How hard is it to get an offer from Southampton uni for comp sci ?

Hello, I'm currently thinking about applying to Southampton for a undergraduate in Computer Science. I was wondering if some students from Southampton or people who have held offers from Southampton could chip in and share a bit of their academic profile (e.g. A-level options and predicted) and experiences to just paint a bit of a picture for me to see if I stand a chance with an application. I really like Southampton but I understand that it's quite a good uni and hence is quite competitive.

Personally, my academic profile looks like this:
A-levels: Further maths, Maths, Computer science (predicted A/A*, A*, A* - the A* in further maths has not been decided by my teachers yet but it's definitely an A).
GCSE's: Mainly 6's and 7's due to extenuating circumstances (I don't come from a great background and am eligible for contextual offers as a result).
Personal statement and teacher references: Let's just assume they're both great.

Hi @Tommy_123 ,
I'm Joshua, and I've just finished my 2nd year of CompSci at Southampton.
Firstly, those are brilliant predicted grades, well done!
As the entry requirements are A*, A, A, it looks like your predicted grades will beat the entry requirements. I can't give any guarantees, but generally if your grades exceed the entry requirements it gives you a good chance!
I got A*, A, A (and A* in EPQ, being worth 1/2 an A level) and was successful, and I've really enjoyed my time in Southampton so far. Also, the CompSci department has been expanding over the last few years and the class sizes have been increasing. Generally, bigger classes means more spaces and more chances to be successful.
If you have any questions about Computer Science or anything related to University of Southampton, I'll try my best to help.
Best of luck for results day!
Joshua 😀
Student Ambassador

Hello, Joshua, thank you for taking the time to respond it has lifted my confidence in applying. I have one question for you. I was wondering if Southampton looked at the TMUA regarding a students application. For example, would an applicant be more likely to be made an offer if they were going to sit the TMUA ? I ask because I don't know if I should sit the TMUA or not. I'll sit it if it betters my chances of obtaining an offer for uni's like Southampton, however if they do not even look at a student's TMUA then I'd rather not sit it.

Hi @Tommy_123 ,
I'm glad you found my response useful!
Regarding the TMUA, I can give you my thoughts and experience but I don't know what the admissions team specifically think about it or if they look at it or not. Southampton doesn't require any Computer Science applicants to take the TMUA and I think the majority of my course mates didn't take it.
I did take the TMUA, but I did absolutely AWFULLY in it, it was the worst maths test I've ever taken to this day lol! However, I only took the test as I'd also applied (albeit somewhat of a long shot) to Cambridge, who did require it.
I reckon that taking the TMUA won't harm your application. If, like myself, someone doesn't do very well in it, then it doesn't matter as it isn't a requirement.
Taking the TMUA may give you an even stronger application, but as it is not a requirement, I can't say for certain if the effort is worth the gain.
The TMUA required a lot of practice and time for me, so its completely up to you and your ability to decide if you can take it or not.
In summary, it won't hurt your application by either doing it or not doing it as its not a requirement for Southampton. If you choose to do it, it might give a slight boost, but also take up some time and energy from your other subjects.
Hope this helps! Any other questions then let me know 😀
Joshua
Student Ambassador

What other universities did you apply for and or get offers for if you do not mind me asking ? I'm asking out of pure curiosity as I've decided 3 universities that I wish to apply for (including Southampton) however, I need to decide what other 2 I should apply for.

I applied for Cambridge (no offer), Warwick (no offer but I met their grades), Gloucester (offer), and Royal Holloway (offer), and of course Southampton, which I decided to go for 🙂
I wanted to specialise in Cyber Security, and Warwick, Gloucester and Holloway were well ranked and accredited for their cyber security courses
Hope this helps,
Joshua

Do you know if southampton CS recently are generally accepting if you miss your offer by 1 grade ? Ik what it says on UCAS but that includes years back when CS at Soton was less competitive