Is zoology/Conservation Biology a competitive course?

Hello!
I recently went to Exeter’s open day as I plan to apply there this year for Zoology/conservation Biology and Ecology and when going to a talk they were doing on their Ecology and Conservation courses I was surprised to see how packed it was!

For some reason I didn’t think they would be a hugely popular courses, probably having never heard of anyone I know who has gone for them. However the full auditorium has made me wonder how competitive these sorts of courses (ecology, conservation bio, zoology, etc) really are? I know it will differ from uni to uni but is there any way to get info on how many people apply, get accepted, or how many spaces there actually are for that course?

I did notice that there were clearing spots for both of the courses I’m interesting in at Exeter, which gave me a bit of hope (I’’m not the most academically exceptional student there is and expect most applicants are).

Knowing any of this won’t change a thing besides maybe giving me some reassurance of possibly getting into a Uni I’d really love to go to!

Reply 1

bibachu

Original post by Winniezon

Hello!
I recently went to Exeter’s open day as I plan to apply there this year for Zoology/conservation Biology and Ecology and when going to a talk they were doing on their Ecology and Conservation courses I was surprised to see how packed it was!
For some reason I didn’t think they would be a hugely popular courses, probably having never heard of anyone I know who has gone for them. However the full auditorium has made me wonder how competitive these sorts of courses (ecology, conservation bio, zoology, etc) really are? I know it will differ from uni to uni but is there any way to get info on how many people apply, get accepted, or how many spaces there actually are for that course?
I did notice that there were clearing spots for both of the courses I’m interesting in at Exeter, which gave me a bit of hope (I’’m not the most academically exceptional student there is and expect most applicants are).
Knowing any of this won’t change a thing besides maybe giving me some reassurance of possibly getting into a Uni I’d really love to go to!

Generally, zoology and conservation biology tend to be quite niche courses so it isn't as competitive as some STEM degrees (e.g. biology, biochemistry,) as there are a lot of people who are still exploring their options within broader subjects. Exeter is a popular choice for these subjects mainly for it's location and ranking (19th in biological sciences), but it is also known for being fairly easy to get into. On the UCAS website you can look at the offer rates for a course at a university and how you are to be accepted based on your grades. For both the Conservation Biology and Ecology BSc course and the Zoology BSc course at Exeter, 9/10 applicants received an offer (90% offer rate). RG universities tend to have more applicants anyway, so I wouldn't let this put you off. As long as you meet the minimum requirements and write a good personal statement, you are likely to receive an offer. Also, open days aren't a reliable method of measuring how many people could potentially be applying for the course. Some people may have been there accompanying friends, some may have simply been curious. Some might not even be applying to Exeter at all. There are clearing spots available because the courses have spaces, but this varies from year to year.

https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/courses/87ebd18a-7abe-cb7b-d659-5d5562af1c72?academicYearId=2024
https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/courses/c01a9874-fca9-4e68-4673-4d7061e1aa7b?academicYearId=2024

Reply 2

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Original post by Winniezon

Hello!
I recently went to Exeter’s open day as I plan to apply there this year for Zoology/conservation Biology and Ecology and when going to a talk they were doing on their Ecology and Conservation courses I was surprised to see how packed it was!
For some reason I didn’t think they would be a hugely popular courses, probably having never heard of anyone I know who has gone for them. However the full auditorium has made me wonder how competitive these sorts of courses (ecology, conservation bio, zoology, etc) really are? I know it will differ from uni to uni but is there any way to get info on how many people apply, get accepted, or how many spaces there actually are for that course?
I did notice that there were clearing spots for both of the courses I’m interesting in at Exeter, which gave me a bit of hope (I’’m not the most academically exceptional student there is and expect most applicants are).
Knowing any of this won’t change a thing besides maybe giving me some reassurance of possibly getting into a Uni I’d really love to go to!

Hi @Winniezon,

You are right that there are differerences between universities but I have worked many open days at the University of Southampton at the Zoology stall and it is often a lot busier than expected. I would say from my experience though a lot of the people I speak to are considering multiple courses which then makes the total applications for zoology a bit less than what you see at open days.

Also as you mentioned there are often options through clearing as well. Or other universities running similar courses.

I hope this helps to reassure you,

Abby,
4th year Zoologist