Uni recs??
Hi all, I'm an international student currently studying in a private schl in the UK. I take psych, chem, and maths for A level and I want to study psychology at uni, and I don't mind any courses as long as it is not too specific (i.e., general psychology or experimental psychology instead of education psychology, perhaps). I have solid GCSE results (all 9s except for chemistry and classical civilisation, in which I got an 8). I also did OCR additional maths and got a grade A. I've had work experience with people before, and will be doing work experience in the psychological mental health field this summer. I'm predicted A*AA but will retake my chem and psychology to hopefully get another A* and make my chemistry solid. I will definitely try for Oxford's and I have made a list of 3 aspiring unis and 1 safe.
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
Reply 1
Hi there!
Lovely to hear you're planning on doing psychology and are considering Bath as one of your choices!
I did very similar A-Levels to you (Chem, Psych and French) and went to Bath to do Psychology. I absolutely loved my course as it was so varied (I did some general modules such as research methods, social psychology, cognitive psychology and developmental psychology but also more specific ones too such as health psychology, behavioural economics and cognitive neuropsychology), so you can tailor it quite a bit to your interests and explore a lot of topics. I personally also really loved Bath because it has a fantastic industrial placement scheme, a lovely safe city with lots to do and a nice, open campus with lots of green space and an open atmosphere.
Its great that you've got some work experience already as this is not expected before uni but is a great thing to talk about in your PS.
For your safe option, you should aim for a uni who asks for a couple of grades below your PGs. On this basis, have you considered Loughborough? They are in the top 10 for Psychology according to the complete university guide league table, and are asking for an AAB at A-Level, which is lower than your other choices. Its a lovely campus with lots of green space (and a fountain!), its very strong for sports, and this course has a placement year which is a great thing to do to build up your CV and experience portfolio (as well as being something fun and different to do!)
I would spend a bit of time this summer just doing some extra reading. I love the website simplypsychology.org which has info about key psychology discoveries and theories in a fun and accessible way. I also read a few books (Ruby Wax's Sane New World) and some of Simon Baron-Cohen's work on the Empathising-Systemising theory as this was some research I was particularly interested in. Any MOOCs on Future Learn you like the look of, or any TED talks on psychological concepts are also really good to look into for fun and to talk about in your PS.
I hope this helps! Any more questions please let us know!
Holly
University of Bath
Lovely to hear you're planning on doing psychology and are considering Bath as one of your choices!
I did very similar A-Levels to you (Chem, Psych and French) and went to Bath to do Psychology. I absolutely loved my course as it was so varied (I did some general modules such as research methods, social psychology, cognitive psychology and developmental psychology but also more specific ones too such as health psychology, behavioural economics and cognitive neuropsychology), so you can tailor it quite a bit to your interests and explore a lot of topics. I personally also really loved Bath because it has a fantastic industrial placement scheme, a lovely safe city with lots to do and a nice, open campus with lots of green space and an open atmosphere.
Its great that you've got some work experience already as this is not expected before uni but is a great thing to talk about in your PS.
For your safe option, you should aim for a uni who asks for a couple of grades below your PGs. On this basis, have you considered Loughborough? They are in the top 10 for Psychology according to the complete university guide league table, and are asking for an AAB at A-Level, which is lower than your other choices. Its a lovely campus with lots of green space (and a fountain!), its very strong for sports, and this course has a placement year which is a great thing to do to build up your CV and experience portfolio (as well as being something fun and different to do!)
I would spend a bit of time this summer just doing some extra reading. I love the website simplypsychology.org which has info about key psychology discoveries and theories in a fun and accessible way. I also read a few books (Ruby Wax's Sane New World) and some of Simon Baron-Cohen's work on the Empathising-Systemising theory as this was some research I was particularly interested in. Any MOOCs on Future Learn you like the look of, or any TED talks on psychological concepts are also really good to look into for fun and to talk about in your PS.
I hope this helps! Any more questions please let us know!
Holly
University of Bath
Reply 2
20
For Psych, always check that the course is accredited by the BPS - BPS > Accredited Courses
Its also worth prioritising courses with any sort of work-placement as this gives you valuable 'context' for your degree studies, and adds enormously to your graduate employability. Make sure you check any CGSE Maths requirement - its often grade 6 or 7 because of the data/stats work involved in Psych.
For a safety Insurance choice, I'd suggest Unis like Reading, Sussex, Sheffield, Loughborough (AAB) or Kent (ABB).
For ALL of your choices, you need to go to as many of the Open Days as you can. Each Uni will have a very different atmosphere and each course will be different. You also need to think carefully about cost. Oxford, Bath and London will all cost you far more than living somewhere further North.
Its also worth prioritising courses with any sort of work-placement as this gives you valuable 'context' for your degree studies, and adds enormously to your graduate employability. Make sure you check any CGSE Maths requirement - its often grade 6 or 7 because of the data/stats work involved in Psych.
For a safety Insurance choice, I'd suggest Unis like Reading, Sussex, Sheffield, Loughborough (AAB) or Kent (ABB).
For ALL of your choices, you need to go to as many of the Open Days as you can. Each Uni will have a very different atmosphere and each course will be different. You also need to think carefully about cost. Oxford, Bath and London will all cost you far more than living somewhere further North.
Original post
by nicolakokineiHi all, I'm an international student currently studying in a private schl in the UK. I take psych, chem, and maths for A level and I want to study psychology at uni, and I don't mind any courses as long as it is not too specific (i.e., general psychology or experimental psychology instead of education psychology, perhaps). I have solid GCSE results (all 9s except for chemistry and classical civilisation, in which I got an 8). I also did OCR additional maths and got a grade A. I've had work experience with people before, and will be doing work experience in the psychological mental health field this summer. I'm predicted A*AA but will retake my chem and psychology to hopefully get another A* and make my chemistry solid. I will definitely try for Oxford's and I have made a list of 3 aspiring unis and 1 safe.
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
Hi nicolakokinei, 👋
It's great to hear you are interested in studying psychology at university!
The University of Sheffield has a Psychology BSc degree which is a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course! We are also in the top 20 in the UK for psychology according to The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
We also have amazing opportunities to do placements and get on-the-job experience while supporting the local community (this could even be a year long!).
This course seems ideal for you as it covers the breadth of the subject and various areas including Cognitive psychology, Developmental psychology, Neuroscience and clinical psychology, Social and health psychology, and Research methods.
Please let me know if you have any questions about studying at the university of Sheffield or about this course in particular. I did my BA, MA and now I'm doing my PhD all at UoS because it's such a great, friendly and welcoming academic community.
Let me know if you have any questions (and good luck for your A-Levels!) 😀
All best wishes,
Phoebe 👋
Student Ambassador - PhD in English Literature
Reply 4
Original post
by nicolakokineiHi all, I'm an international student currently studying in a private schl in the UK. I take psych, chem, and maths for A level and I want to study psychology at uni, and I don't mind any courses as long as it is not too specific (i.e., general psychology or experimental psychology instead of education psychology, perhaps). I have solid GCSE results (all 9s except for chemistry and classical civilisation, in which I got an 8). I also did OCR additional maths and got a grade A. I've had work experience with people before, and will be doing work experience in the psychological mental health field this summer. I'm predicted A*AA but will retake my chem and psychology to hopefully get another A* and make my chemistry solid. I will definitely try for Oxford's and I have made a list of 3 aspiring unis and 1 safe.
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
Hi @nicolakokinei
I would recommend looking at the university league tables for psychology, as these will show you which universities are performing well in the subject on a range of factors like student satisfaction and graduate prospects. Psychology Rankings 2025.
Over summer, as well as your EPQ, i would recommend gaining experiences through super curricular activities that you can include on your personal statement. These are extra activities you can do to demonstrate your passion for your subject during your personal statement and can include: wider reading around your subject, work experience, MOOCS, listening to podcasts or lectures.
Hope this helps!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Reply 5
Hi! I'm not a university student, but I just wanted to let you know about the John Locke Institute essay competition, which has a psychology section - I believe you can still sign up until the end of May: https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/essay-competition
Good luck with everything!
Good luck with everything!
Reply 6
Original post
by nicolakokineiHi all, I'm an international student currently studying in a private schl in the UK. I take psych, chem, and maths for A level and I want to study psychology at uni, and I don't mind any courses as long as it is not too specific (i.e., general psychology or experimental psychology instead of education psychology, perhaps). I have solid GCSE results (all 9s except for chemistry and classical civilisation, in which I got an 8). I also did OCR additional maths and got a grade A. I've had work experience with people before, and will be doing work experience in the psychological mental health field this summer. I'm predicted A*AA but will retake my chem and psychology to hopefully get another A* and make my chemistry solid. I will definitely try for Oxford's and I have made a list of 3 aspiring unis and 1 safe.
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
my list is:
Oxford
LSE/KCL
St Andrews
Bath Uni
Safe uni? i am not sure yet for this one!!
do you guys recommend any other unis that will give me a solid chance of getting in? and what should I do over the summer other than epq? thanks!
Hi!
I am also an international student that went to a private school, doing BSc(Hons) Psychology at Bournemouth University at the moment. Your choices look great and I thought I would just say a little bit about my experience with the university I am at.
I've had a great time at my university because the lecturers are really focused on interactive teaching and explaining in ways that is interesting to most people. Bournemouth Uni is also on the beach in the South of England with great connections to London, Bath, Reading and many others. I came to this university because they are very supportive with international students in terms of helping with the student visa application process, finding accommodation etc. They are also very keen on employment and placements(which I am doing right now). So, whichever university you choose, check their graduate prospects and employment.
In terms of work experience over summer, I have done loads of that so I will leave a few recommendations here. I worked at different private boarding schools during summers and it was a great experience to meet students from everywhere and to also get good money. Summer Boarding Courses is a good place to start or if you search Summer Activity Leader, you can find quite a few. International schools are great places to work at during summers especially if you want to do psychology. Working at international schools has allowed me to secure a good placement and have a great CV so I definitely recommend it. You could also work at a nursery or youth clubs as well. Good luck with your job search!
Feel free to ask more questions,
Valeria, Bournemouth University.
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