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Rejected for Social Work with HE access course

I applied for Nottingham Uni thru UCAS 16/11/2011. I am doing an HE Access to Social Work course. I have a strong personal statement, work experience and am a foster carer. I had a great academic ref, have got all distinctions so far in my coursework. I have just got a rejection via UCAS from Nottingham Uni. I Can't understand it I thought I would a least get an interview. Any ideas? Could it be I am too old (50) I am in shock!!
(edited 12 years ago)

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Reply 1
Update to my post
Just got an interview for Trent. Maybe Nottingham doesn't like access students?
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Reply 2
or maybe you just werent good enough?
Original post by stevestudent

Original post by stevestudent
I applied for Nottingham Uni thru UCAS 16/11/2011. I am doing an HE Access to Social Work course. I have a strong personal statement, work experience and am a foster carer. I had a great academic ref, have got all distinctions so far in my coursework. I have just got a rejection via UCAS from Nottingham Uni. I Can't understand it I thought I would a least get an interview. Any ideas? Could it be I am too old (50) I am in shock!!


I don't think it is anything to do with your age to be honest, and according to their website they're happy to accept student with the Access qualification. The University of Nottingham is one of the best Universities in the UK, with an international reputation. Because of this they tend to receive many more applications for a limited number of places.

You can email the University and request feedback if you want.
I got in to do Politics with an access course in social sciences.

Maybe I ruined it for everybody...
Reply 5
Further update, talked to my tutor who said phone and ask them as I was "one of the strongest candidates he ever had" :biggrin:nice huh. So i phoned Notts uni who said I had been rejected at the admin stage as I did not have a GSCE in maths.:mad: Now according to my college Notts uni said originally ,to them, all they required was the HE access dip in social work.:confused: Luckily I said I had an HND in computer studies which I got like 100 years ago and Notts said they would accept that as equiv for the GCSE in Maths. So I am back in the running and my application is now being forwarded to the Faculty of Sociology:smile::smile::smile:. My tutor is spitting blood as he now has a group of HE social work students who may get rejected even though they are working towards the requirements that Notts advised in the first place.

Hopefully my tutor will talk to the faculty of sociology and get it sorted out for the others in my group.

So with a bit of luck and an interview I may see you all at Nottingham University next year.

So maybe I am good enough ACTUALLY!!!
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 6
I wonder who could have negged me.......

I never questioned if you were good enough, i was just pointing out saying the uni doesnt like access courses is a pathetic way of covering for you own deficiencies (no maths GCSE..... someone worked hard.)
Reply 7
Two things really to comment on now. Firstly I heard the Sheffield Hallam did not like HE Access courses (according to the nurses, that was). So I got the impression maybe some Uni's did not like them, maybe I was wrong. Secondly when I was at school GCSE's did not exist. I do have O 'levels and Scottish Highers in Maths etc. I told my tutor I had lost the certs. He said not to put them down as HE Access was all I needed and I may have a problem if I could not produce the certs. Funnily enough I have the HND cert, which is acceptable anyway. So initially I did not think I was rejected due to the Maths/Eng thing, I was suprised at the rejection so quickly. esp now that my tutor says I am a very strong candidate. (Now have 3 interviews at other Uni's lined up)

So I suppose the real problem must be the contradiction in what Notts told my college was the criteria was for this year and the policy adopted by the initial vetting done before my application got to the Faculty. Perhaps they should be making the excuse.

If anyone would like a full list of my qualifications they can PM me if they want instead of snipeing on this forum.:mad:
Reply 8
The talk of certain unis not liking the Access course is complete b*llocks to be honest. I was told by someone that University of Manchester didn't like them...which is why they run loads of open days and events specifically just for the Access course. As for Nottingham...they seem pretty keen towards me for Geography and I'm doing an Access course.
Reply 9
Original post by scbond
The talk of certain unis not liking the Access course is complete b*llocks to be honest. I was told by someone that University of Manchester didn't like them...which is why they run loads of open days and events specifically just for the Access course. As for Nottingham...they seem pretty keen towards me for Geography and I'm doing an Access course.


Yes that seems to be the case. I have got lots of interviews set up now. So all seems to be resolved, I now see that I was mis informed by Nottingham via my Tutor. I am hoping I now get interviews at all my choices. Still would prefer Nottingham though, let's see if i get an offer. Thanks for everyones input:smile:
Original post by alex5455
I wonder who could have negged me.......

I never questioned if you were good enough, i was just pointing out saying the uni doesnt like access courses is a pathetic way of covering for you own deficiencies (no maths GCSE..... someone worked hard.)


Whining about being negged isn't cool....
Reply 11
Original post by cunningstunt87
Whining about being negged isn't cool....


not whining, merely observing, not my problem the op is oversensitive
Reply 12
Whine, whinge, the boring dickspash doesn't know when to shut up. I don't know how you can neg a zero anyway.
Go away and give us all peace. by the way you now have 3 negs
Reply 13
I just 'negged' alex5400 as well. I thought this forum was about support. There is always someone who just likes to try and wind people up with negative, provocative comments. Forums like this are full of
saddos looking for a fight. Go get a life instead of whining about getting 'negged'.
Reply 14
Original post by stevestudent
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If you don't mind me asking what other universities are you also applying to?

Because if I where in your position I'd aim for Nottingham university simply due to their good status and graduate employment rate, so why don't you consider sitting GCSE Maths? It's relatively easy these days and with the amount of resources available online you can very easily ace it with maybe a few weeks work.
Reply 15
Original post by roblu1
I just 'negged' alex5400 as well. I thought this forum was about support. There is always someone who just likes to try and wind people up with negative, provocative comments. Forums like this are full of
saddos looking for a fight. Go get a life instead of whining about getting 'negged'.


not trying to wind him up at all, he posts complaining he wasnt offered a place, of course it was nothing to do with him the uni MUST hate access students, i merely pointed out that there was every chance he wasnt a good enough candidate
Original post by roblu1
I just 'negged' alex5400 as well. I thought this forum was about support. There is always someone who just likes to try and wind people up with negative, provocative comments. Forums like this are full of
saddos looking for a fight. Go get a life instead of whining about getting 'negged'.


Did you sign up to this site just to neg him, and then tell him you negged him? :biggrin:


Original post by stevestudent
dickspash


I might use this in the pub tomorrow
Original post by kidoo
If you don't mind me asking what other universities are you also applying to?

Because if I where in your position I'd aim for Nottingham university simply due to their good status and graduate employment rate, so why don't you consider sitting GCSE Maths? It's relatively easy these days and with the amount of resources available online you can very easily ace it with maybe a few weeks work.


Stevestudent, it's worth mentioning that Kidoo's point above isn't entirely true with regards to social work. Although Nottingham is undoubtedly a very good university, most employers probably won't be over-impressed that you went there; they will be looking at whether you're qualified and registered with the GSCC, and what your pre-course and placement experience is like. As an illustration, the NQSWs who I know within the borough I work for come from Brunel, Royal Holloway, LSBU, Salford, or were recruited from Indian universities. This is a pretty broad spectrum of universities, but their graduates were equally as employable. Obviously, it's great to aim high and Nottingham would make a good first choice, but it's not the be-all and end-all if you can't get a place there.

Good luck with your application regardless!
Reply 18
Original post by jellybeanjen
Stevestudent, it's worth mentioning that Kidoo's point above isn't entirely true with regards to social work. Although Nottingham is undoubtedly a very good university, most employers probably won't be over-impressed that you went there; they will be looking at whether you're qualified and registered with the GSCC, and what your pre-course and placement experience is like. As an illustration, the NQSWs who I know within the borough I work for come from Brunel, Royal Holloway, LSBU, Salford, or were recruited from Indian universities. This is a pretty broad spectrum of universities, but their graduates were equally as employable. Obviously, it's great to aim high and Nottingham would make a good first choice, but it's not the be-all and end-all if you can't get a place there.

Good luck with your application regardless!


Fair point but, you've got to remember a degree stays with you for life not for 1 or 2 jobs - If the OP can aim high(er) then why shouldn't he, wouldn't do him any harm.
Original post by kidoo
Fair point but, you've got to remember a degree stays with you for life not for 1 or 2 jobs - If the OP can aim high(er) then why shouldn't he, wouldn't do him any harm.


Steve's 50. He's more than welcome to correct me on this, but I suspect a career move into social work is one of the last major job changes he'll make, aside from moving into maybe a senior/managerial position or changing departments. Most social work students are more like student medics, nurses or teachers than students of the social sciences - once qualified, they intend to stay in that field for most of their career and will have similar employers throughout this time (mostly local authorities) and these employers honestly won't judge where you got your degree from, just as they wouldn't distinguish between someone who qualified off a BA/BSc or off a MA/MSc. After even a couple of years in social work, your experience in the field becomes way more relevant than where you studied.

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