughter’s current thinking on their future plans. 

I will write again in the summer term with a more detailed explanation of the application process in preparation for September.  In the meantime if you have any queries please get in touch.  

Sue Teal

Head of Careers