University of St Andrews

St Andrews move to second year

When I was looking into unis I was interested in jumping into the second year of St Andrews for computer science. However, when I emailed admissions asking about usual entry requirements for second year, they told me that if I applied for second and didn't make it I wouldn't be considered for first year BUT if I applied for first year entry, I could discuss moving to second year during matriculation.

Does anyone else here have experience making this move themself? Or have you heard of anyone doing this?

I'm kinda nervous that I'll get there and they'll say its not possible to move up.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

The university's webpage for direct entry is here: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/students/academic/academic-advising/choices/changing-year-of-entry/ (The link might be restricted to those without a university account). In my experience, you can easily discuss this (and perhaps switch year of entry) with your adviser of studies before the term starts in early September. (The authority to switch modules/programme in-school is your adviser of studies or the director of teaching of that school). The issues you might encounter when going from 1^st year to 2^ndare

Your (A level, or equivalent) grades are not good enough for some 2^ndyear modules to directly enter into them,

Degree programme would become impossible to complete due to required modules not being able to be done in the shorter time-frame (e.g. Chemistry and Physics MSc),

Student finance being a pain to sort out.

Something I haven't thought of..

The first two will be discussed with your advisor of studies (I don't think the 2^nd would apply to you anyway). The 3^rd shouldn't be that bad, it will take time though if you do end up switching.

It is possible to switch from 1^st year to 2^nd (and vise-versa) once you are there. If you haven't applied already, I would go for the first year entry unless you are more confident with your predicted grades.

University of St Andrews

Reply 2

lowee1

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Since then I have received an offer for first year comp sci of D*DD, 6, 6 (I'm doing a btec extended diploma and 2 IBs) despite my predicted grades in UCAS being D*D*D*, 7, 7 so I feel like gradeswise I'm alright. For now I'm just going to look at their first year modules and prepare to show them I know most of that.

For any one else who happens to come across this question in future, I managed to ask an older sibling of one of my friends in St A and they mentioned some of their friends going from first to second year via some sort of test so it appears this is a common enough occurence that there's a well established process for it.