Can 3A* get me into the university i want?

OP

Original post by asap.teoo

Try RG unis... Your grades are good you know that right?

Yeah i know they are good but I do not have comp sci or fm alevel. So I was thinking that even though its not a requirement, i may be disadvantaged. But thats good to know

Reply 3

asap.teoo

3

Original post by omgwha

Yeah i know they are good but I do not have comp sci or fm alevel. So I was thinking that even though its not a requirement, i may be disadvantaged. But thats good to know

No dear, you don't need a level comp sci. You already have an a level that is needed for problem-solving skills, which is essential for programming. On your personal statement, add what really interested you on pursuing that degree path, add your level on complex skills. It helps a lot!!!

Reply 4

Original post by omgwha

I have achieved 3A* at A-level in Maths, Chemistry and Biology. So if I want to do computer science, what kind of uni's can I get into if i'm applying for this year. (obviously this excludes oxbridge)

(i know it also depends on personal statement but assuming that it is good/average)

Pretty much anything you could conceivably apply to competitively except those where FM is probably expected, such as Warwick/Imperial/Oxbridge.

Of course if you did FM in a gap year you could consider those too.

Reply 5

OP

Original post by artful_lounger

Pretty much anything you could conceivably apply to competitively except those where FM is probably expected, such as Warwick/Imperial/Oxbridge.

Of course if you did FM in a gap year you could consider those too.

would you not necessarily need fm for st andrews or ucl?

Reply 6

Original post by omgwha

would you not necessarily need fm for st andrews or ucl?

UCL maybe, St Andrews probably not.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by artful_lounger

Pretty much anything you could conceivably apply to competitively except those where FM is probably expected, such as Warwick/Imperial/Oxbridge.

Of course if you did FM in a gap year you could consider those too.

So are you saying that if i did apply to warwick without fm i definitely won't be accepted

Reply 8

Original post by omgwha

So are you saying that if i did apply to warwick without fm i definitely won't be accepted

They do state they consider those without FM if it wasn't available to them, but if FM was available I suspect you will be less competitive.

Reply 9

Original post by omgwha

So are you saying that if i did apply to warwick without fm i definitely won't be accepted

Warwick likes Further Maths a lot for STEM related courses e.g. economics and CS. There hasn't been a single person from my school who has got into Warwick for either of these courses without FM.

Reply 10

OP

Original post by vnayak

Warwick likes Further Maths a lot for STEM related courses e.g. economics and CS. There hasn't been a single person from my school who has got into Warwick for either of these courses without FM.

thanks good to know

Reply 11

OP

Original post by artful_lounger

Pretty much anything you could conceivably apply to competitively except those where FM is probably expected, such as Warwick/Imperial/Oxbridge.

Of course if you did FM in a gap year you could consider those too.

do you think it would be possible for me to learn all of the further maths content and get an a* in 6 months

Reply 12

If you want a list of universities that don't have Further Maths as an unwritten requirement, might I suggest Durham (28% of people who get into the CS program don't do Further Maths), Edinburgh, Manchester (where they only care about getting 3 A*s but with one of them being in Maths. I know this because that is what they said at the Open Day. The only problem is several offers have already been given out for CS at Manchester and so there will be increased competition for the remaining offers, though there are still lots to be given out), Bath (Maybe) and there are a lot more.

Also, might I say that I don't recommend applying to Warwick? One of my friends went to the Open Day and the facility is extremely small (unless this is what you are after, in which case, 100 % go for it). It was about 1/5 of the size of the Durham facility and they dropped significantly in the rankings because of the loss of funding from GCHQ (I got this info from my CS teacher).

What I will say is this, you don't need CS or FM to do Computer Science at uni. The fact that you have achieved these grades already puts you at an extremely advantageous place compared to other candidates as you have already met their minimum entry offer whereas it is still in doubt for the other candidates (like myself) applying with predicted grades and through doing only STEM subjects, you have put yourself in an advantageous position even more so.

However, you have only got three subjects compared to the majority of applicants at the top universities that do 4 A levels so there is a plus side and a downside so the only way of knowing whether you can make the top universities is to apply to a mixture of universities and then see what offers you get back.

University doesn't matter too much when it comes to jobs. Obviously, it will be taken into consideration as it shows signs of aptitudes but if you show higher aptitude coming from a middle-tier or a low tier university than someone who is middling in a high-tier university, chances are you will be employed over them.

Reply 13

Admit-One

Original post by omgwha

So are you saying that if i did apply to warwick without fm i definitely won't be accepted

No one can say that. Here’s their guidance on FM:

“Further Maths is not essential, however it is a highly recommended subject choice for a student considering Computer Science at degree level. We understand that not all schools offer Further Maths, and so we do consider applications from people with a single Maths A-level.”

Noting that they don’t ask for your ref to confirm whether FM is offered. I think it’s likely you’ll still be considered but perhaps at a slight disadvantage versus those with FM.

Ultimately you don’t need five offers back so it’s fine as a riskier choice.

Reply 14

McGinger

18

Bath - top Uni for CS and has one of the best placement programs in the UK - Computer science courses (bath.ac.uk )

Reply 15

OP

Original post by artful_lounger

They do state they consider those without FM if it wasn't available to them, but if FM was available I suspect you will be less competitive.

yeah i really dont think I'll apply to Warwick. thanks for the input

Reply 16

Original post by omgwha

do you think it would be possible for me to learn all of the further maths content and get an a* in 6 months

No. Absolutely not. Nada. I don't recommend it. There are some modules that are extremely difficult (like Further Mechanics) and you are just piling on extra work upon yourself. To show aptitude, I recommend being involved in several super curricular activities, completing projects for your portfolio in your free time so you can demonstrate interest.

If you are keen to learn Further Maths, I don't recommend doing it as a formal qualification due to the lack of time but rather to study some of the modules in your free time. Learn vectors and matrices from Core Pure 1 and 2 as I find those are the most applicable to CS. There is also the decision maths modules, which is basically A level Computer Science with a bunch of extra stuff (though obviously there is a lot of stuff taken out as the Decision Maths isn't as programming heavy as the CS A level.

Reply 17

Original post by omgwha

yeah i really dont think I'll apply to Warwick. thanks for the input

The problem is that I have no first hand experience of people applying for CS in my school without CS A level or Further Maths A level. There are 20 people in my year doing Further Maths and yet, only three people are applying for CS and these three people (inclusive of myself) is the entire representation of people doing CompSci in my year group.

The most popular choice by far is Economics and Finance etc.

Reply 18

OP

Original post by vnayak

The problem is that I have no first hand experience of people applying for CS in my school without CS A level or Further Maths A level. There are 20 people in my year doing Further Maths and yet, only three people are applying for CS and these three people (inclusive of myself) is the entire representation of people doing CompSci in my year group.

The most popular choice by far is Economics and Finance etc.

i see so a small sample size 😭 not very representative

Reply 19