1. A Theory of Knowledge, which can earn you up to 12 Points. 0. You can also use the DofE if you get invited for an interview. 1 st lesson free! A Bronze and Silver DofE award have the same four sections to be completed, and a Gold DofE award has a fifth section: Participating in any regular physical activity, for example playing in a football team. 2. Whats the Best Age to Start Swimming Lessons? For Silver, this extends to three days and two nights, with seven hours on each day. This site is owned and operated by Think Student Ltd. These are known as bronze, silver, and gold level. For those of you doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award for the purposes of university admissions, you should know that it doesn't actually give you UCAS points. IP-address: 40.77.167.8. Generally, it would be recommended to do them in the first year if possible, to reduce your stress when it comes to your A-Level exam season. Remember, DofE has over 400,000 entrants every year. These courses are designed to be excellent preparation for university, and are now widely recognised by admissions tutors, including by the Ivy League universities in the USA. Participants may also find that they enjoy the experience more than they expected and acquire new skills to write about in their UCAS personal statement too. Which parts of the UCAS application can you use your DofE experience in? Gold is the final stage of the Duke of Edinburgh award. After signing up with a local school or institution, progress is managed online in an eDofE account. This is another additional qualification which shows how you can develop your employability skills. You never know, it could make a difference in getting into your first-choice university and you never know where that could take you! What matters much more to universities is your academic commitment. Obviously, the amount of UCAS Points you can gain varies based on whether you achieve a Pass, Merit or Distinction in your exam so it is really worth practicing hard in your preparation. Young people are eligible to start the DofE award from the age of 14. Developed by Cambridge International Examinations, the Cambridge Pre-U qualifications can completely replace A-levels with a full programme of studies that gives you a diploma, or you can take a shorter course (over the course of a year) alongside your A-levels. There are no scores or grades, participants either pass or not. Would an academic institution care if school pupils had walked across Cornwall for three days? Throughout the residential week you should endeavour to push the boundaries of your comfort zone and experience new environments and new people. By the time they do a Grade 8 they can earn nearly the equivalent of an A-Level (30 UCAS points). If you are still in education, you may be able to complete the award through your school, college or youth group, as long as they are a licensed DofE provider. 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. Even better, they dont all involve devoting even more of your time to studying from textbooks. DofE stands for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which was launched by Prince Philip in 1956. How Often Does Edinburgh Tram Go To Airport? Participants must work through these in turn and satisfy various criteria. How to Teach Your Kids Times Tables + Free Times Table Chart! If you are interested in Speaking and Drama, exams from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (or LAMDA) might be for you. Alternatively, you can create a product (such as an app or an artistic object), or a production (such as a charity event or fashion show) and write a 1,000 word essay to accompany it. 5 (12 reviews) If you are interested in doing a short volunteering course, the details of ASDANs programme are found on the ASDAN Website. If you wish to report an article for misleading or false information, please click here. For example, you may want to do a diploma in Fashion, or Fitness Instructing and Personal Training. To count towards your Gold DofE award the residential must be away from home and last for a minimum of 4 nights. It does not serve any purpose on your UCAS form beyond the personal statement, where you are entitled to push it hard. As well as benefiting local charities, these skills will be invaluable for your CV and will make you more attractive to potential employers, whether you want to end up working in the charity sector or not. 12657283. You should join a DofE residential as an individual without meeting participants or leaders beforehand. Would they benefit from the focus and structure that a DofE programme provides? captcha. DofE is split into three different levels, which you can take at different ages and which differ in intensity and material required. There are plenty of programmes that can count towards your Gold DofE residential. For full courses, known as Principal Subjects, youll receive up to 145 UCAS points, while Short Courses available in Modern Foreign Languages, Mathematics and Global Perspectives attract up to 60 points. Official: University of Sheffield A100 2023 entry, UCL postgraduate applicants thread 2023/2024, Barts and The London (QMUL) Dentistry 2023 Entry, hsbc work experience early careers programme stimulate assessment, Border Force Officer - Core and Mobile teams recruitment campaign September 2022. However, its more about what you have learned from it than the fact that you have done it. Most of all, completing the various DofE levels is fun and allows you to spend time with friends! Get a Horse-Riding Qualifications From The British Horse Society. Through your DofE activities you may have already demonstrated an interest in your course subject. Many employers will recognise the achievement of a DofE and the hard word that it represents. Writing about the course. It is possible to progress straight to gold DofE. You must volunteer in the community for at least 12 months and complete the physical and skill sections. These include volunteering, physical activity, skills, expedition and a residential. 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! 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. Completing your DofE and a grade or two would help to showcase your skills and talent. No UK university will ever care whether you did DofE or not. Your gold award in DofE isnt a golden ticket to any higher education institution that you fancy. 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. These are a good way of gaining more vocational qualifications that could benefit your future career plans, or simply to develop skills in something you find interesting whilst gaining UCAS points at the same time. Your email address will not be published. This means that if you wanted to take a BTEC at Sixth Form, you would need to be more certain of the career path you wanted to take earlier on. Of course, they would! You can do some in depth research about a subject that interests you, to then write a 5,000 word essay, which will answer a question that you have set yourself. 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. This is a good compromise for students who want to earn more UCAS Points, and increase their knowledge of more subjects, but who also perhaps feel that 4 full A-Levels is too much. Rather, your school will tell you the time and date (usually a bank holiday weekend) and you will plot the route. Participants must camp or sleep in simple self-catering accommodation and eat at least one cooked meal per day. 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! Cumulus Outdoors in Swanage offer an exciting events programme, which showcases the best of the Jurassic Coast. The best Academic tutoring tutors available. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Some Universities may also have their own specific systems of UCAS Points, where they only accept a certain number for extra activities, or they dont count them in their offer totals at all. What the DofE does show to universities, however, is that you are committed: committed to learning new skills, committed to developing yourself beyond the classroom. The qualifications are all about developing your volunteering skills and knowledge, and recognising the unpaid work you do for the benefit of your community. 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. The thing about these timings is that if only one of the three sections has to be this long. If your childs school isnt licensed to run the DofE a local Youth Group may be. The qualifications that are required vary based on the type of apprenticeship that you want to do, and which company you would like to work with. You will feel a huge sense of achievement when you have completed all of the sections and receive your award. Dorset How to Get UCAS Points (19+ Legitimate Ways). 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. They will also usually only be counted towards specific courses, e.g. There is a small participation and welcome pack fee when you sign up to each level of the award. Of the 4 people I know at Oxford, only 1 has done DofE. Did your volunteering or skill complement a particular part of your studies? Does Gold DofE get UCAS points? Reply 13. nah you can. For those of you doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award for the purposes of university admissions, you should know that it doesnt actually give you UCAS points. There are lots of organisations in the UK who are licensed to run the DofE. The bronze award should take participants 26 weeks. The DofE, if embraced, really does give a well-rounded boost to a young persons skill set. It enables you to take a more vocational approach to studying the subjects that interest you, and is recognised by many Universities as a valuable qualification. Its important to choose a residential programme that interests you and allows you to explore your passions further. Wed say that a more appropriate description would be a Youth Award rather than a professional qualification. 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. Over 20.000+ qualified tutors provide first-class tutoring in all school subjects. Does Oxford care about Duke of Edinburgh? The whole qualification will take you around 150 hours to complete. It consists of a number of parts, which are: If youd like to find out more about the Skills Challenge Certificate, take a look at this page about the Welsh Baccalaureate, which explains how the qualification works. It shows them too that you are an independent person who can look after themselves and who isnt just their exam results. If you want to earn extra UCAS Points, you can take an extra Cambridge Pre-U Qualification, so that you are studying 4 courses. You will not receive UCAS points for completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Spending more time in a library, taking an extra A-level, can be well worth it. Although the International Baccalaureate as a whole will not earn you any UCAS Points, each component of it will. 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. AS-Levels are another great way to earn UCAS Points. How to apply for Duke of Edinburgh award? Expedition participants must be unaccompanied and it needs to be completed without motorised transport. Lots of parents recognise a connection between the Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS Application for university. The most obvious place to get UCAS points is from A-levels, AS-levels, and T-levels. Would they be interested in the fact that you volunteered during senior school? D of E Silver 0 UCAS points. Additional academic qualifications will make your university application look more impressive to admissions tutors, particularly when you choose to take on additional high-powered subjects on the list of facilitating subjects; but theres plenty to be said for these more vocational qualifications as well. Employers and higher education establishments value the award and its an excellent talking point in interviews. If you would like to find out more about how BTECs compare to other qualifications, take a look at this useful comparison. 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. The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, presents the award but thats about the only role he has in the whole thing. Completing the Gold DofE award can be challenging, but it is an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience. 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. Many students consider taking more than the standard three AS/A-Levels, or they will take an A Level course on top of their core T-Level. ), which details how you accomplished your aims. How many UCAS points do you need for Oxford? 0 UCAS pointsD of E Bronze 0 UCAS points. Some organisations running the award may charge a fee to cover administration costs and activities may be an additional extra. Required fields are marked *. 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 is commonly said that the Duke of Edinburgh Award can really help your university application. The group activities must be with new people and enable you to further explore new or existing interests. Is the Duke of Edinburgh award a professional qualification? Debate with GF/BF: TSR votes will decide! 14-24 year-olds can do a DofE programme at one of three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award. They generally have a more vocational basis, which allows you to develop useful employability skills in the subject that you have chosen to study. You'll likely want to focus the first 80% of your personal statement on your specific course and why you want to study it. However, if you have already chosen your subjects and later realised that a certain subject may look desirable on your University application, completing an AS-Level in your second year could be very beneficial. On the other hand, law related courses will usually ask for ABB at A-Level which amounts to 128 UCAS points. These are designed to take the stress out of planning, training and equipping teams. Along with the practical skills such qualifications instil, they also teach you the ability to work well with others a useful skill to be able to talk about in job applications and interviews. 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. The Gold DofE expedition should take place over 4 days and 3 nights. Do you play a musical instrument? This doesnt just mean your test scores or exam results. Is there anything that the award shows that you can contribute to university life? The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate adult life. Do an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). A-Levels are the most common way of getting UCAS Points. There are 5 sections to complete as part of the Gold DofE award. If you want to find out more about the Cambridge Pre-U Qualification, the Cambridge website contains all the details of the courses and assessments. What Is The Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS Application Connection? But an extra A-level should certainly boost your application particularly if its in one of the facilitating subjects and youll get up to 140 extra UCAS points. But is this true? Has anybody accepted university offers so far in 2023? Study for a Level 3 Diploma, Certificate or Award in your spare time. While its standard to take three A-levels, many of the brightest students will be taking four or even five A-levels, or four A-levels with perhaps an extra AS-level on top of that. During this time our team have become well versed in all things DofE and have gained an excellent understanding of the various sections that make up the scheme. For example, a course in first aid would be appropriate. The expedition should take place in wild country, away from civilisation for a minimum of 4 days and 3 nights with 8 hours of planned activity. A DofE Award also looks good on your CV and can be useful when applying for educational courses and jobs. The Certificate of Proficiency in English will equip you with the English skills necessary to take your studies to PhD level and beyond, write confidently about any subject, be a powerful negotiator in the world of business and talk articulately about complex issues and ideas. You also have the option of taking the Certificate in Advanced English, which is a less advanced qualification that offers 70 points to those who achieve an A grade. In ninety percent of schools, it is not like you are going to be setting off to sub-Saharan Africa or to the Himalayas. All apprentices earn a specific minimum wage (details of which can be found here). BTECs are another common alternative to A-Levels. The maximum age to complete the DofE Awards is 25 years old. We hope this will inspire you to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and answer any questions you may have. UCAS points are the most important piece of information for universities considering new students. Take an extra AS Level You may also want to have a look at some Universities entry requirements, which often list preferred A-Levels. Does the Duke of Edinburgh award look good on a CV? However, completion of DofE, especially Silver and Gold, are excellent talking points for your Personal Statement as they display proficiency in a wide variety of soft skills. Graded dance qualifications, similar to the music exams, are offered by several organisations, including the British Ballet Organization, the British Theatre Dance Association, the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing and the Royal Academy of Dance. So, do universities care about the Duke of Edinburgh? D of E Gold 0 UCAS points. A Level 3 Free Standing Maths Qualification (FSMQ) is usually taken by GCSE students who excel at maths and want to be challenged. Theres one section of the UCAS application where the DofE can be utilised, that is what we unofficially call The Duke of Edinburgh Personal Statement.. Naturally, some groups will do less than this, and others more. All Rights Reserved. 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? Anything else youd like to add? This course allows you to choose the six modules that you study, and is a great way of making your skills more desirable to employers which is incredibly useful when getting a job can be so competitive! Over the near sixty years until now, over a million young people have been involved in the programme, learning the skills it takes to run a business and proving to themselves that they have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. This will vary depending on when and where you are completing your expedition. Unfortunately, this doesnt answer the question of whether it will get you into university. 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. Although dance can be challenging and requires a lot of work, it can be used as a good way to have a break from your academic studies while also allowing you to do something that has the potential to help your academic career. If you would like to find out more about the Extended Project Qualification, you can find more information here. What Is The Average Salary For It People In Edinburgh? Unfortunately, (similarly to Music Exams) this is not a quick way of earning UCAS Points, as a Grade 6 Exam requires a lot of skill and practice. In my personal statement, I wrote about how my experience during the Skill and Physical sections had increased my confidence and improved my fitness and swimming speed; for my physical activity, I swam at a local swimming club and gained Personal Bests. It is also a qualification which is really valued by Universities as it demonstrates your individual study skills. There are a wide variety of people who may choose to do an Access to HE Diploma, but most commonly, they are done by people who have been out of education for a while, and who dont have the qualifications to get straight into University. You will not receive UCAS points for completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Should You Avoid or Embrace Them? 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. Does Duke of Edinburgh Give You UCAS Points? You can gain up to 50 extra UCAS points and help out a good cause by taking an ASDAN Community Volunteering Qualification. It is often a good idea to consider which subject you want to take at University when you are choosing which A-Levels you should take. As a Gold Award holder, I also recommend including details of your residential and explaining that you did not know anyone but still managed to complete the activities while challenging yourself, learning new skills and making new friends. According to reports from UCAS, most business-related courses require BBB at A-Level which brings a total of 120 UCAS points. Time: 2022-12-13T18:10:06+00:00. Participants and leaders can access their profile to see the activities completed in each section.Your child can even manage their DofE via the Duke of Edinburgh Award app which can be downloaded from the App store and Google Play. Cumulus Outdoors offer a number of DofE gold residential programmes in Dorset. For example, if you did photography as your skill and are now looking to enrol on a photography degree, or if your volunteering involved . They want to see that you are interested in the subject to which you are applying. If your child has an adventurous spirit, the time to spare and would enjoy the challenge then the DofE would certainly be worth it. Higher Level which can earn you up to 56 Points. Residentials are a great way to explore creative outlets and learn new skills e.g., taking part in a jewellery making course or trying a new sport. This makes them useful qualifications for life in an office, not just on the stage: clear communication is essential for interacting with customers and colleagues. 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. The specification can be found here. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. A diploma requires you to have over 370 hours of training, a Certificate requires you to train for between 130 370 hours, and Awards require you to have up to 130 hours of training. 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!). What skills and experience from the DofE would you recommend mentioning? The UCAS Points System can be confusing, and it is a useful thing to understand when applying to Universities. How did doing your DofE help prepare you for University life? Lets take a closer look at how the Duke of Edinburgh Award can help your university admissions. There are a number of different Horse-Riding Qualifications which can earn you UCAS Points, and they are listed on the British Horse Society Website, alongside the number of points that they will earn you. The reason why it is technically called an adventurous journey is because it is not required for you to walk. 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. Working towards the DofE leads many young people to gain life skills, work experience and push themselves out of their comfort zone. Sure, it matters that you did something outside of the mainstream school system. They equate to half of an A-Level, as you only complete the first year of the course. 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. If you have done your DofE, I would definitely mention it. You can start the DofE award at the age of 14 but you must be at least 16 years old to start the Gold level. These qualifications are an excellent addition to the university applications of those whose native language isnt English, as theyre a respected way of proving that you can use English to an exceptional level, including specifically for an academic context. Joining a group of new people, staying in accommodation overnight for several days away from home doing valuable work. No. The Skills Challenge Certificate (SCC) can be taken as a standalone graded qualification for students in Wales. To count towards your Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award the residential must be away from home and last for at least 4 nights and 5 consecutive days. 23km per dayHow far do you walk on DofE? They dont care about it per se. 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. Most obviously, you can boost your number of UCAS points by taking on an extra A-level or AS-level. The opinions expressed within articles on this site reflect the opinions of individual student contributors, not Think Student as a whole. They will be able to provide you with a detailed kit list containing all of the equipment and clothing you will need. Think Student Ltd is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. The Duke of Edinburgh Award has a number of benefits.