Is it true access students can't do graduate schemes after Uni?

Scroll to see replies

The response was that the access course specifically was not acceptable.
I have read many such horror stories, it does make me wonder what to do.

I have sent an email to someone in here who entered Cambridge with an Access course; I asked whether he had problems applying for graduate schemes or internships. No response yet though.

It might be the response, but did your friend expressly fall foul of the no-resits policy? HR folk are not Parliamentary draftsmen. People often express reasons for things in terms of a positive rather than a related negative (and vice versa) without thinking they are saying something different.

"Jimmy can't take part in PE because he has got trainers" might be said when the real problem is that he hasn't got rugby boots. There would have been no problem in Jimmy playing if he had brought both his trainers and his rugby boots. The possession of the trainers wasn't the problem.

Reply 21

gouratiltzen

Original post by nulli tertius

He didn't do any resits.

Reply 22

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

I remember someone posting an email they got from KPMG grad recruitment about access courses. It was quite rude and implied that people who did access courses are in some way inferior to other university grads. In my opinion it would be wise to take a couple of A levels whilst at university just in case, it shouldn't be that hard if you take an A level in a related subject to your degree.

Reply 23

nulli tertius

Original post by gouratiltzen

He didn't do any resits.

Did he study between the ages of 16 and 18 and take any level 3 qualifications?

What grades did he get in those qualifications?

Reply 24

gouratiltzen

Original post by nulli tertius

Did he study between the ages of 16 and 18 and take any level 3 qualifications?

What grades did he get in those qualifications?

I don't know about that. He said he only disclosed his access course and degree in the graduate scheme application though.

Reply 25

nulli tertius

Original post by gouratiltzen

I don't know about that. He said he only disclosed his access course and degree in the graduate scheme application though.

You see the point.

They repeat it more than once on their website, that they are only looking at results from the first sitting. It would be a little hypocritical if they would reject you with DEU A levels at 18 and AAA at 20 but accept you with DEU A levels at 18 and an Access Course at 20.

Although plenty of Access course students left school at 16, I suspect most of those applying for graduate traineeships with accountants are people who stayed in education between 16-18 but something went badly wrong.

Reply 26

Snufkin

Universities Forum Helper

Nulli tertius you are making a lot of assumptions, it could just be that the company does not like access courses. Here is the link to the aforementioned email. The applicant appears to be punished for not choosing to do A levels, which is absurd.

Reply 27

nulli tertius

Original post by Samual

And as I said in post above it could well be exactly a no Access Course rule. I actually don't think KPMG have a "no access course" rule but I do think a lot of their HR staff are applying a "no access course" practice.

You will see that I participated in the discussion in 2012.

The actual response was a fairly illiterate one possibly from a junior HR person. It is always a matter of judgement whether someone pushes the matter having had a rebuff like that. You will see the comment from Returnmigrant about an earlier posting on a similar line. The practice of an individual staff member is not necessarily corporate policy. Institutions build themselves wriggle room into their policies to make sure they are compliant and non-embarrassing. However, you get people, such as that HR person, who are not on message. The right letter sent to the right place internally, can then be quite explosive when it shows up the difference between the stated policy and what is happening at the coalface.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 28

Missmoose

Related question: Is it worth me doing an extra a level? I got my A levels in 2010, did ok not fab (250 UCAS points in total). Most grad schemes I've seen seem to ask for 300 minimum. But are most like KPMG in that they want you to have done them all in one sitting? Just weighing it up as I'd just need a B at AS level to get up to 300 points. I'm currently on an Access course.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 29

El Scotto

All that matters when getting on a graduate scheme is your Degree results. Once you have that you can sell yourself to the selectors and prior qualifications are irrelevant.

Reply 30

euphful

Original post by El Scotto

All that matters when getting on a graduate scheme is your Degree results. Once you have that you can sell yourself to the selectors and prior qualifications are irrelevant.

Unless they ask specifically for UCAS points, which many do, including RBS, KPMG, and other similar schemes.

As someone who did Access I'd love for your statement to be true, but it isn't.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 31

El Scotto

Original post by euphful

Lots of places ask for UCAS but you cant assume that they know the equivilence or that you have a good degree / relevant experience and life skills through your alternate route.

Every company is negotiable as long as you can nail what they are looking for and sell yourself properly.

Person specs are just a guide.