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Would you get a place on your degree if you applied today? (Rising entry reqs)

Just had a look at the current requirements for the degree I just graduated from (Psychology at Kent). I needed ABB back in 2009 to get a place, which was what I achieved. They now ask for AAB or AAA for the applied course.

I got ABBC at A level so I would not have gotten a place at Kent today (ignoring for the moment that Kent is extremely lenient :wink:

).

How have the entry requirements of your course changed since you started? Would you still get a place on your course today?

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Reply 1

TheSownRose

No. My grades still match (want ABB, now and then, I have AAB), but it still wouldn't be in quite the right subjects - my only chance was in Clearing, and to be honest I'm still surprised I got one through that.

Reply 2

vedderfan94

I think the rising entry requirements reflect how it is easier overall to attain those grades. Obviously, there are certain modular exams that are harder than normal, but the UMS scale is adjusted appropriately for these. My physics teacher once showed me an old GCSE physics paper from the 70s, and the questions in that were harder than A-level questions today.

Reply 3

Howbeit

I got fairly high grades and applied for Psychology. Highest requirements I've seen are A*AA and I got A*A*A.

Reply 4

Carnationlilyrose

No, I wouldn't. In 1977, Manchester was asking BBC for English Language and Literature. Now it's AAA. I got ABCD. (German.. still no idea what happened.) I didn't actually meet anybody doing the degree with higher grades than mine at the time, although I'm sure they existed. Those grades sound pretty dire now, but they were really good results then.

Reply 5

TenOfThem

When I applied for Maths at Manchester in 1981 I was given a matriculation offer

However, I think the skills that I demonstrated in my AABBC A levels would probably be enough to get me in now in spite of the increased offers

Reply 6

Fuzzpig

I can't think that A levels would have gotten that much "easier" in the three years that I have been at uni. I wonder what made them raise the requirements. I graduated with a first so it's not like an ABB student can't handle the course!

..I do think that Kent are on some kind of mission to make a better name for themselves now though. I was at a meeting in which they said they wanted much more AAB students in the future.

Reply 7

Suzanathema

Definitely not. I got BBC (which got me an unconditional offer) and my course, linguistics and English Language, now wants ABB.

Looks like I got really lucky!

Reply 8

TheSownRose

Original post by aliluvschoc

Entry requirements are a reflection of competition. Many (not all) of the courses that require AAA could be completed with less, but there's enough competition that the university believes they have the luxury of only selecting the best students. Whereas for a BBB course, it's not necessarily three grades worse, they just don't have the same competition for their university.

That may well place a role as well - if they raise the requirements, people will see them as better. It works in a lot of cases. :dontknow:

Reply 9

username197472

2008 - offer BBB for primary education at Stran :smile:

2008 - got AAA

2012 - standard offer AAB for primary education at Stran.

I'd like to think I would get in today but there are fewer places and apparently the interview is even more dire than it was in my day.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 10

evening sunrise

My offers in 1981 were.

Engineering Geology @ Exeter Uni CCC
Physics and Geophysics @ Bath Uni BC
Nuclear Engineering @Queen Mary UL CC
Physics with Laser Tech @ Essex EE (after declining the interview invitation)
Southampton rejected because I dropped A Chem, for Comp Sc after year 1 and did that A level in a single year instead.

I had firmed QMUL, no insurance, got CCC.

Didn't matter, I could not afford to go anyway.

CCC would not get me onto any of those courses today. They certainly would not get me onto the course I start in October. I am pleased to report that the Uni did take my grey hair into consideration when making me an unconditional offer last December. :biggrin:

Reply 11

Laurah5498

Hell no! Keele wanted 260 points from me, I got 200. They now want BBB-BBC I think!

Reply 12

petzneo

I got into my pharmacy course at Brighton with 320 UCAS points...so BBC at A level and a C at AS level.

It's now AAB....so I would have definitely not got in!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 13

Ham22

BBC when I started. Now they want ABB. So no I would not get a place. (I have ABC)

Reply 14

TheSownRose

Original post by petzneo

I got into my pharmacy course at Brighton with 320 UCAS points...so BBC at A level.

That doesn't add up - BBC is 280 points.

Reply 15

petzneo

Original post by TheSownRose

That doesn't add up - BBC is 280 points.

Ah whoops, I forgot to add the c in my AS Physics....thanks!

Reply 16

Z-6H820

Nope - I got AAA (Highers, so not as impressive as A Levels :P ) and they wanted AAB, now they want AAAB so I'd be missing one...although I think they'd probably still let somebody in with three As anyway.

Reply 17

Potally_Tissed

Hard to say :holmes:

I would have met the offer as I beat my predictions, but as my predictions were lower than what is now the typical offer I doubt I would have got the offer in the first place.

Reply 18

james303

I'm quite surprised. I would have thought that there would be less students going to Uni (due to the fees increase) and thus courses struggling to fill the places.