This section of the award must take place in an unfamiliar environment without friends or relatives, which encourages young people to move out of their comfort zone. You will not receive UCAS points for completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Although the International Baccalaureate as a whole will not earn you any UCAS Points, each component of it will. I keep revising for science but I always forget so how do I fix this? But lets just say that the Duke of Edinburgh Award or DofE, as it is known perhaps doesnt help in the way that you think it does. If you have done the Silver award, you can do it in 52 weeks. Since then, it has been growing and growing and, these days, there are over 450,000 participants at any one time in the UK. Your DofE Award is a fantastic way to demonstrate and evidence these skills in practice. Theyre not employers, Scouts leaders, or your mother so they might not be hugely impressed by your ability to read a map. In terms of skills for the workplace, there are numerous useful courses to choose from, such as the AAT Certificate in Accounting or the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness, the latter of which gives you 70 UCAS points and aims to develop skills to improve your employability, such as problem solving and working with others. For example, a course in first aid would be appropriate. How far can I backdate DofE? Of the 4 people I know at Oxford, only 1 has done DofE. Most obviously, you can boost your number of UCAS points by taking on an extra A-level or AS-level. That's key stage 4. The Duke of Edinburgh award has three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is split into four parts. But well save that question for a little while later. Rather, it means what else you have done outside of your schooling. These are known as bronze, silver, and gold level. This is in comparison to a BTEC route, which is more specialised. First decide what does worth it mean to your child? However, you should remember that Volunteering is not only beneficial in terms of UCAS Points so it is still worth considering it as an option to broaden your skills. Young Enterprise is a programme that has been running since 1963. The DofE award is a program independent from school qualifications that young people choose to undertake. Taking 4 A-Levels is a challenge, but if you do it successfully, it does increase the number of UCAS Points that you will earn, while also giving you good knowledge of a whole extra subject. 0 UCAS pointsD of E Bronze 0 UCAS points. Students can take 4 to 6 Highers in total, so if you want to earn extra UCAS Points, the more subjects the better! Enol online now or call +44 1865 954800 to book your place. Remember, they are academic institutions and their primary function is to educate academically. This is usually the most challenging element for participants who must trek with their tent, water and cooking supplies carried on their backs. So I'm in Year 11 (going into Y12 in September) and I'm thinking of doing the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. You can't list it as a qualification in your education section. At Cumulus Outdoors weve been helping young people achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Award for many years through our exciting expeditions and Gold residential programmes. The maximum age to complete the DofE Awards is 25 years old. It also demonstrates to Universities that you are good at learning more practical skills something that is likely to be useful in your future studying and careers. Stage 3 qualifications, in Riding and in Horse Knowledge and Care, give you 35 UCAS points each, as does the Preliminary Teachers Certificate (Equine Coach). Subject areas you can choose from for the Free-standing Mathematics Qualification include Additional Maths, Using and Applying Statistics, Working with Algebraic and Graphical Techniques, and Modelling with Calculus. UCAS and the DofE: My advice With the UCAS application process now open for 2020 entry to universities and colleges, Kira Jarvis, one of our Gold Award holders, shares her personal experience and advice on using your DofE experience to enhance your submission. This is another additional qualification which shows how you can develop your employability skills. It does not serve any purpose on your UCAS form beyond the personal statement, where you are entitled to push it hard. DofE can help young people discover new hobbies and talents. Participants must work through these in turn and satisfy various criteria. It comprises of 5 days of group activities and 4 consecutive nights sleeping away from home. Cumulus Outdoors Residential Centre There are a number of different qualifications and courses which will help international students develop their English skills, however the main 2 qualifications which allow you to earn UCAS points are: Not only does this kind of qualification give you UCAS Points, but it also will benefit you greatly in the worlds of work and higher education if you are not a native English speaker. There are lots of DofE residential providers across the UK offering a variety of activities. No, I want to find out more. It does not serve any purpose on your UCAS form beyond the personal statement, where you are entitled to push it hard. LAMDA Exams are another great example of a way to get yourself out of a classroom setting to earn some extra UCAS Points, and they can be taken at any point, so If you have already done some (from Grade 6 Grade 8) you may already have some UCAS Points. Time: 2022-12-13T18:10:06+00:00. The Gold DofE expedition should take place over 4 days and 3 nights. All A Levels come with UCAS points, the maximum number for one being 56 and that would require an A* grade. Report. PQ. Its ideal if youre not keen on doing the whole A-level or AS-level in Maths, but want something more on your university application and CV to demonstrate your mathematical abilities. The Duke of Edinburgh Award has a number of benefits. This will vary depending on when and where you are completing your expedition. In a similar way to A-Levels, you will have a broader range of subjects that you can continue with at degree level. Founded the Duke himself almost 60 years ago, it was designed to encourage anyone aged 14 to 24 to take on a range of activities that develop skills such as leadership, perseverance, team work and. Personal development is the name of the game. Its important to choose a residential programme that interests you and allows you to explore your passions further. You must decide on an aim as part of your DofE Gold expedition to give purpose to your walk. If you are living in Wales, a great way to earn some more UCAS Points is by completing some Essential Skills courses, to develop your employability skills. It does not serve any purpose on your UCAS form beyond the personal statement, where you are entitled to push it hard. Do universities like Duke Edinburgh Award? Are Rugby Bin Collectors Still On Strike? Some apprenticeships will require you to have a certain number of GCSEs at a minimum grade or higher, and some higher-level apprenticeships will require you to have further qualification (such as A Levels) in subjects which relate to the apprenticeship. With an emphasis on personal development and practical experience, it is no surprise that many young people take up the DofE to help boost university applications and CVs with something more than academic achievements. Truth: The D of E may add some variety or interest to a UCAS personal statement, but with hundreds of thousands of young people doing the DofE every year, it is not by itself a unique achievement. UCAS points are the most important piece of information for universities considering new students. It helps young people develop social and interpersonal skills as well as promoting confidence and self-esteem. Writing about the course. 12657283. It has already helped me in applying for work experience and taking part in reception duties, talking to clients and assisting in consultations at veterinary surgeries. Pre-U Qualifications can be taken in 24 different subjects, and you can do a combination of Pre-U Qualifications and A-Levels for your 3 subjects of choice. Post-16 Qualifications A-levels, AS-levels, Advanced Highers, Certificates, Diplomas and Awards are all converted into UCAS points. To qualify as a DofE Gold Award residential the activity must take place over 5 days and include 4 consecutive nights away from home. However, unfortunately the last year that the Pre-U Qualification exams can be sat is 2023, so your course would need to have started by September 2021. Wed say that a more appropriate description would be a Youth Award rather than a professional qualification. Meanwhile, for Gold, you need to be 16 or above (i.e. There are age restrictions for each level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Some organisations running the award may charge a fee to cover administration costs and activities may be an additional extra. Expedition participants must be unaccompanied and it needs to be completed without motorised transport. Silver DofE UCAS points also do not exist and so it will come as no surprise that the Bronze DofE follows the same pattern. The opinions expressed within articles on this site reflect the opinions of individual student contributors, not Think Student as a whole. 112 points may sound like a lot, but actually, its not as bad as it seems and most students can achieve it with studying 3 A Levels. The most daunting part of a UCAS application is the Personal Statement: 4000 characters to explain your suitability for higher education. Unfortunately, this doesnt answer the question of whether it will get you into university. This means that if you have been learning a musical instrument, and doing the exams as you go along, you may be lucky enough to already have some UCAS Points. After signing up with a local school or institution, progress is managed online in an eDofE account. To make sure your planned residential satisfies all of the conditions we recommend looking at the residential checklist on the dofe.org website. Participants take part in a range of fun-filled watersports and land-based sessions on Dorsets Jurassic Coast. Completing your DofE and a grade or two would help to showcase your skills and talent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Oxford Royale Academy is a part of Oxford Programs Limited, a company registered in England as company number 6045196, registered office at 264 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DY. I also have more confidence to help me succeed. For example, you may want to do a diploma in Fashion, or Fitness Instructing and Personal Training. I therefore had the confidence to apply for and become a Course Representative and a Student Ambassador at university; this means I am often the person students or prospective students come to with questions about student life and our course. Can I Leave My Luggage At Edinburgh Bus Station? Yes. Joining a group of new people, staying in accommodation overnight for several days away from home doing valuable work. /h. The DofE promotes teamwork, self-discipline, empathy and independence and is something young people remember for the rest of their lives. These programmes are based around speaking and drama, which may help you increase your confidence in speaking to large groups of people a skill which can be easily transferred to other scenarios in your life and which is likely to be extremely useful! 20. Either way, an EPQ is a great way to develop your academic skills in the subject that you want to continue studying at University, and it will give you something extra to add to your personal statement! An Access to HE Diploma is a great way to earn UCAS Points if you dont have the typical qualifications that Universities may be looking for (such as A-Levels or BTECs). A Theory of Knowledge, which can earn you up to 12 Points. You can go on horse, on boat, on bike, or anything that isnt motorised. No UK university will ever care whether you did DofE or not. They will provide you with a checklist containing everything you need to bring for your time away from home. Actually, it aims to get you improving yourself in a whole myriad of ways. Silver DofE UCAS points also do not exist and so it will come as no surprise that the Bronze DofE follows the same pattern. Although some Universities give out their conditional offers to students based on their exam grades, there are still some which the UCAS Points system for offers. Yes, it is possible to complete your Gold DofE expedition on a kayak or canoe. Example aims include: create a piece of artwork inspired by the landscape, survey the landscape, create a nature guide. The Modern Foreign Languages short courses (for which you can choose from Italian, French, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish and German) would be particularly useful in the long-term, as the ability to speak other languages has long been acknowledged as something that makes you more enjoyable. When it is this popular among young people, you can assume that many of your fellow university applicants are going to have done the award too. Available subjects are broadly similar to A-level subject choices, with a few that are different to the standard A-level subjects, including Classical Heritage, Comparative Government and Politics, and Economics. Did your volunteering or skill complement a particular part of your studies? When Did Stirling Stop Being The Capital Of Scotland? On the other hand, law related courses will usually ask for ABB at A-Level which amounts to 128 UCAS points. What Is The Average Salary For It People In Edinburgh? There are 5 sections to complete as part of the Gold DofE award. Does gold DofE give UCAS points? These components are: If you would like to find out more about the International Baccalaureate and how it works, information about the Diplo. If you would like to find out more about the Extended Project Qualification, you can find more information here. You might have guessed that you are awarded a certain number of these points for each of your A-levels, with a higher number of points for higher grades; but what you might not have known is that there are many more ways of boosting your number of UCAS points beyond simply completing your A-levels. Do you play a musical instrument? The elements of each persons DofE can vary widely, depending on how they choose to complete their sections. Gold is the final stage of the Duke of Edinburgh award. These qualifications are primarily designed for those who want to pursue an equestrian career, but theyre a good way for those with a passion for horses to get extra UCAS points doing something they love. If youre thinking of doing this, talk to the teachers at your school to find out what subjects would fit into your timetable. You amass a portfolio of evidence of the voluntary work youve done, as well as actively developing skills in a range of useful areas, such as customer service, fundraising and project management. Cumulus Outdoors are based in Dorset and run Gold canoe and walking expeditions. Every young person can enter the award program. In this article, we look at the different ways in which you can raise your number of UCAS points to help the results part of your university application stand out from the crowd. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. PSHE teacher told us that watching porn is ok and healthy, UCAS Applications + Uni group discussion threads 2023 **Official Thread**, The Courtauld Institute of Art 2023 offers. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a fun and educational programme for young people aged 14-24. Arty types might like Trinity College Londons Gold Arts Award, which gives you 35 extra points in recognition of your involvement with a range of arts projects and leadership (recorded in a portfolio in a medium of your choosing, such as a diary, video or blog). You can learn lots of new skills, improve your fitness and take part in expeditions and adventure activities. Benefits of DofE - The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Benefits to young people When your child does their DofE programme they'll develop the skills and attitudes they need to become more rounded, confident adults. I would mention that you can succeed without outside help even in potentially harsh conditions, have the mental and physical power to overcome challenges and can work well as a team. school clubs that look good to universities, looks good on your university application. The company contracts with institutions, including the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Yale, for the use of their facilities, and also contracts with tutors from those institutions, but does not operate under the aegis of the University of Oxford or those other institutions. Having good English Language abilities will be essential if you intend to study in the UK, and the ESOL Programme is a good way of demonstrating that you have these skills. Usually, you get much less freedom to decide where you are going and when than this suggests. In fact, simply as an addition to your CV and University Application, its not really necessary for you to do a course and gain the qualification (though if it is something that is available to you it shouldnt be turned down!). In ninety percent of schools, it is not like you are going to be setting off to sub-Saharan Africa or to the Himalayas. This will indicate to universities that you can adapt to new surroundings and thus fit in well. The bronze award should take participants 26 weeks. If yes, then the DofE may not be able to elevate their UCAS application much further. . A-Levels are the most common way of getting UCAS Points. This qualification is aimed to bridge the gap between GCSE and AS-Level, but does not mean that you have to take A-Level maths after you have done it. All sections of the award must be completed to pass the DofE award. At Cumulus Outdoors we specialise in outdoor adventure activity residentials. However, perhaps not to the degree that you might expect. Universities dont really care whether you went to a grammar school, a standard state school, or any other type of school. A Level 3 Free Standing Maths Qualification (FSMQ) is usually taken by GCSE students who excel at maths and want to be challenged. It's not uncommon for the most promising students to take four or even five A-levels, with an extra AS-level on top. Did it teach you a new way of looking at the world? University of California, Berkeley (ages 15-18), 10 Brilliant Ways to Get More UCAS Points. Which parts of the UCAS application can you use your DofE experience in? Official University of Edinburgh 2023 Applicant Thread, Official LSE Undergraduate Applicants thread 2023, students going to University of Leeds 2023 September, Cambridge and international qualifications, Official UNIVERSITY of BATH 2023 entry thread, Oxford History Applicants 2023 - Undergraduate & Postgraduate, Official Oxford 2023 Postgraduate Applicants Thread. Youll probably know it as the extra-curricular activity par excellence, that shows practical skills alongside your academic excellence. Therefore, it depends which Universities that you are applying to as to how essential UCAS Points are, so it is important to do your research! 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB, Taking a break or withdrawing from your course, http://www.dofe.org/en/content/cms/about-us/our-impact/, Official UCL 2023 Undergraduate Applicants Thread. Your gold award in DofE isnt a golden ticket to any higher education institution that you fancy. Maybe your child does not currently participate in any regular extracurricular activities. At the end of each level participants receive an award to recognise their achievements. Swanage While it's standard to take three A-levels, many of the brightest students will be taking four or even five A-levels, or four . in sixth form) and it will take you 78 weeks if you start from scratch. In your personal statement, saying that you have completed your DofE demonstrates commitment and motivation to succeed, which universities will look at, especially as at times it can be challenging and completing your DofE demonstrates you can cope and thrive. DofE is split into three different levels, which you can take at different ages and which differ in intensity and material required. The difficulty level of this qualification falls somewhere between GCSE and AS-level Maths, and at the Advanced Level youll come out with the rough equivalent of an A-level module. If you are interested in doing a short volunteering course, the details of ASDANs programme are found on the ASDAN Website. Unfortunately though, you will not be able to get involved in this unless you are living and studying in Wales. Uni rejects application for something not mention in entry requirment, Any other good/free programs like Sutton trust or UNIQ. Duke of Edinburgh can make your look great on your uni application! Is DofE good for CV? Report. Whatever you mention, just make sure you explain how it helped you develop and how you would adapt this to study to succeed. 5 (12 reviews) These are known as bronze, silver, and gold level. Not at all, by all means do it if you have the time, but your exam results are far more important. Dorset is one of the best places in the UK to participate in outdoor adventure activities. An Extended Essay, which can earn you up to 12 Points. You can gain up to 50 extra UCAS points and help out a good cause by taking an ASDAN Community Volunteering Qualification. Thats not to say that your application will suffer if you only have three A-levels offers are almost always given based on three A-levels anyway (top universities might give an offer that includes four A-levels, but only if the candidate in question happens to be studying four). The difference really between BTECs and A-Levels is the fact that BTECs are more specific. For this reason, its not just an excuse to accumulate more UCAS points; its extremely useful for developing your ability to tailor your English to the more formal constraints demanded by academic essay-writing, which will be an essential component of your time at university. You can gain confidence in speaking, writing and listening, which will all be incredibly useful skills. An Extended Project Qualification (or EPQ) is a great way of adding to your UCAS Points. Does your child already have a full schedule, with other extracurricular activities and relevant work experience to the university course theyd like to apply for? Due to this, the accuracy of articles on this site cannot always be guaranteed. If you want to find out more about the types of apprenticeship that you can do, take a look at the UCAS Website. Get a Horse-Riding Qualifications From The British Horse Society. Its good to keep perspective however, with 330,000 students participating in the DofE in the 20/21 season its not an unusual achievement by itself. Most obviously, you can boost your number of UCAS points by taking on an extra A-level or AS-level. . If yes, then the DofE could be a useful tool to display non-academic achievements in a UCAS university personal statement as well as being a beneficial experience overall. So now you might be thinking if all that hard work does not equal UCAS points, then how to add the Duke of Edinburgh Award to my UCAS application at all? How do I add my Duke of Edinburgh to my UCAS application? There are some circumstances where it is acceptable to know one or two other people, but the majority of the residential group should be unknown. Gold residential costs vary between provider. If you would like to add your UCAS Points up online, you can use the UCAS Tariff Points Calculator. However, if you are in primary school or just not yet in the right stage of secondary education, you are going to have to wait. One of the problems with this way of earning UCAS Points is that the courses can be quite expensive. Lots of parents recognise a connection between the Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS Application for university. If you think that an Access to HE Diploma is the ideal path for you, have a look at this helpful website. If you want to earn extra UCAS Points, you can take an extra Cambridge Pre-U Qualification, so that you are studying 4 courses.