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Help on University applications

Hi there, I'm in a bit of a predicament right now and this will be a long read, so if you do choose to read, bear with me haha.

I am turning 18 this year. I took my IGCSEs in May 2013 and got "okay" results (2A*s, 5As and 2Bs) and I really wanted to take my A-levels but in the end, I ended up taking a GAC foundation course that is about a year long. I am expected to finish by the end of July this year.

Anyway, the problem is that it is already April (almost May - time flies!) and my parents expect me to go to Uni in the UK by September. I checked the UCAS dates and noticed most of the applications are supposed to be sent in earlier this year and that the June 30th date is actually for late applications and that applicants are not even guaranteed a spot as Unis might look at them if they had vacancies on their course. This is one issue, where I feel that it is too late for me to apply. The other might come off as a bit silly but I feel that a qualification provided by this foundation course would not make my application to Unis I want to apply to, a competitive one. Right now, my first choice would be University of Glasgow where I plan to take Politics. Glasgow is mentioned as one of the pathway universities from this course so at the start, I expected that it would be easier for me or something but yeah not now. I'm actually even considering taking my A-Levels this September so I can atleast later on have a wider selection of good Unis to apply to. Plus, I have not yet taken my IELTS and LNAT which is an entry requirement for the Politics course in Glasgow. My parents however feel that I should not waste any more time and just head on to Uni after this course. My mum suggested Swansea University and although I do know that it isn't a bad university or even close to it, I don't exactly want to take up Politics there.

To sum it all up, I feel like I'd be more prepared for University if I take my A-levels and in addition to that hopefully if I get good results, I can apply to several of the top Unis which would be a dream! Haha. I don't just want to "settle" for a Uni my parents suggested for the sake of not wasting time and completing my higher education in a shorter time. I actually am looking forward to having a good student life + a quality learning experience that correct me if I'm wrong, can be expected from a good Uni.

I was also wondering if I sent a UCAS application this year, would I actually be able to send another one towards the end of 2015/early 2016??? (this is if I end up starting my A-levels this year)

Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks a lot guys :smile:

Oh and if it would be any help, I'm from Asia which explains why I'm required to take IELTS.

Reply 1

Juno

You can only have one UCAS application per academic year. So having one this year has no affect on having one next year (unless you try to hold on to a deferred offer from the first application - this will invalidate the next application).

So you could always apply, see what offers you get, and then use that to decide what you want to do.