The Office for Students has launched a new website for prospective students called Discover Uni. The site, which has replaced Unistats, is split into two parts – one providing information about higher education options and the university experience, with advice on whether university is the right choice for each student, how to pay for it and how to choose a course - the other is a search engine where students can access data on specific courses and universities.
Source: https://discoveruni.org.uk/
The OfS have done a good job of not overwhelming their audience with too much information and instead, they have broken it down into sub-sections, giving brief and direct answers. The website as a whole is easy to navigate and the information, advice and guidance is presented in a very clinical way, allowing the audience ease of access to key information. This layout might also be due to an awareness that the student population are likely to access the website on their phones. Moreover, Discover Uni is not just limited to those living and studying in England but it holds important information for students in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – it can even be viewed in Welsh. Specifically, there are links to sites where students can find and apply for apprenticeships in each location as well as individual pages for financial information and advice.
In fact, Discover Uni often encourages students to look elsewhere for further information on a selected topic, whether it’s to one of their internal webpages such as their employment prospects page, or to outside sources such as UCAS, the Student Room, Access to Higher Education and the National Careers Service or other similar services (NI Direct, Careers Wales). Whilst Discover Uni provides vital information and can be incredibly useful, the site acknowledges the importance of other providers in advising students and are therefore giving them the whole picture.
As well as focusing on helping students to make the right choice for them, there is also information on this site for other options. For example, in the first section, students can find out about alternative qualifications, the different level of apprenticeship qualifications and how to factor in other considerations such as personal circumstances. As a result, Discover Uni offers further sources of information and suggest ways to get around these concerns, supplying advice for Access courses or short courses and how to disclose certain things when applying to university or college.
Discover Uni has collection of YouTube videos, featuring ‘student stories’ where different students talk about their experiences of university and/or college. Their video on financial help breaks down the different loans students will receive based on their family’s income. This section also includes information on how much money can be borrowed, when repayments start, when to apply for student finance, budgeting and bursaries, grants and scholarships.
Discover Uni also provides information, slightly echoing some of the data from Unistats, for considerations when choosing a course. This includes student views from the National Student Survey, (teaching) quality and standards, graduate employment prospects, league table information and student support as well as course-specific information such as the location and length of the course, if a placement or foundation year are offered etc. This search engine enables students to find out specific course information in one place. If students are interested in a few universities or courses, they can ‘bookmark’ their choices and review them later on. They also have an alternative way to search for courses where students answer 4 questions to find relevant courses. This method breaks down the search into segments relating to location, type of study and the broad subject area, i.e. Humanities, before asking to narrow the search to a specific university or to near your home. A search summary is then produced with a list of different institutions offering related courses.
The sections for parents and carers and for teachers and advisers are relatively underdeveloped but The Office for Students have said that they will be adding to the website and making changes in due course. Specifically, they are working on creating new material which will complement the career frameworks in the UK.
Overall, the website simplifies the wealth of information surrounding university and/or college choices and the application process, helping students decide if university is the right path for them. As with the other sites we have reviewed in the Advancing Access blog, it is important to note that whilst Discover Uni is a great source of information, advice and guidance for students, especially for those who do not have access to a support network, it should be used in conjunction with the advice and guidance delivered by teachers. Keep a look out for further changes to the site and for teacher support but in the meantime, we would definitely recommend this website to your students.
This article examines research which highlights the emerging impact of the EPQ on progression to higher education (HE) and university success, with particularly promising findings for underrepresented and marginalised students.
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As educators and advisers, keeping up with the latest developments in the university application process is essential to effectively guide students.
Richard, an Economics and Finance student at the University of York, discusses how he chose his GCSEs and A-levels, his study motivations, and offers advice on selecting qualifications.
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Orin, studied Law at the University of Oxford, shares how her GCSEs influenced her A-level choices and decision to attend university. She also offers advice on selecting qualifications.
Josh, a Computer Science student at the University of Newcastle, shares how he chose his A-levels, offers advice on university applications, and reflects on valuable lessons for future students.
Mayowa studies English Literature at King's College London. She shares her university application journey, her enjoyment of university life, and valuable advice for choosing a course and university.
Mayowa, studying English Literature at King's College London, discusses her GCSE and A-Level subject choices, offering advice for students on making informed decisions.
Sarah, a Biochemistry graduate from Birmingham, discusses how university aided her transition to employment and shares valuable insights for choosing the right career path.
Samra, a Medicine student at the University of Liverpool, shares how she chose her course, the value of her work experience, and advice on overcoming barriers. She also offers tips for applying to study medicine.
Jackson, a Theatre and Performance Studies student at the University of Bristol, shares his insights on choosing qualifications, the significance of enjoying your subjects, and how bursaries and scholarships influenced his university decision.
Eireann, an English and Education graduate from Cambridge, shares how a summer school helped her decide on university and her course. She also offers advice on selecting the right university.
Gemma, a Communication and Media student at the University of Leeds, explains how an access course helped her and shares thoughts on university as a path for everyone.
Amy, an English Language graduate from the University of Glasgow, shares how she chose her university course, why she selected Glasgow, and her experience with scholarships.
Billie-Joe, studying Social Work and Geography at Queen's University Belfast, shares how she chose her GCSE subjects, what she enjoyed in A-Level, and offers advice for subject consideration.
Billie-Joe discusses her university life, sharing advice for care leavers, her motivation for studying social work, extracurricular involvement, and the benefits she gained as a student.
Hamid studies Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at LSE. He discusses his career aspirations, factors influencing his course choice, and how summer schools shaped his university decision.
Billie-Joe, studying Social Work and Geography at Queen's University Belfast, shares his university selection process, reasons for choosing Belfast, and helpful advice for others.
Bishoy shares his journey in choosing a university and course, highlighting the significance of aligning his degree with career goals and evaluating different options.
Sophie discusses her journey to studying Law at Sheffield, covering her decision-making process, considerations for open days, and advice on personal statements.
Fatima, studying Dentistry at Cardiff University, shares her journey, emphasising diverse work experiences, teacher support during applications, and the benefits of attending a Russell Group University.
Khima, a Law student at the University of Edinburgh, shares how he chose his A-Levels and how his dream job influenced those decisions.
Sophie, a law student at Sheffield, shares her experiences with GCSEs and offers valuable advice for selecting A-Level subjects based on her personal choices.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, discusses choosing a university and course, highlighting the benefits of access schemes in decision-making.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, shares how his degree aided his career at Enterprise and offers tips for securing a graduate job.
Bishoy, studying Aerospace Engineering at Southampton, reflects on his university experience, highlighting the skills gained and what he enjoyed most about student life.
Onome, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Imperial College London, discusses his summer school experience, course highlights, and what mattered when applying for jobs after his masters.
Khima discusses his motivation for studying law at Edinburgh, highlights the city's appeal, and shares tips for open days.
Habiba, studying Maths at Queen Mary University, discusses her course selection factors, extracurricular activities, and shares valuable advice for choosing the right university.
Richard, an Economics and Finance student at the University of York, shares his university life experience, highlighting extracurricular activities and how they prepared him for future employment.
Nathan, an English student at Exeter, shares why he chose his course, the benefits of a gap year, and offers advice on selecting a university subject.
Matt, a Linguistics student at UCL, shares how he chose his GCSE subjects, the skills that supported his studies, and offers advice for selecting subjects.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, shares insights on making subject choices, emphasising how his GCSE experience influenced his A-Level decisions.
Jess discusses her Sociology experience at Durham, highlighting involvement opportunities, the benefits of university, and advice for those considering applying to higher education.
Gemma, a Communication and Media student at the University of Leeds, shares her experiences navigating university life with a disability and the opportunities she found.
Nathan, an English student at the University of Exeter, discusses challenges he faced transitioning to A-levels and shares insights that helped him realise he could attend university.
Habiba, studying Maths at Queen Mary University, shares how her future plans influenced her GCSE choices and offers valuable advice for making subject selections.
Fatima, studying Dentistry at Cardiff University, shares her insights on excelling in studies, the A-Level transition, and the importance of keeping her subject choices open for future opportunities.
In this case study, Khima, a Law student at the University of Edinburgh, talks about how getting involved in extra-curricular activities made her university experience even better.
Amy, an English Language graduate from the University of Glasgow, offers advice on subject choices, succeeding at highers, overcoming challenges, and her decision to pursue a postgraduate course.
This year, Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge established a joint venture to deliver two admissions tests.
This article will discuss different barriers which LGBTQ+ students may face, and tools we can effectively use to dismantle these barriers.
We know students are using Chat GPT for their Personal Statements, right?
Within this blog, you will find an introduction to the new Advancing Access team, information on how Advancing Access can support you as well as upcoming opportunities to get involved in!
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As a working class minority ethnic undergraduate student, I noticed the lack of representation on my ancient history course, but it wasn’t until I started my role as a Widening Participation Graduate Intern.
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The Office for Students has launched a new website for prospective students called Discover Uni.
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As someone who has answered hundreds of phone calls in the past from students on A level results day.
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the Russell Group launched a new interactive website to host its Informed Choices guide.
In this post, Anais Banag, a fourth-year law student at Edinburgh Law School, shares her experience of being involved with ‘Access to the Professions’.
One of the subjects we’ve been asked about most just recently is Degree Apprenticeships. What are they? Are they right for your students? And how do your students apply for them?
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We hope that you find our free Advancing Access resources useful. As we are not the only provider of higher education advice and information, we thought that we would present you with a summary of some of the best other sources.
If ever there’s a situation where universities and schools are talking a different language when it comes to a given topic, we see part of our job as being the interpreter.
The first article in a blog is rarely the most interesting one – I dare say that this will be no exception…
