Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Changing a firm choice.

Reading the "changing your mind" and the "firm and insurance choices" i didnt get much information on what i was looking for.

I'm a year 13 student doing the IB diploma. My first year was pretty rough as i didn't do much work ending up with a predicted 29 out of 45 points, a pretty shallow score. My dream for medicine was crushed and regret is all i could do.

The Christmas break is coming up and today i am on a predicted 35 and i'm confident i can go further. However the evidence based prediction system means that this is as far as i go as year 12 results bring me down.

I will be applying for genetics this year as the requirements are significantly lower and with my predicted grade, it is likely i will get offers. My question is, if i do very well in my final exams, lets say 40 points or higher can I decline a firm choice at a university then apply the next year for medicine with my actual grades?

Reply 1

Charlotte.e.r

If you exceed your firm offer grades come August you can try to find somewhere else through UCAS Adjustment :smile:

http://www.ucas.com/students/nextsteps/adjustment/

Reply 2

Pastaferian

Original post by kennide

I will be applying for genetics this year as the requirements are significantly lower and with my predicted grade, it is likely i will get offers. My question is, if i do very well in my final exams, lets say 40 points or higher can I decline a firm choice at a university then apply the next year for medicine with my actual grades?

By 'decline a firm choice' I assume you mean that you accept their offer, but subsequently withdraw if your results turn out to be good enough to let you apply for Medicine after a gap year.

I'd say you probably can do this. The genetics course you applied to won't be happy, but they can't force you. I wouldn't apply to the Med School at that uni, however.

You need to be sure that you won't have a black mark within the UCAS system. I don't think this would be a problem, but that's just an opinion.

Before making an irrevocable decision, you obviously need to be sure that Med Schools will consider you on the basis of the results you are forecasting for yourself. I'd recommend phoning a few and talking through the possible scenarios.

Of course, you could also consider doing the genetics course and then applying for graduate entry into medicine.

Thanks so much!

Sure you can do that. As already mentioned above the university you applied to and firmed won't be happy at all so obviously don't apply to the same one next year. But if your grades are better then why not? Im following the same strategy :wink: