(2013 entry)
Having reviewed the UCAS application, we may require further information from you. We may, for example, need clarification about some aspect of your application (eg about the qualifications for which you are studying). We may ask to see examples of your written work or, if you are no longer studying, we could ask you to write an essay. We also sometimes ask for an additional reference. We could ask you to attend an interview. In many cases, however, we will be able to make a decision on whether to offer you a place or not based on your UCAS application alone. It is therefore very important to remember this when completing your UCAS application. Even in those subjects that interview applicants, we will make the initial decision about which students to interview (and which to turn down immediately) based on the UCAS application.
We also have special procedures for applicants applying on the strength of relevant experience and without formal academic qualifications (also refer to Mature students, special admissions schemes and young care leavers at Sussex). If you are unqualified but submit a strong application, we may ask you to complete a piece of academic work and come to an interview. This work would normally be an essay of about 1,500 words on a topic related to your chosen subject. We would give you a choice of questions, based on readily available books, and give you approximately five weeks to submit the piece of work. You would also attend an interview shortly afterwards. The decision, however, about whether or not to place your application into the ‘unqualified’ route depends on the strength of your initial UCAS form. Owing to the time this process takes, you should make sure your application reaches UCAS by their deadline of 15 January. The high level of competition for places at Sussex means that your application (and the wider experience on which it is based) must show clear evidence of your potential to succeed at degree level before we will initiate the ‘unqualified’ procedures.