Extra year of school or Uni?

Right, so I live in Scotland. I'm going into S5. My parents have suggested that I just apply to St. Andrews in S5, but I haven't started the applications process or anything. My school suggest I apply to Oxbridge in S6, but I'm concerned. Should I apply in S5 and miss out on the opportunity to apply to Oxbridge or just go for St. Andrews? This is of course assuming that St. Andrews would take me straight after S5. Advice anyone?

Right, so I live in Scotland. I'm going into S5. My parents have suggested that I just apply to St. Andrews in S5, but I haven't started the applications process or anything. My school suggest I apply to Oxbridge in S6, but I'm concerned. Should I apply in S5 and miss out on the opportunity to apply to Oxbridge or just go for St. Andrews? This is of course assuming that St. Andrews would take me straight after S5. Advice anyone?

How likely do you think you are to get into Oxbridge or St Andrews?

Applying in S6 to both will work out best, in my opinion, as if St Andrews wants you you'll get an unconditional and you can still apply to non-Scottish unis for conditional offers. I don't see any advantage to just leaving in S5 unless you really dislike your school for some reason. My friend left halfway through S6 because they didn't get any conditional offers. If you're interested in Oxbridge I would apply and if you don't get in just leave S6 then (if that's what you want to do).

I finished 6th year with 4 unconditionals and I just cancelled my Cambridge application because why put yourself through that just to leave with more debt? It also meant I could do the Advanced Highers I wanted rather than "needed". If I'd done Physics, Maths and Chemistry I would have got AAA but I took French instead of Chem because I liked it and thought it was useful and got AAB.

Though they will take you after S5 so no worries from that perspective.

Those are really useful points, thank you for replying to my question. Yeah, that's another thing that's annoying me a bit. I love physics, love maths (I want to apply for maths at Uni) but I don't really love chemistry. I don't dislike it either. I'd rather take something more interesting like philosophy. Of course, if I could take 3 Advanced Highers and 1 higher then I'd be sorted!

I'm slightly younger as well and I don't really want to go to Uni at 16 when other people will be 17/18. Would this be a problem?

I feel so many people who want to take STEM courses take chemistry because it's another science and they don't actually like it that much :P

If you get AAAAB at Higher and AA at Advanced Higher (Maths A in both) then you can do direct second year entry. This means you'd graduate at the same time as you would leaving in S5 but do one less year at uni and be older in your first year.

About your age, I'm unsure... As you get older it will become less of a noticeable thing but it could make first year a little rough in terms of befriending people. I know people under-18 complained a lot in first year about being younger.

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I've heard of second year entry. Is it not more difficult to get into though? Also, befriending people has always been a bit of a problem for me so I'd rather not risk the opportunity to make good friends.

As a direct entry student at dundee (but with A levels), the befriending thing was horrible in my experience. But there is halls and societies.

I'm honestly hoping that there will be more students like me in Uni (as we are there by choice). Is it aiming high to hope for this?

You really need to sit down and think about it. Going to uni at 17 is a huge choice, especially Cambridge.

17 is the oldest I could be because we have a weird system in Scotland and I'm younger. Yeah, I just don't know right now, so I'm going to keep working hard and think about Uni after I get my highers done.