Reading for comprehension

Read and translate the text "going to University" and complete the following tasks.

Going to University

Applications for universities are handled centrally through UCCA¹ on a form on which you can choose up to five university courses. Your school or college will supply you with a form – or you can get one direct from UCCA. The form will contain the information on your achievements, academic and other. One of your school or college tutors will attach a confidential comment, including the grades they expect you to get.

UCCA then copies the form to the admissions tutor of each course listed. The tutor will either reject, give firm acceptance, or make a conditional offer. The conditional offer means you will have to get certain grades before finally being accepted. You may well be invited to the university for an interview before the offer is made. The tutor's decision is sent back to you through UCCA. Interviews and less formal Open Days are a chance for you to see the university, meet students and staff, and ask questions. All this will help you decide whether you have made the right choice.

Selectors know that academic qualifications do not tell the whole story – which is why so much extra information is included on the UCCA form. Evidence of your commitment may be so strong that you will be offered entry at grades lower than you expect to get. Usually, selectors will make an offer above the minimum required by the university.

By the spring following application, you must make up your mind about accepting offers. You can accept one unconditional offer, or two conditional ones..

When the results are out, if you have got the grades asked you can be sure of your place. But you may find you have just failed to get the required grades. In this case you should contact the admissions tutor directly. The tutor may decide to accept you anyway. If not, then you may still get a place through 'clearing'². Under this procedure candidates apply for places on courses which still have vacancies.

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1 UCCA – the Universities Central Council on Admissions; an official body in Britain which receives and deals with people's requests to study for degrees at universities

2 Clearing is a process of finding places at universities used by students who have not done as well as expected in their A-level examinations. Usually students are offered places before the results of their examinations are known, but they are only able to accept the place if their results are good enough, then use a clearing system, in which they try to find a university that will accept them.

Exercise 12. Answer the questions to the text:

a) What information about themselves do applicants give on a special form they send to the university they have chosen?

b) When can applicants have acceptances form universities or when can they be rejected?

c) What are Open Days for?

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