Applying to multiple courses at the same university

Original post by GeeshQuiche

Hey guys, I heard this was something you could do. Im not quite sure how it would work though and I was wondering whether a university would see it and think less of you and reject you. To be clear I am not talking about changing what you apply for drastically. Like applying to Maths and Physics as well as theoretical physics or physics and theoretical physics at the same university.

Please reply with any knowledge or thoughts.

Thanks

With the physics options, despite being listed as separate on UCAS, are generally actually the same course. Eg someone applying for "physics", and someone applying for "physics with theoretical physics" will attend the same lectures and take the same exams until later on in the course. At that point, everyone is presented with the option to go theoretical or not, regardless of whether you selected it when you applied. So it's pointless applying for both as you're literally, in every way, applying for the same course.

Maths and physics is separate though, but you're not going to be accepted for it whilst being rejected for physics.

tl;dr- absolutely pointless for your choices, they're all either the same course or otherwise have the exact same offer chances

Reply 2

OP

Original post by MagnumKoishi

With the physics options, despite being listed as separate on UCAS, are generally actually the same course. Eg someone applying for "physics", and someone applying for "physics with theoretical physics" will attend the same lectures and take the same exams until later on in the course. At that point, everyone is presented with the option to go theoretical or not, regardless of whether you selected it when you applied. So it's pointless applying for both as you're literally, in every way, applying for the same course.

Maths and physics is separate though, but you're not going to be accepted for it whilst being rejected for physics.

tl;dr- absolutely pointless for your choices, they're all either the same course or otherwise have the exact same offer chances

Thing is though, the offer for physics with theoretical physics is A*AA but for straight physics is AAA. That seems like distinction enough

Reply 3

MagnumKoishi

Original post by GeeshQuiche

Thing is though, the offer for physics with theoretical physics is A*AA but for straight physics is AAA. That seems like distinction enough

That's very unusual actually, although I guess everywhere is different. In that case they're probably not the same course then at the uni in question.

Still though, it's not worth applying for both since it's unlikely you'd be accepted for one and not the other. Apply for straight physics, and switch to there if la when you get there if you're accepted (and meet that extra A*). It'll definitely be possible, assuming you want to

Reply 4

OP

Really? is swapping courses easy to do? what if the course is full when you get there?

Reply 5

MagnumKoishi

Original post by GeeshQuiche

Really? is swapping courses easy to do? what if the course is full when you get there?

Yeah, universities generally don't give info about it on their websites but it's extremely easy to do, especially for courses that similar. What university are you considering?

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 6

JamesManc

15

I was rejected for applying for two courses at the same uni (medicine and paramedic science). They wrote back if you want to be a doctor why are you applying to be a paramedic. Jobsworths lol.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by MagnumKoishi

Yeah, universities generally don't give info about it on their websites but it's extremely easy to do, especially for courses that similar. What university are you considering?

My first choice is UCL!

Reply 8

OP

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by MagnumKoishi

That's very unusual actually, although I guess everywhere is different. In that case they're probably not the same course then at the uni in question.

Still though, it's not worth applying for both since it's unlikely you'd be accepted for one and not the other. Apply for straight physics, and switch to there if la when you get there if you're accepted (and meet that extra A*). It'll definitely be possible, assuming you want to

thanks for the advice!

Reply 9

artful_lounger

With courses like theoretical physics and physics, there is little point in applying to simultaneously as the same uni, because they'll be in the same department and you'll be assessed by the same admissions tutor (and in fact usually they are all part of a single departmental cohort as far as admissions numbers go). As such, if you are considered suitable for admission for one course, generally they would admit you to any course within the department.

This obviously doesn't apply to all departments/courses, but in this case is worth noting. For maths/physics it doesn't necessarily apply, but bear in mind some universities (such as I believe UCL) have a policy of only making one offer per applicant (thus any additional courses listed are functionally redundant as you would've been better off identifying the course they'd be most likely to admit you to in the first place).

Also different departments may be looking for different things in e.g. personal statements and depending on the combination of courses it may be harder to satisfy all of them. Particularly for joint honours subjects they may be looking for real engagement with both sides of the course, to an extent where the personal statement would be unsuitable for a single honours course (this may not be so much the case for your courses, but for e.g. joint honours at LSE, which puts a lot of weight on the PS, this can be a problem).

Generally, as such, it's inadvisable. It may depend on the particular universities in question - which university/ies and/or courses were you specifically looking at?

Reply 10

harrysbar