Gap Year Computer Science

Hi, so I applied this year with predicted grades of A*A*A for Computer Science and received a rejection from Uni of Bath and KCL. Despite receiving 3 other offers, I am discontent with my position now and I'm considering to take a gap year and reapply to some more competitive unis if I receive the high grades I am aiming for. If I took a gap year and applied to Oxbridge/ Imperial, would I be disadvantaged? I am very disappointed in myself about this decision as it wasn't my initial plan. However, I intend to send my new application (2026 entry) by October as I would be part of early entry, so my question here is, from this moment onwards what kind of measures should I be taking to ensure my application is as strong as it could be for Computer Science, or alternatively in Economics/ Finance. My A-levels are Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and I'm also wondering whether the fact I don't take Further Maths or Computer Science is a reason as to why my application was considered 'less competitive' than others. Could anyone, preferably other Gap Year Students, give me some advice on what to do?

Reply 1

mesub

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

22

Original post by brutha

Hi, so I applied this year with predicted grades of A*A*A for Computer Science and received a rejection from Uni of Bath and KCL. Despite receiving 3 other offers, I am discontent with my position now and I'm considering to take a gap year and reapply to some more competitive unis if I receive the high grades I am aiming for. If I took a gap year and applied to Oxbridge/ Imperial, would I be disadvantaged? I am very disappointed in myself about this decision as it wasn't my initial plan. However, I intend to send my new application (2026 entry) by October as I would be part of early entry, so my question here is, from this moment onwards what kind of measures should I be taking to ensure my application is as strong as it could be for Computer Science, or alternatively in Economics/ Finance. My A-levels are Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and I'm also wondering whether the fact I don't take Further Maths or Computer Science is a reason as to why my application was considered 'less competitive' than others. Could anyone, preferably other Gap Year Students, give me some advice on what to do?

You'd struggle for the competition in Oxbridge and Imperial without further maths. For every other uni, you don't need further maths.

Bath is extremely competitive for CS and has been for the past few years. KCL is always competitive as a London university.

If you're not happy with the other offers, yes you could take a gap year but when you reapply, please do pick universities you'd be happy to go to (ideally at least one competitive uni as well).

Reply 2

brutha

OP

3

Thanks for your reply. My main question here is whether taking a gap year disadvantages my application in any way. Let's say hypothetically I took Further Maths in my gap year and applied to Oxbridge or Imperial, is my application seen as less competitive given that I didn't sit FM at the same time as my other A-levels? For Bath and KCL, I applied as I knew they didn't require FM, but I am really interested as to why I might have been rejected; could it have only been due to my personal statement then?

Reply 3

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

17

Original post by brutha

Hi, so I applied this year with predicted grades of A*A*A for Computer Science and received a rejection from Uni of Bath and KCL. Despite receiving 3 other offers, I am discontent with my position now and I'm considering to take a gap year and reapply to some more competitive unis if I receive the high grades I am aiming for. If I took a gap year and applied to Oxbridge/ Imperial, would I be disadvantaged? I am very disappointed in myself about this decision as it wasn't my initial plan. However, I intend to send my new application (2026 entry) by October as I would be part of early entry, so my question here is, from this moment onwards what kind of measures should I be taking to ensure my application is as strong as it could be for Computer Science, or alternatively in Economics/ Finance. My A-levels are Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and I'm also wondering whether the fact I don't take Further Maths or Computer Science is a reason as to why my application was considered 'less competitive' than others. Could anyone, preferably other Gap Year Students, give me some advice on what to do?

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling that way about yourself and your situation. Computer Science is a very competitive degree where you are almost expected to exceed all entry requirements and yes, it is almost impossible to know the reason why you got rejected, since applications are assessed differently across the universities.

No, you would not be disadvantaged specifically because you took a gap year when applying to any university.

To strengthen your application:

1.

Better A-Level grades. 4 A* or at least 3 A*

2.

Take Further Maths. It is described as 'preferred' for Computer Science courses at universities like Imperial, Oxbridge, Warwick. And considering the competition... you'd rather have it than not.

3.

Practice for the entrance exams. Universities like Imperial, UCL, Oxford, and some others require you to sit additional maths exams for CS courses. (e.g. TMUA, TARA, MAT...)

4.

Don't worry about not having a Computer Science A-Level - universities usually prefer to see mathematics, and CS is never a required subject. Especially considering that the first year of CS at Imperial is 50-60% maths, if you look at the course structure.

Do not worry about taking a gap year putting you in a worse position - your application will still be reviewed fairly. However, it is important to consider WHY you are taking a gap year.
It would only put you at an advantage if you have a plan of action for the gap year. E.g. studying another relevant A-Level, working in industry, studying for mathematical entrance exams, or winning some maths olympiads.

And make sure that it is what you WANT to do. If you really want to go to Imperial/Oxbridge because you are passionate about the course and modules these universities offer, or their facilities, academics, etc. or because you really enjoyed visiting these universities for an open day and can definitely see yourself studying there, then it is worth reapplying. It is better to study where you want to be than settle for a place where you didn't want to go to from the start 🙂
Just next time make sure to apply to the universities that you would like to study at, so that you don't end up in a similar position.

So, should you take a gap year? That depends on what you are planning to do with it. If you have a plan, or you really can't see yourself accepting any of your current offers and don't want to rely on clearing, then it might be worth it. But, there is always a risk of "doing nothing" in your gap year, in which case it is a missed opportunity and wasted time.

I am not a Gap Year student, nor have I ever considered taking one, as my goal always was to go into employment. Because I did quite poorly in my Mocks and got predicted only A*AAA in Maths, Biology, Physics, and Further Maths, I couldn't even apply to universities like Imperial. Also felt disappointed in myself and lost. But then I re-assessed my options, went to a few Open Days, loved some unis and didn't like others, and sent in my applications. I did also get rejected from Bath (can relate to that part 😆), but ended up getting offers from the universities that I wanted to go to: Durham, Lancaster, and Sheffield. I can say that wanting to be at a university and wanting to study the subject from day -1 really makes a positive difference - I have been loving the university and my course from day one until now. So perhaps it is better to wait a year to then study for the next 3 years in a place you love.

P.S. Some universities don't look at personal statements due to the volume of applications they receive. It's a harsh truth that I learned when speaking last year to a couple of university representatives and admission team members - the way applications are evaluated differs from university to university.

Anyways, best of luck. Don't beat yourself up or bring yourself down. You are capable, and what you need now is to look into the future. Whether it is reapplying, making the most of the course at one of the 3 universities you got into (congratulations!), or getting the most benefit you can out of the gap year - keep going and you'll succeed!

Best wishes,
Polina.
Lancaster University Computer Science Ambassador

Reply 4

NeedAnswersSh

6

Original post by brutha

Hi, so I applied this year with predicted grades of A*A*A for Computer Science and received a rejection from Uni of Bath and KCL. Despite receiving 3 other offers, I am discontent with my position now and I'm considering to take a gap year and reapply to some more competitive unis if I receive the high grades I am aiming for. If I took a gap year and applied to Oxbridge/ Imperial, would I be disadvantaged? I am very disappointed in myself about this decision as it wasn't my initial plan. However, I intend to send my new application (2026 entry) by October as I would be part of early entry, so my question here is, from this moment onwards what kind of measures should I be taking to ensure my application is as strong as it could be for Computer Science, or alternatively in Economics/ Finance. My A-levels are Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and I'm also wondering whether the fact I don't take Further Maths or Computer Science is a reason as to why my application was considered 'less competitive' than others. Could anyone, preferably other Gap Year Students, give me some advice on what to do?

Hey, I’m still waiting to hear back from KCL for CS. My predicted grades are A*AA (I’m contextual), and I’m a bit worried since it’s so competitive this year. Were you a contextual applicant? And did they give any specific reason for the rejection? Either way, don’t be too hard on yourself—your grades are strong, and a gap year could actually open up better opportunities if you do go for it.

Reply 5

hhhhhhhh12345

Original post by brutha

Hi, so I applied this year with predicted grades of A*A*A for Computer Science and received a rejection from Uni of Bath and KCL. Despite receiving 3 other offers, I am discontent with my position now and I'm considering to take a gap year and reapply to some more competitive unis if I receive the high grades I am aiming for. If I took a gap year and applied to Oxbridge/ Imperial, would I be disadvantaged? I am very disappointed in myself about this decision as it wasn't my initial plan. However, I intend to send my new application (2026 entry) by October as I would be part of early entry, so my question here is, from this moment onwards what kind of measures should I be taking to ensure my application is as strong as it could be for Computer Science, or alternatively in Economics/ Finance. My A-levels are Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and I'm also wondering whether the fact I don't take Further Maths or Computer Science is a reason as to why my application was considered 'less competitive' than others. Could anyone, preferably other Gap Year Students, give me some advice on what to do?

3 years ago I was in the same boat as you. 4 A* (Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Computer Science) prediction and got rejected from Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, KCL and got into my last choice QM. I was going to take a gap year but decided not to at the end and went to QM. Now I am in my third year and received 2 internships, 1 last summer and one up coming summer. And hold an offer to study MSC Computing(AI and ML) at imperial with applications to oxford and Cambridge still pending. Technically if I was to take a gap year I would now be in my 2nd year and graduating with a BSC next year. Especially with you A-Levels I don't think its worth taking a gap year as computer science is very competitive and you don't have the ideas subjects for it. If you whish to go to a better uni in the future you can do the same as me and re apply at masters level, but I 100% recommend you not to take a gap year, I have spoken to a couple of people who done gap years and all of them said its a waste of time. If you have any questions lmk here or just DM me.

Reply 6

mesub

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

22

Original post by brutha

Thanks for your reply. My main question here is whether taking a gap year disadvantages my application in any way. Let's say hypothetically I took Further Maths in my gap year and applied to Oxbridge or Imperial, is my application seen as less competitive given that I didn't sit FM at the same time as my other A-levels? For Bath and KCL, I applied as I knew they didn't require FM, but I am really interested as to why I might have been rejected; could it have only been due to my personal statement then?

It was probably because of the sheer competition more than anything else.

Bath is fine with this iirc.
You'll have to ask KCL.
Oxbridge and Imp aren't fans of it from what I've seen, but do contact them to clarify.

Reply 7

brutha

OP

3

Hey, thanks so much. I wasn't a contextual applicant so I entered with my normal predicted grades (their entry requirements were A*A*A). Both Bath and KCL rejected me as my application wasn't as competitive as other applicants. Unfortunately, that was all the info they gave but I wouldn't say my personal statement was very weak. Probably due to the grades and no FM I reckon but I think there is still a chance for you so don't panic.

Reply 8

brutha

OP

3

Original post by hhhhhhhh12345

3 years ago I was in the same boat as you. 4 A* (Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Computer Science) prediction and got rejected from Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, KCL and got into my last choice QM. I was going to take a gap year but decided not to at the end and went to QM. Now I am in my third year and received 2 internships, 1 last summer and one up coming summer. And hold an offer to study MSC Computing(AI and ML) at imperial with applications to oxford and Cambridge still pending. Technically if I was to take a gap year I would now be in my 2nd year and graduating with a BSC next year. Especially with you A-Levels I don't think its worth taking a gap year as computer science is very competitive and you don't have the ideas subjects for it. If you whish to go to a better uni in the future you can do the same as me and re apply at masters level, but I 100% recommend you not to take a gap year, I have spoken to a couple of people who done gap years and all of them said its a waste of time. If you have any questions lmk here or just DM me.

Hi thank you so much for your reply. Would you say your rejections may have been due to entrance exams e.g TMUA, grades or personal statement. The thing is if I were to take a gap year it could go two ways: either I'll be in a good position to sit Further Maths in my gap year and gain relevant insight into industry/WEX to apply again or I will apply to a different course. Did the people who advised against a gap year apply for CS or were they applying for other courses? I actually also got an offer from QM and was thinking about making it my firm, so if you could tell me your opinions on that it would also be really helpful

Reply 9

brutha

OP

3

Original post by mesub

It was probably because of the sheer competition more than anything else.
Bath is fine with this iirc.
You'll have to ask KCL.
Oxbridge and Imp aren't fans of it from what I've seen, but do contact them to clarify.

Hi, thanks so much. How can I get in contact with KCL, Oxbridge? Just contact them through their applications email address?

Reply 10

mesub

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

22

Original post by brutha

Hi, thanks so much. How can I get in contact with KCL, Oxbridge? Just contact them through their applications email address?

Yes.

Reply 11

hhhhhhhh12345

Original post by brutha

Hi thank you so much for your reply. Would you say your rejections may have been due to entrance exams e.g TMUA, grades or personal statement. The thing is if I were to take a gap year it could go two ways: either I'll be in a good position to sit Further Maths in my gap year and gain relevant insight into industry/WEX to apply again or I will apply to a different course. Did the people who advised against a gap year apply for CS or were they applying for other courses? I actually also got an offer from QM and was thinking about making it my firm, so if you could tell me your opinions on that it would also be really helpful

My TMUA was ok, I think for me what held me down was the competition. My along side 3 other students all were predicted 4 A* in the ideal subjects none of us even got into kings, UCL and imperial. One of us took gap year and again now with 4 A* achieved he didn't get any good offers again, he went kings through clearing to an AI course. I asked him if it was worth gap year and he said it was a waste, so please take my advice when I tell you gap year is not smart idea for CS due to the competitiveness. I went QM and received to 2 internships one last summer 1 up and coming. EBRD and Barclays, I know people that got into amazon, google, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and more. So its still a very good university. Also for master people have gotten into Cambridge and Imperial so QM still gives you a lot of stepping stones.

To be completely honest I don't see you getting into a top tier university without Further Maths so if you are set on doing gap year you should pick it. I had 1 internship and still didn't get into any of my top 4 choices. If you were to take my advice i would take the offer from QM.

Reply 12

reaston

4

Original post by mesub

You'd struggle for the competition in Oxbridge and Imperial without further maths. For every other uni, you don't need further maths.
Bath is extremely competitive for CS and has been for the past few years. KCL is always competitive as a London university.
If you're not happy with the other offers, yes you could take a gap year but when you reapply, please do pick universities you'd be happy to go to (ideally at least one competitive uni as well).

My son applied to Bath and Oxford last year with predicted A*A*A* for Maths, FM and Computing (plus A* EPQ) and was rejected from everything he applied for. Oh, he also has seven 9's and three 8's for GCSE's; I suppose not having ten 9's was the only weakness. He achieved his predicted grades. Lowest mark for any component was 92% and even achieved 100% in some of his FM papers.

He has taken a gap year and re-applied. This year he achieved 85% in MAT, had his interview with Oxford and was rejected. He was told that its competitive. I suspect that at the final stage he was compared with others that would have likely been doing 4 A-levels with FM being the 4th. Alternatively, they perhaps didn't warm to him in the interview; he has ASD so this was always going to be likely. We will never know. Has unconditional offers from Bath and Durham and is currently visiting both on offers days to try to help decide.

Universities prefer the A-levels all to be taken at the same time; puts students under the same level of pressure for comparison.

One of my ex students is at Bath and is enjoying Computing. One is at Oxford, enjoyed her first year but possibly not her second year.

Taking FM during a gap year is not a bad idea, even if it just to keep the maths up.

PS I am a Computing & Mathematics teacher

Gap Year Computer Science

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