Guys, need help on where to apply for Biochemistry

Currently am in Year 12, and take the A levels of biology, maths and chemistry
I am predicted A*AA and not entirely sure where to go. I have ruled out oxbridge but I have such a long list of others that are really great and I just don't know how to narrow it down or decide.

I also have taken an EPQ and am predicted A* so i know several universities do let a grade drop for this.
some of the unis I was looking at were:
Durham
Exeter
Leeds
York
Manchester
Southampton
UCl/Kings (am in process of eliminating one)

Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 1

isaac123444566

Original post by JayTJay

Currently am in Year 12, and take the A levels of biology, maths and chemistry
I am predicted A*AA and not entirely sure where to go. I have ruled out oxbridge but I have such a long list of others that are really great and I just don't know how to narrow it down or decide.
I also have taken an EPQ and am predicted A* so i know several universities do let a grade drop for this.
some of the unis I was looking at were:
Durham
Exeter
Leeds
York
Manchester
Southampton
UCl/Kings (am in process of eliminating one)
Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Depends if u would rather be in city vs campus, london vs outside uni etc etc. there are a ton of factors and its up to u

Reply 2

username7660565

And depends whether you might want a career in biochem, or you want a non-science job such as finance or consulting (in which case you should also look at which are more of target unis for graduate jobs e.g.UCL would be highest on your list). And as in the above reply - if you are interested in a campus look at Warwick and Bath too.

Reply 3

McGinger

Look at Bristol - some interesting options within their program : Undergraduate | School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine | University of Bristol

And, you will need at least one lower grade choice as a potential Insurance choice - suggestions :
Biochemistry, undergraduate courses : University of Sussex
Biochemistry MBiol | Courses | University of Liverpool

Reply 4

username7660565

Warwick likely to be AAB - just as an example of an insurance to consider

Reply 5

JayTJay

Original post by isaac123444566

Depends if u would rather be in city vs campus, london vs outside uni etc etc. there are a ton of factors and its up to u

I went round KCl yesterday and it seemed kinda miserable not very lively and people just out in the open doing drugs so have been put right off of anything in london. What would you say is best

Reply 6

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Is there a reason you ruled out Oxford? No reason based on your subjects and grades it's not an option is all.

Have you considered Imperial? They're a good option if you're considering a London based uni.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 7

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by JayTJay

Currently am in Year 12, and take the A levels of biology, maths and chemistry
I am predicted A*AA and not entirely sure where to go. I have ruled out oxbridge but I have such a long list of others that are really great and I just don't know how to narrow it down or decide.
I also have taken an EPQ and am predicted A* so i know several universities do let a grade drop for this.
some of the unis I was looking at were:
Durham
Exeter
Leeds
York
Manchester
Southampton
UCl/Kings (am in process of eliminating one)
Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Hi @JayTJay

I'd firstly recommend looking closely at the modules available for each of the courses, this should be on the course webpage for each university. While all the degrees are called "biochemistry", and will cover the same general areas, the degrees will still vary. When picking a university to study biochemistry I took into account the amount of chemistry (I wanted to take some pure chemistry modules, some universities offer no chemistry, some offer "chemistry for biochemists" and some offer straight chemistry modules) and I also looked at what biology modules were offered (I don't really care for "big" biology, my favourite areas are cellular, sub-cellular, and molecular biology). This helped me choose a course where I knew I'd enjoy all the compulsory modules and where the optional modules really appealed to me.

It might feel really far off now, but maybe consider looking into the career opportunities available in each department? I had the opportunity to take a placement year and my department offers a lot of funded summer internships each year so I'm leaving university with a lot of lab-based experience which has made me a much more competitive candidate.

Finally, I'd recommend looking at each university and imagine yourself living there. Look at the first year accommodation, and where people tend to move to in the city. Look at the campus and facilities each university offers. I'd highly recommend going to visit universities to feel out the "vibe" but if you can't many universities offer online tours and there's lots of university vlogs of YouTube and TikTok.

It's been a while (I started university in 2021) but I ended up applying for Lancaster, Birmingham, Warwick, Sheffield, and Kent. I considered a lot of universities before narrowing it down to those 5 (from what I can remember I looked into Durham, Exeter, Bath, York. Bristol, Manchester etc.), and Lancaster wasn't even a university I was considering until I was looking for my 5th choice. I saw it on the course rankings, went to visit, and I fell in love!

Picking a university is a very personal choice, and only you will know what's best for you and where you think you'll be happy. Good luck with applications and let me know if you have any other questions that I might be able to answer.

Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 8

isaac123444566

Original post by JayTJay

I went round KCl yesterday and it seemed kinda miserable not very lively and people just out in the open doing drugs so have been put right off of anything in london. What would you say is best

So for me personally I’m not going to be applying to London based unis because I think the social life is pretty bad because everyones so far apart (i’ve spoken to tons of people at london unis like imperial,soas,lse’

Reply 9

Ereza_SOAS

Official Rep

Original post by JayTJay

Currently am in Year 12, and take the A levels of biology, maths and chemistry
I am predicted A*AA and not entirely sure where to go. I have ruled out oxbridge but I have such a long list of others that are really great and I just don't know how to narrow it down or decide.
I also have taken an EPQ and am predicted A* so i know several universities do let a grade drop for this.
some of the unis I was looking at were:
Durham
Exeter
Leeds
York
Manchester
Southampton
UCl/Kings (am in process of eliminating one)
Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Hi,

Your predicted grades are amazing so you've definitely got a good chance of getting into the university of your choice.
In terms of helping you narrow it down, I suggest doing 2 things:

•

Go through the course under each university's page and read through the different module options - even though you are applying for the same degree across all the universities, they will all teach slightly different content in different styles. A lot of the pages will also show how you will be assessed, so if you're someone who prefers exams to coursework or vice versa, this can also help influence your decision. It's a bit of lengthy process but it will definitely help you.
https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/courses/biochemistry-c702/ - example on Durham's page: it immediately lays our the different compulsory modules you will be taking across all 3 years.

•

Attending open days or booking in for campus tours - all the universities you have listed are spread across the UK and will have a different feel to one another. Sometimes a university can appear to be a perfect fit online but you may not enjoy the environment once you're there so this can help you narrow it down. Also, exploring the local area near each university you visit will help as it'll be your new living space for 3 years.

I hope this helps,

Best of luck!
EH

Reply 10

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Original post by JayTJay

Currently am in Year 12, and take the A levels of biology, maths and chemistry
I am predicted A*AA and not entirely sure where to go. I have ruled out oxbridge but I have such a long list of others that are really great and I just don't know how to narrow it down or decide.
I also have taken an EPQ and am predicted A* so i know several universities do let a grade drop for this.
some of the unis I was looking at were:
Durham
Exeter
Leeds
York
Manchester
Southampton
UCl/Kings (am in process of eliminating one)
Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Hi, congrats on your predicted grades!

I do zoology at Southampton, and I did the same first year as biochemistry - so I can give some insight into what it might be like!

Southampton is a lovely campus university, and most of your lectures will be based on Highfield campus, with lots of study spaces, green spaces and cafes. The life sciences building include new labs, and great teaching facilities. In first year you get a good experience of labs, with a week long lab experience in first year which you write a report on. The modules get more biochemistry specific in second year, which I know less about, but you can see about all the modules here. You will also get assigned a PAT (personal academic tutor) within the department, and they are great for answering any questions you have and providing support.

If you have any specific questions about the course, or Southampton itself please let me know!

Rachel (UoS student ambassador)

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