Maths application - need advice

I am an international student currently taking a gap year because military service is compulsory in my country. I chose my A levels thinking that I will study economics at university. I did Maths, Further Maths, Economics and History and achieved 4 A*s. I got rejected from my top choices which I now see as a positive thing since it really got me thinking. I realised that Economics isn’t something I would enjoy studying for 3 years and that I mostly looked at it as a path for future job prospects instead of actually liking the subject. A subject that I have always genuinely enjoyed and was good at is maths but until now I never saw it as a subject I would be studying in uni.
Now I understand that I should have definitely applied for maths.
Therefore I have to make a decision and any advice would be helpful.

My first option - find a university that offers maths in clearing and start in 2023.
Cons: the university is likely to be relatively low ranked and will have much lower entry standards than my achieved grades in Maths and Further maths.
I would always be thinking that had I just applied for maths I could’ve been somewhere with better teaching and better future opportunities

Second option - take another gap year and do something maths related, take part in as many competitions as possible etc. and apply to some top unis for 2024 (possibly Oxbridge, UCL, Warwick etc.)
I definitely prefer this option but there might be a number of problems
1. I don’t know how top universities look at applicants with two gap years, even if mandatory. It might be a big problem, especially for maths
2. 2 of my A levels are pretty much useless for maths and me not taking other subjects like physics or chemistry instead might make it difficult to get into a top uni

I would really appreciate any relevant information or advice. Thanks in advance.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by crazy-pocketful

Hi there,

I am a third year Mathematics with Statistics student at Lancaster University. Firstly, well done on getting amazing A Levels! If you choose to look at clearing there is likely to still be some very good universities there and there is no harm in looking what clearing has to offer and you can always still choose option 2 instead. I would advise looking up different universities before hand and working out if there is any you would really like to consider (if none of these appear in clearing then this might help you decide on option 2) and from this you can visit different university open days (either in person or virtually) to learn more.

If you choose option 2 that is also a great choice. Most universities are understanding of personal circumstances and will not judge you in anyway for gap years so do not worry about that. If you can make the other year productive by entering competitions, undertaking part time work or travelling to expand your knowledge that is even better. Most universities only consider your top 3 A Level results (in your situation you could choose which three since they are equal) just so that you are aware. If you are worried about your A Level choices try taking
a look at different universities requirements. For example, to study Maths at Lancaster you only need a Maths A Level and having Further Maths will give you a lower offer (not that you need that).

Overall, just have a look into different universities and find some that you like. Remember ranking and reputation is not everything at university, you do need somewhere you will enjoy yourself as well. Please feel free to ask me any questions you have.

Amy (Lancaster Student Ambassador) :smile: