re-applying. A risk worth taking?

After 5 months of cheerful anticipation I got rejected by St Andrews, despite having 6 times 100% and average of 98% (Polish Matura). They claimed that I was to obtain 90% in all subjects, so I missed 2% in History (on their website they mention overall grade 90% and 3 extended subjects, not 90% in every single exam). Too bad.

My second choice was Glasgow, but I really don't like the idea of going there. I am considering re-applying, but I wonder if that's a risk worth taking. My choices would be Cambridge (previously rejected by Oxford post-interview, wrong course choice), UCL, KCL, Edinburgh, LSE/Durham.

Am I not trying too hard?

I am applying for Philosophy.

What would you lose by re-applying? Only a year of your life, which you can spend doing something constructive.

If you are unhappy with Glasgow, don't go there.

Thanks for that. I obviously considered pros and cons, but my greatest fear is ending up in exactly the same point (maybe not in Glasgow, but similar one - decent but not reaching my expectations). I wouldn't be so confident if my grades weren't so good, so don't think I'm a frustrated Oxbridge maniac .

I just have this feeling of being unfairly treated because of my nationality and exams taken. Don't get me wrong, I have a few Polish friends holding offers from Oxford, Manchaster, Edinburgh and I love living and working in the UK. But how can I be expected to get over 90% in 9 exams? I just don't think 9 A* would be a standard offer. That's why I have this overwhelming fear for rejection.

I couldn't resist........I'm sorry................I'll just leave now.

Yeah Im sure Philosophy grads from Oxford are starving on the streets as I am typing this..


OP, have a look at clearing and if you cant find anything then reapply but theres no guarantee.. and as someone else said, Scottish unis do have higher requirements for EU students (I noticed this as well, Im an EU student and looked at Scottish unis and they do ask for unrealistic grades) so dont feel down about it. Glasgow is a great uni though.
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It was only light hearted. Glasgow is a good university and I think for EU students, they pay lower fees to get into Scottish universities.

yeah, Scottish unis are free for EU students

After 5 months of cheerful anticipation I got rejected by St Andrews, despite having 6 times 100% and average of 98% (Polish Matura). They claimed that I was to obtain 90% in all subjects, so I missed 2% in History (on their website they mention overall grade 90% and 3 extended subjects, not 90% in every single exam). Too bad.

My second choice was Glasgow, but I really don't like the idea of going there. I am considering re-applying, but I wonder if that's a risk worth taking. My choices would be Cambridge (previously rejected by Oxford post-interview, wrong course choice), UCL, KCL, Edinburgh, LSE/Durham.

Am I not trying too hard?

I am applying for Philosophy.

But how can I be expected to get over 90% in 9 exams? I just don't think 9 A* would be a standard offer. That's why I have this overwhelming fear for rejection.

Scottish universities have very limited places for Scottish and EU students due to the way those places are funded - a lot of them prioritise the spaces they have for scottish students by making EU equivalent entry requirements unachievable. It isn't a sign of failure on your part but a financial decision from the university.

KCL have vacancies for Philosophy in 2015 http://www.kcl.ac.uk/results/Vacancies2.aspx

You'd need to get your firm uni to place you into Clearing (so contact them ASAP to ask) but you wouldn't have to wait another year.

There's a bunch of other universities with philosophy vacancies..

Are you sure St Andrews rejected you because of your grades? Grades aren't the only factor in an application. And when did you apply? If you applied after the UCAS deadline, that could have been another factor (saw you mention 5 months and it's now the end of July).

I'm from Glasgow and the university is in the West End (the less dodgy part of Glasgow haha) and it's a great uni, why don't you want to go there?

I get that they wouldn't want a 80% foreign uni, and to get into some of the best unis in Europe you have to get top grades, but when the entry requirements for both Oxford and Cambridge are lower than for Leeds and Birmingham something isn't right. Since we do 6 subjects instead of 3, unis just multiply the grades that they ask in A-Levels by 2.. so essentially we have to get double the grades. The equivalent of AAB is AAAABB, and in 2014 less than 4% of people got that.. Meanwhile, don't around 20% get between AAA and A*A*A* at A-Levels? Just my two cents..

yeah, Scottish unis are free for EU students

Well, not quite - the fees are £1850 pa for Scottish/EU students, and they aren't entitled to apply for a maintenance loan! But you are correct, the grades they ask for (French Bac in my case) are almost unachievable! I feel sorry for the Scottish students, being squeezed out of their own Universities because they (the Universities) would much prefer to have a RUK or International student occupy that place because of the fees they bring. The system is broken, methinks!

Well, not quite - the fees are £1850 pa for Scottish/EU students, and they aren't entitled to apply for a maintenance loan! But you are correct, the grades they ask for (French Bac in my case) are almost unachievable! I feel sorry for the Scottish students, being squeezed out of their own Universities because they (the Universities) would much prefer to have a RUK or International student occupy that place because of the fees they bring. The system is broken, methinks!

The £1850 fee is paid for by Students Awards Agency Scotland Tuition is free for Scottish/EU students. RUK/International students don't fill 'that place' - there is a quota of free Scottish/EU places that is set by the Scottish Government. RUK/International students incur tens of thousands of pounds worth of debt to study in Scotland - the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side.

This thread is three years old, so I'd imagine the student has decided by now!

I may be wrong but I think the £1850 is only paid for Scottish students, not EU! However, I think you may have missed the point - the RUK/International students you mention would incur the same debt if they studied in England or Scotland, so that's not really relevant. The point I'm trying to make is that a Scottish student has to achieve a much higher entry level qualification in order to be offered a place than does his/her English/Intl counterpart. I realise the quota is set by the Scottish government (because they are ultimately picking up the tab!) but I bet there are a lot of Scottish students who would like to study at say, Edinburgh or Glasgow, and would be willing to pay the tuition fees (even if it was by way of a student loan) but can't, as their fee status (Scottish/EU) is dictated by where they live, and which they can't change, so there is someone with lower entry qualifications (and a student loan) from England/Intl being accepted, paying the fees and taking that place! In effect, a system (no fees) which was supposed to assist Scottish students is now working against them studying at their home-country Universities and that cannot be right!

The tuition fee is paid for both Scottish and EU students - this is a requirement, as EU students cannot be charged more than Home students. RUK and International students incur more debt than if they studied in England, because Scottish undergraduate degrees last for four years rather than three. With the exception of Glasgow and Dundee (who I believe split the tuition for Years 3 and 4 in half), this means an undergraduate degree in Scotland costs £37,000 - and that's without the 6% interest charged on the tuition fee loan, which accumulates even when studying.

RUK/International students don't take their place, as RUK/International students don't count towards the quota. They aren't admitted based on lower entry qualifications, as Scottish students can enter Edinburgh and Glasgow with Scottish Highers at the age of 17, which are a lower qualification than A-levels. They are roughly equivalent to AS-Level, with Advanced Higher roughly equivalent to A-level.

The A-level requirement is equivalent to that for the IB, so they aren't getting in with lower entry qualifications. The only difference is that the offer rate is much lower for Scottish/EU students. For example, History had an offer rate of 35% for Scottish/EU students (2018 entry). The offer rate was 70% for RUK/International students, but that doesn't make them less qualified.

I do agree completely that free tuition makes it much more competitive to gain entry with the quota on places, but it really is no better for RUK/International students. I prefer the system in the rest of the UK, where students from England/Wales/N Ireland/Scotland and the EU all pay £9250, as it's then up to the university how many students they can take.