How I got accepted to study Engineering at Imperial College London | UCAS walkthrough (key tips)
Summary
TLDRIn this educational video, Dennis shares his journey and strategies for getting accepted into Imperial College London to study engineering. He offers a comprehensive guide to the UCAS application process, including tips from his own experience, insights from Imperial lectures, and 'secret hacks' not taught in schools. The video is structured into seven chapters, covering everything from choosing the right course and university to acing the personal statement and handling interviews. Dennis also provides advice on dealing with rejection and encourages students to find their passion and research thoroughly before applying.
Takeaways
- ๐ **Research Your Options**: Before applying to university, research various courses and institutions to find the best fit for your interests and career goals.
- ๐ **Prioritize Your Course**: Choose your course of study first, then select universities that excel in that field rather than just picking a prestigious university.
- ๐๏ธ **Consider University Factors**: When selecting universities, consider factors like teaching methods, city and area, university vibe, and whether you want to live away from home.
- ๐ **Craft a Compelling Personal Statement**: Your personal statement is crucial for showcasing your passion and suitability for the course. Focus on super-curricular activities that demonstrate your commitment beyond classroom learning.
- โ๏ธ **Edit Thoroughly**: A personal statement requires multiple drafts to perfect. Seek feedback from teachers, friends, or university students to refine it.
- ๐ **Apply Early**: Applying early, even if you're aiming for top universities like Oxford or Cambridge, can benefit you by receiving better support and resources from your school.
- ๐งฉ **Prepare for Entrance Exams**: Entrance exams are designed to assess your aptitude for the course. Practice with past papers and focus on understanding the concepts rather than memorization.
- ๐ฃ๏ธ **Be Confident in Interviews**: Interviews are an opportunity to show your enthusiasm and fit for the course. Be prepared to discuss your interests and experiences confidently.
- ๐ **Show Initiative**: Demonstrating initiative through research on the university and its projects can set you apart and show your genuine interest in the institution.
- ๐ **Don't Fear Rejection**: Rejection is a part of the process. Use it as a learning experience and continue to pursue your educational goals.
Q & A
What is the main topic of Dennis' video?
-The main topic of Dennis' video is his experience and guidance on how to get accepted into university, specifically for studying engineering at Imperial College London.
What is the UCA process mentioned in the video?
-The UCAS process refers to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, which is the application system for British universities. Dennis provides a full breakdown of this process from start to finish.
What are the three types of people Dennis identifies in terms of career and course planning?
-Dennis identifies three types of people: those who know exactly what they want to do from the start, those who have an idea about the course they might want to do but are not certain about their career, and those who have no clue about their career or course and are unsure of their path.
Why is it important to research before applying to university according to Dennis?
-Dennis emphasizes the importance of research to ensure that you do not close any doors and to find something you may enjoy studying for three to four years full-time.
What is the significance of choosing your course before selecting a university?
-Dennis stresses that the course should be chosen first because university rankings do not necessarily reflect the quality of specific courses. It's important to research the best universities for the desired course.
What are the five factors Dennis suggests considering when deciding on universities to apply for?
-The five factors are the quality of the university, the method of teaching, the city and area, the university vibe, and whether you want to live away from home.
What is the 'secret tip' Dennis gives regarding applying to Oxbridge?
-Dennis' secret tip is to apply early and consider Oxbridge as one of your choices even if you don't plan to go there, as it can lead to better resources and support from your school.
How important is the personal statement in the UCAS application, and what should it include?
-The personal statement is crucial as it differentiates you from other candidates. It should demonstrate passion for the subject and include super curricular activities that show initiative and interest beyond the classroom.
What is the role of super curricular activities in a personal statement?
-Super curricular activities are activities done outside of school curriculum that enhance your education and show your passion for the subject. They are highly valued in personal statements as they demonstrate initiative and genuine interest.
What is the significance of the entrance examinations and interviews in the university application process?
-Entrance examinations and interviews are significant as they assess a candidate's aptitude and fit for the course and university. They provide an opportunity for universities to gauge a candidate's thought process and suitability beyond grades.
What advice does Dennis give for interviews at top universities?
-Dennis advises being confident, showing genuine interest in the course, and being prepared to discuss your passion and fit for the university. He also suggests doing research on the university to show initiative and care.
Outlines
๐ Introduction to University Application Advice
Dennis introduces the video, sharing his experience of getting accepted into Imperial College London to study engineering. He outlines the UCAS process, offering a comprehensive guide for aspiring university students. Dennis discusses the importance of understanding one's career ambitions or course interests, and advises viewers to research thoroughly and consider not attending university if unsure. He emphasizes choosing the right course before the university and stresses the significance of applying early, even for non-Oxbridge aspirants, to benefit from better resources and references.
๐๏ธ Factors to Consider When Choosing a University
The video segment discusses five critical factors to consider when selecting a university: the quality and type of university, teaching methods, the city and area, the university's vibe, and the decision to live away from home. Dennis highlights the importance of aligning personal preferences with university characteristics and the potential benefits of living independently for the first time.
๐ Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement
This part of the script focuses on the personal statement, which is crucial for differentiating applicants. Dennis advises keeping the statement concise and passionate, avoiding a mere reiteration of grades. He introduces the concept of 'super curricular activities'โactivities that enhance one's academic profileโand shares his personal draft to illustrate effective personal statement writing. Dennis also recommends seeking feedback to refine the statement.
๐ Navigating Entrance Exams and Interviews
Dennis talks about entrance exams for top universities and medicine, sharing his experiences with the ENGAA for Cambridge and a math test for Imperial. He provides a tip for finding past papers on physics and math tutor websites. The segment then covers interview tips, emphasizing confidence, thought process sharing, and active listening. Dennis contrasts his interview experiences at Cambridge and Imperial, highlighting the importance of research and aligning with the university's ethos.
๐ Handling Rejection and Final Thoughts
In the concluding part, Dennis addresses the reality of potential rejection, encouraging viewers to persevere and not be disheartened. He uses J.K. Rowling's story as an example of overcoming rejection. Dennis thanks viewers for watching and invites them to subscribe for more student advice, emphasizing the importance of the application process and the value of the tips provided.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กUCAS
๐กPersonal Statement
๐กImperial College London
๐กRussell Group
๐กExtracurricular Activities
๐กSuper-curricular Activities
๐กUniversity League Tables
๐กEntrance Examinations
๐กInterviews
๐กRejection
Highlights
Dennis shares his experience and tips on getting accepted into Imperial College London to study engineering.
Provides a comprehensive breakdown of the UCAS application process.
Discusses the importance of knowing your career ambitions early on.
Advises on researching potential courses and universities thoroughly.
Recommends choosing your course before selecting your university.
Outlines five key factors to consider when deciding on universities to apply to.
Stresses the significance of the personal statement in the application.
Describes the role of super-curricular activities in boosting a personal statement.
Provides a personal example of a successful personal statement draft.
Advises on seeking help and feedback when crafting your personal statement.
Explains the importance of entrance examinations for certain courses and universities.
Shares tips for acing entrance exams by using resources like physics and maths tutor.
Details the interview process at top universities and how to prepare for it.
Provides insights into the differences between interviews at Cambridge and Imperial College.
Encourages applicants to be confident and authentic during interviews.
Advises on how to handle rejection and stay positive throughout the application process.
Transcripts
i wish i had a video like this when i
was applying to university yes people
it's dennis and in this video i'm going
to be talking about how i got accepted
to study engineering at imperial college
london there's going to be a full
breakdown of the ucas process from start
to finish or walk through so you know
everything you need to know about how to
get into the university of your dreams
it will comprise of information from
myself tips i gathered from imperial
lectures and even some secret hacks that
i promise they will not teach you at
your school now if you're already a
student i understand this video may not
be for you but don't worry because in
the coming weeks i've got a whole host
of videos that will be perfectly suited
for your needs i'm talking productivity
hacks how to boost your grades in
university and sixth form i'm talking
financial tips what you should be doing
in university to accumulate your wealth
and even networking tips because
university and even sixth form is one of
the best places to network and one of
the first chances you get to grow your
social bubble this video will be
comprised of seven chapters so grab a
notebook
grab some snacks and let's get into it
now from my experience there's three
types of people in this world there's a
type of people that know exactly what
they want to do literally from the
moment they started school they'd be
like i want to be a doctor i want to be
an engineer i want to be a pilot and for
you your life is set you know exactly
what a levels do you know exactly what
courses to do it's all set up for you
then you've got the second type of
people that may not really have their
career ambition sorted but they have an
idea as to what course they might want
to do this might be maths because
they've really enjoyed it and done
really good at gcses a levels for
example and for you lot as well
university may be a good option to
explore that then you have the third and
final type of person this person has no
clue what they want to do they have no
clue what course they want to apply for
they have no clue what job they want to
go into and honestly there's no shame in
admitting that for most part i was kind
of that person i didn't really think i
was going to go into engineering at any
point it just kind of happened and it
kind of developed into that and for
these type of people i'd really
recommend that you research research
what you think you will enjoy and even
consider maybe not going to university
there's no for sure reason you should go
to university in 2022 there's a way you
can make a viable income away from
university so don't feel like just
because your friends are going you have
to go as well really take the time to
research into it and have a think about
what you want to do now whichever of
those three people you may be i would
always recommend to research do not
close any doors you never know what may
happen in the future and always look
into something you may enjoy because
university look it's a struggle it's
free or even four years or longer most
times don't do something because your
parents want you to do it or because
your friends are doing it find something
you are passionate for and you don't
mind studying full-time for a good three
to four years
now that brings me on to secret tip one
of the day and that is pick your course
first and your university second i could
not stress how important this is i've
had so many people say oh i really want
to get into imperial or oxbridge or
whatever university and although that is
a great ambition there's something
called the university league tables and
it ranks the universities and although
those three universities do appear at
the top of the list they don't appear
the top of the list for every course and
at the end of the day you're getting
judged on your course you do for example
for medicine swansea comes up as number
one on the list and imperial comes up in
the 11th says all you need to know
really so make sure you research your
course first and then look into the best
universities for that course don't just
assume because it's an amazing
university it's going to be an amazing
university for the course you want to
study
congratulations you have decided you
want to go to university welcome to
chapter 2 of this video which university
should you apply for
it's the million dollar question but i'm
gonna break it down into five big main
areas i believe you should consider when
deciding what universities to apply for
the first main big factor you should
consider when applying to university is
the quality of university do you want to
go to a russell group university a red
brick university now these are amazing
universities and the degree you will
attain at the end of it will be very
prestigious however they've got very
high requirements to get into uni i
normally
mean you have to take some kind of
entrance examination or interviews to
get in so do think about that
the second main factor is the method of
teaching every uni is different some
unis love to do a lot of practical
teaching like experiments others are
very theory based some have a lot of
lectures other seminars
look at their perspectives look at how
they split up the teaching and whichever
one floats your boat you should choose
that one third factor is do you like the
city and the area because you're going
to be living there full time for three
to four maybe even five years you should
pick a place you really feel at home
whether it supports your kind of beliefs
your culture some way you can see
yourself living
the fourth factor is do you like the
university vibe i mean some people they
want to go to university to party let's
be honest about it others they want to
go their primary thing is they just want
to get their degree and study pick a
university that matches your kind of
aims that you want from university
that's the most important thing the
worst possible thing is to go to
university wanting to party party and
you go to a really nerdy university
where everyone sits at home and studies
and vice versa obviously so have a real
think about what you want to get out of
university do you value the experience
more or the learning more and the fifth
and final factor is do you want to live
away from your parents do you want to
live away from home because for most
people this may be the first ever time
you've lived away from parents by
yourself and for me i was so happy i did
it it was one of the best decisions i've
made in my life to live away from my
parents for the first year of university
in halls of residence i honestly do not
regress it whatsoever i don't think you
will either but some people they'd love
to stay at home others they can't wait
to get off home that's a personal choice
that you should really ask yourself
okay so now we've considered which
universities you should apply for let's
now talk about the application process
now for those of you that have gone
through a uk school sixth form college
you should know about ucas this is
literally the holy grail every school
goes through it and that will be
basically your portal to apply to these
universities
another thing to note is that if you do
want to apply to medicine veterinary or
even oxford you have an earlier deadline
of the 15th of october 2022 for this
year as opposed to if you're applying to
any other subject or any other
universities it will be in january
so on ucas you submit a multitude of
things you submit your personal
statement your grades and then your five
preferences for university now
disclaimer those preferences are not in
your order on which you would want to go
to them it's not that whatsoever it's
just five preferences and then when
you've got your offers from those unis
hopefully all of them you then select a
uni you want to affirm meaning that's
you need priority you'd want to go to
and insurance and then discard the other
three that's how it works i know every
year someone's like oh but this uni's
come up first when i wanted this unit to
come up first don't worry it's just five
units you select it is not in order of
preference just the five unis you have
selected you will then once you get your
offers be able to choose your firm and
insurance and this brings me on to
secret tip number two this is a big one
now
even if you don't want to go to oxbridge
then i would recommend you still apply
early and choose oxbridge as one of your
choices if you believe you've got the
grades that means that you can support
that i'll tell you why now for me i went
to a public school
and the amount of teachers you have and
the quality of teachers look is that
there isn't enough to cater for every
pupil so if you apply to oxbridge the
school puts you with the best references
the best teachers they give you the best
resources because they want to get you
into oxbridge right it just makes sense
schools get judged on how many people
they can get into the top top
universities so if they see you applying
to oxbridge they're going to put all
their attention and effort into making
sure you get into oxbridge so that's
what i did i put down cambridge's
engineering even though i kind of wanted
to go to imperial over them
and yes that would be a good choice for
some of you if you have the time
necessary to be able to submit your
application three months earlier it's
also important to note that
if you're doing medicine you just have
to apply early
oxbridge relates to oxford and cambridge
university and you can only apply to one
of the two you cannot apply to both
unfortunately
chapter four relates to the personal
statement the one thing that can
differentiate you from every other
candidate that is applied to these
universities your one chance to show
these unis why you deserve to get a
space and not someone else so let's talk
about how you can ace it an important
thing is that that past statement must
be a maximum of 4 000 characters and 47
lines meaning if you do not adhere to
both of those criteria it will not get
accepted on ucas
okay so provided you adhere to both of
those criteria what should you actually
put in your personal statement because
everyone talks about this is such an
incredibly hard thing to write how to
express why you should do a course in
less than 4 000 characters well the one
thing i would say is stay away from just
talking about your grades they're
already given to your new cast the unis
can see what you got in your gcses what
you're predicted to get in your a-levels
don't worry about saying in your
personal statement i'm gonna get an a
star in mass physics biology whatever
this is your time to show why you want
to study that subject why the unis
believe they should spend their time
investing in your education
so i spoke to imperial lecturer the head
of geology and natural sciences
admissions and he said the number one
thing he looks for in personal
statements is drum roll
passion passion for the subject why do
you want to study it and how do you show
that passion
super curricular activities yes this is
the holy grail of personal statements if
you have super curricular activities
that boost your personal statements so
high compared to other people
so what is super curricular activities
though because i'm sure you'd have heard
of extracurricular activities and then
just curriculum so the curriculum is
what you learn in school your biologies
your maths your physics what is on the
mark scheme what is on the spec that is
your curriculum your extracurricular
activities are things you do away from
education to boost your soft skills
something like you do rowing on the
weekend
you play football on the weekend
something like that that you can say
shows your team skills now super crew
activity that is where you do something
to boost your education away from the
curriculum so for example what i did in
my personal statement applying to
imperial i said firstly i go to museums
in my spare time i watch the documentary
on an engineer in turkey something like
that to show you've got an interest for
engineering away from the curriculum i
also wrote a project about engineering a
4 000 word essay that i submitted as a
cambridge university something like that
also shows your passion for engineering
literally if you have work experience
perfect it's the best possible thing but
anything else even something like you
read a book you read an article you send
a project out or you send an essay out
to something around your interest just
something to show that you take your
free time and use it to apply to the
course you want to study is exactly what
the university is looking for
split screen with me now you should see
one of the drafts to my personal
statement that got me into imperial
college london i couldn't find the
actual one i submitted but this is one
of my latest drafts i think it was
actually draft 11 or 12. so it shows you
how many times you have to write it to
actually get it right as you can see
throughout the five paragraphs i'm
always talking about engineering there's
not one paragraph that doesn't mention
it of course i integrate my soft skills
within it but your whole theme should be
around that course around that subject
write about the personal statement like
you are so passionate and infused to
study that subject
my last piece of advice would be to
always seek out help man like don't go
with this by yourself don't be shy to
talk to teachers friends anyone you may
know from older years in university
maybe even potentially because everyone
can help you with this i'm telling you
it's a subjective piece of writing not
everyone is looking for the same thing
in it so the most amount of opinions you
can get is always going to be good
although i do state that passion is the
number one thing you should include in
your personal statement passion fueled
by super curricular activities if you
get that right you should be able to get
into university
well for most of you that should be
enough for your application process and
i wish you the best of luck in getting
to university however for some of the
top universities and for medicine you
will have to face an entrance
examination now i know that sounds very
daunting but honestly don't think of it
like that these entrance examinations
are mostly aptitude tests to help you
get into university and help to gauge
whether the actual course would be right
for you the pace and intensity should be
enough for you to deal with now i myself
applying to engineering at cambridge and
imperial i faced two different
examinations the first one with
cambridge the anger e e-n-g-a-a
now i'm telling you now this test was
impossible this test was not made for
you to pass whatsoever there was
honestly about 46 to 60 questions i
can't really remember and i barely
finished two-thirds of the paper if that
the timing was horrendous the questions
were really hard i honestly don't think
i got above maybe 40 in that paper
however i must have done all right
because i did pass that to get onto the
interview with cambridge but that test
honestly knocked the stuffing out of me
it was a very difficult test on the
other hand imperial gave us a maths test
for engineering and that was much more
friendlier
that was five questions they kind of
aligned with the a-level topics so it
wasn't anything new you just had to
apply your a-level understanding and as
long as you're semi-decent at maths
a-level you should be able to do okay
with that now some of my friends are
going to imperial also had to take an
english test i didn't because
fortunately my english gcse's i got an
eight i got eight in them so i had
enough english level but i do believe if
you get lower than i think it is a six
or maybe even a seven you'd have to take
a supplementary english exam to make
sure that you understand english
honestly it is that simple all of them
said that it's a really easy test as
long as you were born in england and can
speak english you should be able to pass
that
my secret tip three of the day is
physics and maths tutor this is the
place to go for past papers for uni
entrance exams it's got the beamer it's
got the youcat it's got the anger all
your entry exams should be on physics
and math tutor.com honestly i rinse
their past papers differently is one of
the reasons that helped me get into
university in the first place i really
recommend it
okay so provided you pass the
examination you will get onto the
interview stage now for most of you this
may actually be your first interview as
well unless you've had jobs before and
the number one thing i would say is be
confident you're there to be yourself
you're there to reflect how much you
want to study that course don't go in
there feeling anxious or nervous feeling
there like it's a way for you to show
what you're about and why you want to
decide that course and present yourself
as someone that's excited to be there
to be a hundred percent honest i
wouldn't feel intimidated by these
interviews more often not it's an
informal conversation they're not going
to be there to grill you for half an
hour they're literally there to
understand how you think and whether you
are good fit for the university more
often not they're thinking of your
thought process rather than whether you
actually get the question right now i
attended two interviews i had one for
cambridge university for engineering and
another one for imperial engineering and
they were both stark contrast cambridge
i had two separate interviews two
separate people interviewing me
the first one had to look at my cv spoke
through it with me talked about some
things i had on then and why i did them
what was in it for me uh what i learned
from the process and then asked me a
couple of maths related questions more
often not further math stuff and then
the second lecture
at cambridge who also interviewed me
talked to me about physics-related
questions but both of it was very maths
oriented questions they wanted to see my
thought process they always give you a
piece of paper and do not be against
writing stuff down they want to see what
you write down they want to see your
thought process talk through with them
what you're thinking at the time that's
much better because they cannot guess
what is in your head as you're writing
stuff down talk through say something
like
oh i'm thinking this because of this i
came to this conclusion because of this
something like that goes a long way for
them to understand how you think and
whether you are good fit for the
university now imperial college london
on the other hand it was kind of like a
test center now if any of you have
watched the apprentice the bbc show it
was kind of like that we were split up
into small groups of around six to seven
people and then we had a lecturer in the
corner basically taking notes on us
while they gave us tasks to do and how
we talk to each other it was very soft
skills oriented as well as obviously
physics and maths questions for
engineering they want to see how we
interact with others in the group
whether we're someone that's quite
confident and puts our thoughts forward
or someone that sits back a bit more
passive i mean i nailed it because i got
into the university and the thing i
would say is don't be afraid to speak
don't be afraid to propose your ideas
but also be active listener don't just
sit there and when you give an idea seem
really interested then when someone else
gives an idea you're sitting back like
this not really caring be interested on
both sides giving and receiving thoughts
it goes a long way they want to see how
you interact with other people in
university and whether you're someone
that can really fit into imperial
college london after that we did an
experiment they said this wasn't
assessed it was literally just showing
us what engineering's like imperial in
specific uh civil engineering they
showed us an experiment that we never
end up doing to be honest when i got
when i got into the uni but that was
nice either way and the final thing was
when they split us up into even smaller
groups there was four of us for my one
we got it put into a meeting room with
one lecturer
i got mr uh professor washington he was
a really nice guy and he basically just
asked us individual questions
about why we want to study civil
engineering engineering why imperial
this is the part where everyone begs it
they all talk about oh i want to study
engineering because i want to help
people that
weren't helped before my country's in
ruins because of this structure
something like that basically but that
was the whole process much different to
cambridge which was very one-to-one and
personal imperial felt a lot more
collaborative and everyone was involved
and it was almost how do you integrate
into their system rather than cambridge
which was are you right for the
university like you the right person uh
in terms of your individual skills
imperials very much are you part of the
team
another secret tip of the day is
research the uni a little bit of
research goes a long way if you can drop
that in
a project that the university has done
around your subject that can really show
that you're infused not only about the
subjects but about the university as
well they'll be really excited to see
that because not a lot of people do that
they know their personal statement off
by heart they know the subject off by
heart but dropping in something like oh
i know imperial what the forefront of
this or i know cambridge is at the
forefront of this can go a really long
way into them understanding look this
person's on a little bit of extra
research wasn't asked of them to do that
shows they really care about this degree
and about this university are more
likely to consider their application in
a higher regard
well more often not after the interview
process you are finished with your
application to university well done take
some time off to relax it has been a
tough process a stressful process as
well for most people but one thing i
would say is don't fear rejection
everyone will get rejected at some point
in their life i mean jk rowling the
author of the best-selling book
franchise probably of all time harry
potter got rejected by 12 publishers
before one accepted her to publish harry
potter so it just shows you may be a
great student but not a great student
for that university and just because
they didn't accept you that doesn't mean
that you're bad or you're a horrible
student or you shouldn't ever get into
university it's just you won't write for
that particular university keep trying
it's a part of life everyone gets
rejected at some point and it may well
happen on your route to university
for those of you that have made it to
the end of this video i want to say
thank you i hope you found use in the
tips i provided i hope it helps you get
into university that you wish to go to
as always if you're looking for more
student advice this is the place to be
so make sure you subscribe and i hope to
see you guys in the next video
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