Official Nursing 2021 Applicants Thread

I didn’t realise UCAS had already opened. When is the deadline to apply? Can we still apply for Jan 2021 intake or only Sep now? I heard a lot of the uni’s will just be doing virtual teaching for most of next year. How will placements work? I’m thinking of going into adult nursing but I’m not too familiar with the whole application process so any advice is appreciated (I’m a “mature” student and nursing would be my second career) Thanks guys!

Hi everyone,

Now that UCAS has opened it's applications I thought it would be a good time to start up a thread for students looking to study nursing next year! This thread should be really helpful for getting tips on applying to university, personal statements, etc!

Comment below if you want to:

What universities are you thinking of: Queens University Belfast (their the only Uni in Northern Ireland that offers my field of nursing)

A level / IB / Higher predicted grades / BTEC: Distinction in Public Services, C in English Literature B in Performing Arts

GCSE grades: BBBBBCC*C*

Extracurriculars: Harmony North Choir

Open days attended (including virtual ones!) Three! One for Queens University, one for Stranmillis and one for Ulster University.

Have you done any work experience? Yes ( year and a half in total) a 6 month internship at the Somme Nursing Home during year 13 and I currently work as a care assistant (Community care/ door to door) I have been a career for a year.

Nursing speciality: Children’s Nursing! <3

What universities are you thinking of: Queens university Belfast, Anglia Ruskin, Edgehill, LJMU and maybe manchester or northumbria??

A level / IB / Higher predicted grades: currently sitting 3 a levels, I think my predictions for ucas will be BBB ( hopefully)

GCSE grades: AAABC*CPP

Extracurriculars: currently a volunteer for Deafblind UK, apart of a group that advocates for children’s rights but everything else got cancelled

Open days attended (including virtual ones!): Anglia Ruskin and QUB

Have you done any work experience? I have a week in a primary school and my extra curriculars and a full time job last summer - was meant to get a few weeks shadowing but due to COVID that is no longer possible.

Nursing speciality: Child Nursing

I didn’t realise UCAS had already opened. When is the deadline to apply? Can we still apply for Jan 2021 intake or only Sep now? I heard a lot of the uni’s will just be doing virtual teaching for most of next year. How will placements work? I’m thinking of going into adult nursing but I’m not too familiar with the whole application process so any advice is appreciated (I’m a “mature” student and nursing would be my second career) Thanks guys!

I didn’t get into Children’s nursing either and I’m absolutely heartbroken there’s still hope for the reserved list/ waiting list though! What uni did you apply too? I applied to Queens University Belfast

What universities are you thinking of: Queens University Belfast (their the only Uni in Northern Ireland that offers my field of nursing)

A level / IB / Higher predicted grades / BTEC: Distinction in Public Services, C in English Literature B in Performing Arts

GCSE grades: BBBBBCC*C*

Extracurriculars: Harmony North Choir

Open days attended (including virtual ones!) Three! One for Queens University, one for Stranmillis and one for Ulster University.

Have you done any work experience? Yes ( year and a half in total) a 6 month internship at the Somme Nursing Home during year 13 and I currently work as a care assistant (Community care/ door to door) I have been a career for a year.

Nursing speciality: Children’s Nursing! <3

You’ve so much more experience than me 😬 nerves are kicking in already

What A levels are you doing? How are you finding them?

It sounds frustrating that the advocate group was cancelled, did you gain a lot of experience from working with them?


It's only just opened, don't worry! The deadline is the 15th of January, I'm afraid I haven't heard of the Jan and Sep intakes, sorry!

I suppose placements will be kept on hold? I hadn't actually thought of that.


Sorry to hear this I hope you get onto the reserved/waiting list, fingers crossed!

Aw thank you very much !! If I do I’ll keep youse all updated hope you’re keeping well x

Sounds good! How did you find the open days, were they good? Also, the internship you did looks quite interesting


Don't worry about that at all. As a lot of people on TSR say it's about quality, not quantity

The open day for Queens was amazing!! And so was Stranmillis but it’s a teaching college at the time I was considering teaching or nursing but I wasn’t really impressed by Ulster it felt more like a student hangout than a University plus they don’t offer children’s nursing which is the field that I want to specialise in.

The internship was amazing I go to Hazel Woo Integrated College and we were the first secondary school to implement internships! I went to the Somme Nursing Home every Wednesday from 12:45-4:30 the internship was what helped me get my job as a care assistant which in turn made me realise that nursing is most definitely what I want to do. Xx

I’m doing a level Sociology, Re and English lit, but I’m dropping English and fast tracking psychology. I love sociology and RE but I hate English so much!

Basically it just means you learn all the a level content in one year instead of two, so I will have from September to May to learn all of psychology 😬

Basically it just means you learn all the a level content in one year instead of two, so I will have from September to May to learn all of psychology 😬

I guess Queens is the one you're focused on going to now then? Some universities I've looked at do have the feel of it being a hangout which is weird but I get what you mean .

Oh wow! The internship sounds like it was a really good experience

What does fast-tracking mean in terms of a levels? Never heard of that before!

Yes the internship was one the best things I’ve ever done but yeah Queens is definitely the one I’m focusing all my energy on just hoping that I’ll improve and get in next year! X

Just wondering, is Queens doing any virtual open days as I've seen a few are doing online Q&As that you might be interested in?

I think they are but I couldn’t say for definite I’ll check it out though thank you for mentioning that to me! X

I might be!

I'm looking at studying Mental Health nursing, what about you?

I hold an offer at King's College London for Mental Health Nursing.