The Student Room Group

is maths a competitive degree?

is it mostly based on grades?
should you have work experience?
Are extra curricular activities taken into account as well?
Reply 1
If you're talking about getting in, I would say it is pretty close to 100% based on grades.
Original post by mik1a
If you're talking about getting in, I would say it is pretty close to 100% based on grades.
Are you doing a Maths degree?
Reply 3
Original post by Dynamic_Vicz
Are you doing a Maths degree?


I have done one.
Reply 4
Original post by mik1a
If you're talking about getting in, I would say it is pretty close to 100% based on grades.


i have achieved straight As throughout high school. As i live in Scotland I am sitting Advanced Higher maths and history and crash higher italian and modern studies. I am hoping to study maths and economics.
Do you think I would be able to get a place at the top scottish universities if I have an average PS(edinburgh, st andrews, glasgow)?
I wouldn't call it "competitive" personally.

It's difficult to get in to the very good universities, but I don't think that's because there are a ridiculous number of applicants per place and you're having to compete with so many people to get in. It's because the type of person who applies for maths at such a university tends to be extremely good at it, even if there aren't that many such people.

So the entry requirements are high, and they give offers of A*AA or A*A*A, sometimes including STEP papers as well, which are difficult to get in the first place regardless of the competition.*
Original post by lucy713
i have achieved straight As throughout high school. As i live in Scotland I am sitting Advanced Higher maths and history and crash higher italian and modern studies. I am hoping to study maths and economics.
Do you think I would be able to get a place at the top scottish universities if I have an average PS(edinburgh, st andrews, glasgow)?


If you achieved 5 A's in your highers I would say you'd get an unconditional for at least one of them if not all. A good personal statement is just a bonus it's the grades that are essential.

PS: Maths and economics joint honours at St Andrews is 3A's and a B so you'll most likely get an unconditional even if your personal statement isn't strong.


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It's only competitive at the very top, anyone with decent grades can get into at least one of the lower ranked Russell Group unis. Postgrad, however, is a whole different ball game.
5 A's at higher, you'll most likely get unconditionals from everywhere in Scotland.

I got them to St Adnrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Heriot-Watt (I only picked 4 unis) with an average PS (talked about some articles and books that inspired me and had a paragraph on extra-curriculars, nothing amazing!).

For second year entry some of them want AA and others wanted AAA at Advanced Higher but I did first year entry with AAB in Maths, Physcis and French. I wouldn't advise direct entry as, if you're scottish, it isn't much more loan and the extra year is really helpful. Still the option will be open to you if you get good advanced highers.
Original post by monkyvirus
5 A's at higher, you'll most likely get unconditionals from everywhere in Scotland.

I got them to St Adnrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Heriot-Watt (I only picked 4 unis) with an average PS (talked about some articles and books that inspired me and had a paragraph on extra-curriculars, nothing amazing!).

For second year entry some of them want AA and others wanted AAA at Advanced Higher but I did first year entry with AAB in Maths, Physcis and French. I wouldn't advise direct entry as, if you're scottish, it isn't much more loan and the extra year is really helpful. Still the option will be open to you if you get good advanced highers.


I don't see why anyone would want to go into second year entry, you want to go to uni and settle into it not go and immediately make it more stressful and difficult because you advanced a year. My teacher agreed with me when I said this.


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Reply 10
Original post by #ChaosKass
It's only competitive at the very top, anyone with decent grades can get into at least one of the lower ranked Russell Group unis. Postgrad, however, is a whole different ball game.


what would you say is the lower ranker Russell group. would Newcastle, Liverpool, or Manchester be one of them- because I wanted to apply for them.
what grades would the average okay university accept would you say like BBC or ABB or something like that.
Original post by mnak
what would you say is the lower ranker Russell group. would Newcastle, Liverpool, or Manchester be one of them- because I wanted to apply for them.
what grades would the average okay university accept would you say like BBC or ABB or something like that.


The lower ranked RGs are Cardiff, Queen Mary, Queen's Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield, KCL, Newcastle and Liverpool.

So out of the three you like, Newcastle and Liverpool aren't that highly ranked, with Manchester mid-tier.

You should only bother applying to unis that ask for ABB or higher - anyone who can't get at least an A at A-Level maths isn't cut out for a maths degree.
Reply 12
Original post by #ChaosKass
The lower ranked RGs are Cardiff, Queen Mary, Queen's Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield, KCL, Newcastle and Liverpool.

So out of the three you like, Newcastle and Liverpool aren't that highly ranked, with Manchester mid-tier.

You should only bother applying to unis that ask for ABB or higher - anyone who can't get at least an A at A-Level maths isn't cut out for a maths degree.


thanks. this helped
Reply 13
My predicted grades are AAA and Surrey and Leicester require ABB. Would I be able to get an offer do you think?

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