Urgent - Applying as an Individual but still in school

Hey everyone, just a quick questions - I'm currently studying for my A2's in a different school to where I did my AS's. I transferred because I wasn't happy in my old college, but in all honesty, this new school is not much better, and I do NOT feel comfortable with them handling my application, so I've decided to apply as an individual, with a reference from my physics teacher from my old school who will also give me my predicted grades. I want to do it this way as I feel much safer, and with the deadline coming up I want to get this done with.

My issue is with UCAS, after choosing the individual candidate option, it then asked me if I was still at school/college, I picked yes, because obviously I still am, but then it said I need to contact my school (and presumably apply through them) before continuing the application. I don't want this. So instead I said that I'm not at school and carried on with the application.

Will this cause problems? I would appreciate some advice as I'm tight on timing - thanks in advance guys! :smile:

Reply 1

xSahar

OP

2

Bump!

Anyone? I really need help here, because when it comes to writing my A2's and marking them as pending, I need to say what school/center I'm doing them in.

So confused :frown:

Reply 2

ResultsDday

4

As you will be sitting your exams through your college/school you aren't an individual student. So I think you will have to apply through them. I might be wrong though

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 3

xSahar

OP

2

Original post by ResultsDday

As you will be sitting your exams through your college/school you aren't an individual student. So I think you will have to apply through them. I might be wrong though

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

I assure you, there's no way in hell I'm applying with them, but thanks anyway :smile:

Reply 4

anony.mouse

15

You declared that everything on your ucas was correct, including that you're not at 6th form. When they find out this is wrong they could cancel your application for something this serious, especially seeing as they'd find it suspicious that you didn't want to apply through your 6th form. PLUS your predicted grades might not be correct, how is your old physics teacher meant to know your predictions for sure, and how/why would ucas trust him if they found out, when he might not have confirmed your grades with your current teachers?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

xSahar

OP

2

Original post by anony.mouse

You declared that everything on your ucas was correct, including that you're not at 6th form. When they find out this is wrong they could cancel your application, especially seeing as they'd find it suspicious that you didn't want to apply through your 6th form. PLUS your predicted grades might not be correct, how is your old physics teacher meant to know your predictions for sure, and how/why would ucas trust him if they found out?

Thanks for the reply - the thing is when I moved here, the teachers actually refused to write a reference initially, because they 'didn't know me well enough' and said I had to get a teacher from my old college to write a reference, send to my school, who will then copy and paste it in my application.. What's the point of this if I could just apply independently?

And also, my referee taught me maths AND physics and was also head of science, so was aware of my work in other subjects (I did all sciences and maths), and could discuss my predicted grades with my old teachers and base it on that.

I honestly don't think the school cares that I did it independently as they didn't even want to write a reference for me. They're a joke. I'm basically using them as an exam center to sit exams in but just happened to have enrolled.

Any advice guys?

Reply 6

Juno

20

Original post by xSahar

Thanks for the reply - the thing is when I moved here, the teachers actually refused to write a reference initially, because they 'didn't know me well enough' and said I had to get a teacher from my old college to write a reference, send to my school, who will then copy and paste it in my application.. What's the point of this if I could just apply independently?

And also, my referee taught me maths AND physics and was also head of science, so was aware of my work in other subjects (I did all sciences and maths), and could discuss my predicted grades with my old teachers and base it on that.

I honestly don't think the school cares that I did it independently as they didn't even want to write a reference for me. They're a joke. I'm basically using them as an exam center to sit exams in but just happened to have enrolled.

Any advice guys?

Ignore all the advice posted above. You're fine to apply as an individual as long as the person providing your referee is fine with that. Have you checked with them? Many schools have a policy that if they provide the reference you need to apply through them, or that only certain teachers can provide references. But if your physics teacher has agreed to this, it is fine.

The registration questions aren't part of the UCAS form, so saying you're not in school/college there is fine - it's just to ensure that people don't choose the independent option by accident. You have a reason for applying independently and it's what you intended to do, so it's fine. Just make sure that you do declare everything in the education section correctly.

Reply 7

xSahar

OP

2

Original post by Juno

Ignore all the advice posted above. You're fine to apply as an individual as long as the person providing your referee is fine with that. Have you checked with them? Many schools have a policy that if they provide the reference you need to apply through them, or that only certain teachers can provide references. But if your physics teacher has agreed to this, it is fine.

The registration questions aren't part of the UCAS form, so saying you're not in school/college there is fine - it's just to ensure that people don't choose the independent option by accident. You have a reason for applying independently and it's what you intended to do, so it's fine. Just make sure that you do declare everything in the education section correctly.

This clears up EVERYTHING - I really appreciate it, thank you so much! My mind's at ease now. :smile:

And yes, I was close to my physics teacher and confided in him about a some personal issues I was having, he counseled me in a way - and let me know that if I ever moved schools, all I had to do was contact him and give him the required information and he'd write up a reference for me.

Thank you again for an insightful post! :smile:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 8

anony.mouse

15

Original post by Juno

Ignore all the advice posted above. You're fine to apply as an individual as long as the person providing your referee is fine with that. Have you checked with them? Many schools have a policy that if they provide the reference you need to apply through them, or that only certain teachers can provide references. But if your physics teacher has agreed to this, it is fine.

The registration questions aren't part of the UCAS form, so saying you're not in school/college there is fine - it's just to ensure that people don't choose the independent option by accident. You have a reason for applying independently and it's what you intended to do, so it's fine. Just make sure that you do declare everything in the education section correctly.

On what grounds do you think you know more than the others posters?

UCAS clearly asked if the OP was a private candidate or was at sixth form/school. They lied to UCAS.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 9

Minerva

17

Original post by anony.mouse

On what grounds do you think you know more than me and the other person who have posted?

UCAS clearly asked if the OP was a private candidate or was at sixth form/school. They lied to UCAS.

Long experience and familiarity with how UCAS works. What Juno said was entirely correct and saved me the trouble of writing out the same information myself.

They have not lied to UCAS at all.

Reply 10

Juno

20

Original post by anony.mouse

On what grounds do you think you know more than the others posters?

UCAS clearly asked if the OP was a private candidate or was at sixth form/school. They lied to UCAS.

The fact that I'm amazing, and everyone in the whole world apart from you knows it :yep:

Reply 11

xSahar

OP

2

@Juno and Minerva, thank you both!

Quick question: In the reference section of UCAS it's asking for an address, do I need to write my referees home address, or would the address of the school he works at suffice?

Thank you!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 12

Minerva

17

Original post by xSahar

@Juno and Minerva, thank you both!

Quick question: In the reference section of UCAS it's asking for an address, do I need to write my referees home address, or would the address of the school he works at suffice?

Thank you!

His school address would be better.