PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS

After sending off my ucas form all I could do was wait. Wait for replies or interview dates or online portfolio submissions. During this time I began preparing my portfolio hand picking my favourite pieces and my completed projects that could link to my chosen courses. One thing that i had to keep in mind was the fact I was applying for a foundation course as well as degree courses.

I chose to have an A3 sized portfolio as I found that most of my work are on the smaller scale so having to pieces per page printed on a5 paper would be more suitable for me.

WRITING MY PERSONAL STATEMENT

Starting and completing my personal statement took more than a couple of weeks to finalise. I started with a brain storm selecting my influence, experiences, goals, strengths and weaknesses.

what does my personal statement need to include?

- Good grammar and punctuation
- positive reflection of myself
- subject specific skills
- ambition for progress
- hobbies and interests
- what makes you different from other students
- why you want to be in the chosen industry
- what can you bring to the course
- what inspires you
- external influence
- projects and work you have done that is appropriate to the course
- other all round qualities
independent qualities
- extra curricular
- additional subjects
- why that course
- achievements and awards
- work experience
- community work
- employment

During the course of writing my personal statement I often referred back to this list to ensure i was including everything necessary and more, to make my statement strong. I created up to 6 drafts, all re edited and re drafted each time. Over the course of a month or so Its was checked by a few people to ensure I had correctly punctuated and structured it well.

APPLYING FOR FOUNDATION

When submitting my Ucas form I was unsure of the choices I made, in the sense that I should have applied for a few more universities just to be sure. Thats when I decided to apply for a foundation course at Central St Martins, If I didn't get accepted into any degree courses I still feel as though I have a lot more to learn and would be comfortable doing a foundation course.

I did further research into the specific pathway I wanted to take on if i ended up doing a foundation course.

The course I ended up applying for that I thought was suitable for the career pathway I wanted to go down was The foundation Diploma in art and design- Graphic and communication design.

If i then get accepted into the foundation course I would then have the opportunity to choose between 4 different pathways- Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography and Fashion Communication.

I will choose the fashion communication pathway as thats the course that I am originally applying for in degree so It would be suitable for the path I intend to take.

UNIVERSITY CHOICES

After searching and looking into possible courses I was stuck on wether to just apply for Universities based in London or branch out. My initial choices where Central St Martins, Brighton, London College of fashion and Nottingham trent, Northumbria. After researching further and completing my ucas forms and personal statement I realised I didn't want to attend half of the universities I had applied for. At the last minuet I removed Brighton and Northumbria. Although I didn't want to attend Nottingham trent I thought it would be wise to keep a university that wasn't a UAL, for the mere fact that UAL universities are usually a challenge to get into. But I was certain I did not want to attend a university outside of London.

Central St Martins- Fashion communication and promotion
London College of Fashion- Fashion styling and production
Nottingham Trent- Fashion communication and Promotion

STUDENT FINANCE TALK

After having a talk from an outside source at school, I gathered a lot of information on the costs and money related topics for attending university both in London and outside of London.

T U I T I O N  F E E:
  9,000 Per Year
A tuition fee loan helps you ton pay for your course. Full time students can apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,000 to cover the cost of tuition fees. THe amoubnt you can get doesnt depend on your household income. 

M A I N T E N A N C E  L O A N:
4,000- 5,000: If you are staying at home in London
6,000- 7,000: If you will be moving to a university campus outside of London
8,000- 9,000: If you are thinking of moving out of home to London

R E P A Y M E N T:
21,000 for 3 years
36,000 for 4 years

M A I N T E N A N C E  G R A N T:
MAintenance grant does not include repayment up to 3,387
-If your household income is £25,00 or less you can get the full grant of £3,387.
-Between £25,001 and £42,620 you can get a partial grant between £3,387 and £50. 

O T H E R  S U P P O R T:
DSA-  Disablbed students can recieve a range of support whilst in higher education, both from their institution and also through the disabled students' allowance (DSA). The amount the DSA provide will depend on your needs, not your household income. The DSA will not need to be paid back.

Dependants Grant- THis will be for students who have children or parents depending on them financially.

Bursaries and Scholarships.- MAny universities and colleges offer their own bursaries and scholarships to students. Each university decides what support they will offer so you should contact your chosen university or college directly, to find out what they can offer.


Due to the fact that I am planning to stay in London for university, it is likely that I will recieve a minimum maintenance Loan. That would be if I decided to stay at home during my time in university.

Nothumbria University: Fashion Communication

Northumbria University: Fashion Communication

Entry Requirements:

Btec- Distinction, Distinction, Merit

What they look for:

-Independent, creative thinkers who are interested in the world around them.
-Strong interest in fashion, the design industry, books, magazines, blogging events and digital media.

Careers:

styling
creative direction
photography
PR
digital and social media
magazine journalism
events management 
trend forecasting
brand strategy

Using unifrog

Unifrog is a website which gives individuals the ability to look at universities that could or may be suitable for them. Unfortunately i did not find Unifrog very helpful as the courses which where brought up from the course i selected were not what i was looking for.