It’s important to be clear that the AFA is not as yet a fully-recognised qualification with points on the UCAS tariff. UCAS do publish an Education Information Profile (EIP) for the course, which gives plenty of detail on how it’s constructed, how it’s examined, the grading system, and other information that will be useful for Admissions Officers at British universities, but it’s not a fully-fledged UCAS-endorsed qualification. The link to the EIP for the AFA in Creative Writing can be found here:
We do encourage candidates to add the AFA to their UCAS applications, and this can be done both by adding it as an ‘additional qualification’ via the online UCAS Apply service, along with a predicted grade, and also by mentioning the programme in Personal Statements and Testimonials. Students of the AFA have gone on to study Creative Writing (and English with Creative Writing) courses at university, and many of them have commented on how they were able either to use their AFA portfolio as part of their application, or to talk about their experience of the programme at interview. We have plenty of anecdotal evidence that the AFA has helped students to gain places on competitive university courses.
“Creative Writing has been a joy. So lovely to just let creative juices flow, and especially in a world where schools are focused so much on academic and scientific subjects. It’s been therapeutic.”
- Year 13 student
“If you enjoy writing and want to produce a range of pieces while studying for A-levels, this is a must-take opportunity as it provides you with time dedicated completely to your enjoyment of writing. It is a very fulfilling experience, because you can write your own work and enjoy the writing of others.”
- Year 12 student
How our course fits in
Enhances applications for university through UCAS
Develops skills, knowledge and expertise in writing beneficial to all post-16 qualifications
Provides time, structure, and support to enable students to develop as writers
Download our guide to adding the AFA to your UCAS application
