The gap year and reapplying questions thread

I applied for medicine last year and didn't get any offers, screwed up a couple of my exams which pulled the As I got in my resits to 3 Cs overall. I'm not going back to school to attend lessons, I'm just going to sit the exams in January as an external candidate. I've contacted some medical schools that have said they will consider my application as long as I'm PREDICTED 3As which I thought the school would have to do for me, therefore I applied through my school. I wouldn't mind starting from the beginning to get an unlinked account in order to apply independently so long as I could insert my own predicted grades. I'm fairly confident that I would be predicted an A in Biology and English Language but Chemistry I don't think they will predict me an A, probably a B and I can't risk it so if I can I want to insert my predicted grades myself. They wouldn't be unrealistic because the universities would be able to see that the grades I got in the individual exams which albeit a few were predominantly As. I thought I'd have to ring up UCAS to get my account changed from through school/college to independent.

So just to clarify, are you saying that if I apply independently that I can insert my own predicted grades myself?

I applied for medicine last year and didn't get any offers, screwed up a couple of my exams which pulled the As I got in my resits to 3 Cs overall. I'm not going back to school to attend lessons, I'm just going to sit the exams in January as an external candidate. I've contacted some medical schools that have said they will consider my application as long as I'm PREDICTED 3As which I thought the school would have to do for me, therefore I applied through my school. I wouldn't mind starting from the beginning to get an unlinked account in order to apply independently so long as I could insert my own predicted grades. I'm fairly confident that I would be predicted an A in Biology and English Language but Chemistry I don't think they will predict me an A, probably a B and I can't risk it so if I can I want to insert my predicted grades myself. They wouldn't be unrealistic because the universities would be able to see that the grades I got in the individual exams which albeit a few were predominantly As. I thought I'd have to ring up UCAS to get my account changed from through school/college to independent.

So just to clarify, are you saying that if I apply independently that I can insert my own predicted grades myself?

Dont see point of uni not gonna waste 3-4 years of my life doing a course which will not benefit me or has any influence on me becoming rich through business.

So are you on a gap year or not?

Y





Yep. If you are applying independently, you can enter your own predictions. But do be pragmatic though. Don't set the bar too high because you'll only fall in summer and miss your offer... if you have achieved As in the past and believe you genuinely fluked the Cs -- then by all means, go ahead. Some people discuss it with their former teachers whilst others just go solo which is sometimes a lot easier in my experience.


And ouch @ messing up your UCAS application! I didn't even know it was possible to change it. That said, if they can't change it for you... you might have to solicit your school for help wrt predictions and references. :/



I need to start my UCAS myself soon tbh. Just gotta get student finance stress and some research out of the way first. I've accumulated loads of resources, advice inspiration in the mean time for my PS so I'm quite excited in that regard!

Hi all,

Basically I've just achieved the best results I could have possibly hoped to get even throughout a year of the most significant mitigating circumstances ever.
However, BECAUSE of these mitigating circumstances, I've decided to take a gap year off.

The fee rise doesn't affect me as I'm an international student, however I WOULD like to know if I stand a chance to apply to the top unis ie Warwick, Imperial, UCL, KCL, etc etc?

I got A*A*A*A at A level - but how would I let the unis know that I'm NOT a candidate who is retaking? Will they note the date of my A level results?

And is it worth it? Do I stand a chance to get into these unis? I've currently got a place confirmed at Manchester, but I won't let go of the place if I find that it is not worth it in the end..

Thanks!

Hey! I also applied for medicine 2011 entry, got two interviews but got post-interview rejected. Just wanted to ask, did you get 3C's now at A level? Which medical schools are you applying to? because only about four accept resit candidates without extenuating circumstances; Liverpool, UEA, Peninsula and Brighton and Sussex. Also, for unis like Peninsula you need AAB in the first sitting to resit and apply there. Is that the ones you've contacted?

Sorry to be nosy, but I'm just wondering as I was also a previous medicine applicant..

Yep. If you are applying independently, you can enter your own predictions.

I think I've asked this before, but I can't remember if I got an answer... If I'm applying through UCAS on my own, what am I supposed to do about predicted grades? I really don't understand how I do it all without my school

x

Thanks, that was really helpful

Yeah, this past month has been purely dedicated to thorough research and meticulous preparation because the Medicine deadline is much closer than the general one. I forgot how much hassle the character limit for the Personal Statement it! Not to mention how much of a nightmare it is sorting things out with school! But you sound like you've got it pretty well planned , what are you applying for and where? And how come you decided to take a gap year and what are you planning to do for the year?

Did you switch to applying through a school or something? If they are doing your reference through the shool then I'm afraid they'll be doing your predictions too?

Yeah, that's what I thought was the problem.

Who have you got to do your reference then?

.

No problem! Lol @ Aston! I got an email back from Leicester, I emailed enquiring Medical Biochemistry which has the entry requirements of ABB. I got an email back and they said they may slightly increase the offer to AAB. I've only got a reply back from Newcastle for Chemistry and they do accept resits. I was so happy when I saw that for Imperial! So I emailed them yesterday for biomedical science. The course looks so good! and you get to medicine speciality in your third year. The requirements are AAA with a B in the fourth AS level. I said to them, that I'm aiming for A*A*B (B in biology), I'm not retaking my biology because the exam board is weird and I'll have to redo coursework which the college I'm an external candidate don't do. So, I'm hoping from BBB to A*A*B (A*s in Chemistry and Maths). But, I got an email back today and they said they highly recommend me retaking my Biology a level. But, I can't now. This is because you have to have an A grade in Biology. I was hoping they would accept A*AB or A*A*B in lieu of AAA.

Also, I've got an A in my fourth AS level. So that's fine. It's just stupid biology, so I don't think I can apply to Imperial now. I really wanted to go there.

Still need to email Queen Mary...

YO nahhhh not nosy at all. Sorry to hear about your rejections. Yeah, I got 3 Cs in August. I got As in all the ones I retook but my performance in the final Chemistry, Biology and English exams were abysmal. I don't know if you fo OCR for Bio and Chem but F215 and F325 were diabolical! I've emailed pretty much every medical school in the country and I'm just waiting on the final responses from some of them, Liverpool is definitely on my list though as in some sweet spell of good luck you have to have achieved 3 Cs at the first sitting in order to me considered as a resit applicant.

What about you? How did you do in summer? Are you reapplying for medicine, if so where and how is your prep coming along i.e. UKCAT, PS?