College Applications 2022
Information for all S4-6 applying to Full Time College for August 2022 start
We are unable to hold College workshops in school. However, the Careers Advisers can support you with your applications. This guide includes all the information you need for applying to College for August 2022 full time courses and a helpful to do list. Dates Applications Open City of Glasgow www.cityofglasgow.acu.uk and Glasgow Clyde www.glasgowclyde.ac.uk, open Wednesday 19th January.
West College Scotland www.westcollegescotland.ac.uk, open Tuesday 25th January.You should apply as close to these dates as possible as courses fill up quickly.
To Do List
- Draft your personal statement, approximately 300 words on a word document (examples below). If you would like this to be checked out by your Careers Adviser, please email your draft over to us.
- Apply to College as close to the open date as possible.
- Keep a note of the courses you have applied to and the Application Refence numbers.
- Email Catriona (Brodie and Glen) or Nicola (Moredun and Thornly) to let us know the courses and colleges you have applied to, catriona.makeham@sds.co.uk, Nicola.keane@sds.co.uk
How to apply
If confident in applying yourself, once the applications are open, you should go to each individual website to apply for your chosen courses. You will need to create an account for each College that you apply to. Go to ‘online application’ on the website and follow the instructions. If you need help to decide which courses to apply to, please email your Careers Adviser asap to arrange to speak to us. Make sure you have or expect to have the entry requirements for your chosen courses. If in doubt you can apply for 2 levels (i.e., NC and HNC) and the College will decide which they feel is most suitable for you. We advise you to apply to more than one College. This gives you a better chance of getting in and if successful in all courses, you can chose which College and course suits you best. Preparation before applying Before applying, you should ensure you know exactly which courses you plan to apply to. Make sure you read over the course information, entry requirements and future prospects carefully. Have your SQA certificate, National Insurance number and SQA number handy as you will need these and you will be required to list the qualifications you have and also those you expect to gain this year.
If applying to College as a progression route into University, check you are applying for the right course at College to help you to progress. Draft a copy of your personal statement and email it to your Careers Adviser to be checked over. Try to do this asap. Please note the opening dates for College courses above. If you feel you need help to apply to College, please contact your Careers Adviser and we can arrange an appointment to help you with the application. Example Personal Statements Below are 3 example personal statements. Aim for around 300 words. Example 1I am applying for the Early Education and Childcare course as I would like to pursue a career within this area. I hope to become a Childcare Practitioner in the future and work in a nursery. I had a work experience placement at Abbeymill Nursery in Paisley. I had the opportunity to shadow the staff and learn about their work. My duties included assisting the children during play activities, supervising them when outside, helping during meal and snack times and reading to the children. I really enjoyed my work placement and it confirmed my career choice. I also study National 5 Care at school and developed relevant skills during this course. I also regularly babysit my little cousins and enjoy spending time with them. I am a very patient, calm and responsible person and feel I am suited to this career. Example 2I want to apply for the NPA Construction course at West College Scotland as I believe it will give me a good foundation for a career in the Construction Industry. I have good practical skills and a hands-on approach to my work. I enjoy Wood Work in school and have completed various building projects in this subject including a cabinet, a boat and a corner shelf.For my school work experience I went to the Army where we took part in field craft, night time exploring, climbing assault courses and physical education classes. I am a motivated person who enjoys being active and outdoors which are necessary attributes for working in Construction and on sites. I also currently attend Cadets twice per week and through this I have passed a First Aid course, been flying and trained in a weapon. I enjoy working as part of a team but can also work on my own initiative. I have good communication and problem solving skills which would make me a good candidate for this course.I believe my experiences at school and out with have given me the skills necessary to obtain a career in Construction and the NPA course would give me an excellent basis for this.Example 3I wish to apply for the NC Professional Cookery course at West College Scotland as I am keen pursue a career in Hospitality. Hospitality is my favourite subject at school and I really enjoy cooking. My dad is a Chef and I like helping him cook in the kitchen at home. In my Hospitality classes we are given the opportunity to read a recipe and interpret the dish for ourselves and present it. At school I also enjoy English and Maths which I think are important subjects for a career in Hospitality. Out with school I have attended Cadets for the past two years and go twice per week. We spend time working on Army training which includes drill and field craft. It has also given me experience of working as part of a team, for example: First Aid scenarios. As part of field craft we also do cooking which involves cooking different types of (raw) food in woodland areas. I believe my time with the Cadets has helped improve my survival techniques and cooking skills.For my school work experience I went to St. Peters Primary school. I learned how teachers taught different year groups and helped assist them with classroom duties. My time on work experience helped improve my confidence due to having to communicate with staff and children. I would like to be given the opportunity to undertake a course in Hospitality as I think I have a good foundation for a career in this industry.After Applying Take a note of your application number. You should receive an acknowledgment email within 48 hours. If you have not received this, you should contact the College. You will likely receive an invite for interview. This could be in a few weeks or months. Once you have received this, log back into your College account and accept the interview. Following interview, you will likely receive an offer. Once you have make a decision on the offer, you will need to go to your online account to indicate this. Please email your school Careers Adviser to let us know what you have applied for and where. This allows us to keep up to date with your future plans. Contact DetailsCatriona Makeham, Careers Adviser for Brodie and Glen houses, (catriona.makeham@sds.co.uk, 07887948242)Nicola Keane, Careers Adviser for Moredun and Thornly houses, (nicola.keane@sds.co.uk, 07881517828)For further information please go to www.myworldofwork.co.uk.
