1. Come along to an Open Day
Open Days are a great way for you to see what Bedford College
can offer you. We hold them throughout the year and a specific
higher education one on 17 March 2012 when you will be able to our
meet staff and students in addition to having a tour of our
facilities.
2. Carefully choose your course
View the Foundation Degrees, Higher National Certificates & Diplomas,
Professional qualifications and University Access
courses that we offer.
3. Check course entry requirements
Once you have chosen your preferred course it is important to
check the entry requirements to see which level you should start
at. Each course has entry requirements that you must be able to
fulfil.
4. Apply through the correct route
A) UCAS applications
Some of our courses require you to apply through the
Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) online
application process. The codes you need to use in your application
are shown in the individual course entries. You need to use the
correct institution code according to whether you are applying for
a Bedford College or University of Bedfordshire course, and the
appropriate course code.
UCAS has a points system, known as the UCAS tariff, that
converts most qualifications into equivalent points (e.g. an A
grade at A-Level is worth 120 points). To be considered for a
course you may need to meet a specific points total. Courses can
also specify that you have points from certain subjects (e.g.
computing) or a specific grade for a subject including GCSEs. For a
complete guide to what qualifications are covered by the tariff
visit www.ucas.com
Applying for an Art & Design course is through the same
online application process. Bedford College has a deadline of 24
March 2012. See www.ucas.com for
more details.
If you are asked to apply through UCAS, you will need to
complete an online application form at www.ucas.com. You should aim to submit
your application to UCAS by the 15 January 2012 deadline (24 March
for Art & Design courses). However, we can take applications
received by UCAS up to 30 June 2012 if there are still vacancies on
the course.
B) Direct applications
If the course entry says ‘direct application’, depending upon
the course you choose you will need to apply directly to Bedford
College on either a Bedford College application form or a
University of Bedfordshire application form (the ‘How to Apply’
section of each course entry will tell you where).
For Bedford College please apply online via the course search or you can
request an application form by telephone: 01234 291000. Course
places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and many
fill up quickly, so please apply early.
Please note: If you are completing a University of Bedfordshire
application form you do not need to complete a Bedford College
application form as well.
5. Attend an interview
For some courses you will need to attend an interview with a
tutor who will be able to answer any questions you may have. You
will be notified of the outcome of your application either by the
College (direct applications) or by UCAS (if your application was
submitted through UCAS). The notification will explain to you what
you need to do next if you have been made an offer of a place.
University of Bedfordshire applications
If you would like to study a course which is run in partnership
with the University of Bedfordshire, when you are filling in the
application form you need to ensure that the Higher Education
Institution (HEI) is ‘University of Bedfordshire’ with code ‘B22’
and the Campus is ‘Bedford College’ campus code ‘T’. If you need
more information when completing this form, contact Student
Services on 01234 291934.
Call us on 01234 291000 if you have any queries about
your application, quoting the course code, institution code and
campus code that are found alongside your course entry in this
guide.