[Dreamester]

Hello!

I'm international student and I applied this year to several universities to read Mechanical engineering. I've been rejected from Cambridge and Imperial and got conditionals from Nottingham, Southampton and Liverpool. However chosing between them isn't a main problem..

Recently I've obtained my A-Levels results and they were excellent. Thus I've started to thinking.. maybe I should apply next year ? My grades:

A* in Maths
A* in Physics

A*/A in further Maths (A 280/300 in As Further Maths) - predicted A* definitely.

Hence I feel like with those results I'm more than able to get into Oxbridge or Imperial.

On the other side, I'll have to take my gap year this year and I wasn't expecting this. It means that I have no job and may spending whole year doing nothing.

Is it worth after all? One year is a long period, many things may happen..

Really appreciate your help, suggestions, anything cause I'm really torn apart.

Yours,
Pawel

[Aspiringlawstudent]

What about things apart from academics?

It is perhaps naive to be confident of getting into such institutions based solely upon your grades, which - honestly - are pretty bread-and-butter for places like that.

[SecretDuck]

If you really want to go to Oxbridge or imperial, go to any of your three unis, work hard to get a first and apply for a masters degree there.

But grades aren't the only thing which admission tutors look for. Maybe on your gap year, you can get some work experience and that would definitely strengthen your application.

[Dreamester]

Masters degree means MEng? I mean I got offer to read MEng Mechanical Engineering (4 years) and that includes masters degree right?

Working in a service station would be a good work experience?

SecretDuck, so there is a chance to do BEng at Nottingham and then MEng at Oxbridge with the same loan? I mean I have no 9000 pounds to spend.

[magdaplaysbass]

I think it depends on what you're going to do in your gap year. If you do something worthwhile like a year in industry, it will defnitely help your application for oxford or imperial. But if you're not planning to do anything, then you might as well just go to uni this year

[SilverbySkyline]

(Original post by Dreamester)
Masters degree means MEng? I mean I got offer to read MEng Mechanical Engineering (4 years) and that includes masters degree right?

Working in a service station would be a good work experience?

SecretDuck, so there is a chance to do BEng at Nottingham and then MEng at Oxbridge with the same loan? I mean I have no 9000 pounds to spend.

No. As far as I'm aware an Meng is the continious degree (which I have). If you do Beng somewhere then do your masters elsewhere it becomes an Msc (I think). At least that's how it worked at my university in Scotland. Also (in Scotland) you are entitled to a certain number of years of loan so if it's the same length of time, regardless if it's two seperate uni's, then yes, you should get your loan.

If by service station you mean like a petrol garage at the side of the road or whatever, then probably not. He means relevant work experience, like for an engineering company such as BP, SHELL, Wood Group (or any number of smaller ones!).

[dotty_but_good]

(Original post by Dreamester)
Masters degree means MEng? I mean I got offer to read MEng Mechanical Engineering (4 years) and that includes masters degree right?

Working in a service station would be a good work experience?

SecretDuck, so there is a chance to do BEng at Nottingham and then MEng at Oxbridge with the same loan? I mean I have no 9000 pounds to spend.

My understanding is that a masters at a different university is considered a different thing and not only do you not get to continue your existing loan, you won't get a loan at all because currently to government doesn't have any money in order to offer loans to Masters' students however it is looking at the possibility of doing so.

[Dreamester]

Hey guys, I've tought that (cause I'm self-taught) maybe learning a language (Spanish, Deutch) and programming (C++,JAVA) would be a nice gap year work experience? I already know that it is nearly impossible to find relevant work experience right now cause all gap years scheme's deadlines has gone long time ago.

Appreciate your help!

[helen-a-ravenclaw]

I was in a similiar position to you in August of last year.

I really wanted to go to Nottingham Uni to do an Engineering degree, and missed out about only a couple of marks (very annoying!) and I didn't want to go to the lesser Univesity that was my insurance.

Instead, what I do was apply through the 'Year In Industry Scheme' found here: http://www.etrust.org.uk/year_in_industry.cfm

If you're thinking of taking a year out and want to get some experience I would definetly recommend having a look at the YINI scheme.

They offer year long placements for both pre and during university students, and it's something I'll value for the rest of my life. It gives you a leg up on other students when you start at Uni. You've got a years work experience under you belt for future employers, and you grow up a lot in that year! You get a salary (albeit close to minimum wage) but it's enough to live off of and save some money for uni.

If you really are set on going to Cambridge or Imperial, take a year to do a work experience placement, re-write your personal statement to include this and apply again. They won't be put off by you being determined to go there and the YINI will show you are enthusiastic and don't give up at the first hurdle.

I applied through the YINI scheme in late August and had a placement in October, so if you apply know you should be fine in getting a placement!

I hope this helps!

[SJS101]

(Original post by Dreamester)
Hello!

I'm international student and I applied this year to several universities to read Mechanical engineering. I've been rejected from Cambridge and Imperial and got conditionals from Nottingham, Southampton and Liverpool. However chosing between them isn't a main problem..

Recently I've obtained my A-Levels results and they were excellent. Thus I've started to thinking.. maybe I should apply next year ? My grades:

A* in Maths
A* in Physics

A*/A in further Maths (A 280/300 in As Further Maths) - predicted A* definitely.

Hence I feel like with those results I'm more than able to get into Oxbridge or Imperial.

On the other side, I'll have to take my gap year this year and I wasn't expecting this. It means that I have no job and may spending whole year doing nothing.

Is it worth after all? One year is a long period, many things may happen..

Really appreciate your help, suggestions, anything cause I'm really torn apart.

Yours,
Pawel

Hi mate,

I am applying for Uni this year and was in the same mind frame as you.

Got rejected by Cambridge (for engineering - wanna specify in aero)
without an interview and was devestated.

However what i have realised after speaking to so many people is that it does not matter if you dont get into Oxbridge and in your case Imperial. It is not the end of the world!
You just have to make sure you go to a university with really good links so therefore you can get a job straight after!


I am predicted A*A*A*Aa and firmed Southampton about a week ago.


If i was you I would go to Southampton or Nottingham. Both amazing Uni's.

[Dreamester]

(Original post by helen-a-ravenclaw)
I was in a similiar position to you in August of last year.

I really wanted to go to Nottingham Uni to do an Engineering degree, and missed out about only a couple of marks (very annoying!) and I didn't want to go to the lesser Univesity that was my insurance.

Instead, what I do was apply through the 'Year In Industry Scheme' found here: http://www.etrust.org.uk/year_in_industry.cfm

If you're thinking of taking a year out and want to get some experience I would definetly recommend having a look at the YINI scheme.

They offer year long placements for both pre and during university students, and it's something I'll value for the rest of my life. It gives you a leg up on other students when you start at Uni. You've got a years work experience under you belt for future employers, and you grow up a lot in that year! You get a salary (albeit close to minimum wage) but it's enough to live off of and save some money for uni.

If you really are set on going to Cambridge or Imperial, take a year to do a work experience placement, re-write your personal statement to include this and apply again. They won't be put off by you being determined to go there and the YINI will show you are enthusiastic and don't give up at the first hurdle.

I applied through the YINI scheme in late August and had a placement in October, so if you apply know you should be fine in getting a placement!

I hope this helps!

Firstly, thanks for your responses.

I would apply through that site, it's only 25 pounds and maybe I'll be lucky

However, If I wouldn't get a placement, learning Java or C++ together with foregein language will be considered as valuable ?

[helen-a-ravenclaw]

(Original post by Dreamester)
Firstly, thanks for your responses.

I would apply through that site, it's only 25 pounds and maybe I'll be lucky

However, If I wouldn't get a placement, learning Java or C++ together with foregein language will be considered as valuable ?

No problem!

It's not really about being lucky, YINI aim to place everyone who applies and with your grades and aspirations to go to Cambridge or Imperial you'll have no problem at all getting a placement.

You seem to be a bit stuck on this Java, C++ and foreign language thing. If you want to go into Engineering, it's vital that you get Engineering related work experience.

Someone who wanted to be a vet, wouldn't get work experience in a bank. They would go for work experience in a veterinary clinic, or animal shelter etc. Do you see what I mean?

Also, the YINI is an accredited scheme that companies and universities will all recognise. Simply taking a year out to learn a lanuage and teach yourself coding isn't something solid.

By all means though, if you decide to do a YINI placement, you can always learn a language or coding at weekends and in the evenings.

But in short, I wouldn't advise spending a year out leaning a language and coding. It won't impress people as much as a YINI placement.

[Dreamester]

I will definitely apply to YINI placement, the thing is that I am worried that there would not be a placement for me.. I mean I will gladly accept
everything paid above 12k annually. We will see after I will complete aplication (propably Monday)

Many many thanks!
I owe you guys!

[helen-a-ravenclaw]

(Original post by Dreamester)
I will definitely apply to YINI placement, the thing is that I am worried that there would not be a placement for me.. I mean I will gladly accept
everything paid above 12k annually. We will see after I will complete aplication (propably Monday)

Many many thanks!
I owe you guys!

Not a problem!

Glad I could help

[thehaberprocess]

(Original post by helen-a-ravenclaw)
I was in a similiar position to you in August of last year.

I really wanted to go to Nottingham Uni to do an Engineering degree, and missed out about only a couple of marks (very annoying!) and I didn't want to go to the lesser Univesity that was my insurance.

Instead, what I do was apply through the 'Year In Industry Scheme' found here: http://www.etrust.org.uk/year_in_industry.cfm

If you're thinking of taking a year out and want to get some experience I would definetly recommend having a look at the YINI scheme.

They offer year long placements for both pre and during university students, and it's something I'll value for the rest of my life. It gives you a leg up on other students when you start at Uni. You've got a years work experience under you belt for future employers, and you grow up a lot in that year! You get a salary (albeit close to minimum wage) but it's enough to live off of and save some money for uni.

If you really are set on going to Cambridge or Imperial, take a year to do a work experience placement, re-write your personal statement to include this and apply again. They won't be put off by you being determined to go there and the YINI will show you are enthusiastic and don't give up at the first hurdle.

I applied through the YINI scheme in late August and had a placement in October, so if you apply know you should be fine in getting a placement!

I hope this helps!

Sorry to dig up a thread that's gathering dust but I wanted to ask about your placement with YINI. They mentioned that they wouldn't be able to guarantee a placement so I was wondering, how many interviews did you have with prospective employers? Also, what was the experience like?

[helen-a-ravenclaw]

(Original post by thehaberprocess)
Sorry to dig up a thread that's gathering dust but I wanted to ask about your placement with YINI. They mentioned that they wouldn't be able to guarantee a placement so I was wondering, how many interviews did you have with prospective employers? Also, what was the experience like?

Not a problem! I also like to give people more info on the YINI scheme, as I had practically no support from my school and had to sort it out all myself.

I initially had two interviews set up, but after the first interview I got a call later that day saying the company were offering me the place and I accepted it. So naturally the second interview was cancelled.

With them not being able to guarantee you a place, that is usually just a precaution incase someone doesn't get offered a job. Most of the time, if you're serious about getting a year placement, and have a good C.V you won't have any trouble getting an offer from a company.

The experience? Do you mean getting the placement in the first place?

[thehaberprocess]

(Original post by helen-a-ravenclaw)
Not a problem! I also like to give people more info on the YINI scheme, as I had practically no support from my school and had to sort it out all myself.

I initially had two interviews set up, but after the first interview I got a call later that day saying the company were offering me the place and I accepted it. So naturally the second interview was cancelled.

With them not being able to guarantee you a place, that is usually just a precaution incase someone doesn't get offered a job. Most of the time, if you're serious about getting a year placement, and have a good C.V you won't have any trouble getting an offer from a company.

The experience? Do you mean getting the placement in the first place?

Woah that was pretty quick! I imagined that it would be 15 interviews before securing a placement Oh yes, and what did your actual placement entail and for how long? The issue for me is, I'm applying for a chemistry related placement and labs etc are usually based outside of London, which makes life a little difficult. I have no intentions of moving out for a year whilst applying for university (post-alevel).

[helen-a-ravenclaw]

(Original post by thehaberprocess)
Woah that was pretty quick! I imagined that it would be 15 interviews before securing a placement Oh yes, and what did your actual placement entail and for how long? The issue for me is, I'm applying for a chemistry related placement and labs etc are usually based outside of London, which makes life a little difficult. I have no intentions of moving out for a year whilst applying for university (post-alevel).

Well, I guess it depends on the company and the person how quick you get an offer!

I'm still on my placement at the moment, I finish end of August, going into uni end of September. The placement (from my experience and speaking to other YINI students) usually involve less complicated projects, shadowing a 'mentor', doing some practical work in the company, being given your own projects to work on completely, etc. It all depends on the type of company you get a placement with.

Ah well, you can specify which areas of England you want to work in, but I put anywhere, as I wanted to move out of the house for my own independence.