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Changing from EU uni to UK uni after 3 semesters completed... ADVICE FOR PS!!!

Hi!

"Mature" 21-year-old EU student here trying to change universities (actually starting from 0 again) and needs help writing the old PS.

I went to uni in my home country straight after secondary school. I really loved the profession I was studying for (was active in societies), but I felt like my current uni didn't have the best resources and teachers and placement opportunities etc. After three semesters I understood that things weren't going to improve and suddenly felt like I was really wasting my time, when I could be studying at a much better school abroad. The UCAS deadline had passed by that time (spring 2014), so I just took a "vacation year" from my school and decided to apply through UCAS in the fall.

1) Should I mention my 1,5 years spent at another uni in my PS if I don't actually have any sort of degree? (I've heard that unis prefer students who haven't had a chance to study at a higher level at all.)

2) Is it possible that Scottish universities will make me pay some part of my tuition because of my previous studies?

Big thank you to everyone who replies!!! :smile:
I don't actually know the answer to your second question but I can help with the PS side of things...

You can talk about your previous study in terms of knowing what uni life and studying in higher education is like and any skills you gained from your experience. You may even want to include a line about why you want to study in the UK. However, the bulk of your statement should be about your academic interest in the subject you're applying to study and why you're interested in it. Maybe ask your referee to talk about why you gave up your studies in your home country.
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ixi
OP
So it would definitely be a bad idea to not mention my previous studies at all, just list my favourite teacher from secondary school as a referee and pretend that I spent the last 3 years travelling/working/finding myself? (The only reason I'm considering this is because an admissions expert for a decent UK uni that they would prefer people with no uni experience over me, just because they haven't had a chance to go to uni at all.)
Regardless of whether you talk about it in your PS you MUST declare your attendance at any educational establishment in the education section of your application.

You would also be better off using a reference from someone at your university rather than from school.

I don't know who gave you the advice about admissions preferring applicants with no experience but it is complete crap. Universities prefer applicants who show the interest, skills and potential to succeed on their course. University experience is usually seen as a positive as long as there is no hint that the reasons for you dropping out/pausing your studies elsewhere are likely to recur.
Please do not be dishonest on your application! As PQ said UK unis have no interest whatsoever in whether you have previous experience of going to uni or not. Also agree that you should ask someone at your uni to write a ref rather than a secondary school teacher because they can talk more about your suitability for higher education.

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