Making Postgraduate applications online

[gilmoregirl]

Hello

I am (trying) to write an assignment for my postgrad course about analyses the recent change to online admission systems.

So far I have had very little feedback to my requests for comments from students so was hoping that some mumsnetters may be willing to comment?

If you are currently a PG student or are in the process of applying for PG study, please could you give me some feedback on what you think of the process:

For example:

Did you find the application easy to complete?

Was the process straight forward?

Was there support offered if you had difficulty?

What was the turnaround time like for you to get a response?

Any comments (good and bad) gratefully received!

Thanks a lot

Hi - I applied in Autumn last year for a PG course online.

I found the application easy to complete. The only I found a bit annoying was that I had to photocopy my degree certificate to resize it and then scan it and my transcript of studies into the computer. It wasn't difficult as such just time-consuming and annoying when you don't have the facility to do it at home (which I don't).

There were around 2 and a half months between the application deadline and response. I'm sure there were details to contact if I had any problems but I can't remember the details as I never had the need to contact anyone.

I would have liked a clearer idea of how they were going to get back to me. There was a progress of application section available online which my fellow candidates and I checked many times before receiving our letters to invite us to interview. It turned out that the progress of application area of the site was never used to inform us if we'd been selected for interview, neither were we emailed. It would have been better if the application made clear that we were to be contacted by letter and it would have saved a lot of anxious log-ins.

Hi,

I've just completed my PG applications this week. Most of the online portals were laborious to complete but generally straightforward enough. My main gripe was the massive variations between universities. A move towards a more standardised system would be brilliant. I don't know what the turnaround time will be like (again it varies massively from institution to institution) but when applying for a Master's last year I had a decision within a couple of weeks.

Thanks very much your comments are really helpful.

I am undertaking a PG programme which is professional development so I work at a univeristy.

We use an online system for PG applications. Many other insitutions will use versions of the system we use (SITS). It is interesting to hear your comments on turn around times. I think that his varies a lot between institutions as you note.

Some institions will have "devolved" application systems even if you applied online which means that your application will be sent out to the department rather than being dealt with at a central admissions service, especially so for reasearch programmes as the department will need to find a suitable supervisor etc.

I deal with taught MSc programmes and we have a centralised service in our area. We aim to inform applicants of the outcome of their application within two weeks of them submitting a complete application. This is the target we do not always meet it as we have a huge volume to get through.

We decided to go for a central system as we aim to provide a fair and transparent system to ensure that applicants are treated consistently. I have a good knowledge of UG qualifications home, EU and international and know where to get advice so feel confident that we are making offers to most qualified applicants.

Just out of interst what you do think of having to pay an application fee? We do not charge an application fee and we receive a huge volume of incomplete or poor applications. A lot of time is wasted on these. If there was an application fee there would be less "time wasters" but would it also put off well qualified applicants? I guess you would have to be pretty sure you wanted to go to an institution before you paid the application fee!

Yes, unfortunately the system we use will allow incomplete applications to be submitted.

Even if the system did try to only allow "completed" applications that would not always be effective as many, many applicants upload the wrong documents and do not actually fill out the form! So if you have a place to upload say your transcript they would upload their grade four piano certificate etc or applicants simply upload a word doc with the name of their referee on rather than an actual reference letter. and breathe.

£25 is low I think £50 is the lowest I have heard of. Of course the problem of charging a fee then becomes how to adminster it - at my institution that is a whole separate system!

The system we use which is used by many universities allows applicants to miss out whole sections on their application form, for example qualifications is often left blank so you need to search through the documents uploaded to find what undergraduate degree the person actually has which is frustrating. The system also makes it possible for applicants to upload the same document several times or to continue to upload the same document when they have been asked for a different one and so on, but that is really applicant competance as you say.

Some business schools charge a £250 application fee. I think the question is setting the amount at enough that people wouldn't be happy to lose it. Personally I would not be happy to lose even £5 (I am still bitter about the £10 application fee I paid for DS's school's supposed after school club where he was on a waiting list for like ever and never got a place but I disgress.........)

Did you find the application easy to complete?

I used UCAS for my PG course, and yes - it was lovely and easy, particularly as I had used it for undergrad application.

Was the process straight forward?

The process was, but some of the tasks weren't. I had to get an academic reference from an undergraduate tutor which was quite difficult as I hadn't had much contact with them while I was actually studying there, never mind in the years between. I also had to get a professional reference from a wonderful manager with poor spelling and had to weigh up whether to spellcheck it after being warned by UCAS not to touch it.

Was there support offered if you had difficulty?

Yes, a helpline facility and lots of written guidance.

What was the turnaround time like for you to get a response?

I applied to 5 universities in November, and heard I had got in to my first choice on 18 February - I can remember it clearly. They don't start looking at applications until 15 January, so was about a month in all.

Oh, and it cost £19 to apply to all 5 - well worth it as I love my course and all fees are paid (I get a bursary too, which may partly explain my satisfaction levels).