This discussion is now closed.
Check out other Related discussions
- Student nurse and criminal record
- PGCE with a criminal conviction?
- Drug Driving Conviction and being able to study nursing?
- USA Exchange Programme with Police Caution (J1 Visa)
- Studying with a conviction from 25 years ago
- Concern About Past Criminal Conviction Affecting Future Career in Finance
- Trump verdict: Former president found guilty in hush-money case
- Rejected, by uni, for failure to respond to communications
- Harvey Weinstein’s New York convictions quashed by state’s apex court
- applying to become HCPC registered with a conviction?
- Barrister / solicitor with criminal record?
- Niha's experience studying psychology
- Fare evasion
- Mistakenly ticked the ‘criminal record’ button on UCAS
- University of Manchester CAS and Email
- LNAT Prep.
- Have I got any chance of getting into the military with my history?
- For harrasment does someone get a warning first or no warning
- Hunter Biden guilty of all charges in gun trial
- Getting pin after completing degree
Criminal Convictions and University.
Hello all,
This has always been a curiosity to me, the thread name pretty much says it all.
But what I'd like to know is, is it absolutely pointless in applying for university if you have a criminal conviction?
Am not saying this because I have one, but a really close friend of mine has just came out of prison and although the stereotypical view of 'criminals' are that they are uneducated, my friend is in fact totally the opposite. He managed to finish his A-Levels (3 A's) before his court hearing and procedure but did end up serving time in prison.
So I'm writing this on his behalf really, and would like to know whether its useless of him even trying to apply for university? and would like to know what would his chances of being a successful applicant?
He was a total bookworm before the whole prison/offense/jail situation, and it's basically one particular stupid, naive moment that's hindered his chances of University and probably really wrecked his life.
I would also like to know what would be considered as a 'serious' crime? and what course he would definitely be unable to apply for?
Thanks for your time.
This has always been a curiosity to me, the thread name pretty much says it all.
But what I'd like to know is, is it absolutely pointless in applying for university if you have a criminal conviction?
Am not saying this because I have one, but a really close friend of mine has just came out of prison and although the stereotypical view of 'criminals' are that they are uneducated, my friend is in fact totally the opposite. He managed to finish his A-Levels (3 A's) before his court hearing and procedure but did end up serving time in prison.
So I'm writing this on his behalf really, and would like to know whether its useless of him even trying to apply for university? and would like to know what would his chances of being a successful applicant?
He was a total bookworm before the whole prison/offense/jail situation, and it's basically one particular stupid, naive moment that's hindered his chances of University and probably really wrecked his life.
I would also like to know what would be considered as a 'serious' crime? and what course he would definitely be unable to apply for?
Thanks for your time.
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
You should advise your friend to still apply. After all he's fully capable of achieving. However do expect rejections...I guess it depends where he's applying really. Uni's aren't allowed to discriminate (but this doesn't mean they won't), maybe he could try and slip in his troubled history in his personal statement but make it seem as though it's soooo not his fault. But don't dwell too much on it.
Hope that helps,
GOOD LUCK
xxxx
Hope that helps,
GOOD LUCK
xxxx
Reply 3
Spudder
Depends what he did. All I know is that if it was a drugs thing, don't apply for pharmacology.
Heh.
Depends what the crime was - presumably something quite serious to get prison time, and that almost certainly precludes medicine, and I think Vet Med/pharmacology type courses, at least in the immediate future.
Otherwise, a criminal conviction is not a bar to getting a place at university. Most universities run a process whereby you are considered for a place on the basis of your academic background. Thereafter, it may be for example that if you have a history of violence or drug dealing, you won't be offered university accommodation (duty of care to other students). With three A's your friend should still be a strong candidate for the Uni of his choice.
Otherwise, a criminal conviction is not a bar to getting a place at university. Most universities run a process whereby you are considered for a place on the basis of your academic background. Thereafter, it may be for example that if you have a history of violence or drug dealing, you won't be offered university accommodation (duty of care to other students). With three A's your friend should still be a strong candidate for the Uni of his choice.
You have to put yourself in the university's position. If a there's nothing to choose between two applicants except one has a criminal record - you know what's going to happen. However, your friend is an AAA student, so a suitable course at an ABB university is certainly on the table.
Also, the reference is going to be crucial. A strong recommendation from a college tutor might help to even things up
Isn't discrimation the whole point any sort of selection?
Also, the reference is going to be crucial. A strong recommendation from a college tutor might help to even things up
jusambitious
Uni's aren't allowed to discriminate
Isn't discrimation the whole point any sort of selection?
As I understand it, he has no need to declare spent convictions, they are spent and should now be considered irrelevant. It is illegal to discriminate because of them (although admissions tutors undoubtably know how to discriminate without being caught).
The exception, is for specific courses where there is contact with vulnerable people (medicine, dentistry, nursing, etc.) or where the degree leads into a specific field (law, teaching etc.) where they may be expected to have a CRB check or a Enhanced CRB check.
If this is the case, he would be strongly adviced to declare this beforehand, with or shortly after application, to someone senior in the admissions department. It's likely that if it is a serious offence that could compromise his place that there will be a meeting to discuss his case, how that works depends very much on the university and the course.
'Serious' offences vary, for law, I believe that any offense other than traffic offenses are serious whereas for nursing, say, they would be more interested in violence and the like.
I'm not convinced that different universities have different policies, certainly there's no 'Cambridge won't take you, but Oxofrd Brokes might' kind of differentiation.
Some idea of crime and course would provide a more thorough answer.
The exception, is for specific courses where there is contact with vulnerable people (medicine, dentistry, nursing, etc.) or where the degree leads into a specific field (law, teaching etc.) where they may be expected to have a CRB check or a Enhanced CRB check.
If this is the case, he would be strongly adviced to declare this beforehand, with or shortly after application, to someone senior in the admissions department. It's likely that if it is a serious offence that could compromise his place that there will be a meeting to discuss his case, how that works depends very much on the university and the course.
'Serious' offences vary, for law, I believe that any offense other than traffic offenses are serious whereas for nursing, say, they would be more interested in violence and the like.
I'm not convinced that different universities have different policies, certainly there's no 'Cambridge won't take you, but Oxofrd Brokes might' kind of differentiation.
Some idea of crime and course would provide a more thorough answer.
Reply 9
Yeah well it does kind of count as a serious offense, however its not of the drug trafficking or violence type of crime, I'd like to disclose the crime he committed but I swore not to.
The course which he wants to do is in the medical profession, so from what i've read he may as well give up for a career in that region?
The course which he wants to do is in the medical profession, so from what i've read he may as well give up for a career in that region?
Reply 11
How is anyone meant to give you an idea, if you won't tell us what the crime was, or even what course he intends to apply for? If it is your friend, why can you not tell us what he did, provided you don't name him? People can help you more if they know ANYTHING about the situation at all.
Reply 12
Stephen Fry had been to prison for fraud before he went to Cambridge.
Reply 13
Joanna May
How is anyone meant to give you an idea, if you won't tell us what the crime was, or even what course he intends to apply for? If it is your friend, why can you not tell us what he did, provided you don't name him? People can help you more if they know ANYTHING about the situation at all.
I can't say because i swore not to!!
and the course he wishes to apply for is in the medical field (Medicine, Pharmacy Dentistry etc.)
I dont think its likely that he will get in to anything that involves working with people/ children etc like medicine if he has serious convictions. Definate no's would be
*Serious Violence
*Serious Drug Offences (more than a bt of weed)
*Sexual Offences
*Murder/manslaughter
He might get away with
*Theft
*Carrying a weapon
*Minor violence eg. A fight with a guy with a couple of punches
*Anything else that he can explain about and act reformed about.
However I feel that as his sentance was long his crime must be quite serious and so I doubt he will get in. He should, however ring the uni's involved.
*Serious Violence
*Serious Drug Offences (more than a bt of weed)
*Sexual Offences
*Murder/manslaughter
He might get away with
*Theft
*Carrying a weapon
*Minor violence eg. A fight with a guy with a couple of punches
*Anything else that he can explain about and act reformed about.
However I feel that as his sentance was long his crime must be quite serious and so I doubt he will get in. He should, however ring the uni's involved.
Reply 15
Lychee
I dont think its likely that he will get in to anything that involves working with people/ children etc like medicine if he has serious convictions. Definate no's would be
*Serious Violence
*Serious Drug Offences (more than a bt of weed)
*Sexual Offences
*Murder/manslaughter
He might get away with
*Theft
*Carrying a weapon
*Minor violence eg. A fight with a guy with a couple of punches
*Anything else that he can explain about and act reformed about.
However I feel that as his sentance was long his crime must be quite serious and so I doubt he will get in. He should, however ring the uni's involved.
*Serious Violence
*Serious Drug Offences (more than a bt of weed)
*Sexual Offences
*Murder/manslaughter
He might get away with
*Theft
*Carrying a weapon
*Minor violence eg. A fight with a guy with a couple of punches
*Anything else that he can explain about and act reformed about.
However I feel that as his sentance was long his crime must be quite serious and so I doubt he will get in. He should, however ring the uni's involved.
It was none of the first ones, but do you think he should apply for the courses, and not let his conviction lower his morale?
because at the moment he's on a downward spiral and he really doesn't know the options available to him.
Minor crimes like shoplifting wouldn't be too bad, but if its something like GBH, possession of drugs with intent to sell, battery, etc, don't count on it.
Especially not for Medicine. The course is incredibly competitive as it is. Alongside Law, its the most applied-for course in the country. There are going to be a lot of people with all As at A-Level with good clinical work experience and a strong personal statement. If you've got GBH on your criminal record, working in the medical profession is, unsurprisingly, going to be difficult.
With a major offence on record, any subject that leads to a profession in which he would be in a position of trust would be unlikely. That's why paedophiles can't be teachers.
Really, you need to tell us at least whether it was a major or minor crime. With a minor crime, you can get away with it, especially if you can provide evidence that he's reformed. Quite simply, if he beat someone with a cricket bat and put a man in a coma, don't expect to get into Medicine.
Especially not for Medicine. The course is incredibly competitive as it is. Alongside Law, its the most applied-for course in the country. There are going to be a lot of people with all As at A-Level with good clinical work experience and a strong personal statement. If you've got GBH on your criminal record, working in the medical profession is, unsurprisingly, going to be difficult.
With a major offence on record, any subject that leads to a profession in which he would be in a position of trust would be unlikely. That's why paedophiles can't be teachers.
Really, you need to tell us at least whether it was a major or minor crime. With a minor crime, you can get away with it, especially if you can provide evidence that he's reformed. Quite simply, if he beat someone with a cricket bat and put a man in a coma, don't expect to get into Medicine.
Reply 17
MGT_90
Really, you need to tell us at least whether it was a major or minor crime. With a minor crime, you can get away with it, especially if you can provide evidence that he's reformed. Quite simply, if he beat someone with a cricket bat and put a man in a coma, don't expect to get into Medicine.
Really, you need to tell us at least whether it was a major or minor crime. With a minor crime, you can get away with it, especially if you can provide evidence that he's reformed. Quite simply, if he beat someone with a cricket bat and put a man in a coma, don't expect to get into Medicine.
It was nothing like that, it was possession of a prohibited weapon.
but i don't know how Universities would regard that on a scale of minor or major offense? I'd fully expect that he'd be rejected for Medicine, but people are saying mixed things about Pharmacy so I'm not quite sure what to tell him.
He'd ideally want to do medicine but now he wouldn't mind doing a course which is based in the health service of some sort.
He did have a strong personal statement and had hospital experience as well, so he'd be amongst those others with straight A's at A-level and the rest of it.
Reply 18
What did he do?!
rolldeep786
It was nothing like that, it was possession of a prohibited weapon.
but i don't know how Universities would regard that on a scale of minor or major offense? I'd fully expect that he'd be rejected for Medicine, but people are saying mixed things about Pharmacy so I'm not quite sure what to tell him.
He'd ideally want to do medicine but now he wouldn't mind doing a course which is based in the health service of some sort.
He did have a strong personal statement and had hospital experience as well, so he'd be amongst those others with straight A's at A-level and the rest of it.
but i don't know how Universities would regard that on a scale of minor or major offense? I'd fully expect that he'd be rejected for Medicine, but people are saying mixed things about Pharmacy so I'm not quite sure what to tell him.
He'd ideally want to do medicine but now he wouldn't mind doing a course which is based in the health service of some sort.
He did have a strong personal statement and had hospital experience as well, so he'd be amongst those others with straight A's at A-level and the rest of it.
That's really not so bad. You had us thinking he'd tried to rape someone.
The issue is more getting an interview than anything else. Once you get to the interview stage, you can turn it around, but getting there might be difficult. I wouldn't rule it out though. So long as he didn't actually try and stab someone or the like, it's explainable.
Related discussions
- Student nurse and criminal record
- PGCE with a criminal conviction?
- Drug Driving Conviction and being able to study nursing?
- USA Exchange Programme with Police Caution (J1 Visa)
- Studying with a conviction from 25 years ago
- Concern About Past Criminal Conviction Affecting Future Career in Finance
- Trump verdict: Former president found guilty in hush-money case
- Rejected, by uni, for failure to respond to communications
- Harvey Weinstein’s New York convictions quashed by state’s apex court
- applying to become HCPC registered with a conviction?
- Barrister / solicitor with criminal record?
- Niha's experience studying psychology
- Fare evasion
- Mistakenly ticked the ‘criminal record’ button on UCAS
- University of Manchester CAS and Email
- LNAT Prep.
- Have I got any chance of getting into the military with my history?
- For harrasment does someone get a warning first or no warning
- Hunter Biden guilty of all charges in gun trial
- Getting pin after completing degree
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 month ago
Cardiff University plans to cut 400 jobs and axe coursesLast reply 2 months ago
What’s a good degree for someone who doesn’t know what to choose?Last reply 2 months ago
Reeves: The UK has "four of the best universities in the world".Last reply 3 months ago
Sign this petition to scrap 2025 gcses - legit govt petition sign plsLast reply 3 months ago
How mutch does a course/university affect employability? In
