Getting a UCAS application finished.

Some thoughts to discuss with your university-bound teen.

There are many reasons for getting a personal statement finished so your application to UCAS can go. As we head into November (and lockdown), students who have not submitted their applications need to get this done asap. 

1. For the majority of courses, students tend to start getting offers back within a week of submitting their application.
2. Having that offer ping into their inbox or via UCAS Track has an extremely powerful effect on students. They have total clarity (in very uncertain times) on what is required to move onto the next stage of their education. Whether exams happen or not this summer (don’t even get me started! . . .), students know what they have to do to impress wither the exam board or their teacher, or a mix of the two.
3. Having an unfinished personal statement/UCAS application is stressful to the majority of students. Tutors are asking for it to be finished and while it is still on their desk, it detracts from their focus from schoolwork. See point 2, . . .getting clarity on what’s required is enormously empowering.
4. Having offers come back is great news to pass onto their parents and serves as great collateral with Christmas fast approaching. (okay - maybe don't pass this pearl of wisdom along - it may end up costing you ??)
5. They get to check their inboxes every day with a sense of urgency/excitement as they know offers will be inbound. 
6. Once students have received an offer from a university, they then start getting information about the university and university life. This information also helps the student to keep their eyes on the (university) prize.

It’s a no-brainer to get it finished and there is no obvious reason for delaying the submission. If they are struggling to finish the personal statement, then their 6th form centre should be equipped to help. If they need additional help then I’ve used my 15 years as a post-16 lead UCAS tutor to record a course that will talk your teen through each paragraph of their personal statement and shows actual examples of statements to show what a good one (with the occasional bad one) looks like. If you want to know more, I’ve included a link in the first comment.