Your DofE Award is a fantastic way to demonstrate and evidence these skills in practice. Improve your Mathematics with a Free-standing Mathematics Qualification. This is known as the Residential element, and it involves you staying and working away for five days. Horse-Riding is another fun way to earn UCAS Points, which does not have an especially academic basis. You will not receive UCAS points for completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. This is another great way to earn UCAS Points from an activity which you enjoy and which takes you away from your academic work so you wont end up sat at a desk all day studying! In addition, you will have to do a short presentation to a small group within your Sixth Form. Cumulus Outdoors offer a number of DofE gold residential programmes in Dorset. The flexibility that the number of subjects you take gives you is one of the real benefits of taking Highers, especially if you arent sure what exactly you would like to do in the future. Young Enterprise is a programme that has been running since 1963. How do I add my Duke of Edinburgh to my UCAS application? It comprises of four sections for Bronze and Silver and 5 sections for Gold. You can do an apprenticeship from the age of 16, and an Advanced Level Apprenticeship is generally considered to be equivalent to 2 A Levels. Thats key stage 4. DofE isn't a formal qualification. Its important to choose a residential programme that interests you and allows you to explore your passions further. This is another additional qualification which shows how you can develop your employability skills. What are UCAS points? | How to get UCAS points - Success at School But well save that question for a little while later. What are the Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS application points? The DofE is many things to many people, supporting generations to successfully navigate adult life. Silver DofE UCAS points also do not exist and so it will come as no surprise that the Bronze DofE follows the same pattern. 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. Duke of Edinburgh is the initiative that takes place in secondary school across schools in England and the rest of the UK. 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. What Are Some Easy GCSE Subjects and How to Make the Right Choices? Pre-16 Qualifications Most courses also require that you have certain pre-16 qualifications, including GCSE Maths and English. Gain points by playing a musical instrument. With exceptions for some specific courses, DofE comes into play for that last 20% . The Gold residential must include 5 consecutive days of group activities and at least 4 nights away from home. A Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) Level 3 will get you 16 UCAS Points. 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. Further information about both the Diploma and the Award can be found on the NOCN Website. Whats more, drama requires good teamwork, so thats another useful transferrable skill youll pick up through this qualification. I have also gained more understanding of others, as during my Residential I worked at a respite holiday care home for people with disabilities which helped me to become more aware of others in need. UCAS points are the most important piece of information for universities considering new students. Cumulus also runs bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh walking and kayaking expeditions. The maximum age to complete the DofE Awards is 25 years old. The bronze award should take participants 26 weeks. 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. The DofE promotes teamwork, self-discipline, empathy and independence and is something young people remember for the rest of their lives. It is aimed at students aged 16 and over to allow them to develop their employability skills. Check out my post Use DofE to make your CV and Personal Statement shine for the full rundown. All apprentices earn a specific minimum wage (details of which can be found here). If music or drama arent quite your thing, but youre still inclined towards the performing arts, you might be interested to know that you can gain extra UCAS points through dancing. For example, you may want to do a diploma in Fashion, or Fitness Instructing and Personal Training. So I'm in Year 11 (going into Y12 in September) and I'm thinking of doing the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. So perhaps your child has written in their UCAS Personal statement already about their interest in the course and their academic achievements, but theyd like to demonstrate their ability to, lets say, cooperate in a team. BUT it may be beneficial when looking for your first job after university. Is the Duke of Edinburgh award important for university? 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. Many young people obtain their Bronze DofE award before progressing onto Silver and Gold awards, but teenagers can dive straight into their Gold award if they are 16 years old or over. Whats the Best Age to Start Swimming Lessons? If you would like to find out more about the Extended Project Qualification, you can find more information here. The number of UCAS Points that you can earn depends on whether you achieve a Pass, Merit or Distinction, and the breakdown of these scores can be found on the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) Website. 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. Is it actually going to help to get you into some of the best universities in the country? For Silver this goes up to a minimum of 7 hours per day, and for Gold a minimum of 8 hours planned activity per day before setting up camp for the night. You will not receive UCAS points for completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Speak to the activity provider prior to packing for your residential experience. 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. again it doesnt harm your application but for oxbridge i dont think it has any impact really (apart from showing you do other things apart from work). Summer School 2023 is filling up fast. To help you with your planning, weve created a helpful guide containing a list of frequently asked Gold DofE questions. Find out what else looks good on your university application! 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. Bronze is open to anyone aged 14 and above. Ask your school or college about undertaking these courses to up your UCAS points! This is one of the best decisions I have ever made; the skills I gained at the stables are adaptable to other animals and my studies, and the course has given me so many opportunities I would not have had if I had not applied to university or taken up my offer. It helps young people develop social and interpersonal skills as well as promoting confidence and self-esteem. Gold residential costs vary between provider. 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. . Your email address will not be published. Gold is the final stage of the Duke of Edinburgh award. The Award is designed to test and improve all sorts of different non-academic skills and it is intended to get you contributing to your community through voluntary activities. Do you feel like the achievement award taught you how to deal with challenge? Does gold DofE give UCAS points? In A-Level by Think Student EditorSeptember 15, 20207 Comments. Youll probably know it as the extra-curricular activity par excellence, that shows practical skills alongside your academic excellence. 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. 10 Brilliant Ways to Get More UCAS Points. Andy98. You have to complete all four parts to finally achieve the award. Reply 13. Aiming to encourage a spirit of adventure and discovery, you have to plan, train for, and complete an adventurous journey somewhere in the UK or abroad. They will be able to provide you with a detailed kit list containing all of the equipment and clothing you will need. Most obviously, you can boost your number of UCAS points by taking on an extra A-level or AS-level. If youre not taking Mathematics as an A-level subject, but want a qualification in it just to prove that youre proficient, you could take a Free-standing Mathematics Qualification. Study for a Level 3 Diploma, Certificate or Award in your spare time. Double check whether theyre on the list of approved DofE activity providers. How Often Does Edinburgh Tram Go To Airport? An Extended Essay, which can earn you up to 12 Points. In ninety percent of schools, it is not like you are going to be setting off to sub-Saharan Africa or to the Himalayas. The Gold DofE expedition should take place over 4 days and 3 nights. How to: include DofE in your UCAS personal statement. What Is The Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS Application Connection? There is no minimum distance to cover, however there must be 8 hours of planned activity each day to satisfy the expedition requirements. 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. When researching your Duke of Edinburgh Award, you should think carefully about your interests and decide what you want to achieve from the trip. The distance you walk per day on DofE varies between awards. Enjoy a fun-filled activity programme including coasteering, kayaking, climbing, abseiling and more. As weve seen, accumulating extra UCAS points can involve saddling yourself with even more academic work, but it doesnt have to: you can have fun with more vocational qualifications and pick up UCAS points in the process. Dorset is one of the best places in the UK to participate in outdoor adventure activities. nah you can. Which parts of the UCAS application can you use your DofE experience in? 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? BTECs are another common alternative to A-Levels. There are no scores or grades, participants either pass or not. Use our quick UCAS tariff chart below to find out what your predicted UCAS points could be at A-level: GoStudent is the #1 online tutoring platform for children. 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. Our systems have detected unusual traffic from your computer network. Gold Duke of Edinburgh - Worth Doing? - The Student Room The whole qualification will take you around 150 hours to complete. Writing about the course. It helped me to be confident and go for things I would have only dreamed of before doing the DofE. 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. 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 Did Stirling Stop Being The Capital Of Scotland? The stakes are high because an answer other than of course! could shatter some of the most central beliefs held by young people across the UK. How did doing your DofE help prepare you for University life? Even better, they dont all involve devoting even more of your time to studying from textbooks. No. For example, being a leader at a UK-based holiday camp for disadvantaged young people. Participating in DofE can help you demonstrate that you possess the skills needed to excel in further education or your chosen career. 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. Qualities that colleges, universities and employers are attracted to. You'll likely want to focus the first 80% of your personal statement on your specific course and why you want to study it. If you are interested in doing a short volunteering course, the details of ASDANs programme are found on the ASDAN Website. Would they be interested in the fact that you volunteered during senior school? 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. Does gold DofE give UCAS points? However, perhaps not to the degree that you might expect. There are 5 sections to complete as part of the Gold DofE award. The bronze award should take participants 26 weeks. It is not only incredibly useful in terms of your University Application, but also in your future employment opportunities. The UCAS Website will provide you with more information about the Scottish Highers. It comprises of 5 days of group activities and 4 consecutive nights sleeping away from home. DofE on UCAS - The Student Room 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. How to Get UCAS Points (19+ Legitimate Ways) - Think Student 0. More information about this certificate can be found here. According to reports from UCAS, most business-related courses require BBB at A-Level which brings a total of 120 UCAS points. For the Skills section, I worked at my local stables, assisting with the day to day tasks and lessons; this included manual labour of mucking out and grooming the horses. 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. To count towards your Gold DofE award the residential must be away from home and last for a minimum of 4 nights. There are 3 levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) and a number of sections to complete. You must volunteer in the community for at least 12 months and complete the physical and skill sections. Reach out to a GoStudent tutor to ensure that your child reaches their full potential on exam day. Note that this qualification will be withdrawn at the end of 2016, but you still have time to gain one before then. The difference really between BTECs and A-Levels is the fact that BTECs are more specific. R-CAPTCHA. However, some universities look at extracurricular activities favourably during the admission process. It also gives you something to talk about on your personal statement (eg confidence). I've just applied and was able to write in my bronze, sliver and gold. Young Enterprise: Will it Help My UCAS Application? - Superprof 0. How do you think achieving your Award and the skills gained will help you in your future? It shows them too that you are an independent person who can look after themselves and who isnt just their exam results. What Is The Average Salary For It People In Edinburgh? 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. This could be useful for a number of University courses, which require you to have a reasonably high level of maths, but do not necessarily need (even though it is generally preferred) for you to have a Maths A-Level. I mentioned that I had been part of Scouting since the age of 6 and had completed many challenges including trips to Germany, Estonia and Poland and hiking in the Peak District. does gold dofe give ucas points. Lots of parents recognise a connection between the Duke of Edinburgh Award UCAS Application for university. 12657283. 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. Do you play a musical instrument? /h. Leave a rating. At the same time, youll have to track your progress and check in with DofE leaders, who will be helping you along the way. Theyre not employers, Scouts leaders, or your mother so they might not be hugely impressed by your ability to read a map. The only place to mention it (if you must) is in your PS or reference. 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. Does Gold DofE get UCAS points? At the end of each level participants receive an award to recognise their achievements. school clubs that look good to universities, looks good on your university application. 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. 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. So, no, you cant just do the expedition. Swanage At Cumulus Outdoors our residentials start from 270. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. There are age restrictions for each level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. What matters much more to universities is your academic commitment. In a similar way to A-Levels, you will have a broader range of subjects that you can continue with at degree level. 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. Does Gold DofE get UCAS points? Suitable for aspiring actors and those who just enjoy performing, these qualifications develop your theatrical skills and enables you to get better at speaking clearly. 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. The Duke of Edinburgh Award started in 1956 as a project to attract schoolboys who were not enrolled in Scouts or a similar group, but it was soon extended to young women in the following year. The expedition is the part that participants are usually most apprehensive about and a popular question is How far do you walk on the Bronze DofE ? There must be a minimum of 6 hours travelling each day, which equates to on average 16km or 10 Miles each day on foot. It is commonly said that the Duke of Edinburgh Award can really help your university application. How many UCAS points do you need for Oxford? 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. It usually takes around 1 year to complete, but can be done on a part-time basis over a few years to suit you. Employers and higher education establishments value the award and its an excellent talking point in interviews. This table now reflects the new UCAS points tariff which uses a much lower points system than the old UCAS tariff. It is also worth taking into account the fact that apprenticeships can be very competitive, because there are so many benefits to them, but this does not mean that you should not try to get them after all, youll never get to do them if you dont apply! 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. Benefits of DofE - The Duke of Edinburgh's Award 3 Is gold DofE good for Is Gold Dofe Worth Ucas Points? How to get UCAS points - UCAS points explained - Latest News To make sure your planned residential satisfies all of the conditions we recommend looking at the residential checklist on the dofe.org website. We hope this will inspire you to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award and answer any questions you may have. If so, youll be pleased to learn that the exams you do will give you extra UCAS points from Grade 6 upwards. Rather, as we discussed in our piece on the school clubs that look good to universities, its much more about what you do with it. These are known as bronze, silver, and gold level. ), which details how you accomplished your aims. Grades 6,7,8 offer some UCAS points that you can use for your application in the future. There are a wide range of courses that you can complete and be examined in to earn points, all of which are listed on the LAMDA Website. 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. You can't list it as a qualification in your education section. How to: include DofE in your UCAS personal statement DOFE gives you ucas points. Is There A Virgin Lounge At Edinburgh Airport? You must also undertake an expedition that lasts 4 days and 3 nights as well as a residential. 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. Rather, it means what else you have done outside of your schooling. You can gain confidence in speaking, writing and listening, which will all be incredibly useful skills. Did it teach you a new way of looking at the world? Helping there strengthened my passion for working with animals and, due to this, I decided to study Animal Management at university. a st annes admission tutor told me we dont care how many Dof E awards youve got.