Application Deadline Looming!

Post by Admissions Officer, Jennifer Lumb

Ever wondered what happens after you send off your application form?

My name is Jennifer Lumb and I’m the Admissions Officer at The Sixth Form College, Solihull. I’m here to shed some light on the application process to the College. I have a unique role at the College in that I have at least some involvement with every single student at the College (as well as a few who don’t even make it here!).

I deal with every application form that is sent to the College and it is my job to process those applications and turn them from expressions of interest into firm offers of places and later into enrolments into the College community.

It’s a big task! If you doubt that, let me give you some statistics, as of the end of January 2011, we have had 2,600 applications for places starting in September 2011. That is more applications than we have spaces available and there is still time for more to come in, as the closing date for applications is 31 March.

Panic, you may think. Well, that many applications certainly are a lot to work through! However, not all those applications turn into offers and not all offers turn into enrolments. For some students, we are one of several applications they make to several colleges and there is nothing wrong in doing that. We may not be every students’ first choice, because of the type of course they want to study or the distance they have to travel or even because they elect to get a job rather than continue their education. Some also don’t get the grades they need for advanced level education. Nonetheless, every one of those 2,600 applications has to be processed.

So what do I do? Applications come in usually via our online application form. I send out an acknowledgement that the application has been received within two weeks and when it is a busy time like December and January are that means sending out a lot of letters. I then contact the school that each student applying is attending to get a reference for that pupil. This is where delays can occur, but when I have a completed application form and a reference form I can schedule an interview. Sometimes we set up individual interviews and sometimes we schedule them on one of our interview evenings, when we routinely get through between 240 and 280 interviews in one evening with the use of some 20-odd staff.

Interview – that sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well, it isn’t! We don’t sit you in front of a panel of stern-faced men in suits and interrogate you. Indeed, this in not an interview in the sense of a job interview. It is more of a chat to make sure you have picked the correct subjects for you, given your achievement levels and career ambitions. A range of staff take part in interviews, so you might be interviewed by me, by a teacher in one of the subjects you are applying for, by a senior manager or even by the Principal. We all have one thing in common – we don’t bite!!!

Assuming a successful interview and a good reference we make an offer for you to study at the College and then you can expect to hear from us a few more times before you start at College. First, we send you information about a compulsory “Welcome to College Day” event at the end of June. This is a full day in College for all students holding an offer, which gives you an initiation into College life and allows you to enjoy taster sessions for each of your subjects. It’s a fun day and helps you to be sure you have picked the right subjects.

We will also write to you in the summer with information about your enrolment. This is how you formally accept your offer and become part of the College community and it takes place after GCSE results at the end of August or beginning of September. Once enrolled, you are inducted into College life and your studies can start.

As you can see, it is a lengthy process and some students can get a little anxious about it, particularly if there are some delays between sending off an application and scheduling an interview. Hopefully, this blog puts those concerns to rest a little. Indeed, all students should rest assured that as long as they beat the application deadline of 31 March their application will be processed and considered.

If you are thinking of applying, get cracking, as there’s not long left now. I look forward to seeing your application soon.