The Student Room Group

applying as a mature student: what are the chances of an offer?

...
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by purple_clouds
Hello,

I am currently 21 years old and am thinking of applying to uni for a Law course as a mature student this year. I took A levels back in 2013 and achieved A*BB and got into a russell group university for Law. I then took a gap year and started my studies at university.Unfortunately I had some health issues and had to suspend my studies that year in second term. Now i have decided it is best for me to change universities and was wondering whether i would need to either:

a. start an access to higher education course as my a level qualifications might be considered as old
b. resit my B grades at a level

The universities I am looking at are KCL, LSE, UCL, Queen Mary, Warwick and others.

Thank you


I think your best bet is to contact the universities about their resit policies in your situation as i m unsure that you would be able to get an access course funded having already had passes at level 3.
Original post by claireestelle
I think your best bet is to contact the universities about their resit policies in your situation as i m unsure that you would be able to get an access course funded having already had passes at level 3.


....
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by purple_clouds
Hello,

I am currently 21 years old and am thinking of applying to uni for a Law course as a mature student this year. I took A levels back in 2013 and achieved A*BB and got into a russell group university for Law. I then took a gap year and started my studies at university.Unfortunately I had some health issues and had to suspend my studies that year in second term. Now i have decided it is best for me to change universities and was wondering whether i would need to either:

a. start an access to higher education course as my a level qualifications might be considered as old
b. resit my B grades at a level

The universities I am looking at are KCL, LSE, UCL, Queen Mary, Warwick and others.

Thank you
You won't qualify for an Access Course, as you have A levels - they certainly haven't reached their 'sell by' date :smile:. Once you have a qualification at that level, you have it. If you decided in another two or three years' time to apply, you might need to show evidence of recent study, but it wouldn't have to be an A level.

You need to check with the unis concerned what their policy would be on resits. A*BB might not be enough for some of the unis you have mentioned above, so you would be well-advised to consider unis with grade requirements nearer what you have as well as what you might hope to get following a resit.
(edited 7 years ago)
I'm 21, resat TWICE, bad GCSE's and everywhere I applied accepted me.
*Shrug*
Reply 5
I returned as a mature student at 40 years old, 20 years after dropping out of uni during my placement year and 23 years post passing my ALevel qualifications. I was accepted onto my BSc course. I don't think your completed qualifications have an expiry date.

Plus, if you have been doing any paid or voluntary roles relevant in general or directly to the career you plan to pursue, you are regarded even more favourably than the standard applications.
Original post by Minerva
You won't qualify for an Access Course, as you have A levels - they certainly haven't reached their 'sell by' date :smile:. Once you have a qualification at that level, you have it. If you decided in another two or three years' time to apply, you might need to show evidence of recent study, but it wouldn't have to be an A level.


Are you sure? As far as I know, anyone can do an Access course, even people who already have A levels. Perhaps some colleges don't like it, but I don't think it's an absolute rule. My local college certainly doesn't care if you've already done A levels as long as you've had at least a one year break from education.
Reply 7
Original post by Snufkin
Are you sure? As far as I know, anyone can do an Access course, even people who already have A levels. Perhaps some colleges don't like it, but I don't think it's an absolute rule. My local college certainly doesn't care if you've already done A levels as long as you've had at least a one year break from education.


I think what the pp is saying is that you won't be eligible for funding for the Access course. Of course you can do it several times and fund it yourself, but the funding element isn't available to anyone with a qualification at that level or higher.
The Access course imo would be pointless. You are only 21 and the A levels are still fresh. I cant see you being any different.
I dont see any other advantages in your application. Maybe consider doing an EPQ plus you should also have the factors which caused you to drop out originally, under control.
Reply 9
Original post by Snufkin
Are you sure? As far as I know, anyone can do an Access course, even people who already have A levels. Perhaps some colleges don't like it, but I don't think it's an absolute rule. My local college certainly doesn't care if you've already done A levels as long as you've had at least a one year break from education.
As CCC75 says, the point is that the OP won't get funding. It is also true that the unis the OP has in mind won't take much interest in an Access course done by someone who has already done A levels. So there would be little point in spending the time or the money doing the Access course - additional A levels would be more useful.

Original post by CCC75
I think what the pp is saying is that you won't be eligible for funding for the Access course. Of course you can do it several times and fund it yourself, but the funding element isn't available to anyone with a qualification at that level or higher.
Correct :smile:

Original post by 999tigger
The Access course imo would be pointless. You are only 21 and the A levels are still fresh. I cant see you being any different.
I dont see any other advantages in your application. Maybe consider doing an EPQ plus you should also have the factors which caused you to drop out originally, under control.
Good advice.

@purple clouds
You should ask the unis you have in mind whether, rather than resits (which would be really tough to do this long after your original sitting, let alone independently) it would add more value to your application to do another A level, and if so what subjects. You would still have to fund it but it will cost you a lot of less.
Original post by CCC75
I think what the pp is saying is that you won't be eligible for funding for the Access course. Of course you can do it several times and fund it yourself, but the funding element isn't available to anyone with a qualification at that level or higher.


Original post by Minerva
As CCC75 says, the point is that the OP won't get funding. It is also true that the unis the OP has in mind won't take much interest in an Access course done by someone who has already done A levels. So there would be little point in spending the time or the money doing the Access course - additional A levels would be more useful.


Until recently anyone between the ages of 19 and 24 would have had to pay for an Access course themselves even if they hadn't done A levels. The 24+ loan is being replaced with a new Advanced Learner Loan which will be available to anyone 19 and over. You can take out this loan even if you have another level 3 qualification.
I received the 24+ loan for an Access course, despite having 3 A levels already. However, I agree that the OP probably won't need to do one as their A levels are still quite recent.
Original post by Snufkin
Until recently anyone between the ages of 19 and 24 would have had to pay for an Access course themselves even if they hadn't done A levels. The 24+ loan is being replaced with a new Advanced Learner Loan which will be available to anyone 19 and over. You can take out this loan even if you have another level 3 qualification.
But it would only be sensible/worth doing if you were planning a complete change of direction, which the OP isn't.

Original post by Schadenfreude65
I received the 24+ loan for an Access course, despite having 3 A levels already. However, I agree that the OP probably won't need to do one as their A levels are still quite recent.
Exactly.
Original post by Minerva
But it would only be sensible/worth doing if you were planning a complete change of direction, which the OP isn't.


I'm not saying the OP should do an Access course, just that they can do one if they want to.
Reply 14
Original post by Schadenfreude65
I received the 24+ loan for an Access course, despite having 3 A levels already. However, I agree that the OP probably won't need to do one as their A levels are still quite recent.


Is the access course harder/easier than A levels?
Original post by jennyhp
Is the access course harder/easier than A levels?

It's hard to say because my A levels were in humanities subjects and my Access course was in engineering. In one respect, Access is harder because it is more intense: you have one year full time, in which you cover more than half the material covered at A level. However, there are usually fewer exams in Access, and those that I did take covered only one or two modules at a time, so in that respect, it was easier.

Sorry that I can't give you a more definitive answer. I guess it depends on how you perform in exams versus how good you are at motivating yourself to meet tight and overlapping deadlines.

Quick Reply