From IB to British University.

After the IB most students chose to go to university, or maybe they do so after a gap year. This is exactly the path I took, and during my gap year I learnt a significant amount about the application process and how to improve my chances of getting a "yes". Interestingly, I really learnt about applications was when I was applying for jobs. There are some interesting techniques that business schools teach students which have a significant impact - for the better - on any type of applications and I would like to share some of them.

City University of London

The way I see it is that there are two strategies a student can take. The first is to target a specific institution, and the second is to target multiple institutions. In this blog post I'll focus on the application process in the UK through UCAS. UCAS only lets a student provide one Personal Statement (comparable to a cover letter) which is then distributed to the up to 5 universities the student has selected to target. This poses a constraint regarding the strategy because writing a personal statement that is more targeted at one specific university and programme is likely to reduce the overall probability of entering any of the options, but it can significantly increase the probability of entering the specific preferred university.

It is important to pick which strategy to take and then write the Personal Statement. The challenge is to make it personal and relevant. It is recommended to research the various universities, the various programmes and understand the type of language used as well as specific important facts. Learning the specific language comes mostly through reading any section of the different universities’ homepages. However, for important facts some extra research might be needed and calling these universities and ordering prospectuses is very helpful.

Finally, a student needs to stand out from the crowd. This is where creativity plays the biggest role. Make sure that your Personal Statement is well written and really reflect your interest in the subject or university. Get involved in the university and attend events.


Good luck with applying for universities in the UK!

Author Bio: Francisco Moreira graduated from Hult International Business school with a Masters in International business and works as a Business Analyst in Offerings Management at CSC based in London, United Kingdom. Francisco is the author of Find Your Rhythm, (www.findyrhythm.com) a self-help guide for International Baccalaureate Diploma students.