[EuphoriaEli]

I applied to Goldsmiths, UoL.
I received an conditional offer which was:
a grade B overall with my high school diploma, plus two AP exams w/ scores of a 3+.

Since I received my offer I kept emailing and calling asking what a 'B' would be on an unweighted 4.0 gpa scale. No replies. No answered phone calls. I was going crazy, so I cooled down and stopped all the constant contact. I continue with school and such and end up with a 'B-' GPA. I turned in my 2 AP scores I had from my junior year I scored a 3 on both.

Earlier this June I receive a reply saying that I need to turn in my grades and GPA. So I do. This guy then tells me:

"Unfortunately we are unable to confirm your offer as unconditional with your current GPA for the High School Diploma as it is below our entry requirements. I would advise that we would be happy to confirm your offer as unconditional if you pass two further APs, out of the four you will complete in 2012, with a grade 3 or higher in both.

If you could provide transcripts showing the final grades obtained for your remaining APs I would be able to confirm your offer and update our records."

I didn't take the AP Micro/Macro exam I had planned to take because of a family death. I didn't take the AP Art History exam I wanted to take because it was no longer being offered in the area I live in. I only took one AP English Lit test this year.

have any advice? should I just throw in the towel?

[Tel8]

Eek! I'm so sorry to hear about your difficulties, maybe you could email explaining the situation (since not taking the last two exams wasn't necessarily by choice) and see what they say? I should think they might be willing to work with you if your GPA isn't too far off the mark from what was asked for. If Goldsmiths is where you really want to go, then keep trying. If you have other options that you know will suit you just as well, then it may not be worth the hassle to keep trying depending.

Good luck!!

[EuphoriaEli]

(Original post by Tel8)
Eek! I'm so sorry to hear about your difficulties, maybe you could email explaining the situation (since not taking the last two exams wasn't necessarily by choice) and see what they say? I should think they might be willing to work with you if your GPA isn't too far off the mark from what was asked for. If Goldsmiths is where you really want to go, then keep trying. If you have other options that you know will suit you just as well, then it may not be worth the hassle to keep trying depending.

Good luck!!

Thank you for the reply! I emailed them explaining the situation, but I still haven't received a reply. My GPA is .3 away from what was expected.

[Tel8]

(Original post by EuphoriaEli)
Thank you for the reply! I emailed them explaining the situation, but I still haven't received a reply. My GPA is .3 away from what was expected.

Fingers crossed for you! I know how stressful putting applications can be, so I really hope you get in! .3 isn't that much, and from what I've seen, the staff are quite nice and do try to work with you. Are you coming from the States then? (I am too!) I think they may be a touch more lenient with the international students because we're paying more technically (I'm a UK citizen, I just don't live there full time so they're getting FULL international fees off me grrrrr....) Do you mind me asking what major you're interested in? If it's anything like the way they do it here, then some majors will be undersubscribed and they'll be more likely to accept people than others which are more popular.

[EuphoriaEli]

(Original post by Tel8)
Fingers crossed for you! I know how stressful putting applications can be, so I really hope you get in! .3 isn't that much, and from what I've seen, the staff are quite nice and do try to work with you. Are you coming from the States then? (I am too!) I think they may be a touch more lenient with the international students because we're paying more technically (I'm a UK citizen, I just don't live there full time so they're getting FULL international fees off me grrrrr....) Do you mind me asking what major you're interested in? If it's anything like the way they do it here, then some majors will be undersubscribed and they'll be more likely to accept people than others which are more popular.

Yeah, I hoping they'll be more lenient with me because I'm an international student. I ended up getting 5 on my AP Lit exam so hopefully that will compensate not having a higher GPA. I'm coming from the great Pacific Northwest state of Washington. How about you?

I'm interested in a BA in Media & Communications, which is unfortunately very popular, but I really don't see myself studying anything else or anywhere else. My insurance was London College of Communication and I don't know if I really want to go there anymore...

[Tel8]

(Original post by EuphoriaEli)
Yeah, I hoping they'll be more lenient with me because I'm an international student. I ended up getting 5 on my AP Lit exam so hopefully that will compensate not having a higher GPA. I'm coming from the great Pacific Northwest state of Washington. How about you?

I'm interested in a BA in Media & Communications, which is unfortunately very popular, but I really don't see myself studying anything else or anywhere else. My insurance was London College of Communication and I don't know if I really want to go there anymore...

We're in the same field! (Mostly) Lol- I'm doing an MA in Journalism so we're definitely in the same department anyway. I looked at LCC as well, and while it seemed like a really good journalism programme, Goldsmiths won out in the end. It is a popular course, but I thought I read somewhere that there were still "spots left" and that this year was undersubscribed? Don't quote me or anything, but I thought I saw that somewhere. I would say that since this is the school you want, go for it. Fight hard and if you have to, write them a second statement detailing how passionately you want to go there. I would say to still go ahead and apply to LCC as well though, because you always want to have at least one definite safety net. I'm rooting for you- I think if you can convince them that you are a good candidate regardless of the number of APs, and then can give evidence to support why you don't have them, Goldsmiths should at least be willing to consider it.

[EuphoriaEli]

(Original post by Tel8)
We're in the same field! (Mostly) Lol- I'm doing an MA in Journalism so we're definitely in the same department anyway. I looked at LCC as well, and while it seemed like a really good journalism programme, Goldsmiths won out in the end. It is a popular course, but I thought I read somewhere that there were still "spots left" and that this year was undersubscribed? Don't quote me or anything, but I thought I saw that somewhere. I would say that since this is the school you want, go for it. Fight hard and if you have to, write them a second statement detailing how passionately you want to go there. I would say to still go ahead and apply to LCC as well though, because you always want to have at least one definite safety net. I'm rooting for you- I think if you can convince them that you are a good candidate regardless of the number of APs, and then can give evidence to support why you don't have them, Goldsmiths should at least be willing to consider it.

I read on the website that they are still vacancies for Media & Communications for international students. I applied through UCAS so I already applied to LCC and I'm very sure if it doesn't work with Goldsmiths I'll be heading to Elephant & Castle. I'd just prefer not to. I talked to an admissions officer and they're currently reviewing my application for the first time because they just received my transcript. Hopefully by Monday I'll get a nice email.

Depending on the news I get I just might then write a second personal statement.

[Tel8]

(Original post by EuphoriaEli)
I read on the website that they are still vacancies for Media & Communications for international students. I applied through UCAS so I already applied to LCC and I'm very sure if it doesn't work with Goldsmiths I'll be heading to Elephant & Castle. I'd just prefer not to. I talked to an admissions officer and they're currently reviewing my application for the first time because they just received my transcript. Hopefully by Monday I'll get a nice email.

Depending on the news I get I just might then write a second personal statement.

Good- so long as you've got your safety nets in place, you can feel more confident about going for it with Goldsmiths. Fingers crossed Monday brings good news then!