University of Edinburgh

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Edinburgh-Politics

I hardly know anything about Edinburgh, and was just wondering why they offer BBB? Does it have a strong emphasis on personal statements or any other factors? :s-smilie:

Reply 1

TheOneWho

It's Scottish so the grades will be lower. This is because most Scots only do Highers, sort of like AS levels. The first year of university is sort of equivalent to A level, but a bit higher.

University of Edinburgh

Reply 2

Redders

At the open day the suggestion was that offers were mostly given to students who were predicted to gain 3 A's or the equivalent in Scottish highers (ignorant on the subject tbh), whilst also opening up their sample to a wider audience and hopefully finding some diamonds in the rough, so emphasis is probably put on the personal statement.

I'm also under the impression that it may be used as a pressure reduction for students coming up to their exams, i.e. you no longer have to worry about getting the triple A or AAB combos.

Reply 3

lukeyboy

its because the course is drab!

dont do politics, save yourself.

though the lectures in mcewan hall are amazing (gorgeous 18th c. building)

its because they like to encourage applicants from under priveleged backgrounds, though dont count on getting in without AAA

Reply 4

FTC199

TheOneWho

It's Scottish so the grades will be lower. This is because most Scots only do Highers, sort of like AS levels. The first year of university is sort of equivalent to A level, but a bit higher.

FYI highers are harder than AS levels but we sit them at the same time as you sit AS levels. and it isnt easier because the uni is in scotland, it is because that is the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM the uni will accept and if you are not predicted at least that then you wont even get your personal statement looked at. This means that applicants from less advantaged backgrounds are not discriminated against because their school cannot give the support and teaching that other highly regarded private schools can and so their predictions and eventual grades may not necessarily be AAB or ABB. Edinburgh look at where the candidate achieves the grades as well as the grades achieved, unlike many other universities

Reply 5

lukeyboy

yeah. and most scottish students take advanced highers.... or so it seems from most of the scots i know at the burgh

Reply 6

Absurd

lukeyboy

its because the course is drab!

dont do politics, save yourself.
though the lectures in mcewan hall are amazing (gorgeous 18th c. building)

its because they like to encourage applicants from under priveleged backgrounds, though dont count on getting in without AAA

Can you expand on this please?

Reply 7

lukeyboy

unless you're taking your degree in politics i would advise against taking it as an option in your 1st years.

most of the students i know didn't really like the way i was taught, which is in a very old school systematised fashion (such as you would expect from an ancient university).

instead of talking about politics in a more liberal, fluid manner its taught in a THIS IS A DEMOCRACY! COMPARE THIS DEMOCRACY TO ANOTHER DEMOCRACY! fashion. Which is incredibly boring.

Reply 8

Absurd

lukeyboy

Ah. Thanks.

Reply 9

nearlyheadlessian

FTC199

and it isnt easier because the uni is in scotland

First year in Scotland is considerably easier though.

Reply 10

FTC199

nearlyheadlessian

First year in Scotland is considerably easier though.

the first half of first year for mainstream courses (i.e. those also taught in schools) then yes, overall it isnt easier though

Reply 11

artorscience?

FTC199

the first half of first year for mainstream courses (i.e. those also taught in schools) then yes, overall it isnt easier though

For Science courses where similar material is covered in high school courses it is easier (hence why people can enter at second year level if they have achieved an A at A2 in the particular subject, in something like Maths or Physics). And whilst it is subjective to say this, in Arts and Humanities subjects one can also claim that the work load is considerably less at Scottish universities than compared to English ones, based on hearsay and comparisons of the amount of work one does compared to one's peers at a variety of English Uni's. Not to mention the fact that if one wishes to transfer uni, whilst most uni's use a similar points system and require 120 to pass each year a first year pass from a Scottish uni is very unlikely to allow a transfer into an English uni for second year there. Or the fact that English uni's have only first year as a pre-honours study compared to the two year pre-honours study at Scottish uni's. Thus the general assumption can be made that first and second year combined in Scotland is equivalent to first year in England.

(This doesn't mean that University in Scotland is bad, just that there are different reasons for studying in Scotland)

Reply 12

TheOneWho

FTC199

I am Scottish so I do know these things, just tried to explain it in a way that an English person would understand. Generally they don't really understand the Scottish system. I never said university in Scotland is easier, just that the first year is pretty much at the level of Advanced Highers or a bit more than A level.

lukeyboy

yeah. and most scottish students take advanced highers.... or so it seems from most of the scots i know at the burgh

I never found that, but I didn't go to a very good school so that could be why. If anything people will do one, but probably just because they need to take a subject. That's what I did and I know some others who did the same.