Will universities I apply to know that I've already been at uni (but dropped out?)

Hi,

So I have a bit of a complicated situation with my reference right now. Basically I went to a uni but dropped out after literally just 2 weeks after realising that uni would be terrible this year due to COVID, and also that the course didn't interest me at all. I'm now studying an access course in a completely different subject which I'm actually passionate about, but obviously I don't wanna mention that I already went to uni and dropped out almost instantly on my personal statement. I'm gonna have to lie just a little bit and say that I always intended on studying the access course, because it just doesn't sound good to say that I went to uni and dropped out before choosing to do so. But will unis be able to see that I already went to a different uni? On UCAS or something?

You have to list this in your previous education, even if you were only there for a few weeks. They could potentially withdraw an offer if they found out you’d omitted info from your application.

If you are applying for a different course they are very unlikely to care. Even if it’s for the same course, they’d probably just ask for further info.

You don’t need to discuss it in your personal statement.

Do you think they could possibly even find out though, especially since I didn't apply through UCAS? I really don't want to include it since it would kind of go against my personal statement, and also I literally only attended like 2 online "lectures" at this uni before deciding to drop out.

Yes, there's a few different ways this could be picked up. You shouldn't be worried about including it, unis won't care that you left a course being taught online in the midst of a pandemic, but they will mind if you omit things from your education history.

As per the UCAS applicant guide, you have to include it.

"If you studied at a uni or college but didn't finish the course, you still need to enter these details. Include the start and finish date, and state that you didn't receive any qualifications there."

Source

not my thread, but also i wanted to ask should i include it in my reference as well?

Up to you really. If you were only there very briefly then unis will usually infer that it just wasn't the right course+environment for you. If you were there a bit longer, (maybe a whole semester), and especially if it relates to your motivation for the new subject, you could have your ref mention it.