Predicted D*D*D* BTEC ICT , recommendations ?

Resit your Maths to get a higher grade. It will open up more universities for you. If you are interested in cs courses then a better grade in Maths is key. Also many universities require A level Maths in addition to your btec so check that out before applying. Are you restricted to London universities. If you are prepared to travel elsewhere it would greatly increase your options. Your English wont be an issue for most universities for CS.

You could apply for well-regarded universities with lower entry requirements, such as Lancaster, which only requires a C in GCSE maths. The issue with resitting is the time it would take, however, it would help you to recap on your maths and be in a better position once you start university.

What programming have you done in your ICT course? I did the same and my tutor is a software engineer so chose to structure the entire course around it - networking, graphics, software development (programming) etc

To be honest the majority of leading universities INSIST on grade A at A level Maths in addition to your BTEC. Having a C at gcse is unlikely to be enough for most universities due to the Mathematical nature of Computer science courses. I know Nottingham, Lancaster and Swansea do not require A level Maths and there are others who accept BTEC without A level Maths but most will require a higher grade than C in Maths. From memory and things might have changed I believe Liverpool, Reading, Royal Holloway, Kent, Sussex and East Anglia accept Btec without the A level in Maths. Where universities show they expect a certain grade in Maths they will not allow you without it. Most universities do accept a resitting of a GCSE as well as A levels.

Hi,

Just finished my first year of my ICT BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma course. My final grades for this year are 8 Ds and 1 M which is for a animation unit. Next year, would most likely end up with similar grades, and get final D*D*D*, but in worst case D*D*D. My problem is the following, due to extremely overestimating my own abilities while doing maths and English GCSEs, got Cs for both. The better Unis look for 6/7/B or above in Maths, but sadly dont have that. Was looking into the following Uni, the first being most desired while the last least:

- King's College London
- Royal Holloway
- Brunel University London
- Queen Mary University of London
- University of West London (Reserve)

I have years behind my back with Graphics Design, 1 decent animation which did in 2014 and also working hard on my programming skills. My hope after graduation is to get into software development, the programming part. Looking into Computer Science courses, not Software Engineering. Thanks in advance !

Why computer science?

Due to having more prospects and etc. , but mainly because I have been into Computing in general since I know myself. Why not continue my graphics design/animation ? Well, simply love it as a hobby and to do it from time to time, but not as a job.

Ok, so after multiple replies, decided to try and retake my GCSE Maths at the end of this year, if not possible then the summer of 2020. Here is my new list, same as the old one, first the most desired and last least:

- King's College London (Wont cover even with a good GCSE Maths)
- Royal Holloway (Would be able to get in with 6 or above)
- Brunel University London (Could get in with my current grade)
- Queen Mary University of London (Would need to retake as well for 5/6 or above)
- University of West London (Reserve)

My aim is to get the higher GCSE grade and apply for Royal H. , but if even then dont manage to get in, cant decide between Brunel and Queen Mary.

Unless you retake and get a higher grade before yo apply Kings will be a waste of time applying to. The others will be worth applying to and will likely wait for your Maths GCSE result before confirming your place.

You can easily retake GCSE Maths or English alongside your BTEC - ask at your school/college.
'Retakes' is usually only a rule for A levels. For any STEM/Tech subject you need good Maths - so do it.

I tried speaking with my college, but wont let me as I passed, but intend to go somewhere else as an external candidate.

What Uni would you recommend to replace kings with ?

I tried speaking with my college, but wont let me as I passed, but intend to go somewhere else as an external candidate.

I would replace Kings with any university that accepts Btec without A level Maths and accepts GCSE with you resitting. Dont know too much about London Universities but if you live in Ealing you could possibly try Reading. If you are prepared to travel further the Lancaster or Nottingham would be good options. Others worth looking at are East Anglia, Kent and Sussex. The key is getting a good Maths GCSE grade as this will open up your options. Kings are openly stating they do not accept applicants who are still awaiting the Maths GCSE resit so it really isnt worth considering there

Reading seems ideal for you. They require DDM on your extended BTEC with grade B or 6 in GCSE Maths, Physics or IT. Certainly worth looking into. It is a very highly rated university and is listed in the Sutton Trust 30 of leading universities. I would suggest along with Royal Holloway they are your best choices. Lancaster is an outstanding university if you are prepared to travel that far. You could look at Brunel as your insurance choice

I am not super pushy towards Kings to be honest, ok travelling up 1 one hour as I have a car. Already found a place where I can retake my maths in November. Reading is 15 spots above Brunel/Queen Marry in the rankings for my subject, plus its really far away, not to mention that the student satisfaction is one of the lowest in the top 50 for Computer science.


Reading is 15 spots above Brunel/Queen Marry in the rankings for my subject, plus its really far away, not to mention that the student satisfaction is one of the lowest in the top 50 for Computer science.

Reading university is 35.5 miles from Ealing Broadway estimated 56 minutes by AA route planner. By limiting yourself to 1 hour rather than moving like most people do you are reducing your options greatly. There is no point applying to Kings without grade B as you will just get rejected. You need to find somewhere else. You are already restricted because you dont have A levels Maths and universities like UCL wont accept you so restricting yourself to living at home will make it far more difficult.