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If you are planning to purse higher education in the UK and dont actually understand how to go about with the

swing of things, then this article is tailor made for you. Application process for studies in UK is lengthy. Consequently, it is often observed students being hard pressed to submit their complete application on time. The illplanned application immediately produces a gauche show when held in the hands of seasoned officers of the admission department in various universities. And thus, a precise, before-hand planning is extremely important impress your prospective university. Therefore, in this article we would give you some vital tips related to the nuances of application process for UK universities. The Overview of Application Process As stated earlier and we reiterate it that application process can be extremely lengthy. It endeavour requires the prospective candidate to complete an entire canon of to-dos. A typical and complete application would consist of the following documents: Completed Application Form Personal Statement Curriculum Vitae Explanation of how you intend to fund your studies Transcript (from each institution at which you completed undergraduate coursework) Reference Letters Any document missing from the above list can severely militate against your chances of admission. Besides fulfilling the above requirements, you are also expected to complete every document statutory in nature. This might include, but not restricted to the following: Local (native country) statutory clearances like any pending criminal lawsuits etc.

Passport clearances. For instance, the ECNR requirements with Indian Passports. Visa clearance Work permits, if applicable. The Application Process

The application process begins from the time you select the university until you are in your dorm room. Thus, in this section, we would highlight each part which would help you gain momentum early in the process.

The course and program: It is extremely important that you are clear in your mind as to the course and the program you would like to enrol yourself with. That is, say you selected Astro-Physics - this would be the course. The program would be full-time, part-time etc. It is senseless to go ahead with application process before defining the course and the program. This is important because you need to select the university which caters to your needs. There are thousands of universities sprawling across the UK however, not each one might serve the course and the program you are looking for. Therefore, it is imperative that you spend some time (re)searching for the exact university which provides the course through the program you want. Standardized Tests: Most universities in the UK require the prospective candidate go through Standardized test like the IELTS. Besides, very rarely, a university might require you qualify its specific test. Therefore, you should note this requirement early. This is of paramount importance to know about the test requirements early for several reasons such as: You would need to register for the test. Often international standardized tests are jammed with traffic and so you might not always get the desired schedule for the test. Thus, in order to avoid heavy traffic, you should register for the test early.

You would need to take out time to prepare for the test. An early through knowledge of the test means better preparation and good results! Remember that all standard universities setup cut-off marks on the standardized tests. Often the testing body itself take the responsibility of dispatching your test results to your desired university. You must allow time for this transaction. Last minute hassle would not help expedite your test results to the university in any case.

The Application Form: We noted earlier that you need to select the universities judiciously for the course and program it offers. There is another very important face to it. Every university you apply either requires you buy its application form or pay an application fee for processing your application. This not merely adds the financial burden, but an incomplete or incorrect form might even result in your candidacy being nullified. Therefore, be extremely careful while filling out the forms. There are various subparts to your application. The most tantalizing one of them all is the Personal statement or the Statement of Purpose. Students often find it hard time writing the Statement of Purpose and so we would devote some time in it herein. The Statement of Purpose (SoP): To write a good SoP, you must know what exactly a SoP is and what the university is expecting from you through the channel of SoP. Put simply, SoP is an opportunity that the university provides you to know yourself better. I can say it is an interface - the first interface to make an impression which would allow you and university to interact with each other over the restriction of stipulated number of words. University is eager to know if you are clear in your mind with the constructs for pursing the course you chose. Try addressing the following questions in your SoP: Why exactly do you want to pursue the program and how you are to manoeuvre your career for the same? How would you contribute to the department in which the course is taught? Is your study/research interest beneficial to the society? Did you have any previous experience with the subject? What next after the course?

How does your previous academic background related to the current course and how it would help shape your long term career?

What you should not write in SoP: Note that SoP is not a place to express your personal details. Anecdotes which helped you shape your career interest are welcomes, however.

Funding: Funding in the context of application to a university in UK pertains to two things: 1. 2. Meeting the university course fees Surviving the living cost in the UK.

It is inescapable that you note early that a failure to show adequate funding for the study and stay in the UK during the course tenure can easily scuttle your chances for a berth in the university. You would run your VISA into perils if you cannot show your sufficient and viable funding structure. If you applied for some scholarship and were awarded with the same then you must indicate it here. Transcripts: Learn early for the transcript requirements. You would learn that universities stipulate semester results up until a particular semester. So you must arrange for all the semester reports until the stipulated semester. Moreover, universities generally demand that your semester report copies be attested by your university. Letter of References: Universities demand that you provide them what is known as Letter of References which is generally three in number - but you need to confirm it from your prospective university - from people who know you academically. Remember it is different for a person to know you, say, socially than a person knowing youacademically. Your referees should have known you enough over the period of substantial time so that they can help introduce you as a member

of academic circle to the university. It is advisable that your referees do point of some negative attributes which they found associated with you. Conclusion As you can see applying to study in UK is a long list of to-dos! We have provided ins and outs of each one of them. If you can cover them all up in time and apply to the university with good credentials then your chances of being selected increases. Furthermore, by checking the above requirements you can also manage your application hassle-free.

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