Battle for uni places hots up

3:48pm Tuesday 12th February 2008

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Last month saw the annual flurry of super-stressed activity as sixth-formers across the country faced fast-approaching UCAS deadlines in their efforts to join the terrifyingly ruthless race for university places.

The (frequently) feigned passion of self-praising personal statements and grades exceeding the convoluted requirements appear no longer enough as students face the gruelling extras demanded by many unis, from polished sample essays, slaved-over art portfolios and of course the dreaded interview process.

Efforts to devise the most unexpected tactics are now the stuff of teenage legend. The incredible competition of veterinary courses has led to surprising systems, with a friend-of-a-friend forced through an interview modelled on speed-dating, involving five-minute chats with point-scoring lecturers seated around a room with rest-stops on the way!

Regardless of the fear, interviews remain an experience - not least for those you meet along the way. Whilst most of us have experienced misgivings about our own abilities, open days and interviews are likely to include confrontations with a breed of almost enviably arrogant over-achievers with an unparalleled supreme self-confidence.

On the off-chance of us students actually having a say in where to spend at least three years of our lives, we are inundated with attributes to consider - forced to choose between the intellectual aspects of course content and research facilities to the intricacies of accommodation quality and local nightlife!