[sakha1]

This is such a helpful thread - thank you all who've posted. Makes me not want to crawl up and die in a corner.
I'd like to know what you guys think my chances are of successfully resitting and getting a med offer this time round would be.
I was rejecting from all 4 of my uni's without interview in the 2010 UCAS cycle.

My GCSE's are 8A*s and 3 and 1/2 As. But my A-level results turned out to be absolutely atrocious. BCCbb (geography, biology, chemistry, maths, critical thinking respectively). i don't have any extenuating circumstances other than i was ill in one of chem exams, my school knew about it but i didn't submit a doctors letter to the exam board because it cos 30 quid (and i'm piss poor, lol). But i wish i had now

I have plenty of work experience and i know if i resat some modules i can push my grades up to AAA, i just need someone to believe in me. I've done lots of volunteering with St John Ambulance and with my local hospital and i was deputy head girl. I think i took on too much and sort crashed and burned.

What do you think guys? Is all hope lost?
I was thinking about applying to BSMS and the foundation courses at UEA and Soton and then 2 non-medical (maybe paramedic science).

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Ulo]

(Original post by ImWithTheBand)
How was the rest of your application, UKCAT etc? You clearly have excellent GCSEs if you got into Brum. You can apply to AAB universities if your remark bumps you up to AAB, without the need to resit.

Pretty standard really; 10A*and 2As, 700 UKCAT, lots of work experience and volunteering did some stuff in Thailand and Romania etc etc. I'm just wondering how to write my personal statement to address my flopping of the A2 year! Also bricking it about re-taking physics; I am yet to find a college willing to accept me and I was at a boarding school last year so I can't go back except to sit exams

I'm really Chem goes up and your re-marks too; but do you think it would be better to retake with AAB (hypothetically) or just apply with AAB competing with the year below and their 3A* predictions? Also, it may sound silly but I would probably resit physics anyway just because i hate it and would love to finish it with an A and feel slightly less stupid compared to chums who aced it!

[Ulo]

(Original post by vas876)
Its just more difficult, as BSMS compare all re sitters together, and those with AAB achieved are score higher than those with ABB achieved even though they both have AAA predictions.

Is your personal statement somewhere on TSR so I could have a peek at it? If you don't mind, of course.

[sakha1]

Hey guys,

Thought this may be of use to you all:

Southampton resit policy:
All qualifications must be taken at one sitting for all programmes. Applicants who have retaken one A-level and/ or one GCSE (or equivalent) will be considered as if they had achieved the appropriate grade at the first sitting. Applications retaking more than one A level or GCSE will be considered provided there were exceptional circumstances related to the first sitting. If accepted, the offer would be the same as the standard off for the appropriate programme


Peninsula resit policy:
We do consider re-sit candidates, however, when resit candidates are applying with predicted grades we usually take into consideration grades achieved at the first sitting of the A Levels. For example, this year we did not consider applicants undertaking re-sits unless they had achieved 300 points across three A Levels at the first sitting (ABC or BBB). It is anticipated that we will apply a similar restriction to resit candidates offering predicted grades this year – it has been suggested that such students will be required to have achieved ABB at the first sitting.

For 2011 entry the typical offer for applicants offering GCE A levels will be:
AAA from 3 GCE A levels, including two science subjects from Biology, Chemistry or Physics
4 subjects must be studied at AS level (with a minimum of grade C achieved)
If Biology and Chemistry are not offered at A level, they must be studied at AS level
General Studies is not included in any offer.
These grades must be either predicted or achieved at the time of application.

[conorcd]

thanks for that. it's far better to know. I spoke to some unis this week and they said to put something in the ps to explain why I was resitting. I hadn't planned to do that. I thought my referee would do it. are you putting it in your ps?

[randdom]

(Original post by ImWithTheBand)
Are BSMS pretendy resitter friendly? I've now heard from people getting into Keele, Peninsular and UEA (and Liverpool but that appears to have changed for 2011) as resit candidates but not BSMS. Which is surprising given they say they see it as a commitment to medicine.

There were a fair number of resit people in my original year, the year I intercalated into and I know that there are in my sisters year.

From what I have seen they are resit friendly.

I would definitely recommend looking into BSMS if you have the chance.

(I know this is an older post but I was looking at the thread and thought I may as well mention it )

[ImWithTheBand]

(Original post by randdom)
There were a fair number of resit people in my original year, the year I intercalated into and I know that there are in my sisters year.

From what I have seen they are resit friendly.

I would definitely recommend looking into BSMS if you have the chance.

(I know this is an older post but I was looking at the thread and thought I may as well mention it )

Ahhh. Thanks. That's encouraging. I'll look into it.

[sakha1]

(Original post by conorcd)
thanks for that. it's far better to know. I spoke to some unis this week and they said to put something in the ps to explain why I was resitting. I hadn't planned to do that. I thought my referee would do it. are you putting it in your ps?

No problem
Yes, i've also been told to explain why i am resitting in my ps. I think the best thing to do, is have a word with the person who will do your ref and ensure you are both on the same wavelength but won't duplicate anything unnecessarily.

[Aiboz]

I did e-mail BSMS and got this reply, so it might help people who got similar grades to me. Sorry if its bad news - it was for me.

"If applications are as high as last cycle, the fact our entry requirements have risen to AAA/A*AB and it does appear we will be receiving a larger number of retake candidates this year – I would advise with BBBB you will find it very difficult to reach the interview stage and so would lean towards advising you not to waste an application to BSMS next year.

I am sorry for this disappointing news."

[carcinoma]

(Original post by Aiboz)
I did e-mail BSMS and got this reply, so it might help people who got similar grades to me. Sorry if its bad news - it was for me.

"If applications are as high as last cycle, the fact our entry requirements have risen to AAA/A*AB and it does appear we will be receiving a larger number of retake candidates this year – I would advise with BBBB you will find it very difficult to reach the interview stage and so would lean towards advising you not to waste an application to BSMS next year.

I am sorry for this disappointing news."

I would agree!

[ImWithTheBand]

I got 820 Av in my UKCAT, huzzah!

[sakha1]

(Original post by Aiboz)
I did e-mail BSMS and got this reply, so it might help people who got similar grades to me. Sorry if its bad news - it was for me.

"If applications are as high as last cycle, the fact our entry requirements have risen to AAA/A*AB and it does appear we will be receiving a larger number of retake candidates this year – I would advise with BBBB you will find it very difficult to reach the interview stage and so would lean towards advising you not to waste an application to BSMS next year.

I am sorry for this disappointing news."

Disappointing But thanks, at least i won't waste an application there.

[sakha1]

(Original post by ImWithTheBand)
I got 820 Av in my UKCAT, huzzah!

Well done, matey What did you get last year?

[ImWithTheBand]

(Original post by sakha1)
Well done, matey What did you get last year?

Thanks. Last year I got something in the early 700s (will look out the slip of paper later). This year I was disciplined about UKCAT preparation and it shows how much you can influence your score.

[Aiboz]

(Original post by ImWithTheBand)
Thanks. Last year I got something in the early 700s (will look out the slip of paper later). This year I was disciplined about UKCAT preparation and it shows how much you can influence your score.

Well done on an amazing score! Do you have any genuine tips in UKCAT prepration? Thanks in advance.

[Aiboz]

Is there any chance in reapplying with grades BBBB but boosting them up to AAAB/A*AAB with a much improved UKCAT (got 615 last year)?

Thanks for any advice, in advance.

[Aiboz]

(Original post by sakha1)
No problem
Yes, i've also been told to explain why i am resitting in my ps. I think the best thing to do, is have a word with the person who will do your ref and ensure you are both on the same wavelength but won't duplicate anything unnecessarily.

hey, what do you have in mind to say? I'm not sure what to say about why I'm resitting...

[sakha1]

(Original post by Aiboz)
hey, what do you have in mind to say? I'm not sure what to say about why I'm resitting...

Tbh, i haven't a clue what i'm going to write. Although, i was ill for one of my exams it doesn't explain why i didn't meet my predicted grades for all of my exams. Honest truth is i probably didn't try my best or else i wouldn't be in this mess now, i let other things get in the way. But i can't write that.
I'm going to see what my head of 6th form says, i'll let you know what she says.

[ImWithTheBand]

(Original post by sakha1)
Tbh, i haven't a clue what i'm going to write. Although, i was ill for one of my exams it doesn't explain why i didn't meet my predicted grades for all of my exams. Honest truth is i probably didn't try my best or else i wouldn't be in this mess now, i let other things get in the way. But i can't write that.
I'm going to see what my head of 6th form says, i'll let you know what she says.

Yes, it's difficult to both sell yourself and self-flagellate on the SAME A4 sheet.

[conorcd]

I honestly thought the referee would explain it for me! not sure all unis want an explanation. I have tried contacting the 3 from my school who resat this year and all got in somewhere but no answers yet. it might be worth checking with the unis you finally choose to see if they want an explanation in the ps or if it was only where I phoned.