What are UCAS Fairs and why should you go?

Check upcoming open days and book your place

During your university research you’ll discover a whole new terminology: “campuses” (the grounds of a uni), “modules” (how a uni course is divided up), and “UCAS” (the system through which you'll apply to uni) are just some of the words that will be dumped in your lap. Every day there’s likely to be a new phrase that you haven’t heard before, and all this can sometimes add to the confusion surrounding the process of finding a uni that’s right for you. “UCAS fairs” will be just one new phenomenon – in this article we’ve broken down what they are, why you should go, and the sort of questions you should be asking when you get there...

What actually is a UCAS fair?

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (aka UCAS) has been operating since 1961, and is the organisation responsible for managing applications to university and higher education college courses across the UK. To help students make a more informed decision on where they would like to study, UCAS holds a series of higher education conventions/fairs throughout the UK every year. A large cross-section of universities from all over the UK attend to give advice and information about their institutions and the courses they offer. The fairs also offer an extensive seminar programme, covering topics like student finance, gap years, and applying to uni through UCAS.

So why should you go?

There are many great advantages to attending UCAS conventions. Firstly, they give you an opportunity to speak to lots of universities in a very short space of time, therefore giving you a better idea of what’s out there without having to tour the country visiting each uni individually.

Year 12 student Mollie says UCAS fairs are an important chance to ask questions that can help you decide which open days you want to attend. “When I first started looking at universities for the course I want to do, everywhere did it and I literally wanted to go to every single open day, which is pretty much impossible,” says Mollie. “Going to a UCAS convention meant I could ask important questions like ‘is it a campus uni?’, ‘what are the living costs?’, and ‘can I bring a car?’, and the answers to those questions helped me decide on a smaller number of unis I wanted to go and see.”

There is no rush to decide where you want to study while you are at the convention. It’s an opportunity to collect prospectuses, request further information and leave your details to attend open days later in the year. Overall they are a great place to start your university research. You can meet members of staff from each institution, ask any questions you have and gain a better understanding of what it is you are looking for in a university while also finding out things you may never have even thought of.

Kam Wahad, Head of Sixth Form at Canons High School, emphasises the importance of attending UCAS conventions. “Not only does it allow students to learn more about the courses and universities they are thinking of taking and going to,” he says, “but it also allows them to consider options which they may not until that point have even considered.”

What should you ask?

Whatever you want to find out more about, to be honest. It's probably best to start by asking each university if they offer the course you are hoping to do. You’ll often find that universities that offer your course also offer a wide variety of related courses that you may well have never heard of, which can open your eyes to lots of other possibilities out there. After that you can ask what grades they require to get onto that course, allowing you to work out if that’s achievable for you. Finally, try to think about questions that will help your decision. If you’re really interested in a specific course ask what kind of things you will be learning about each year; if you’re interested in placement years ask what companies the university is partnered with; if you really like playing sport ask what sports teams they have. This is your opportunity to find out more about any unis you’re interested in, so before you go to the fair it may be worth preparing a list of questions that you can put to the staff you meet there.

UCAS fair question checklist

• Do you offer the course I’d like to study?
• What are the grades required for this course?
• How is the course taught?
• How many contact hours per week would there be for this course?
• What kind of modules are available on this course?
• Whereabouts in the UK is your university?
• When are your open days?
• What is it like to study and live at the university?
• What social and sporting facilities do you have?
• What makes your university different to the others?
• What kind of accommodation do you offer?
• What is the university’s league table position?
• Is the university campus based?
• Can you send me more information?

NEXT:

- UCAS application guide