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Application Surgeries - Need help with your UCAS application? Ask the experts!


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Welcome to our first
Application Surgery - a series of live Q&A's helping you with your decisions about university and application advice.

We're running thread based Q&A's with experts from different universities all here to help you with your UCAS application - so make sure you keep an eye on the Applications and UCAS forum and this thread for more information.


From the 18th - 21st October, we will be joined by:


Teesside University


and

University of Kent


who will be answering all your application questions. They'll be live on this thread using their Official Rep accounts between 9am - 5pm Monday - Thursday this week :biggrin:

Check out our introduction videos from the experts below!




Want to ask a question?


Come back here on the 18th October and add your question to this thread and our experts will get back to you.


Good luck with your applications everyone!
(edited 2 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

hi there,

have you got any tips for choosing unis to apply to when you have so many ideas of good ones to choose from? because i'm finding it hard to whittle my choices down to just 5
Original post by eternaldevotiion
hi there,

have you got any tips for choosing unis to apply to when you have so many ideas of good ones to choose from? because i'm finding it hard to whittle my choices down to just 5

Hi @eternaldevotiion

Great question! Here are a few things you might want to consider when choosing a university:

Affordability - what is the cost of living like? How much is accommodation / social activities etc
Where is the uni located? Do you want to live in a town/city or do you want a more rural location?
Is the university based on a single-site campus or is it based across a few locations? How close are facilities such as accommodation, students' union, library etc?
Transport links - how easy is it for you to get home if you need to?
How much has the university invested in it's campus and student facilities?
Does your course need to be accredited by an awarding body? Do these universities have this?
How much access will you have to course tutors?

Once you've narrowed it down make sure you attend at least your top 3 choices to really get a feel for the campus. Speak to current students about their experiences and ask if they could share any hints or tips with you.

Good luck!
Kate
Hey to everyone who has just got this notification :hi:

I've just quoted you guys in as you mentioned your in Y13 and looking at applying to university this year :biggrin: Apologies if this isn't relevant to you.

We've got a Q&A in this thread with experts from the universities of Teesside and Kent who can answer any questions you have about your uni application!

Worried about how to fill it in, how to research unis or write your personal statement? They can help :smile:

Do you have a question? Pop it below and they will get back to you :woo:

Spoiler

Hey to everyone who has just got this notification :hi:

I've just quoted you guys in as you mentioned your in Y13 and looking at applying to university this year Apologies if this isn't relevant to you.

We've got a Q&A in this thread with experts from the universities of Teesside and Kent who can answer any questions you have about your uni application!

Worried about how to fill it in, how to research unis or write your personal statement? They can help

Do you have a question? Pop it below and they will get back to you :woo:

Spoiler


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Hey to everyone who has just got this notification :hi:

I've just quoted you guys in as you mentioned you're in Y13 and looking at applying to university this year Apologies if this isn't relevant to you.

We've got a Q&A in this thread with experts from the universities of Teesside and Kent who can answer any questions you have about your uni application!

Worried about how to fill it in, how to research unis or write your personal statement? They can help :smile:

Do you have a question? Pop it below and they will get back to you :woo:



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I'm thinking of applying for a few different courses at different unis but some of them are slightly higher than my predicted grades of BBB. Is it a good idea to apply to them anyway? Or should I just stick to unis that are at my predicted grades? One of them is my dream uni so I want to go if I can!
Reply 7
Hi
Great idea to do this.
Interested in whether you think universities would show any flexibility in terms of the number of Access to Higher Education Diploma distinctions required to get a degree course place, if the student (not a mature student) already has recent A levels (including a couple of high grades) and an EPQ. I know it must vary a lot.

One university admissions officer suggested to us that they may show discretion. Just wondering if your university might though would vary from course to course.
(edited 2 years ago)
Hey,

I want to apply to uni for two different courses at the same university. They are Psychology and Neuroscience, so pretty similar kind of but still different enough that I would need to add different things into my application I think. What would you recommend I do? Is this a good idea? Would uni admissions look down on me for applying for two courses at the same uni?

Thanks :smile:
Original post by sarahf1806
I'm thinking of applying for a few different courses at different unis but some of them are slightly higher than my predicted grades of BBB. Is it a good idea to apply to them anyway? Or should I just stick to unis that are at my predicted grades? One of them is my dream uni so I want to go if I can!

Hi @sarahf1806

At Universities we know that predicted grades are just that - predicted, and not final grades, and our advertised grades should only be taken as a guide, sometimes in the summer when results come out we are able to be a bit flexible. So don't worry too much.

What I would suggest is that perhaps apply to a few universities with higher requirements, including your dream uni, and then perhaps a few with slightly lower requirements to give yourself a bit of a safety net. Try to visit a few unis, because you never know, you might find something or somewhere you hadn't considered before.

Good luck!

David
Original post by Cote1
Hi
Great idea to do this.
Interested in whether you think universities would show any flexibility in terms of the number of Access to Higher Education Diploma distinctions required to get a degree course place, if the student (not a mature student) already has recent A levels (couple of As but one not so good grade) and an EPQ. I know it must vary a lot.

One university admissions officer suggested to us that they may show discretion. Just wondering if your university might though would vary from course to course.

Hi @Cote1

Thanks for your question.

It really depends on whether universities ask for grades or UCAS points, and the offer made by the university. At Teesside for example, we may ask for 96 - 112 UCAS tariff points from a range of qualifications (3 A levels, BTEC or equivalent) but every university is different. You will need to speak to individual university admissions teams to check requirements.

Hope this helps? :smile:

Thanks
Kate
Original post by Cote1
Hi
Great idea to do this.
Interested in whether you think universities would show any flexibility in terms of the number of Access to Higher Education Diploma distinctions required to get a degree course place, if the student (not a mature student) already has recent A levels (including a couple of high grades) and an EPQ. I know it must vary a lot.

One university admissions officer suggested to us that they may show discretion. Just wondering if your university might though would vary from course to course.

Hi @Cote1

Yes I agree with the admissions officer you have previously spoken to, where possible we would look to apply discretion, although I'm not really in a position to say to what extent. It would certainly vary from course to course, depending on space on the programme and we would likely make the decision once the results are confirmed, rather than altering any offer.

I hope this helps,

David
Reply 12
Original post by Teesside University
Hi @Cote1

Thanks for your question.

It really depends on whether universities ask for grades or UCAS points, and the offer made by the university. At Teesside for example, we may ask for 96 - 112 UCAS tariff points from a range of qualifications (3 A levels, BTEC or equivalent) but every university is different. You will need to speak to individual university admissions teams to check requirements.

Hope this helps? :smile:

Thanks
Kate

Thank you. I think I knew really that it meant approaching individual universities and it would be hard for you to comment on this but thanks for replying.
(edited 2 years ago)
Hi! I'm retaking 2 A-level subjects this summer as I felt my TAG grades weren't reflective of my ability. I've got an A in Computer Science and I am retaking Maths and Chemistry. I want to make sure my A-level grades don't put universities off from reading my personal statement and seeing what I am actually capable of. I am applying for Computer Science so what is the best way to make sure this doesn't happen? Do my predicted grades go in my reference? Thank you! :smile:
Reply 14
Original post by University of Kent Reps
Hi @Cote1

Yes I agree with the admissions officer you have previously spoken to, where possible we would look to apply discretion, although I'm not really in a position to say to what extent. It would certainly vary from course to course, depending on space on the programme and we would likely make the decision once the results are confirmed, rather than altering any offer.

I hope this helps,

David

Thank you.
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by helloworld345
Hey,

I want to apply to uni for two different courses at the same university. They are Psychology and Neuroscience, so pretty similar kind of but still different enough that I would need to add different things into my application I think. What would you recommend I do? Is this a good idea? Would uni admissions look down on me for applying for two courses at the same uni?

Thanks :smile:

Hey @helloworld345

Thanks for your question :smile:

Admissions tutors can't actually see what other courses / universities you have applied for/to, so don't worry about this. The only info they see is your education history, predicted grades and personal statement.

You might just need to put some time into planning your personal statement, making sure you don't reference the exact course you are applying for.

Hope this helps and best of luck!
Kate
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by helloworld345
Hey,

I want to apply to uni for two different courses at the same university. They are Psychology and Neuroscience, so pretty similar kind of but still different enough that I would need to add different things into my application I think. What would you recommend I do? Is this a good idea? Would uni admissions look down on me for applying for two courses at the same uni?

Thanks :smile:

Hi @helloworld345

Firstly there is no problem at all with applying for more than one course at the same University. Nobody would look down on you at all.

Regarding your application, of course it is possible to essentially split your personal statement in two but as it is such a short piece of writing I would suggest you try to find the common ground between the two courses and write about those. It is also worth considering writing about only a few things you are most proud of/show you in the best possible light. We don't really want a long list of everything you've ever done in your PS anyway, so choose a few things and give us some depth and detail.

Best of luck with your application and I hope this helps

David
Original post by Teesside University
@helloworld345

Thanks for your question :smile:

Admissions tutors can't actually see what other courses / universities you have applied for/to, so don't worry about this. The only info they see is your education history, predicted grades and personal statement.

You might just need to put some time into planning your personal statement, making sure you don't reference the exact course you are applying for.

Hope this helps and best of luck!
Kate

that's really helpful thank you - if i find the right cross overs from psych and neuroscience and put both of them in my personal statement, will it be obvious that i'm applying for both courses and I guess will the person reading it care?
Original post by University of Kent Reps
Hi @helloworld345

Firstly there is no problem at all with applying for more than one course at the same University. Nobody would look down on you at all.

Regarding your application, of course it is possible to essentially split your personal statement in two but as it is such a short piece of writing I would suggest you try to find the common ground between the two courses and write about those. It is also worth considering writing about only a few things you are most proud of/show you in the best possible light. We don't really want a long list of everything you've ever done in your PS anyway, so choose a few things and give us some depth and detail.

Best of luck with your application and I hope this helps

David

thanks :biggrin:
Reply 19
I also wondered about the impact of Covid on studies in terms of the UCAS application as I think this must affect a number of applicants. If a student is reapplying and their grades were affected as in lowered by Covid (this may be hard to prove but, for example, through missing studies for months or the effect of long Covid on their ability to study) then would this be something university admissions would be interested in, in any way, in terms of the student's performance having been affected by it? If so, how could this be communicated?
Or would this be seen as not relevant?
I know it is a complicated area.
(edited 2 years ago)

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