Calling All Scottish Students!!

Hiya,
I'm currently in Y12 in England and moving to Scotland next year which means I'll either be doing A levels externally or enrolling in the Scottish highers. But I don't know anything about them and how does the system for applying to uni work? Can anyone help please??

Hiya! So basically highers are what you apply to university with. You usually take 5 of these, they can be in any subject you want there are no requirements. depending on the course, there may be required subjects, for example, law at glasgow requires you to have higher english. A higher is a one year course, usually with some kind of assignment/folio piece (a piece of work completed during school that counts towards your grade) and a final exam. Depending on your higher grade, you can see which universities for you will be able to apply for
S6 there’s a lot more flexibility, in which you usually do 3 or 4 subjects. I’m taking 3 advanced highers, one friend is taking 2 advanced highers and another higher, and another friend is taking 2 advanced highers and 1 higher. Lots of people pick up an additional higher if it’s required by their course but you didn’t take it in S5. Very few scottish courses require advanced highers, but it does set you up well for uni! Advanced Highers involves a much bigger piece of work that you do pretty independently, for example for biology you conduct your own experiment and write up the results formally, or for history you write a dissertation.
You usually apply during S6, with higher grades and predicted grades for additional subjects. Again scottish universities mainly look at highers, it’s only super competitive unis and courses that want advanced highers.
I hope that makes sense and please ask if you have any more questions x

Hi!
Thank you for the insight, that has been really helpful.
So just to check so that's I know for sure: the subjects you take in S5 do not carry on into S6? So for example, if I take bio in S5 will the content be carried on? And are the exams separate at the end of each year or all together at the end of the 2 years? (I'm trying to make some comparison to the English system so I can explain it to my parents) Would I be able to join in S6 or do I have to join from S5, or is that depending on the school?
From personal experience would you say that the subjects are hard?
The thing for me is this year I'd be finishing with 2 A levels (I had some complications with one subject so I'm not doing that this year) So if I do join in S6 would I still have to take 4 subjects or can I take less? Or does it depend on UCAS points? What is the age range for S6? And (final question I promise!) when does the academic year start and end?
Thank you so much once again, I hope my questions make sense but if you can't answer them it's fine x

Okay so studies in a sense carry on into S6, for example you need to do the higher course in order to have the right skills for Advanced Higher usually (more true in the sciences less true in the humanities) the exams however are seperate, so while there may be skills and background knowledge from higher used in advanced higher, the actual exam content is different.
I don’t know about joining in S5/S6, but since scottish universities ask for higher grades it is advisable to join in S5.
The age range for S6 is usually 16-18 depending on your birthday, but I would say majority of people will have their 17th birthday before Christmas.
The academic year starts end of august and ends in June - however since exams are in may, once study leave it over you usually do either a couple weeks of your S6 subjects to get a head start, or in S6 you’re just off school - this is when leavers dances and prize giving are as well x

You can go to university after highers year 5. You don't have to do advanced highers.This is why Scottish university courses are normally 4 years whereas English 3. A level candidates can opt to go straight to second year university if their A levels are good enough.

Hiya,
I'm currently in Y12 in England and moving to Scotland next year which means I'll either be doing A levels externally or enrolling in the Scottish highers. But I don't know anything about them and how does the system for applying to uni work? Can anyone help please??

So in s4 you sit your nationals which are typically 7 subjects. Then in s5 you sit your highers, which are typically 5 subjects. for example, I'm sitting higher chem, bio, eng, maths and mods this year. next year your will sit any adv highers that you want alongside any highers or nationals if you desire. in october, applications open for uni and you apply then. depending on your course and the grades you got in 5th year, you will either get a conditional, unconditional or rejection from uni. if you get a conditional offer it basically means that in your 6th year you need to get a certain grade in the classes which you are taking. for unconditionals, it means that you are in. check the uni entry reqs to see what grades you need and at what level. hope this helps