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University Transfer FAQ




University Transfer FAQ





Hello.

I noticed that there have recently been a reasonably high volume of questions about this and, as I cannot be bothered to always make the kind of detailed replies that are appropriate, I thought it would be good to make this thread. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions for improvements and additions because obviously the better this is the more useful it will be. It was written up very rapidly by me a little earlier and is subject to considerable editing at some point.

Feel free to suggest revisions.


Why do people transfer?

People decide to transfer for all manner of reasons; some do it because the course does not match their expectations and some because of personal considerations such as family illness and the need to be closer to home. Others simply don't enjoy themselves where they are or want to "upgrade" to a university they consider to be better. Whatever the reason, many people do transfer each year and it is not as difficult or time consuming as many people assume it to be.

However, it also isn't an easy option and there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to transfer at all, let alone to the university you want to transfer to. It is important you are making the decision for the right reasons and, in many instances, taking a gap year is probably a better option if you are already considering a transfer before you have even begun your course. You should not make any plans that are dependent on you definitely being able to make X transfer because you could very well end up disappointed.

However, it should be noted that you can also apply for first year entry to other courses while at university and in that case you may well be in a stronger position than many applicants as you will have university experience, hopefully more knowledge and possibly the expectation of achieving a Certificate/Diploma of Higher Education or certainly the corresponding amount of credits.


First steps and initial correspondence

Initially, before beginning a formal application, you will want to contact the universities you are interested in applying to to ask them whether or not they will formally consider your application. This is because a variety of things may impede your progress before you even begin. Some examples include the fact that not all departments, and indeed universities, accept transfer applicants and that the course you wish to apply for may already be full up which is more likely to be the case if you are applying later in the academic year long after the standard UCAS cycle.

There are two strategies with your initial message and I suggest the latter personally because it may well save you time, gives the impression you have done some research about the process and ultimately has no negative implications that can reasonably be attributed to it.

One: Simply email asking broadly about the prospect of applying for X course. The reply, if positive, will often ask you for some if not all of the things listed below.

Two: Send an email to the admission office, possibly a department specific one, providing the following information:

- Your name and current university course
- The university you are currently studying at
- The course you are interested in transferring to
- Your academic history, specifically your A levels (or equivalent) and the grades you achieved.
- The official module names and descriptions (and codes for their easy reference) of every module you are studying that year and the grades you have achieved so far.

If time is an issue then phoning is likely to get you an answer quicker. Ask for and note the name and job title of the person you speak to and have the above information on hand.

The UCAS Application

If one or more of the universities you contact inform you that they will formally consider your application based on the information you have provided then you will need to submit a UCAS application in much the same way as you have previously. The difference being that, when you enter the course choice, you need to state that it is for entry point 2 (or 3 if that is the case) if that is the year you will be entering at.

You will still need to pay for the processing of the application and the same rules apply as for all other applicants with regards to adding choices, changing choices and how much you have to pay.

You will still receive decisions via track and will still have to accept or decline them as before with regard to what the offer is, although we cover that a little later.


What about a reference?

While some universities will accept a reference from an old school teacher, much the same as your original application, many wont and those that do will still prefer something far more recent. The guidance from university admissions staff is that the reference should be made by somebody who is an academic member of staff at the university you attend and that the more senior their position the better. You of course need to strike a balance between this and ensuring the reference is representative of your abilities and, as such, many people choose to provide a reference from a class teacher rather than a senior lecturer, for example, which may ostensibly seem the better choice.

It is possible that the member of staff will never have had to write such a reference before so you need to be prepared to offer them guidance on this if they request it (although in my experience they will request it from the university they are providing he reference to). Much the same as your original reference it should outline how you are as a student and highlight your academic strengths and why they recommend you for study on your proposed course.

Here is where having a personable demeanor and having made good impressions on staff will serve you well. You should be aware that it can take quite a long time for a reference to be provided, especially if it is being provided by somebody with a great many commitments, so it is important to get the ball rolling on this swiftly.

Your reference it should outline how you are as a student and highlight your academic strengths and why they recommend you for study on your proposed course. You should be aware that it can take quite a long time for a reference to be provided, especially if it is being provided by somebody with a great many commitments, so it is important to get the ball rolling on this swiftly.

You can help them by getting a copy of your previous UCAS reference and letting them know about any mitigating circumstances.

What about a personal statement?

You will need to provide a personal statement with your application and ultimately it has the same requirements as for other applicants. Some people do choose to include information about why they want to make the switch here although this will often be asked by admissions staff and passed on to the relevant person(s) separately.

This is your chance to show them that you have used your year well and to communicate to them that you are the kind of person they want at their university. Different people employ different strategies here with some people targeting the university specifically if they are only applying to one and talking about why the specifics of that course interest them and some simply relay their interests and motivations and treat it the same as other PSs written for the standard UCAS application. There is no right or wrong answer, but the aim remains constant - to present a case for you being worth an offer.

Adding qualifications to UCAS

You need to include all previous qualifications (GCSEs, AS and A levels usually INCLUDING resits) as well as the dates of your university study. If you've attended university long enough to pass any modules then these also need to be added to your application as qualifications.This post explains how to add your university modules/study to your application.

UCAS deadlines for transfer students

For first year entry you will normally need to apply by the standard UCAS deadlines (15 January for most courses, 15 October for Oxbridge/Medicine/Dentistry/Vet courses).

Applying be the early 15 October deadline while at university isn't recommended. You're making it clear to the universities you apply to that you started on a degree course without intending to finish it. If you want to apply for a course/university that has the early deadline then it is FAR better to take a year out of education and do something else. Oxford say "Oxford does accept applications from students who are currently studying at another university. Your full academic record would be taken in to account in your application, including your A-levels (or other equivalent qualifications) and study at university level, so we would need evidence of your performance on your university course." This would only be possible if you applied to enter into Year 1 at Oxford at the start of your Second year elsewhere. Cambridge say "Cambridge Colleges will only, as a matter of principle, consider applications from students enrolled in a degree course at other UK universities in very exceptional circumstances. Any application to study at Cambridge would need strong support from your Course Director or other academic tutor at your current university." - again only possible if you apply at the start of your second year for entry into the start of a course at Cambridge.

Outside of courses with the early deadline most universities would only expect to get applications for transfer close to the January deadline. Applying too early will give the impression that you haven't made much effort to settle in at your current university.
Universities are sympathetic to applications for first year entry after the January deadline (so even if a course is closed to late applications it is often worth getting in touch). The January deadline is not normally applicable to applications for entry into second or third year - but you should aim to apply as early as possible.

What will my offer be contingent upon?

Essentially, anything they want it to be contingent upon.

Firstly, it is often - although not always - the case that your A levels must be at least reasonably similar to those of other students on the proposed course and policy on that will vary. Of course, a slight deficiency here can possibly be mitigated by improved attainment, evidenced in this case by the grades you are achieving at university currently.

Secondly, your offer will almost always (I say almost because, although I've never seen this not be the case, It would be inappropriate for me to say it with complete certainty) be contingent on obtaining a certain grade for the stage of study you are currently at. This may range simply from needing to pass the year, to having to achieve X percentage (often a 2:1) or to having to achieve a certain result in specific modules as well as meeting other conditions such as the aforementioned.

The onus will be on you to provide proof that you meet any conditions asked of you before your offer becomes unconditional and this will include providing A level documents (they often accept scans) and proof of your university results. You should be mindful of any deadlines for proving this poof and be proactive in providing it!

Other actions you will need to take and considerations

Obvious though it may seem, you have to remember to inform student finance about the change of circumstance and, dependent on the specifics, this may involve beginning a new application for finance which, if you are applying late in the day, may mean resubmitting financial information and other documents they require. Of course you should consult them about this but it is definitely something you need to consider.

As well as all of the above it is perfectly possible that you may have a phone conversation with staff at the university you have applied to in which you are asked about the course so you should not enter into the process without having done enough research to be able to provide a cogent, convincing case for why you have made the decision should it be required of you.

Student finance implications

Obvious though it may seem, you have to remember to inform student finance about the change of circumstance and, dependent on the specifics, this may involve beginning a new application for finance which, if you are applying late in the day, may mean resubmitting financial information and other documents they require. Of course you should consult them about this but it is definitely something you need to consider.

If you apply to continue your degree elsewhere without repeating or restarting a year then your finance eligibility should not be affected.
If you apply to restart or repeat a year elsewhere then this will count as using your "gift" year of funding. Everyone gets ONE gift year so any further additional years (if you need to restart again or fail and repeat a year) wouldn't be eligible for a tuition fee loan.
Transferring from a foundation year into year 1 of a degree without a foundation year will normally also count as using up your gift year.

This means it is important that you're confident that the change of university/course is right for you. If you're unsure or in doubt then speak to your current university about suspending your studies for a year - you can suspend your studies AND hold a deferred offer to give yourself time to make the right decision.

Transferring courses within the same university

While this thread is primarily concerned with transferring to a university other than the one you attend, it is common for questions to be asked about this so I thought I should include it. University policy, indeed departmental policy, will vary but generally the following is true. There are two main times you can transfer internally without having to restart the year.

At the beginning of the year

The exact window will vary, as will the availability and ease of the option as some universities offer this as a promulgated matter of course and others simply make provision for it if a student presents a case for it. Generally, your academic attainment prior to university - A Levels etc - will be the determining factor of whether or not the switch is approved but thee may also be a discussion akin to an informal interview with somebody relevant beforehand.

At the end of the year

Most universities (perhaps all) allow this, but you usually have to meet the same module prerequisites with regards to core modules as other students. For example, if you study course X and choose elective module Y which happens to be the only core module for course Z then in most cases you will be allowed to switch. Most common is people switching from joint honors to one of the two constituent subjects alone as they always satisfy the progression prerequisites with regard to module choice.

Practice may vary massively at some universities and it is always better to call or email them and ask in advance of any binding decisions as obviously the advice your university provides is of far more use to you.
(edited 6 years ago)

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Reply 1
Hi all,

I understand that this question has been posed several times, although I feel it's somewhat unfair to hijack someone else's thread to discuss my particular circumstance in more detail. Thus, I've decided to create a thread of my own :smile:

I've just received my results from my 1st year of study at London South Bank University. I was fortunate enough to receive a 2:1, although i'm unsure as to whether or not the marks are standardised.

If this is the case, I would imagine that a 2:1 from LSBU is not as valuable as a 2:1 from another university. I was hoping that someone might be able to shed a light on this matter, as my notion of mark standardisation is just something I've plucked from nowhere. Is it common practice? Or does it even ocur?!

In any case, i'm looking to transfer universities. I really don't enjoy LSBU at all. That's not to say it's not a good uni, but it's just not good for me. I've looked at other universities in London and have come up with the following list:

Goldsmith's
King's College
London City
Queen Mary University

My intention is to transfer to an identical course at entry level 2 (Or Year 2). Is this something that is likely given my university/1st year results? Am I punching above my weight with the above list?!

Thank you in advance for any help. It's much appreciated.

:smile:
Ooo I'm intrigued, I might wanna do this too and I havnt even started uni lol

HUD this sept animation
Reply 3
Email them and ask. Include your module titles, descriptions and the marks you received for each as well as the exact course you wish to transfer to. They will advise you beyond that far more than anyone on here can.
Reply 4
Ask the unis if they accept transfer students - this is something that occurs rarely and most unis don't consider 2nd year transfers. The unis may take into account your A level grades (they did when I applied for a transfer). However, your 2.1 in year 1 is a good result and the unis will take that into account.
If I remember correctly.....you need to do your P.S again, your references etc all over again and make sure your course matches with the uni of your choice!
Reply 6
Thank you very much guys for your advise.

Much appreciated.

I welcome more if there's anyone else who might know a bit about this?

:smile:
Reply 7
Hi,
I was in a similar situation to you. I was an aerospace engineering student in QMUL, really hated it there for several reasons but i managed to get a 1st overall in my 1st year. Last year I didnt make the A level grades for an offer at UCL (BBB but offer was AAB). My original plan was to drop out and retake A-levels but meaning the 9k fee; the day i got my results from QMUL I called up many unis and most of them didn't accept transfers to 2nd year or even a restart in a new course. Luckily KCL accepted and within a day I made a brand new UCAS application and student finance as well.

KCL - G300 (BSc Computer Science) - Unconditional Decilned
KCL - F300 (BSc Physics) - Unconditional Firmed

Note that for 2011 entry both courses needed AAB offer but I didnt make that pre-requisite so they took into account the most recent set of results being my QMUL transcript. Do not be discouraged as some unis will only take your university results as it is the most recent set. I am happy that I got into Kings and now I am awaiting september to start my course and the start that I always wanted.

I hope that encourages you a bit^^
Reply 8
First thing that needs to be said is a 2:1 is a 2:1. It's as easy or hard to achieve at any university in theory, the difference is the quality of teaching, student support and how hard you get pushed differs at various universities. Perfect example was at my university in Lampeter this year we had UCL Cival Engineer Students surveying the campus from 7am to 10pm every week day for 3 weeks as part of their course, they are being pushed hard to get their double firsts I imagine whilst the lecturers at my institution are simply pushing everyone to get a 2:1 tops because they think thats a great result for them and us. This is why I wanted to leave the university, my personal tutor who is also head of Archaeology takes great pride that in their uni they have as few fails as they do in most top 20 universities. But I don't see that as something to be proud of if you create a glass ceiling, which in effect is what Trinity St David do.

What you need to do is message the admissions tutor of the university/universites that you are interested in moving to, explain your situation and see if they are willing to accept you. I did this in February a I didn't like Trinity St David, and I've got a switch to Cardiff. In general, there are 4 critera they will look at, 1. Your current performance. 2. Module similarities between institutions. 3. A Levels and 4. Whether they have any space left on the course. Obviously spaces free up with people dropping out of university but they fill up with other people wanting to swap, and theres an added problem that with so many looking to go to uni this year, they may cut the year 2 transfer intake so they don't get fined.

But theres no harm in trying, but you'll want to get at this pretty pronto! Good luck
Reply 9
In addition u should be aware that applying now may mean starting in 2012, applying now would mean clearing
Reply 10
Many universities only consider a transfer if you have a really valid personal reason, it often isn't enough for you to just say 'I am not enjoying the uni I am currently at' as they may question if you'll like it at their uni, and if you don't it could lead to you not getting the grades and bringing down their average.

I just got accepted into Southampton as a transfer. I was previously at Oxford Brookes, so I don't see why the ones you have picked would be kicking above your place.

Good luck :smile:
I think its definately possible, my friend failed his second year of chemistry at durham twice and durham threw him out. So he contacted newcastle uni and they let him go into the third year there as there requirements for module results etc were lower than at durham. So if they let transfer then i think its worth a try!
Original post by ex10117
Hi,
I was in a similar situation to you. I was an aerospace engineering student in QMUL, really hated it there for several reasons but i managed to get a 1st overall in my 1st year. Last year I didnt make the A level grades for an offer at UCL (BBB but offer was AAB). My original plan was to drop out and retake A-levels but meaning the 9k fee; the day i got my results from QMUL I called up many unis and most of them didn't accept transfers to 2nd year or even a restart in a new course. Luckily KCL accepted and within a day I made a brand new UCAS application and student finance as well.

KCL - G300 (BSc Computer Science) - Unconditional Decilned
KCL - F300 (BSc Physics) - Unconditional Firmed

Note that for 2011 entry both courses needed AAB offer but I didnt make that pre-requisite so they took into account the most recent set of results being my QMUL transcript. Do not be discouraged as some unis will only take your university results as it is the most recent set. I am happy that I got into Kings and now I am awaiting september to start my course and the start that I always wanted.

I hope that encourages you a bit^^


This is REALLY reassuring. I have an offer to study Accounting & Finance at LSE this year, needing AAB too. However, I think I'm gonna miss out by a couple of grades, also likely getting BBB or ABB at the most. I'll end up at QMUL which is my insurance, however, I want to apply for a transfer to LSE after first year. Do you think it's likely provided I get top marks in my first year?

It'd be awesome if I could pm you or something please, seeing as you've been in a nearly identical situation. Thanks!
Reply 13
Original post by ex10117
Hi,
I was in a similar situation to you. I was an aerospace engineering student in QMUL, really hated it there for several reasons but i managed to get a 1st overall in my 1st year. Last year I didnt make the A level grades for an offer at UCL (BBB but offer was AAB). My original plan was to drop out and retake A-levels but meaning the 9k fee; the day i got my results from QMUL I called up many unis and most of them didn't accept transfers to 2nd year or even a restart in a new course. Luckily KCL accepted and within a day I made a brand new UCAS application and student finance as well.

KCL - G300 (BSc Computer Science) - Unconditional Decilned
KCL - F300 (BSc Physics) - Unconditional Firmed

Note that for 2011 entry both courses needed AAB offer but I didnt make that pre-requisite so they took into account the most recent set of results being my QMUL transcript. Do not be discouraged as some unis will only take your university results as it is the most recent set. I am happy that I got into Kings and now I am awaiting september to start my course and the start that I always wanted.

I hope that encourages you a bit^^


Why would you want to start from first year again? And you're right about KCL. Computer Science subject variations and Physics subject variations are the only two (sometimes Nursing) that go into clearing so its relatively easy to secure a place there. But I don't think wasting a year is worth it.
Reply 14
Original post by babarzk
This is REALLY reassuring. I have an offer to study Accounting & Finance at LSE this year, needing AAB too. However, I think I'm gonna miss out by a couple of grades, also likely getting BBB or ABB at the most. I'll end up at QMUL which is my insurance, however, I want to apply for a transfer to LSE after first year. Do you think it's likely provided I get top marks in my first year?

It'd be awesome if I could pm you or something please, seeing as you've been in a nearly identical situation. Thanks!



I did my first year of Accounting and Finance at Oxford Brookes and have been accepted into Southampton for my second and third year. I'd recommend you try as hard as you can to get a first. I would also recommend you contact LSE, so you've had those contact points and made it clear you really want to go there. Furthermore, some A&F degrees are more mathsie then others, so I would look at the compulsory modules for both uni's and consider if QM has enough maths in it, and then maybe consider looking for another uni in clearing which has more maths.
Original post by Magic Dust
I did my first year of Accounting and Finance at Oxford Brookes and have been accepted into Southampton for my second and third year. I'd recommend you try as hard as you can to get a first. I would also recommend you contact LSE, so you've had those contact points and made it clear you really want to go there. Furthermore, some A&F degrees are more mathsie then others, so I would look at the compulsory modules for both uni's and consider if QM has enough maths in it, and then maybe consider looking for another uni in clearing which has more maths.


My degree at QMUL is actually mainly a Maths degree! Haha. It's Maths w/ Finance & Accounting, so it's half and half. Compared it to the module list for LSE, it looks pretty much identical, so I'm hoping it'll help.

Thank you for the reassurance, it's seriously making me feel so much better about messing up that last Maths module I had at A2. It's brought down my 87% average in maths to 79, just missing out on the A! :frown:

I had an offer from Southampton too actually for A&F, also AAB like LSE. Was going to make it my insurance instead of QM, but glad I didn't as it seemed a bit risky. I'd only have clearing as an option had I done so! Good on you for getting in :smile: Did you get a first in your first year I take it?
Reply 16
Original post by babarzk
My degree at QMUL is actually mainly a Maths degree! Haha. It's Maths w/ Finance & Accounting, so it's half and half. Compared it to the module list for LSE, it looks pretty much identical, so I'm hoping it'll help.

Thank you for the reassurance, it's seriously making me feel so much better about messing up that last Maths module I had at A2. It's brought down my 87% average in maths to 79, just missing out on the A! :frown:

I had an offer from Southampton too actually for A&F, also AAB like LSE. Was going to make it my insurance instead of QM, but glad I didn't as it seemed a bit risky. I'd only have clearing as an option had I done so! Good on you for getting in :smile: Did you get a first in your first year I take it?


Oh okay! That's perfect then! I just know LSE is infamous for it's love of Math with every subject.

I did not get a first... I got 80% in one module and a first in the main accounting module, but I messed up a module and ended up with 69% (wahey). But I had a really good reason for wanting to move, more than just 'I really want to come to So'ton' blah blah... It was pretty personal though so I wont go into it here.

they must have increased their offers! Mine wasn't that high last year :holmes:
Original post by Magic Dust
Oh okay! That's perfect then! I just know LSE is infamous for it's love of Math with every subject.

I did not get a first... I got 80% in one module and a first in the main accounting module, but I messed up a module and ended up with 69% (wahey). But I had a really good reason for wanting to move, more than just 'I really want to come to So'ton' blah blah... It was pretty personal though so I wont go into it here.

they must have increased their offers! Mine wasn't that high last year :holmes:


Ahh, fair enough then, I won't be intrusive! I hope the situation has improved for you though. What was your offer for So'ton? :smile:
Reply 18
Original post by babarzk
Ahh, fair enough then, I won't be intrusive! I hope the situation has improved for you though. What was your offer for So'ton? :smile:


I think it was ABB. So, not much lower :tongue: I do know that So'ton often let people in if they miss one grade only.

You know, you could get your grades, it is probably just post exam nerves!
Original post by Magic Dust
I think it was ABB. So, not much lower :tongue: I do know that So'ton often let people in if they miss one grade only.

You know, you could get your grades, it is probably just post exam nerves!


I wish it was, but I've seen the model answers for Maths C4 (the last module). I only needed about 55-60UMS in it for the A overall, but I got no more than 35 raw marks :/ Which makes about 48-50UMS with very forgiving grade boundaries. I had a really bad exam day, aha.

Might just resit that one module in January and re-apply next year if transferring's harder, not sure how to go about it yet!

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