Applying to a brick university as a mature student
What is the best way for a mature student (with no GCSEs, no post-GCSE study certifications, and no relevant employment history to the chosen course) go about applying to a brick university?
Would they need to do an Access to Higher Education course?
Before applying to the Access to HE course, would they need to get the required GCSEs first, or can they study for both simultaneously?
So, they would study a year for the GCSEs, then another year for the Access to HE diploma?
If so, would that allow them to apply for 1st year entry of the course, or would they only qualify to apply to the foundation year?
Would having completed a year of study on a relevant course with The Open University help this situation somehow?
Context;
Finished 1 year of Computing & IT degree with Open Uni
Want to transfer to ARU for a Cyber Security course
Would they need to do an Access to Higher Education course?
Before applying to the Access to HE course, would they need to get the required GCSEs first, or can they study for both simultaneously?
So, they would study a year for the GCSEs, then another year for the Access to HE diploma?
If so, would that allow them to apply for 1st year entry of the course, or would they only qualify to apply to the foundation year?
Would having completed a year of study on a relevant course with The Open University help this situation somehow?
Context;
Finished 1 year of Computing & IT degree with Open Uni
Want to transfer to ARU for a Cyber Security course
Original post by okay2525
What is the best way for a mature student (with no GCSEs, no post-GCSE study certifications, and no relevant employment history to the chosen course) go about applying to a brick university?
Would they need to do an Access to Higher Education course?
Before applying to the Access to HE course, would they need to get the required GCSEs first, or can they study for both simultaneously?
So, they would study a year for the GCSEs, then another year for the Access to HE diploma?
If so, would that allow them to apply for 1st year entry of the course, or would they only qualify to apply to the foundation year?
Would having completed a year of study on a relevant course with The Open University help this situation somehow?
Context;
Finished 1 year of Computing & IT degree with Open Uni
Want to transfer to ARU for a Cyber Security course
Would they need to do an Access to Higher Education course?
Before applying to the Access to HE course, would they need to get the required GCSEs first, or can they study for both simultaneously?
So, they would study a year for the GCSEs, then another year for the Access to HE diploma?
If so, would that allow them to apply for 1st year entry of the course, or would they only qualify to apply to the foundation year?
Would having completed a year of study on a relevant course with The Open University help this situation somehow?
Context;
Finished 1 year of Computing & IT degree with Open Uni
Want to transfer to ARU for a Cyber Security course
You'll normally need some recent study. If you've done your studies at the OU recently that will probably be sufficient for a lot of universities to apply to them with, unless they require specific subjects for entry (e.g. A-level Maths or equivalent). However even if so, that might be sufficient for applying to a course with a foundation year
In regards to the Access, it is entirely up to the colleges to whether they would like prospective students to have GCSE English and Maths. The majority of universities do not give a crap about GCSE for mature students, but this is very likely concerning arts and humanities degree's. So, it is best to ask the universities about GCSE requirements and you may want to take them alongside an Access course if you can.
Hmmm... when you say 'finished' what exactly does that mean? Do you have results yet and are they good ones? If so, that has got to help if recent.
From present experience, sadly course info can say lots of lovely warm stuff about a different, more individualised approach to mature students, so can a variety of admissions people and course tutors, even when you've been very explicit about what is missing... and the UCAS form has an explicit 'no qualifications' route... but that is absolutely not the way applications are dealt with in practice. (This is not being sore as there's no out and out rejections yet... BUT (and this is not the same as younger students applying for mainstream courses on a conventional pathway) do look out for automatic rejections and don't take 'computer says no' for an answer as it seems they are simply relying on people having the confidence to get in touch and query it to be put into the reconsideration process!
Good luck!
From present experience, sadly course info can say lots of lovely warm stuff about a different, more individualised approach to mature students, so can a variety of admissions people and course tutors, even when you've been very explicit about what is missing... and the UCAS form has an explicit 'no qualifications' route... but that is absolutely not the way applications are dealt with in practice. (This is not being sore as there's no out and out rejections yet... BUT (and this is not the same as younger students applying for mainstream courses on a conventional pathway) do look out for automatic rejections and don't take 'computer says no' for an answer as it seems they are simply relying on people having the confidence to get in touch and query it to be put into the reconsideration process!
Good luck!
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