University Transfer FAQ

Hello.

I noticed that there have recently been a reasonably high volume of questions about this and, as I cannot be bothered to always make the kind of detailed replies that are appropriate, I thought it would be good to make this thread. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions for improvements and additions because obviously the better this is the more useful it will be. It was written up very rapidly by me a little earlier and is subject to considerable editing at some point.

Feel free to suggest revisions.

Why do people transfer?

People decide to transfer for all manner of reasons; some do it because the course does not match their expectations and some because of personal considerations such as family illness and the need to be closer to home. Others simply don't enjoy themselves where they are or want to "upgrade" to a university they consider to be better. Whatever the reason, many people do transfer each year and it is not as difficult or time consuming as many people assume it to be.

However, it also isn't an easy option and there is absolutely no guarantee that you will be able to transfer at all, let alone to the university you want to transfer to. It is important you are making the decision for the right reasons and, in many instances, taking a gap year is probably a better option if you are already considering a transfer before you have even begun your course. You should not make any plans that are dependent on you definitely being able to make X transfer because you could very well end up disappointed.

However, it should be noted that you can also apply for first year entry to other courses while at university and in that case you may well be in a stronger position than many applicants as you will have university experience, hopefully more knowledge and possibly the expectation of achieving a Certificate/Diploma of Higher Education or certainly the corresponding amount of credits.

First steps and initial correspondence

Initially, before beginning a formal application, you will want to contact the universities you are interested in applying to to ask them whether or not they will formally consider your application. This is because a variety of things may impede your progress before you even begin. Some examples include the fact that not all departments, and indeed universities, accept transfer applicants and that the course you wish to apply for may already be full up which is more likely to be the case if you are applying later in the academic year long after the standard UCAS cycle.

There are two strategies with your initial message and I suggest the latter personally because it may well save you time, gives the impression you have done some research about the process and ultimately has no negative implications that can reasonably be attributed to it.

One: Simply email asking broadly about the prospect of applying for X course. The reply, if positive, will often ask you for some if not all of the things listed below.

Two: Send an email to the admission office, possibly a department specific one, providing the following information:

- Your name and current university course
- The university you are currently studying at
- The course you are interested in transferring to
- Your academic history, specifically your A levels (or equivalent) and the grades you achieved.
- The official module names and descriptions (and codes for their easy reference) of every module you are studying that year and the grades you have achieved so far.

If time is an issue then phoning is likely to get you an answer quicker. Ask for and note the name and job title of the person you speak to and have the above information on hand.

The UCAS Application

If one or more of the universities you contact inform you that they will formally consider your application based on the information you have provided then you will need to submit a UCAS application in much the same way as you have previously. The difference being that, when you enter the course choice, you need to state that it is for entry point 2 (or 3 if that is the case) if that is the year you will be entering at.

You will still need to pay for the processing of the application and the same rules apply as for all other applicants with regards to adding choices, changing choices and how much you have to pay.

You will still receive decisions via track and will still have to accept or decline them as before with regard to what the offer is, although we cover that a little later.

What about a reference?

While some universities will accept a reference from an old school teacher, much the same as your original application, many wont and those that do will still prefer something far more recent. The guidance from university admissions staff is that the reference should be made by somebody who is an academic member of staff at the university you attend and that the more senior their position the better. You of course need to strike a balance between this and ensuring the reference is representative of your abilities and, as such, many people choose to provide a reference from a class teacher rather than a senior lecturer, for example, which may ostensibly seem the better choice.

It is possible that the member of staff will never have had to write such a reference before so you need to be prepared to offer them guidance on this if they request it (although in my experience they will request it from the university they are providing he reference to). Much the same as your original reference it should outline how you are as a student and highlight your academic strengths and why they recommend you for study on your proposed course.

Here is where having a personable demeanor and having made good impressions on staff will serve you well. You should be aware that it can take quite a long time for a reference to be provided, especially if it is being provided by somebody with a great many commitments, so it is important to get the ball rolling on this swiftly.

Your reference it should outline how you are as a student and highlight your academic strengths and why they recommend you for study on your proposed course. You should be aware that it can take quite a long time for a reference to be provided, especially if it is being provided by somebody with a great many commitments, so it is important to get the ball rolling on this swiftly.

You can help them by getting a copy of your previous UCAS reference and letting them know about any mitigating circumstances.

What about a personal statement?

You will need to provide a personal statement with your application and ultimately it has the same requirements as for other applicants. Some people do choose to include information about why they want to make the switch here although this will often be asked by admissions staff and passed on to the relevant person(s) separately.

This is your chance to show them that you have used your year well and to communicate to them that you are the kind of person they want at their university. Different people employ different strategies here with some people targeting the university specifically if they are only applying to one and talking about why the specifics of that course interest them and some simply relay their interests and motivations and treat it the same as other PSs written for the standard UCAS application. There is no right or wrong answer, but the aim remains constant - to present a case for you being worth an offer.

Adding qualifications to UCAS

You need to include all previous qualifications (GCSEs, AS and A levels usually INCLUDING resits) as well as the dates of your university study. If you've attended university long enough to pass any modules then these also need to be added to your application as qualifications.This post explains how to add your university modules/study to your application.

UCAS deadlines for transfer students

For first year entry you will normally need to apply by the standard UCAS deadlines (15 January for most courses, 15 October for Oxbridge/Medicine/Dentistry/Vet courses).

Applying be the early 15 October deadline while at university isn't recommended. You're making it clear to the universities you apply to that you started on a degree course without intending to finish it. If you want to apply for a course/university that has the early deadline then it is FAR better to take a year out of education and do something else. Oxford say "Oxford does accept applications from students who are currently studying at another university. Your full academic record would be taken in to account in your application, including your A-levels (or other equivalent qualifications) and study at university level, so we would need evidence of your performance on your university course." This would only be possible if you applied to enter into Year 1 at Oxford at the start of your Second year elsewhere. Cambridge say "Cambridge Colleges will only, as a matter of principle, consider applications from students enrolled in a degree course at other UK universities in very exceptional circumstances. Any application to study at Cambridge would need strong support from your Course Director or other academic tutor at your current university." - again only possible if you apply at the start of your second year for entry into the start of a course at Cambridge.

Outside of courses with the early deadline most universities would only expect to get applications for transfer close to the January deadline. Applying too early will give the impression that you haven't made much effort to settle in at your current university.
Universities are sympathetic to applications for first year entry after the January deadline (so even if a course is closed to late applications it is often worth getting in touch). The January deadline is not normally applicable to applications for entry into second or third year - but you should aim to apply as early as possible.

What will my offer be contingent upon?

Essentially, anything they want it to be contingent upon.

Firstly, it is often - although not always - the case that your A levels must be at least reasonably similar to those of other students on the proposed course and policy on that will vary. Of course, a slight deficiency here can possibly be mitigated by improved attainment, evidenced in this case by the grades you are achieving at university currently.

Secondly, your offer will almost always (I say almost because, although I've never seen this not be the case, It would be inappropriate for me to say it with complete certainty) be contingent on obtaining a certain grade for the stage of study you are currently at. This may range simply from needing to pass the year, to having to achieve X percentage (often a 2:1) or to having to achieve a certain result in specific modules as well as meeting other conditions such as the aforementioned.

The onus will be on you to provide proof that you meet any conditions asked of you before your offer becomes unconditional and this will include providing A level documents (they often accept scans) and proof of your university results. You should be mindful of any deadlines for proving this poof and be proactive in providing it!

Other actions you will need to take and considerations

Obvious though it may seem, you have to remember to inform student finance about the change of circumstance and, dependent on the specifics, this may involve beginning a new application for finance which, if you are applying late in the day, may mean resubmitting financial information and other documents they require. Of course you should consult them about this but it is definitely something you need to consider.

As well as all of the above it is perfectly possible that you may have a phone conversation with staff at the university you have applied to in which you are asked about the course so you should not enter into the process without having done enough research to be able to provide a cogent, convincing case for why you have made the decision should it be required of you.

Student finance implications

Obvious though it may seem, you have to remember to inform student finance about the change of circumstance and, dependent on the specifics, this may involve beginning a new application for finance which, if you are applying late in the day, may mean resubmitting financial information and other documents they require. Of course you should consult them about this but it is definitely something you need to consider.

If you apply to continue your degree elsewhere without repeating or restarting a year then your finance eligibility should not be affected.
If you apply to restart or repeat a year elsewhere then this will count as using your "gift" year of funding. Everyone gets ONE gift year so any further additional years (if you need to restart again or fail and repeat a year) wouldn't be eligible for a tuition fee loan.
Transferring from a foundation year into year 1 of a degree without a foundation year will normally also count as using up your gift year.

This means it is important that you're confident that the change of university/course is right for you. If you're unsure or in doubt then speak to your current university about suspending your studies for a year - you can suspend your studies AND hold a deferred offer to give yourself time to make the right decision.

Transferring courses within the same university

While this thread is primarily concerned with transferring to a university other than the one you attend, it is common for questions to be asked about this so I thought I should include it. University policy, indeed departmental policy, will vary but generally the following is true. There are two main times you can transfer internally without having to restart the year.

At the beginning of the year

The exact window will vary, as will the availability and ease of the option as some universities offer this as a promulgated matter of course and others simply make provision for it if a student presents a case for it. Generally, your academic attainment prior to university - A Levels etc - will be the determining factor of whether or not the switch is approved but thee may also be a discussion akin to an informal interview with somebody relevant beforehand.

At the end of the year

Most universities (perhaps all) allow this, but you usually have to meet the same module prerequisites with regards to core modules as other students. For example, if you study course X and choose elective module Y which happens to be the only core module for course Z then in most cases you will be allowed to switch. Most common is people switching from joint honors to one of the two constituent subjects alone as they always satisfy the progression prerequisites with regard to module choice.

Practice may vary massively at some universities and it is always better to call or email them and ask in advance of any binding decisions as obviously the advice your university provides is of far more use to you.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 40

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by paddy__power

Thanks

If you have any suggestions feel free to let me know in here or PM me :yes:

Are you making it a sticky?

Reply 41

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Are you making it a sticky?

I don't have that power, unfortunately. Not here anyway!

I did want to but the powers that be want to see how much traffic it gets I think before they do that which is fair enough really :smile:

The hope is that, even if there are not many questions to be answered (as hopefully I should have addressed most) it can be kept relevant by merging threads pertaining to this into it and thus showing that it is worth being sticky.

Reply 42

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by paddy__power

I don't have that power, unfortunately. Not here anyway!

I did want to but the powers that be want to see how much traffic it gets I think before they do that which is fair enough really :smile:

The hope is that, even if there are not many questions to be answered (as hopefully I should have addressed most) it can be kept relevant by merging threads pertaining to this into it and thus showing that it is worth being sticky.

Oh, I see. I don't know how this kind of thing works. I think the subject is definitely worth making a sticky about, if only to let people know that transfering from a university perceived as 'not very good' to one which is 'higher up' is not as easy as they seem to think. The number of people who intend to do this would lead to some universities being only attended by first years who then absconded immediately afterwards.

Reply 43

judgejohndeed

5

Is it worth trying to transfer if you haven't met the A level grades for that particular uni? For example, I got AAB but if I were to transfer it'd be to an AAA uni...do you need the A levels required or does the first year of uni override this at all?

Reply 44

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by judgejohndeed

Is it worth trying to transfer if you haven't met the A level grades for that particular uni? For example, I got AAB but if I were to transfer it'd be to an AAA uni...do you need the A levels required or does the first year of uni override this at all?

You usually have to meet the entry criteria for the course.

Reply 45

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Oh, I see. I don't know how this kind of thing works. I think the subject is definitely worth making a sticky about, if only to let people know that transfering from a university perceived as 'not very good' to one which is 'higher up' is not as easy as they seem to think. The number of people who intend to do this would lead to some universities being only attended by first years who then absconded immediately afterwards.

I agree, very few people seem to be aware of how the process works in reality. There is still more for me to say about that to be honest and places where greater clarity can be achieved, but I wrote what is there with a pretty bad headache and I still have it so shall be making improvements at another time!

Reply 46

Iqbal007

19

Original post by paddy__power

University Transfer FAQ

Hello.

I noticed that there have recently been a reasonably high volume of questions about this and, as I cannot be bothered to always make the kind of detailed replies that are appropriate, I thought it would be good to make this thread. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions for improvements and additions because obviously the better this is the more useful it will be. It was written up very rapidly by me a little earlier and is subject to considerable editing at some point.

Let me know what you think please :smile:

Thanks

Why do people transfer?

Spoiler

First steps and initial correspondence

Spoiler

The UCAS Application

Spoiler

What about a reference?

Spoiler

What about a personal statement?

Spoiler

What will my offer be contingent upon?

Spoiler

Other actions you will need to take and considerations

Spoiler

You got anything for transferring course at the same uni?????????? (first year)

Reply 47

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by paddy__power

I agree, very few people seem to be aware of how the process works in reality. There is still more for me to say about that to be honest and places where greater clarity can be achieved, but I wrote what is there with a pretty bad headache and I still have it so shall be making improvements at another time!

Sorry about the headache. Possibly made worse by staring at a computer screen. Yes, including a warning about going to one university with the sole aim of 'trading up' might be a good idea. There really isn't an easy 'back door route' into a better university than your A levels allow, in most cases.

Reply 48

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by judgejohndeed

Is it worth trying to transfer if you haven't met the A level grades for that particular uni? For example, I got AAB but if I were to transfer it'd be to an AAA uni...do you need the A levels required or does the first year of uni override this at all?

There is no hard rule saying you have to have the grades, as there isn't if you apply normally, but the first year certainly doesn't override it. They will look at your application in context. Take English for example - if you have AAB and a first year percentage of 80% there is a reasonable chance that an AAA university will take you because, although your A levels were deficient, you have demonstrated a lot of ability or at least a willingness to work very hard. However, if you have AAB and a non-exceptional score it is rather less likely. The converse is also true - a university asking for BBB probably wouldn't take you if you tried to transfer with 47%.

It is a misconception that X automatically becomes more important than Y but obviously doing well enables you to present a stronger case. I do wish to impress upon you that even if you have 100% you will not be accepted if the modules are not sufficiently similar and they are not satisfied that what you have done has prepared you enough for their course.

Reply 49

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by Iqbal007

You got anything for transferring course at the same uni?????????? (first year)

That is very common.

It is usually possible in the fist few weeks if you meet A level prerequisites and after the first year if you meet module prerequisites - meaning you have passed the core modules for the subject you wish to switch to. University policy does vary though.

Reply 50

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Sorry about the headache. Possibly made worse by staring at a computer screen. Yes, including a warning about going to one university with the sole aim of 'trading up' might be a good idea. There really isn't an easy 'back door route' into a better university than your A levels allow, in most cases.

It is, but it struck when I was about 25 words into writing this and I was determined to get it sorted so just did my best. The screen is not helping but it isn't quite as bad now that I have taken in a lot of water which makes me think it may have been at least partially dehydration.

Yes, I will do some highlighting and such to make clear which are the salient points :smile:

Reply 51

Iqbal007

19

Original post by paddy__power

That is very common.

It is usually possible in the fist few weeks if you meet A level prerequisites and after the first year if you meet module prerequisites - meaning you have passed the core modules for the subject you wish to switch to. University policy does vary though.

thanks :/

Reply 52

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by Iqbal007

thanks :/

Why the face?

Is there something you don't understand?

Feel free to ask :smile:

Reply 53

Iqbal007

19

Original post by paddy__power

Why the face?

Is there something you don't understand?

Feel free to ask :smile:

Nah its because of my D is further maths :/ i flopped badly in A2 for it............ so i dont meet the entry requirements for the course i want to transfer to

Reply 54

U.Ahmed

9

I am going to be starting my first year next month and am hoping to transfer into the second year of another uni. My question is regarding my a levels. The university that I am hoping to transfer to has higher a levels requirements than I currently have. I am planning to retake some units while at university to bump up my a level grades to be able to transfer.
Do you think the university will mind about this and how would I go about explaining all this to them?
Thanks for your help.

Reply 55

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by Iqbal007

Nah its because of my D is further maths :/ i flopped badly in A2 for it............ so i dont meet the entry requirements for the course i want to transfer to

It is worth contacting them and asking anyway especially if your university course has a maths element that is more difficult than FM whereby you can show that you are more capable than that. Never be afraid to ask them as the worst they can do is say no.

Reply 56

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by U.Ahmed

I am going to be starting my first year next month and am hoping to transfer into the second year of another uni. My question is regarding my a levels. The university that I am hoping to transfer to has higher a levels requirements than I currently have. I am planning to retake some units while at university to bump up my a level grades to be able to transfer.
Do you think the university will mind about this and how would I go about explaining all this to them?
Thanks for your help.

I won't second guess how much they will or won't mind as it will vary massively but they will of course take it into consideration. You will be engaged in a certain amount of email discourse prior to making a formal application and then is the time do express any and all information that you feel contextualises your application. :smile:

Reply 57

U.Ahmed

9

Original post by paddy__power

I won't second guess how much they will or won't mind as it will vary massively but they will of course take it into consideration. You will be engaged in a certain amount of email discourse prior to making a formal application and then is the time do express any and all information that you feel contextualises your application. :smile:

Thanks for that, really helped. It's just I have one of my a levels which is a mile off what they require so I am retaking this, which is something I was going to do regardless of transferring to another university. When they ask for my a level grades would I tell them what I have got or would I say it is 'pending'.
Thanks once again.

Reply 58

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by U.Ahmed

Thanks for that, really helped. It's just I have one of my a levels which is a mile off what they require so I am retaking this, which is something I was going to do regardless of transferring to another university. When they ask for my a level grades would I tell them what I have got or would I say it is 'pending'.
Thanks once again.

You would tell them what you have but that you are retaking it, and include some excuse about why you did badly the first time. Officially, on the UCAS form, you would put it twice - once as D and once as pending with the different dates as appropriate :smile:

Reply 59

U.Ahmed

9

Original post by paddy__power

You would tell them what you have but that you are retaking it, and include some excuse about why you did badly the first time. Officially, on the UCAS form, you would put it twice - once as D and once as pending with the different dates as appropriate :smile:

Oh I understand it now. Thank you so much. This is a really good thread, very helpful and a very good idea to put it together.
Thanks.

University Transfer FAQ

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you