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 60

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by U.Ahmed

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.

Thanks and no problem!

Best of luck :smile:

Reply 61

Iqbal007

19

Original post by paddy__power

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.

Oh its Economics so it shouldn't be too bad, but i did quite bad in A2 as in U's in modules :/

Reply 62

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by Iqbal007

Oh its Economics so it shouldn't be too bad, but i did quite bad in A2 as in U's in modules :/

I see. You will just have to present the best case you can and hope it goes your way then - you can't do any more than that :smile:

Reply 63

ESAP

1

So generally speaking; would you say it was better to do a gap year and retake some modules/units to ensure you got the grades and then re-apply for first year entry or go to Uni and do well and attempt a second year entry even if your A level grades were slightly under?

Reply 64

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by ESAP

So generally speaking; would you say it was better to do a gap year and retake some modules/units to ensure you got the grades and then re-apply for first year entry or go to Uni and do well and attempt a second year entry even if your A level grades were slightly under?

The former, definitely.

Reply 65

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by ESAP

So generally speaking; would you say it was better to do a gap year and retake some modules/units to ensure you got the grades and then re-apply for first year entry or go to Uni and do well and attempt a second year entry even if your A level grades were slightly under?

To add to the above. It depends on what is important to you though....

Reply 66

ByronicHero

OP

20

Any ideas for additions?

Shameless bump I know :tongue:

Reply 67

PQ

PS Reviewer

21

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

First steps and initial correspondence

Spoiler

Another first step (IME): speak to someone on your current course about what you're thinking of doing. In my case the head of Yr 1 happened to supervise the PhD of the admissions tutor of the university I wanted to approach. So instead of me cold calling(emailling) I knew the name of who to talk to and the head of my current year had already put in a good word for me and let them know my email was coming.

In then end I got an offer letter that said "we'd be happy to have you - please apply through UCAS to make it official" and so the entire UCAS form was a formality.

It wont always work out so well but most tutors will be supportive of someone who is unhappy and wants to transfer and it IS part of their job to help you. They might know more about which courses are compatable (or incompatable) through experience in admissions or as an external examiner at your future university and so save some time sending emails that get a firm "no" answer.

Note: I didn't approach my tutor, I didn't really get on with him very well. I approached the head of the year because I liked him and felt like he knew me. There's no hard and fast rule about who you should speak to but it does make sense to speak to SOMEONE.

Reply 68

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by PQ

Another first step (IME): speak to someone on your current course about what you're thinking of doing. In my case the head of Yr 1 happened to supervise the PhD of the admissions tutor of the university I wanted to approach. So instead of me cold calling(emailling) I knew the name of who to talk to and the head of my current year had already put in a good word for me and let them know my email was coming.

In then end I got an offer letter that said "we'd be happy to have you - please apply through UCAS to make it official" and so the entire UCAS form was a formality.

It wont always work out so well but most tutors will be supportive of someone who is unhappy and wants to transfer and it IS part of their job to help you. They might know more about which courses are compatable (or incompatable) through experience in admissions or as an external examiner at your future university and so save some time sending emails that get a firm "no" answer.

Note: I didn't approach my tutor, I didn't really get on with him very well. I approached the head of the year because I liked him and felt like he knew me. There's no hard and fast rule about who you should speak to but it does make sense to speak to SOMEONE.

Hey, thanks for the reply :smile:

That was some strong luck on your part! I agree it will generally be useful to approach somebody and talk about why you want to leave and will include that in that section, thanks. In my experience they try to persuade you to stay though which is annoying (but only wastes a few minutes when you say no, lol) and this does rather pre-suppose that your reason for wanting to transfer is primarily academic with regard to needing the advice about courses. Irrespective of how useful it ends up being though it certainly can't hurt - especially as you will have to have a very similar conversation when it comes to getting a reference anyway(!), assuming not everyone has perfect connections like yourself :tongue:

I will have a think about the best way to word this - I will probably state it as the first thing to do after choosing prospective courses and such which I should also include actually! I need to alter a few other things as well which I will do later so if you have any other suggestions don't hesitate as I understand that everyone's experiences differ and my knowledge stems from only a handful of cases (directly) :smile:

Reply 69

Carnationlilyrose

18

Just a small bump.

Reply 70

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Just a small bump.

Thanks

Complete coincidence that I replied when it needed another bump of course :mmm:

Reply 71

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by paddy__power

Thanks

Complete coincidence that I replied when it needed another bump of course :mmm:

Of course. Somebody's going to get suspicious soon.

Reply 72

tomorei

In a weeks time I am about to attend a college/university belonging to the University of London, heres the question, I would hopefully like to transfer into UCL economics for my second year (From a different institiute of the university of london), what would I need to do?

I have read many different forums but written in previous years...

So do I basically just contact UCL (for example the head of the department) ?
Explaining situation asking for a placement? Filling in UCAS if i get the "yes" ?

Reply 73

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by tomorei

In a weeks time I am about to attend a college/university belonging to the University of London, heres the question, I would hopefully like to transfer into UCL economics for my second year (From a different institiute of the university of london), what would I need to do?

I have read many different forums but written in previous years...

So do I basically just contact UCL (for example the head of the department) ?
Explaining situation asking for a placement? Filling in UCAS if i get the "yes" ?

They all operate separate admissions processes with their own limits on students and such so I would assume the process is exactly the same although the chances of you knowing a member of staff with relevant connections is probably increased.

Reply 74

ByronicHero

OP

20

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Of course. Somebody's going to get suspicious soon.

They might, but I believe in the cause :tongue:

Reply 75

clandestine

tldr; last paragraph

I’m a Business student on a course that requires a sandwich year 40-week placement. I finished my second year with a 2:1 but rather than pursue a placement I decided to work on a business proposition with the intention that if it worked out I wouldn’t go back to uni. A year later, with no placement and no business (though I’m still working on it!), my course mates are starting their final year and my uni aren’t letting me back in. Perhaps it would’ve helped my cause if I had engaged in some meaningful communication with them and maybe, you know, argued my case a wee bit... but the truth is I don’t really rate the course and believe I can achieve more in the following two years than fulfil the placement and their final year (be it through this ‘business’ - or other...).

In my first year at college I ‘achieved’ grades UUE (law, business and economics, respectively). In my second year I persuaded my college to let me study both years of law concurrently, as well as retaking all my first year units of the two other subjects, and I left with grades ABD.

I went to disappointing secondary (recently learnt my year achieved a 33% five A*-C pass rate; which is not bad compared to the 27% my sister’s year achieved 3 years later – coincidentally the school’s last before it merged with an even worse failing school to form an Academy). Anyway, my point is that I walked through school without trying as I was ‘better’ than most of my mates (hey, I only got B’s and C’s (only eight too as the school took the policy to limit subjects so the students would do better overall (the theory anyway...))) and so went to sixth-form without the ability to study. I also had a bit of serious gambling problem while at college, placing football bets of around £250 per week and on several occasions £1000+ (funded by previous winnings, short term eBay moneymakers and EMA), which seemed far more important – or at least deeply preoccupying – than mere insignificant college work. I also didn’t harbour an ambition to go to university so I didn’t have much grade ambition other than ‘the best I can with whatever effort’s in my back pocket at the time...’.

So, I’ve had a brainwave (few and far between, but I think something happened up there): why don’t I redo my economics and business A-Level’s this year through self-study whilst working on my proposed business (requires investment of between £50k-£80k, the critical stumbling block, incidentally). My economics grade in particular has always bugged me as I do have some natural interest in the subject and I did fairly well in class discussions, but I never worked to grasp the critical mark-winning theories, and thus made myself feel stupid and give up. However, I’m probably not stupid and if I worked I reckon to could turn my A-Levels in AAA – or maybe even an A* in business.

I’m motivated to restudy A-Level economics one day regardless, but my question is: if I talk to other, better university’s now about courses with a very similar Business/Management syllabus to my current one, is there any chance of transferring straight into the third year next year, conditional on my achieving their entry requirements?

Thanks :redface:

Reply 76

Cirsium

19

Original post by clandestine

I’m motivated to restudy A-Level economics one day regardless, but my question is: if I talk to other, better university’s now about courses with a very similar Business/Management syllabus to my current one, is there any chance of transferring straight into the third year next year, conditional on my achieving their entry requirements?

Thanks :redface:

Either they'll have exams in 3rd year on 2nd year material that you won't have covered, or they'll have exams in 2nd year that you won't have covered. I've never heard of anyone being able to transfer into 3rd year of a different course, even at the same uni, unless it was very similar (e.g. Zoology instead of Biology).

Reply 77

Millz

14

You are not allowed to transfer into 3rd year, it is a straight no. However, you are able to transfer into second year, so give it a try.

Reply 78

clandestine

Thanks for the advice guys. I thought I'd heard of rare cases of third year transfers but I'm probably mistaken. I've just always felt I cheated myself by not working at college to achieve something closer to my potential and thus I probably haven't been as committed to my course as I should've.

I still like the idea of restudying economics as that D does grate at me but I appreciate it wouldn't win me a 3rd year transfer.

Thanks again. Any other opinions would be appreciated also. :smile:

Reply 79

blackjesus

This post has been extremely helpful to me and I thank you for this.

I started a thread earlier and was refered to this thread ..... below is what I posted.

I just finished my first year doing finance and Investment banking at the ICMA centre in Reading university and averaged around 84% for all 6 of my modules....
with 82% in macro and 84% in micro econ

I was wondering If i have a chance at transferring into the first year of LSE/UCL/warwick to do economics / economics and statistics?

The thing is I would have applied before but I picked the wrong combination of A levels and didn't do very well due to personal reasons...

A level results:
Mathematics - B
Economics - B
Urdu - B
Btec National certificate in Business - Double distinction....

GCSE results : 4 A*, 6 A & 2B

Now I know that my A levels were poor and my GCSEs were average, but I was wondering because I done reasonably well in my first year at uni if I have a chance at transferring into the first year of UCL/LSE/WARWICK economics...

I'm hoping to get into S&T/ER after graduation btw

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