Oxbridge on Access?
Hello all, i'm rather new to this site having only found a need for it just recently... but, I hope that doesn't deter any of you from helping me out a little.
So, i'm 19 now, and i'm thinking of taking an access course, i'm a little too long in the tooth for college now and I need to think about going to uni, of course top of the list is Oxbridge.
So, be candid with me, what are my chances of getting into one of these amazing places with an access course? I had A-levels, but nothing past AS because I screwed up majorly, is all hope lost for me and my prestigious dream?
If not, what other supplementary courses should I be completing to make mine a competitive application? A-levels? Level 2 qualifications? What?
I really really want this and this is my last shot at this in reality (besides a secondary application, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it).
Anyone? Advice for turning the page on this tale of a fool who's lost his way?
So, i'm 19 now, and i'm thinking of taking an access course, i'm a little too long in the tooth for college now and I need to think about going to uni, of course top of the list is Oxbridge.
So, be candid with me, what are my chances of getting into one of these amazing places with an access course? I had A-levels, but nothing past AS because I screwed up majorly, is all hope lost for me and my prestigious dream?
If not, what other supplementary courses should I be completing to make mine a competitive application? A-levels? Level 2 qualifications? What?
I really really want this and this is my last shot at this in reality (besides a secondary application, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it).
Anyone? Advice for turning the page on this tale of a fool who's lost his way?
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Original post by Arimuss
x
Oxford and Cambridge both have mature colleges that accept Access qualifications for certain courses but as the name implies, they're only for mature students. You have to be 21 or older at the start of the course to be a mature student. Since you're 19, you won't be eligible to apply. Sorry. :3
Original post by Hydeman
Oxford and Cambridge both have mature colleges that accept Access qualifications for certain courses but as the name implies, they're only for mature students. You have to be 21 or older at the start of the course to be a mature student. Since you're 19, you won't be eligible to apply. Sorry. :3
It's horrible, what I was thinking of doing was, doing the Access course, by which time i'll be twenty one, then jetting off to a uni, and during these two years toying around with perhaps one or two A-levels or something, then taking the second degree application at Cambridge as a mature student. Hopefully with a wealth of life experience.
Just a note of caution ..... if you originally did A levels or similar, many top Unis consider it a 'retake' if you almost immediately do an Access course.
Access courses are really intended for those who have been out of education for some time (ie. left school over 10 years ago).
If you have A levels/BTEC etc with poor grades, a much better route would be a Foundation course at a University. This is a 'Year 0' course and successful completion gets you onto the main degree course the following year.
Access courses are really intended for those who have been out of education for some time (ie. left school over 10 years ago).
If you have A levels/BTEC etc with poor grades, a much better route would be a Foundation course at a University. This is a 'Year 0' course and successful completion gets you onto the main degree course the following year.
Original post by Arimuss
It's horrible, what I was thinking of doing was, doing the Access course, by which time i'll be twenty one, then jetting off to a uni, and during these two years toying around with perhaps one or two A-levels or something, then taking the second degree application at Cambridge as a mature student. Hopefully with a wealth of life experience.
The problem with that idea is that you would have to justify to Cambridge and the college you want to study Access with exactly why you don't/didn't meet the entry requirements with your A-levels and felt the need to do an Access course straight after to try to gain entry.
You would be better off sticking to one or the other, preferably A-levels if you can, as they'll give you a better depth of knowledge for your university study. (apologies to any Access students who think otherwise, but A-levels in science at least are much more in depth and broad than Access courses teach)
Original post by SuperCat007
The problem with that idea is that you would have to justify to Cambridge and the college you want to study Access with exactly why you don't/didn't meet the entry requirements with your A-levels and felt the need to do an Access course straight after to try to gain entry.
You would be better off sticking to one or the other, preferably A-levels if you can, as they'll give you a better depth of knowledge for your university study. (apologies to any Access students who think otherwise, but A-levels in science at least are much more in depth and broad than Access courses teach)
You would be better off sticking to one or the other, preferably A-levels if you can, as they'll give you a better depth of knowledge for your university study. (apologies to any Access students who think otherwise, but A-levels in science at least are much more in depth and broad than Access courses teach)
I know... so the long and short of all this is. If I want to go to Cambridge, i'm ****ed.
Original post by returnmigrant
Just a note of caution ..... if you originally did A levels or similar, many top Unis consider it a 'retake' if you almost immediately do an Access course.
Access courses are really intended for those who have been out of education for some time (ie. left school over 10 years ago).
If you have A levels/BTEC etc with poor grades, a much better route would be a Foundation course at a University. This is a 'Year 0' course and successful completion gets you onto the main degree course the following year.
Access courses are really intended for those who have been out of education for some time (ie. left school over 10 years ago).
If you have A levels/BTEC etc with poor grades, a much better route would be a Foundation course at a University. This is a 'Year 0' course and successful completion gets you onto the main degree course the following year.
A foundation course? Could you describe to me a little more on what that is?
Original post by Arimuss
It's horrible, what I was thinking of doing was, doing the Access course, by which time i'll be twenty one, then jetting off to a uni, and during these two years toying around with perhaps one or two A-levels or something, then taking the second degree application at Cambridge as a mature student. Hopefully with a wealth of life experience.
I agree with what some of the other posters have said. Doing Access so soon after A-levels might make them think you're trying to take the 'easy' (I haven't done Access courses so I can't really compare them with A-levels myself) way into top universities. At the very least, they might ask you to justify why you didn't do well at A-levels at the time. If there were very substantial personal circumstances they might understand.
If in doubt, you should always email the relevant colleges (for Cambridge it's Wolfson, St. Hughes, Lucy Cavendish (women-only) and one other I can't remember right now) about your situation and they can guide you further.
I also advise against just trying to get into Oxbridge for the sake of it. I know that there is this cultural phenomenon in Britain, elegantly displayed on thousands of pages on this forum, where there is a real collective 'Oxbridge or failure' feeling. There are plenty of great universities other than Oxbridge and a lot of them are very friendly to mature applicants. You should find a course that you like and want to do regardless of university and then, if possible, it won't do any harm to use one of your UCAS options on an Oxbridge college.
Original post by Arimuss
A foundation course? Could you describe to me a little more on what that is?
It's usually part of a 'widening access' scheme that lots of universities are running these days where they will let you do a 'year 0' foundation course if you don't have the necessary qualifications for the main degree course in order to bring you up to scratch on those subjects and, if you do well enough on the first/zero year, you usually get to progress to the main course.
Original post by Hydeman
I agree with what some of the other posters have said. Doing Access so soon after A-levels might make them think you're trying to take the 'easy' (I haven't done Access courses so I can't really compare them with A-levels myself) way into top universities. At the very least, they might ask you to justify why you didn't do well at A-levels at the time. If there were very substantial personal circumstances they might understand.
If in doubt, you should always email the relevant colleges (for Cambridge it's Wolfson, St. Hughes, Lucy Cavendish (women-only) and one other I can't remember right now) about your situation and they can guide you further.
I also advise against just trying to get into Oxbridge for the sake of it. I know that there is this cultural phenomenon in Britain, elegantly displayed on thousands of pages on this forum, where there is a real collective 'Oxbridge or failure' feeling. There are plenty of great universities other than Oxbridge and a lot of them are very friendly to mature applicants. You should find a course that you like and want to do regardless of university and then, if possible, it won't do any harm to use one of your UCAS options on an Oxbridge college.
If in doubt, you should always email the relevant colleges (for Cambridge it's Wolfson, St. Hughes, Lucy Cavendish (women-only) and one other I can't remember right now) about your situation and they can guide you further.
I also advise against just trying to get into Oxbridge for the sake of it. I know that there is this cultural phenomenon in Britain, elegantly displayed on thousands of pages on this forum, where there is a real collective 'Oxbridge or failure' feeling. There are plenty of great universities other than Oxbridge and a lot of them are very friendly to mature applicants. You should find a course that you like and want to do regardless of university and then, if possible, it won't do any harm to use one of your UCAS options on an Oxbridge college.
Ok So i'm 19 now, I stopped A-levels after my first year due to bad results and the college not responding to the multiple complaints I issued about bullying, then tried to self study and that failed. I don't know what to do, I want to get into a russel group uni but after failing A-levels twice? I don't know... I am scared for my future
Original post by Arimuss
Ok So i'm 19 now, I stopped A-levels after my first year due to bad results and the college not responding to the multiple complaints I issued about bullying, then tried to self study and that failed. I don't know what to do, I want to get into a russel group uni but after failing A-levels twice? I don't know... I am scared for my future
You failed your AS twice? And you expect to get into Oxbridge? Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Other Russell Group unis, it's possible but most certainly not Oxbridge.
Original post by Arimuss
Ok So i'm 19 now, I stopped A-levels after my first year due to bad results and the college not responding to the multiple complaints I issued about bullying, then tried to self study and that failed. I don't know what to do, I want to get into a russel group uni but after failing A-levels twice? I don't know... I am scared for my future
Most Russell Group universities are fine with resits except for highly competitive courses like Medicine, and there is one RG university (Exeter) that is happy to take unlimited resits even for Medicine. And most RG universities also don't mind Access courses.
Do you have any documentary evidence for the bullying thing? I can sympathise with you on that front as I was pretty friendless and bullied for most of my two years in sixth form as well. But unfortunately unless you've seen a GP or anything about any depression it's caused you at the time, universities generally don't accept it - they want proof.
Again, you should not just be thinking of going to a Russell Group university just for the sake of it. What are your interests? What do you want to do for a living in the future? Ask yourself these questions and decide on a course you want to do and then worry about fulfilling the entry requirements.
Please ignore anyone who says you don't have any hope.. I did an access course last year and was accepted at all my unis of choice including Exeter, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester all of which are Russell group unis. A lady on my course was accepted at Cambridge too. Btw I messed up my A levels pretty bad too and it hasn't affected my chances so I'd say go for it
Original post by Arimuss
I know... so the long and short of all this is. If I want to go to Cambridge, i'm ****ed.
Yes and no. It is never out of the question, and if you have mitigating circumstances which meant you were unable to pass/complete the AS year to the best of your ability then that will be considered. It may be best to just go for Access, rather than A-levels. But you have to prove you can still get the grades with an uninterrupted run. It doesn't matter what the circumstances were or are if you aren't academically capable in their eyes then that's it. But if you feel with a better run at 16 you could have achieved the 2/3 A*'s and A Cambridge require then great, go for it. If you feel you're capable of that then getting into almost any other Russel Group uni should be easy, so nothing to worry about there.
My point was that if you do both, particularly if you do A-level(s) in the gap between now and you turning 21 so you're a 'real' mature student then that question will be asked and if you're not academic enough to get the required grades and gain entry with A-levels then why should they consider you with an Access course no matter the grade.
(edited 8 years ago)
Just be aware that 'Russell Group' is simply a marketing concept.
It doesn't mean 'better facilities' or a 'better course'. It certainly doesn't mean 'the magical answer to all my current problems and a guarantee of lifelong happiness'. It is just as easy to hate the course and/or the University as at any Uni.
With your academic background you are going to struggle to get into an RG Uni. Oxbridge will be out of the question. I suggest you start looking for slightly more realistic Universities to aim at. And you need to take some time to think carefully about what you think the point of going to University actually is, and the subject you want to study - and why.
It doesn't mean 'better facilities' or a 'better course'. It certainly doesn't mean 'the magical answer to all my current problems and a guarantee of lifelong happiness'. It is just as easy to hate the course and/or the University as at any Uni.
With your academic background you are going to struggle to get into an RG Uni. Oxbridge will be out of the question. I suggest you start looking for slightly more realistic Universities to aim at. And you need to take some time to think carefully about what you think the point of going to University actually is, and the subject you want to study - and why.
It's possible, but do your research thoroughly and talk to admissions tutors/admins for the college you're applying to before using up one of your UCAS choices.
Original post by Hydeman
I also advise against just trying to get into Oxbridge for the sake of it. I know that there is this cultural phenomenon in Britain, elegantly displayed on thousands of pages on this forum, where there is a real collective 'Oxbridge or failure' feeling. There are plenty of great universities other than Oxbridge and a lot of them are very friendly to mature applicants. You should find a course that you like and want to do regardless of university and then, if possible, it won't do any harm to use one of your UCAS options on an Oxbridge college.
I suspect you're being ironic there (in bold)
I spent a lot of time trawling through threads on the TSR Oxbridge forum a few months ago and some of the attitudes towards the concept display a wide range of emotions, including a lot of negative ones!To the OP: don't get so caught up in the Oxbridge or RG obsession that you lose all perspective on things. Research into courses you think will be an interesting and manageable challenge for you. Have a look around on uni websites and even better, go to some of their open days. You may be surprised to find that when you start visiting places in person, you don't actually like some of the "good" universities and prefer some of the supposedly "weak" universities. Maybe not, but at least you'll be more informed.
There's nothing wrong with an Oxbridge ambition per se, but I think you need to analyse it to see if it holds up under scrutiny. A lot of people's ambition to go there is based largely on the Oxbridge brand name. Why do you want to go there? I know the standard answer is something like, "because of the fantastic teaching and the kudos," but it's worth thinking beyond that.
I can't really comment too much on the value of the kudos, since I don't really know enough about that side of it, but the teaching aspect is something that you can evaluate for yourself. In respect of the courses on offer there, would you really be happy studying one of them? What that question is really asking is - admittedly this perhaps does depend on the subject, but just using a Humanities subject as an example - are you going to be happy churning out 2-3 essays each week on this subject? Are you going to thrive being among small groups of highly capable students debating the ins and outs of the subject? Are you going to be comfortable sitting down with the lecturers for one-to-one tutorials where you need to present your proposed arguments that you intend to use in your essays? Are you going to enjoy the rigid approach to the subject that they adopt?
I appreciate that studying at an RG uni isn't as gruelling, but you still need to think beyond the name and about whether any of them are really the right place for you. Imo, people who universally dismiss all unis outside of Oxbridge and the RG and their students are highlighting their own insecurities and narrow-mindedness more than any weaknesses of the targets of their attack.
Original post by jimmy_looks_2ice
I suspect you're being ironic there (in bold) I spent a lot of time trawling through threads on the TSR Oxbridge forum a few months ago and some of the attitudes towards the concept display a wide range of emotions, including a lot of negative ones!
To the OP: don't get so caught up in the Oxbridge or RG obsession that you lose all perspective on things. Research into courses you think will be an interesting and manageable challenge for you. Have a look around on uni websites and even better, go to some of their open days. You may be surprised to find that when you start visiting places in person, you don't actually like some of the "good" universities and prefer some of the supposedly "weak" universities. Maybe not, but at least you'll be more informed.
There's nothing wrong with an Oxbridge ambition per se, but I think you need to analyse it to see if it holds up under scrutiny. A lot of people's ambition to go there is based largely on the Oxbridge brand name. Why do you want to go there? I know the standard answer is something like, "because of the fantastic teaching and the kudos," but it's worth thinking beyond that.
I can't really comment too much on the value of the kudos, since I don't really know enough about that side of it, but the teaching aspect is something that you can evaluate for yourself. In respect of the courses on offer there, would you really be happy studying one of them? What that question is really asking is - admittedly this perhaps does depend on the subject, but just using a Humanities subject as an example - are you going to be happy churning out 2-3 essays each week on this subject? Are you going to thrive being among small groups of highly capable students debating the ins and outs of the subject? Are you going to be comfortable sitting down with the lecturers for one-to-one tutorials where you need to present your proposed arguments that you intend to use in your essays? Are you going to enjoy the rigid approach to the subject that they adopt?
I appreciate that studying at an RG uni isn't as gruelling, but you still need to think beyond the name and about whether any of them are really the right place for you. Imo, people who universally dismiss all unis outside of Oxbridge and the RG and their students are highlighting their own insecurities and narrow-mindedness more than any weaknesses of the targets of their attack.
I spent a lot of time trawling through threads on the TSR Oxbridge forum a few months ago and some of the attitudes towards the concept display a wide range of emotions, including a lot of negative ones!To the OP: don't get so caught up in the Oxbridge or RG obsession that you lose all perspective on things. Research into courses you think will be an interesting and manageable challenge for you. Have a look around on uni websites and even better, go to some of their open days. You may be surprised to find that when you start visiting places in person, you don't actually like some of the "good" universities and prefer some of the supposedly "weak" universities. Maybe not, but at least you'll be more informed.
There's nothing wrong with an Oxbridge ambition per se, but I think you need to analyse it to see if it holds up under scrutiny. A lot of people's ambition to go there is based largely on the Oxbridge brand name. Why do you want to go there? I know the standard answer is something like, "because of the fantastic teaching and the kudos," but it's worth thinking beyond that.
I can't really comment too much on the value of the kudos, since I don't really know enough about that side of it, but the teaching aspect is something that you can evaluate for yourself. In respect of the courses on offer there, would you really be happy studying one of them? What that question is really asking is - admittedly this perhaps does depend on the subject, but just using a Humanities subject as an example - are you going to be happy churning out 2-3 essays each week on this subject? Are you going to thrive being among small groups of highly capable students debating the ins and outs of the subject? Are you going to be comfortable sitting down with the lecturers for one-to-one tutorials where you need to present your proposed arguments that you intend to use in your essays? Are you going to enjoy the rigid approach to the subject that they adopt?
I appreciate that studying at an RG uni isn't as gruelling, but you still need to think beyond the name and about whether any of them are really the right place for you. Imo, people who universally dismiss all unis outside of Oxbridge and the RG and their students are highlighting their own insecurities and narrow-mindedness more than any weaknesses of the targets of their attack.
Completely agree with this.
And maybe I was being a bit ironic, haha. It's just that since A-level and GCSE results came out, it's practically every minute that a thread along like the lines of, 'Just got these grades. Good enough for Oxford/Cambridge?' has been created. And if the OPs on these threads are told no, they invariably get really depressed and feel like they've ruined their lives. :/People often do it for the prestige. I always think that there are valid reasons to admire Oxford and Cambridge but prestige definitely isn't one of them. I mean, you could admire the style of teaching and the tutorial system and go for that reason but you can always tell when somebody is doing it for this reason or whether they're doing it just to be able to develop a superiority complex over non-Oxbridge students and brag about it to every living relative.
For example, I'm applying for medicine this year and I just about scraped the minimum entry requirements for Oxford (A*AA) in my A2 exams. But there are a number of reasons why I'm not applying to Oxford: my grades aren't particularly impressive as they only just meet the requirements; the Oxford course is in two parts, a pre-clinical and a clinical and there is competitive entry to the second part so after working so hard one could find oneself booted out after the third year with a BSc in Clinical Sciences searching for a university that'll take them; no patient contact in the first three years; and given the rest, it's really not worth living in the second most expensive city in the UK.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Hydeman
it's really not worth living in the second most expensive city in the UK.
I didn't know that it was. Another thing for prospective Oxford applicants to consider then!
Interesting to read your particular case. It's further evidence supporting the idea that people should consider if it's best for them, rather than just assuming that Oxbridge is definitively and universally the best.
Original post by Hydeman
they're doing it just to be able to develop a superiority complex over non-Oxbridge students and brag about it to every living relative.
Can't understand that mentality. I was self-conscious about telling friends and family and other people on my Access course that I was even thinking about applying, because I didn't want to be associated with the "superior set". I've only been a bit more open about it since deciding not to apply. My decision was based on a lot of factors, but a few key ones were the rigidity (not a lot of choice of what modules/topics to study), the narrowness of the subject (chose a JH degree, one half of which is a subject Oxbridge don't offer), and perhaps most importantly, a feeling that the overall combination of curricular and extracurricular activities at my uni would suit me better than those at Oxbridge.
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