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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 8 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 100

ByronicHero

Original post

by carnationlilyrose

Well, it's a question which crops up with tedious regularity, so I think there's a good case for it. I'd help you bump it, but I don't think just the two of us doing it would count as legitimate traffic, alas.

I think so as well but the traffic, I'm assured, is not as regular as some other stickies and as not as many threads need to be merged the case isn't as strong because they use the stickies for ease as much as anything else. Fair enough as they know better than I how to run the forum and all but I definitely think this should stick around even if it does so by virtue of my declaring any time I make an addition or something semi-legitimate.

Feel free to post occasionally suggesting a font change of a sentence that should be bold :tongue:

Reply 101

ladybird22

HI GUYS,

I am planning to transfer to a different univerisity to do my second year.Application is again through UCAS,what shall i put into my personal statement?Do i need to explain why i transfer?Or, do i simply write a statement as if im applying for the first year?

Thanks

Reply 102

godknows

can u do tht :redface:

Reply 103

ScarletBeads

Can you only transfer at the end of one year for entry into the beginning of another year, or can you transfer at other points during the year?

If you can during the year, do you still do it through UCAS?

Is this the same for transferring onto part-time courses?

If I were to transfer at the end of this year, at the new uni would I pay the higher fees? As in the fees for 2012 entrants rather than 2011 entrants?

(Sorry for all the questions! Would rather ask them in one go than keep pestering you with them..)

I'm currently doing Psychology at Glasgow, but want to go back down to London for personal reasons. But I want to explore my options before I think about it any further or make a decision. (And there doesn't seem to be much useful information on transfers anywhere, besides the OP of this thread. :biggrin:

)

Reply 104

ladybird22

sure you can,providing it is the same degree of course

Reply 105

godknows

oooh wow ... so if I get a good score in my first yr then i can try for a better univ to do the 2nd year ? im sorry btw tht im of no help .. im myself finding out about this now

Reply 106

ladybird22

I am transferring not to a better uni but to a closer to home one

Reply 107

EffieFlowers

Perhaps you should just email the admission department first of that other uni first? I'm not sure.

Reply 108

ByronicHero

Original post

by ladybird22

That's up to you really but, as stated in the first post, the aim of the statement is broadly the same as it would be if you were applying for the first time.

Original post

by godknows

oooh wow ... so if I get a good score in my first yr then i can try for a better univ to do the 2nd year ? im sorry btw tht im of no help .. im myself finding out about this now

You can try but a good first year score does not guarantee anything.

Original post

by EffieFlowers

Perhaps you should just email the admission department first of that other uni first? I'm not sure.

Of course you should.

Reply 109

ByronicHero

Original post

by ScarletBeads

Can you only transfer at the end of one year for entry into the beginning of another year, or can you transfer at other points during the year?

Very specific situations excepted, no you can't transfer part way through a year. There are cases of people who have been on a waiting list for university X but have already started university Y changing part way through but this is obviously rather different.

Is this the same for transferring onto part-time courses?

As far as I know, yes. I am no expert on this specifically but if the admission procedure in general is the same as full time courses then it will be for this. If in doubt I would just email the university you wish to take up a course at and ask them :smile:

If I were to transfer at the end of this year, at the new uni would I pay the higher fees? As in the fees for 2012 entrants rather than 2011 entrants?

No, as you started your course under the old system. If you start a new course, however, you will pay the new fees.

(Sorry for all the questions! Would rather ask them in one go than keep pestering you with them..)

I'm currently doing Psychology at Glasgow, but want to go back down to London for personal reasons. But I want to explore my options before I think about it any further or make a decision. (And there doesn't seem to be much useful information on transfers anywhere, besides the OP of this thread. :biggrin:

)

No problem, and indeed - that's why I made it :smile:

Reply 110

godknows

Original post

by paddy__power

That's up to you really but, as stated in the first post, the aim of the statement is broadly the same as it would be if you were applying for the first time.

You can try but a good first year score does not guarantee anything.

Of course you should.

Hey it says tht u r a PS helper.. im finding it EXTREMELY hard to get started with my personal statement... by any chance is it possible if I could send u the first 2-3 lines I hav been managed to write yet.. for u to hav a look at n to giv me a bit of feedback.. once I do the first paragraph I am pretty sure I will flow through the rest I just always find it hard to GET STARTED when doin essay writing :frown:

Reply 111

ByronicHero

Original post

by godknows

Sure

Reply 112

godknows

Original post

by paddy__power

Sure

sorry but i dont know where to send it cauz it doesnt give me an option to send you a personal message on ur profile

Reply 113

ByronicHero

Original post

by godknows

sorry but i dont know where to send it cauz it doesnt give me an option to send you a personal message on ur profile

Never post any of your statement in the open forum except in the PS help part where we review completed drafts. If you want me to look at it then send it to me in a personal message (click my name and it is one of the options) :smile:

Reply 114

godknows

Original post

by paddy__power

thank you

Reply 115

ByronicHero

Original post

by godknows

thank you

I will take a look in a little bit and no problem :smile:

Reply 116

tealandtaup

But who will be the one to write the recommendation--- manchester lecturers or is it just the same old recommendation written by the high school teacher which was used for the first time application that will be submitted?

Reply 117

ByronicHero

Original post

by tealandtaup

A member of staff at the university you currently attend. Look at the University Transfer FAQ (the pink one) and read the reference part.

Edit: OP of this.

Reply 118

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post

by paddy__power

and would remind you that you may well get a CertHE to show for your efforts the previous year

That's probably worth adding in some form to the OP - when you're feeling miserable and just want to get out of somewhere you hate it is sometimes worth making the effort to pass the year in order to get an early exit award (CertHE for yr 1 or DipHE for yr 2). I know not all universities offer this for all courses but it's another thing to ask about when you're talking to someone at your current uni about transferring/leaving.

(also *bump* :wink:

)

Reply 119

ByronicHero

Original post

by PQ

)

Agreed, you can also get a diploma (of continuing education I believe) for 60 credits sometimes although I think that is less common.

I thought I had mentioned this but obviously not :frown:

I have actually been pretty awful and have not updated this yet but it will happen and all the suggestions will be added XD