Applying for English: Advice from an admissions tutor

Scroll to see replies

Hello all. I'm a university admissions tutor for English, and shouldn't really be on this site at all (it's yours), but I wanted to wade in for a moment just to endorse almost all of the advice initially posted here - I think this is really helpful. Broadly speaking, I think that all of this holds for most of the top-ranked English departments in the UK.

However, I wanted to add an important caveat, which is that whatever the crude fact of their entry tariff, all English departments administer admissions *slightly* differently. So, for example, my own department requires 360 UCAS points from 3 A levels - which translates to AAA, but ALSO translates to A*AB, and A*A*C. Our 'standard offer', in other words, has a bit more flexibility built into it than a 'standard offer' which stipulates AAA. This is the case for many other similar English departments, too.

I say this, not to big up my own department (which I won't name), but to point out that selection works slightly differently in different places. And, if in doubt, don't be afraid to contact the English department in question to ask for a bit more advice. Most won't mind in the slightest (they'd rather you were well-informed, and they don't want to waste your time), and you'll never disadvantage yourself, ever, by politely asking for more information.

All the other advice here - absolutely spot-on. Right, I'm off now. As you were.

what carnationlilyrose said. Please do feel free to stick around!

Reply 61

dinkypin

I have a question: I'm fairly widely read, but only from about Shakespeare onward. Do i put a note in my PS to the effect that 'yes, I know I haven't read enough ye olde Beowulf/Chaucer stuff, and I'm working on it this year' or just stay quiet and hope they don't notice?

Reply 62

hobnob

Original post by dinkypin

I don't think you need to feel so defensive about this... Going by the drafts I've reviewed, very few applicants mention medieval texts, and of those who do mention them, most seem to have read translations (or at best read parallel texts and glanced at the medieval text occasionally). It's not a problem if you can't cover all periods and genres in your PS.
So I'd say just focus on the things that you've read and feel confident talking about instead of wasting valuable space on explaining why you haven't read something yet.

Reply 63

ktlaurenroe

If the entry requirements say AAA-AAB, how often do they really give AAB offers? Like, an equal balance or more offers generally to AAA students, if you see what I mean.

Reply 64

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by ktlaurenroe

If the entry requirements say AAA-AAB, how often do they really give AAB offers? Like, an equal balance or more offers generally to AAA students, if you see what I mean.

I like your raccoons. It's usual to give the higher offer as the norm, with the lower one for specific circumstances like the school being a particularly low achieving one or if the candidate fulfils the requirements for local access schemes or other such circumstances. It's safest to assume you will get the higher one, as that will usually be the case.

Reply 65

ktlaurenroe

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Ahh okay, that makes sense. I'm only predicted AAB anyway so it might not be worth bothering :tongue:

And thanks! :h:

Reply 66

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by ktlaurenroe

Ahh okay, that makes sense. I'm only predicted AAB anyway so it might not be worth bothering :tongue:

And thanks! :h:

You could call and ask them what their policy is. As you have 5 choices, if this is your highest risk one, you might take a chance.

Reply 67

ktlaurenroe

Original post by carnationlilyrose

You could call and ask them what their policy is. As you have 5 choices, if this is your highest risk one, you might take a chance.

That's a good idea, I think I will :awesome:

it'd be my highest choice by far, so I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I took a chance on it - still four other choices if I get rejected. Thanks for your help :h:

Reply 68

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by ktlaurenroe

That's a good idea, I think I will :awesome:

it'd be my highest choice by far, so I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I took a chance on it - still four other choices if I get rejected. Thanks for your help :h:

No prob.

Reply 69

Brighter_Star

Thank you so much for this info, even though it has made me terribly insecure about my own Personal Statement :redface:

But better now than when I've submitted it, I suppose! There's some really good advice in this thread, but I was wondering about the bit on extra-curricular activities: is it okay to mention a few if they link back to your subject (like writing, a book club etc.), or would it be better to leave them out and focus more on reading? I'd be grateful to get some opinions :smile:

Reply 70

Minerva

Original post by Brighter_Star

Thank you so much for this info, even though it has made me terribly insecure about my own Personal Statement :redface:

You should certainly include something about your extra-curricular activities, but it's a few sentences at most.

Reply 71

Brighter_Star

Original post by Minerva

You should certainly include something about your extra-curricular activities, but it's a few sentences at most.

I've been worrying about the length of mine - I think I'll try to shorten it a bit then. Thanks!

Reply 72

Tobinobin

Hello, I have a few questions on things that are concerning me. I recently dropped out of studying Geography. I took English Literature and Film Studies modules in the second semester, and passed all my exams and received the certificate of higher education. My grades are listed below:

Certificate of Higher Education - Geography MA plus English Literature, Film Studies, Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Science modules
Advanced Higher Biology: C
Advanced Higher Geography: B
Advanced Higher English: B
Higher English: A
Higher Geography: A
Higher Biology: C
Higher Chemistry: C
Higher Computing: C

How valuable is the certificate in applying for English Literature? I realise it wasn't my major, but surely it shows I'm capable of first year university level of study (and at English to boot).

Also, I've spent a good amount of time doing very little; from my exams in March to now basically. I was so relieved to get out of my course, and had no idea on what I wanted to do. How should I deal with this if it came up / on my personal statement, and what would you recommend to improve my chances of getting into English in 2014? Related work experience perhaps? The university I have in mind is Glasgow, thanks.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 73

JM4UNI

Hi there,

Regarding this automatic rejection filter you speak of that universities use, what would happen in this case:

I have 4 A's at Scottish Higher Level and a further Advanced Higher A. I also have two Higher C's.

The course I have applied for has minimum entry requirements of BBBB.

The prospectus goes on to say offers are likely to be offered to those predicted to achieve 4 A's.

Which requirements will the filter use, the first or second?

Could you also in further detail explain how this filter works?

Thank you in advance.

Reply 74

hugowhittaker1

Thanks so much for this, it's going to be really helpful for my application. You have really done a fantastic job! :smile:

Reply 75

Tweek

Original post by carnationlilyrose

anyone spelling Jane Austen's name incorrectly is an automatic reject.

Must be York. The woman teaching English there is a massive Jane Austen fan to the point it scared me.

Reply 76

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Tweek

Must be York. The woman teaching English there is a massive Jane Austen fan to the point it scared me.

Actually, it isn't, but there are Janeites in every university.

Reply 77

Sapphire123

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Yesterday I attended a careers advisers' conference at what I'll refer to anonymously as a prestigious Russell Group university in the north of England, and I thought it might be worth posting here what the admissions tutor for English said in a workshop on applying successfully. There's nothing new or revolutionary here if you have a Head of Sixth or a tutor with experience, but not everyone's in that position, so it bears repeating just in case not everyone knows this. Although this was a conference at one specific university, the tutor confirmed that this was standard practice at comparable institutions.

•

If the grade requirements are, as in this case, AAA, there is no point at all in applying if you are not predicted AAA. There is an automatic rejection filter for this. A*AB is not an acceptable alternative either at the application stage or on results day.** See below

•

The personal statement is the most important element of the application after the predicted grades. (It won't get read if you haven't got the grades.)

•

GCSEs don't enter into the equation as long as the basic requirement has been met. Tutors recognise that people develop at different rates.

•

You must focus on the subject you are applying for and show awareness of the course content. An application for English and Theatre Studies which contains no reference to drama will be automatically rejected.

•

You must show a breadth of interest beyond the A level curriculum, and that means reading a wide range of literature in different genres and from different time periods. Only mentioning modern fiction will ensure that they will form the opinion that you are not going to handle the other aspects of the course. Above all, they want you to show a range of literary interests and intellectual curiosity.

•

Show, don't tell. Demonstrate the interest you are claiming to have. Don't make generic statements.

•

Give evidence of critical reflection on your experiences. It does not need to be positive. You can acknowledge the limitations of your experience thus far but use them as a springboard to demonstrate how much you are ready to learn. Don't try to claim you know everything already.

•

Minimise extracurricular content. I will quote the tutor exactly here: 'The more academic subjects, as opposed to vocational ones, at competitive, research-led universities want only minimal extracurricular details, if any at all.'

•

Spelling, punctuation and grammar really matter. A single typo won't get the application thrown out, but they are especially annoyed by applicants who cannot get the names of authors, books or characters right, and anyone spelling Jane Austen's name incorrectly is an automatic reject. (She really wasn't joking about this.)

As I say, nothing earthshatteringly new here, but this is the season for year 12s to start on the preliminary stages of applying and they haven't been through all this before, so it's useful to have a bit of a checklist at this stage.

**Edit: Since results day this year showed quite a different pattern to the previous year, people were much more successful in getting places in Clearing with grades such as A*AB for an AAA offer than had happened the year before. The advice still hasn't changed officially, but it's not black and white. I would still think carefully about having more than one high risk application

for universities like oxford is taking a gap year considered a bad thing?

Reply 78

Pandora.

Thanks for the brilliant advice on this thread, it's really helpful! :smile:

At AS level I got AAAB, but the B was in English. Naturally I'm gutted as I was hoping to apply to some of the very top unis, but fair enough, I don't mind. Presuming I'm predicted an A in A Level Literature, and As or A*s for the other two subjects, how will the B at AS affect my application? :smile:

I feel a bit 'first world problems' asking this, but I want to pick the right range of choices to maximise my chances. :smile:

Reply 79

Tweek

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Actually, it isn't, but there are Janeites in every university.

This worries me slightly. I'll never be able to speak out against Austen again at this rate.

This was a very helpful post however, so thank-you for posting.