GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS In order to understand successfully the world of university applications, you will be advised to master a new vocabulary. The terms below should prove useful: Admissions Tutor/Officer These individuals are best contacted if you need help or advice about admission to a particular university. Admissions Tests Used by some universities as additional information on which to make offers and are usually required for courses in Law, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and also various courses at Oxford. The tests are BMAT, UCAT, LNAT, HAT and TSA (see the section entitled “Interviews & Admissions Tests” for further details). Apply Extra This is the pre-clearing process introduced by UCAS. It enables students who do not hold any offers (either because all 5 applications were unsuccessful, or because they rejected offers that were made) to submit their application to further university degree courses (one at a time) for consideration, before the main clearing process in August of Year 13. Apply Extra is available to students from the end of February to the end of June in Year 13. Art Foundation Degree A course lasting one year that is usually required before students are eligible to pursue an undergraduate course in Art. Campus A campus is a site on which a university is located. It tends to describe a university whose buildings are clustered in one place rather than scattered throughout a city or town. Exeter University, for example, is a campus university; Leeds University is city based. Collegiate System A university made up of separate colleges. In such universities, the college plays a crucial part in the lives of students. The only true collegiate universities in the UK are Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, although Lancaster University is made up of nine different colleges which are run as a collegiate system. Clearing The process (run by UCAS) which begins as soon as the A Level results are released in August. It is there to assist students who have missed required grades, or who hold no offers, to find university courses which still have places available. Combined/Joint Honours Degrees These are degrees where usually two subjects are studied (e.g. “History and Politics” or “Business Studies and French”). Deferred Entry This allows students who are taking a gap year to apply with their peers, but delay the start date by one year. Universities have different views on this and advice should be sought directly from those in which you are interested.
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