In addition to the general advice on the UCAS application, these are some extra points you may wish to consider as a care leaver. 

1) Writing about your care experience in your personal statement 
  • Universities welcome applications from care leavers and see it as a real positive if you can reflect on your experience in care 
  • Think about how your time in care has shaped your values and how they align with your reasons for applying to a certain course (e.g. your care experience may have motivated you to apply for courses such as nursing, midwifery, paramedic science, teacher education and social work, which involve working directly with people in caring, supportive or inspiring ways) 
  • Consider the skills you have developed, as well as any relevant work experience or volunteering you may have undertaken as a result of being in care 
  • Remember, it is completely up to you whether you wish to write about your care experience in your Personal Statement. We understand that not everyone is comfortable sharing this level information in their application
2) Asking your UCAS referee to talk about your care experience 
  • If your UCAS referee (this is usually a teacher or tutor at school/college) is aware of your care experience, you may wish to ask them to mention this in their reference 
  • Talking about this in the reference could offer course admissions teams at universities greater context about your circumstances and how it has shaped your journey in education 
  • We understand that you may not be comfortable for your referee to disclose this, so you are under no pressure to do so. If, however, you would like your care experience to be mentioned, please speak to them to share this information 
3) Tick the box! 
  • Whether you decide to write about your time in care you should, at the very least, tick the relevant box on your UCAS application to confirm that you have been in care 
  • At Sheffield Hallam University, it is a vital way for us to get in touch with you and inform you about the extra support you could get when starting in September, including the chance to apply for a Care Leavers bursary 
  • Ticking the box will not be shared with anyone outside the university 
  • This poster from UCAS tells you more about the benefits of ticking the care leaver box when applying

You can check out further useful advice about applying as a care leaver in this guidance put together by UCAS.

If you have any further questions, please contact the SHU Progress team at SHU-Progress@shu.ac.uk or (0114) 225 4777.