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Applying for biology at imperial!

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Original post by AndyChow
Your school probably will put it in reference


Completely depends on school/college. Some might, some will not. Equally if you have just 80% UMS and your school doesn't put it in the reference it will not be counted against you. As the offer is only AAA having more than 80% UMS doesn't making a massive difference.
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Reply 21
Original post by Munrot07
Don't be sorry, ask as much as you want :smile:

For work experience I did 2 weeks in a cat rescue shelter and 2 weeks with the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (i.e. 2 weeks with domestic animals and 2 weeks with wild animals) and then linked this to looking at their behaviour, their ecology etc.

Something like that is quite good. It depends what area you want to go into. I'm going down the evolution route. If you like microbiology or biochemistry get some lab experience.

It shouldn't be awful that you don't do too much extra curricular stuff. If you just have one thing that should be enough (if you can link it to skills that would be useful)


wow, your work experience sounds perfect for the route you're going down! Lab experience is very difficult to find, though I'll give it a good shot! I've also visited various exhibitions that have been related to ecology though I plan to go down the microbiology route, should I still mention them? Thank you so much btw, you're a legend really!
Original post by rainfallin
wow, your work experience sounds perfect for the route you're going down! Lab experience is very difficult to find, though I'll give it a good shot! I've also visited various exhibitions that have been related to ecology though I plan to go down the microbiology route, should I still mention them? Thank you so much btw, you're a legend really!


Still mention them as you are applying for the general biology degree (rather than the microbiology degree). I know it can be quite hard to find lab work so don't worry if you don't get it but definitely do some reading on microbiology (especially your preferred area...Ebola is an obvious choice for how important it is and it is very interesting and a very clever virus but there are many other important areas you could look up).
Reply 23
Original post by Munrot07
Still mention them as you are applying for the general biology degree (rather than the microbiology degree). I know it can be quite hard to find lab work so don't worry if you don't get it but definitely do some reading on microbiology (especially your preferred area...Ebola is an obvious choice for how important it is and it is very interesting and a very clever virus but there are many other important areas you could look up).


Ahh, I will do so! Also, when I was looking at the course structure at the open day, they mentioned tropical biology and I was wondering what that module consists of? I'm really interested in tropical diseases etc.

I read that they do a year abroad, too. How easy is it to go on a year abroad? Is there any specific requirements? :smile:
Original post by rainfallin
Ahh, I will do so! Also, when I was looking at the course structure at the open day, they mentioned tropical biology and I was wondering what that module consists of? I'm really interested in tropical diseases etc.

I read that they do a year abroad, too. How easy is it to go on a year abroad? Is there any specific requirements? :smile:


I haven't done the tropical module but you basically go abroad for a module and do field work. Apart from that I don't really know much about it :/

By a year abroad do you mean the research abroad option? There is also a year in industry but that is local I believe. Again, I haven't done this so I don't know a great deal but I do know you need to be pretty much fluent in the language of the country you want to work in. Apart from that I don't think there are many requirements. You might need to average a certain grade across the first two years as well (A 2:1 I think but don't quote me :P )
Reply 25
Original post by Munrot07
I haven't done the tropical module but you basically go abroad for a module and do field work. Apart from that I don't really know much about it :/

By a year abroad do you mean the research abroad option? There is also a year in industry but that is local I believe. Again, I haven't done this so I don't know a great deal but I do know you need to be pretty much fluent in the language of the country you want to work in. Apart from that I don't think there are many requirements. You might need to average a certain grade across the first two years as well (A 2:1 I think but don't quote me :P )


yeah, I was referring to research abroad. I was thinking maybe I could learn a language with the horizons programme, would that maybe help me to get a research year abroad? I know that's very forward thinking but its been on my mind a lot! Also, I was considering doing the EPQ but I'm worried it'll make me very stressed. Do you think I should? I feel like my application form would be enough with mentioning exhibitions, wider reading, work experience and volunteering though I could maybe do the EPQ if it would make it better?
Original post by rainfallin
yeah, I was referring to research abroad. I was thinking maybe I could learn a language with the horizons programme, would that maybe help me to get a research year abroad? I know that's very forward thinking but its been on my mind a lot! Also, I was considering doing the EPQ but I'm worried it'll make me very stressed. Do you think I should? I feel like my application form would be enough with mentioning exhibitions, wider reading, work experience and volunteering though I could maybe do the EPQ if it would make it better?


Horizons could help but it would be good if you have a good base in one language so you could start horizons at perhaps level 3 rather than level 1.

An EPQ probably wouldn't have that much to your application.
Reply 27
Original post by Munrot07
Horizons could help but it would be good if you have a good base in one language so you could start horizons at perhaps level 3 rather than level 1.

An EPQ probably wouldn't have that much to your application.


I'm guessing you didn't take the EPQ, right? I also attended an Easter school (which was at Oxford) and the topic was called 'looking for the cure to cancer', do you think this is also worth mentioning?

I took Spanish GCSE, as you can see. I got A* in both exams but my coursework brought it down to a B because my teacher wouldn't help us at all! :frown: Do you think this would be a good place to start?
Original post by rainfallin
I'm guessing you didn't take the EPQ, right? I also attended an Easter school (which was at Oxford) and the topic was called 'looking for the cure to cancer', do you think this is also worth mentioning?

I took Spanish GCSE, as you can see. I got A* in both exams but my coursework brought it down to a B because my teacher wouldn't help us at all! :frown: Do you think this would be a good place to start?


I didn't do an EPQ (my school didn't offer anything like that).

It might be an idea to mention the easter school :smile:

That is a good start for a language :smile: So perhaps do level 2 or level 3 spanish :smile: (Level 2 = GCSE, level 3 = A level).
Reply 29
Original post by Munrot07
I didn't do an EPQ (my school didn't offer anything like that).

It might be an idea to mention the easter school :smile:

That is a good start for a language :smile: So perhaps do level 2 or level 3 spanish :smile: (Level 2 = GCSE, level 3 = A level).


That sounds great! I wanted to take Spanish at AS-Level but the teaching of languages at my school is pretty bad.. :frown:

I also participated in the Cambridge chemistry challenge and was mentored by a biotechnician for a period of 10 weeks, should I mention either of these?
Original post by rainfallin
That sounds great! I wanted to take Spanish at AS-Level but the teaching of languages at my school is pretty bad.. :frown:

I also participated in the Cambridge chemistry challenge and was mentored by a biotechnician for a period of 10 weeks, should I mention either of these?


Both of them are fine to mention :smile:
Reply 31
Original post by Munrot07
Both of them are fine to mention :smile:


Do you do much lab work? Plus, I've heard that your grades in your first year don't count, is this true?
Original post by rainfallin
Do you do much lab work? Plus, I've heard that your grades in your first year don't count, is this true?


Grades in your first year do definitely count. Year 1 = 11.1% of degree. Year 2 - 33.3% and year 3 = 55.6%

We do quite a bit of lab work. About 20 2-3 hour long practicals across the year including one where you design, run and present a practical. Theres enough practical stuff for people who like it and not too much so it kills the people who hate it.
Reply 33
Original post by Munrot07
Grades in your first year do definitely count. Year 1 = 11.1% of degree. Year 2 - 33.3% and year 3 = 55.6%

We do quite a bit of lab work. About 20 2-3 hour long practicals across the year including one where you design, run and present a practical. Theres enough practical stuff for people who like it and not too much so it kills the people who hate it.


great! :smile: Do you think a biology degree is worth it though? I see lots of people saying it's difficult to find a job with a biology degree and that there's low wages, which worries me. :/
Original post by rainfallin
great! :smile: Do you think a biology degree is worth it though? I see lots of people saying it's difficult to find a job with a biology degree and that there's low wages, which worries me. :/


Depends what you want to do with your life. The fact you have a good degree, with lots of skills, from a top university will go a long way at getting you into a lot of jobs and Imperial has one of the highest rates of employment after leaving university. What do you want to do when you leave?
Original post by Munrot07
Depends what you want to do with your life. The fact you have a good degree, with lots of skills, from a top university will go a long way at getting you into a lot of jobs and Imperial has one of the highest rates of employment after leaving university. What do you want to do when you leave?


Not directed to me but I want to be a banker or management consultant after graduating
Original post by Brownclown
Not directed to me but I want to be a banker or management consultant after graduating


I can speak for every job but it is definitely possible. Especially if you did the year in management maybe? That would definitely make you look quite appealing, definitely if you also did some business school courses as well.
Original post by Munrot07
I can speak for every job but it is definitely possible. Especially if you did the year in management maybe? That would definitely make you look quite appealing, definitely if you also did some business school courses as well.


I don't even think the management year is that necessary. From what I've gathered on tsr to get into banking you need a reasonably quantitative/rigorous degree from a top uni. Biology at either UCL or imperial would be fine theoretically

Wouldn't my ps be all over the place if I suddenly start mentioning management when inly 1/5 of my choices has management in it?
Original post by Brownclown
I don't even think the management year is that necessary. From what I've gathered on tsr to get into banking you need a reasonably quantitative/rigorous degree from a top uni. Biology at either UCL or imperial would be fine theoretically

Wouldn't my ps be all over the place if I suddenly start mentioning management when inly 1/5 of my choices has management in it?


You don't need to mention it at all. As far as I know you can apply for Biology and then in a later year ask if you can switch to the management course.
Original post by Munrot07
You don't need to mention it at all. As far as I know you can apply for Biology and then in a later year ask if you can switch to the management course.


Cool thanks :smile:

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