How difficult is Science Access to HE?

OP

Optometry 3 year bsc, very few uni's offer it, some don't even accept Access so i'm limited to either Plymouth or Manchester. Maybe Cardiff still waiting for them to clarify.
Not sure if it would be worth Access to HE if i can only apply at 2 unis though.

Anglia and Aston don't accept Access. Bradford does but requires double science GCSE as well as Access which I cant do along side Access due to workload

Reply 3

Schadenfreude65

14

It doesn't matter that you've been out of education for 7 years. I had over 30 years between leaving school and starting an Access course. I never felt that I was at a disadvantage because of that gap, and achieved distinctions in all modules. It will help if you are well prepared before you start, so that you can achieve distinctions right from the beginning. I would recommend doing some reading up on the subjects that you will be studying between now and the start of the course.

Reply 4

gelplate

2

I'm worried too. Not sure whether to just opt out for A levels.

Reply 5

Original post by ALittleLost25

Optometry 3 year bsc, very few uni's offer it, some don't even accept Access so i'm limited to either Plymouth or Manchester. Maybe Cardiff still waiting for them to clarify.
Not sure if it would be worth Access to HE if i can only apply at 2 unis though.

Anglia and Aston don't accept Access. Bradford does but requires double science GCSE as well as Access which I cant do along side Access due to workload

That's a shame, I have completed Access to Science and have been accepted by Aston. I left college 15 years ago.

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Wotcher

That's a shame, I have completed Access to Science and have been accepted by Aston. I left college 15 years ago.

You must have double science GCSE

Reply 7

Yes I did have double science, but the uni had no way of checking. I think UCAS can only check records as far back as 7 years.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by Wotcher

Yes I did have double science, but the uni had no way of checking. I think UCAS can only check records as far back as 7 years.

The uni requires all your GCSE certificates, if you don't have them you have to buy new copies from the exam board.

Reply 9

Your exam board is still in existence then? Mine wasn't, and I lost my original certs. I managed to track down the records though. A friend on my course had the same problem. He was told by his uni admissions team not to worry, that if he couldn't provide his gcse certs there was no way they could check (as he took his over 7 years ago). As long as he passed the Access course they weren't too worried about his gcse. That might have been because of the type of undergraduate degree he is doing.

Reply 10

OP

Not sure how you got accepted for Aston tbh:

Typical Offers

A Levels: AAA if an applicant is taking two sciences. AAB if an applicant is taking three sciences.

IB: 34 points overall, including 6 points in Higher Level Biology and 6 points in Higher Level Chemistry or Physics, 5 points in Higher Level Maths or 6 points in Standard Level Maths and 5 points in Standard Level English.

Access: We do not accept Access courses for entry to this degree.

Reply 11

TheThiefOfBagdad

Original post by ALittleLost25

Optometry 3 year bsc, very few uni's offer it, some don't even accept Access so i'm limited to either Plymouth or Manchester. Maybe Cardiff still waiting for them to clarify.
Not sure if it would be worth Access to HE if i can only apply at 2 unis though.

Anglia and Aston don't accept Access. Bradford does but requires double science GCSE as well as Access which I cant do along side Access due to workload

I'm fairly sure that Cardiff do accept access diplomas as someone on my course applied there for optometry.
If you want an idea of the type of assignments you'll be asked to do, then pm me and I can send you some.

Reply 12

Even though I quoted your post, I've only just realised you want to do optometry, I'm doing a different degree and I was just giving a general opinion. Sorry for the mix-up.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 13

OP

Original post by TheThiefOfBagdad

I'm fairly sure that Cardiff do accept access diplomas as someone on my course applied there for optometry.
If you want an idea of the type of assignments you'll be asked to do, then pm me and I can send you some.

I just called Cardiff as their admissions officer was in today. He said they don't accept access, it would have to be A levels.
Not sure if the person on your course knew that, but if not it sounds like its a wasted application

Reply 14

skeptical_john

Do ASton just not accept it for your course?

Original post by ALittleLost25

A course at uni i'm interested in wants these results:

Overall 60 credits are required with 45 at Level 3. Minimum of 15 credits in Biology with a Distinction grade, plus minimum of 15 credits in Chemistry with a Distinction grade and further 15 credits with Distinction.

Is this realistically achievable for someone who hasn't been in education for 7 years?

I did A2HE humanities last year and got 45/45 distinctions. It is possible but it mean you have to hit the ground running. Who is asking for this by the way as I checked a couple of Russel group unis and they at most wanted 36 at distinction.

Original post by ALittleLost25

Optometry 3 year bsc, very few uni's offer it, some don't even accept Access so i'm limited to either Plymouth or Manchester. Maybe Cardiff still waiting for them to clarify.
Not sure if it would be worth Access to HE if i can only apply at 2 unis though.

Anglia and Aston don't accept Access. Bradford does but requires double science GCSE as well as Access which I cant do along side Access due to workload

Do Aston just not accept it for your course? As I had an offer from them for access.

EDIT: had a look at the aston page they are quite explicit about access.

Lets put it this way getting 45 distinctions in access is easier (probably by some distance) than getting AAA in the 3 a-levels in a year.

For this specific degree you may be better finding somewhere that does evening courses in a-levels over 2 years?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 15

TheThiefOfBagdad

Original post by ALittleLost25

I just called Cardiff as their admissions officer was in today. He said they don't accept access, it would have to be A levels.
Not sure if the person on your course knew that, but if not it sounds like its a wasted application

They may well have been chatting ****, tbh. (They didn't complete the course anyway.)

Reply 16

OP

Original post by skeptical_john

Do ASton just not accept it for your course?

I did A2HE humanities last year and got 45/45 distinctions. It is possible but it mean you have to hit the ground running. Who is asking for this by the way as I checked a couple of Russel group unis and they at most wanted 36 at distinction.

Do Aston just not accept it for your course? As I had an offer from them for access.

Must just be for my course.
Well the only uni I could go to without doing GCSEs is Plymouth, they ask for:

45 L3 credits of which 30 must be at distinction level including 15 level 3 credits from biology/chemistry/physics/psychology or maths. The remaining 15 credits have to be at merit level. Must have GCSE grade C or above in English and maths or be taking them.
Which is reasonable. But i dont want to take a year out to do an Access to HE and only have one uni to apply to, which might reject me for whatever reason.

Bradford want: Applicants on Access Programmes:Meet UCAS tariff of 136. Science, Medicine, Science and Engineering, Dentistry, Pharmacy or Medical Sciences accepted.Plus minimum of:Five GCSEs at grade C or grade 4 to include English Language, Maths (note: GCSE English Language and Mathematics equivalences will not be accepted) and at least one of the following: Double Award Science, Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
Those applying with Access courses are only required to have GCSE English Language and Maths, plus one Science subject (Double Award Science, Biology, Chemistry or Physics) at grade C or grade 4.

Aston, Anglia Ruskin, Cardiff, City and Herts don't accept access.

Glasgow i'm not sure about but its absolutely miles from my home address so i'd rather not attend there. This leaves me with Manchester who, when i rang them up, require a B grade Maths GCSE, I got a C. She said I probably wouldn't be considered with the C grade as its quite maths intensive. But then went on to say that there are maths modules in Access which 'might make up for it'.
Its ironic that the admissions officer at Plymouth was by far the nicest to talk to, but am I just beating a dead horse pursuing something I can only do at 1 uni?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 17

skeptical_john