Dear customer,

Welcome to the February edition of ICON+’s University Access Newsletter. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you inquired about our test prep and/or admissions consulting services.

So with your undergraduate application to university in the UK completed, what happens when you start to get offers? We provide you with the indepth knowledge of dealing with all types of offers from UK universities as well as using the UCAS system 'Track'. 

So you’ve finished applying to UK universities as well as mastered the UCAS website. What happens next you must be wondering? The vast majority of your hard work, sweat and tears are over; however, you have not reached the finish line yet. Unfortunately, a big part of the next step is waiting! In the mean time you need to stay on the ball for when offers start to roll in. In particular, you need to know what types of offers you could be receiving and what they mean to you.

Tracking

The first thing to keep your eyes open for is a ‘Letter of Confirmation’ from UCAS that verifies your full application has been received. As soon as you’ve received this letter, great system known as ‘Track’ makes life easy for you. UCAS allows you to track your university application process, see what’s happening with your application and finally, whether you have received any offers. Once offers start to roll through, you can use Track to accept or decline offers.

Types of offers

As soon as any college or university makes a decision about your application, you will be informed by email or by letter as well in Track through your UCAS account. The first thing to point out with the UK application system is there are lots of different types of offers that could come through. Here is a list of the types of offers you willing be receiving along with their corresponding meaning.

An Invitation – The University might request you to attend an interview or an audition. Alternatively you may be asked to submit a subsequent essay, portfolio or piece of work. You can choose to accept or decline the invitation through Track, as well as change the date that’s been set; however try to attend the date, as it may prove difficult to change.   Once they have assessed you or your work, the university will let you know if you have been accepted or not through Track. 

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Let’s start by breaking it down into simple terms. The PSAT stands for Preliminary SAT; a standardized test administered by the College Board for High School sophomore and junior students, or in our terms -Sec 4 or JC 1 students. If you want some practice for the real SAT, PSAT is the answer. Furthermore, the PSAT gives you the opportunity to enter scholarship competitions! Similarly to the SAT, the PSAT measures your writing, mathematics and your critical reading abilities, all of which you will have been developing through school.

The majority of the test is done in multiple choice format; however, do not be deceived, The PSAT is a difficult exam. One saving grace is the exam does not include an essay writing section, which is a huge relief for many!  

The PSAT is split up into five sections which accumulate to a two hour and ten minute exam. These sections include -

Critical reading: two 25 minute sections

 Mathematics: two 25 minute sections

Writing Skills: one 30 minute section

 So why take the PSAT?

· It serves as a great practice for your real SAT examination

· You will receive a projected view for how well you can do in the actual SAT

· You will qualify for entry to scholarship competitions

· You can assess your strengths and weaknesses in terms of your critical reading, writing and mathematic skills

Some key tips for taking the PSAT

· All questions are worth the same amount of points, so answer as many easy questions as you can.

· During the multiple choice section, make sure you read all the answer choices available so you don’t get caught out.

· Always double check whether you have answered and understood the question asked.

· Make sure you pace yourself accordingly to each section.

· If you can not find the correct answer, master the art of educated guessing, at least try and eliminate the incorrect answers to improve your chances of choosing the correct one.

· Try and practice sample questions as much as possible.

· Acquaint yourself with the test structure so you know what is coming up in each section.

· Finally, relax and use this test as a learning experience.

Try not to worry too much about your PSAT score because it does not count towards your SAT I or ACT score in any way!

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The IELTS writing section provides you with two independent writing tasks; your allotted time is one hour to complete this section. Dependant on whether you are taking the Academic IELTS or the General IELTS, you will be presented with a graph and an essay or a letter and an essay respectively. During the writing section you are advised to spend 20 minutes for either the graph or the letter and 40 minutes for the essay.

GRAPHS

Under the Academic IELTS exam, you will be required to analyze a graph and create a corresponding report. You’ll be presented with a university style graph(s); there is no way to predict the subject of the graph, but you can prepare for the types of graphs presented. Make sure you become familiar with the following types of graphs: a single line graph, multiple line graph, bar graph, pie chart, table or a process chart. Here are some key tips to follow.

· Figure out the main points of the graphs, what is being shown and the main trend or pattern.

· Make sure you structure your answer like an essay. Use the introduction to explain the purpose of the graph and the overall trend.

· Split the body of the essay into paragraphs; highlight the main points giving details and evidence for each point.

· Never include your own opinions or views on the graph as this will waste time and you will be penalized for it.

· Never use bullet points to describe the graph.

· Write at least 150 words, otherwise you will be penalized.

· Include a variety of vocabulary.

· The key is to select the important information; you do not need to list every single detail on the graph.

Some great Graph description vocabulary

· a sharp increase

· a steady rise

· dropped slightly

· a sudden fall

· a dramatic climb

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