Medicine Applicant as International Student with bad GCSEs and average/good UCAT

Hi, I am an international student applying for medicine this year.
Here are my stats.

A-level Predicted:
A*A*A* in Bio, Chem, Math

IGCSE:
TTL: 9 subjects
2 A* in Math, Chinese as a Foreign Language
2 A in English Language, History
5 B in Coordinated Science Double Award, Additional Math, Economics, Computer Science

UCAT: 2180 (out of 2700) Band 2

Please give me advice on which universities in England I should apply for/stand a chance in getting an interview. Thank you so much.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum.

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

Megathreads (Please read the first post before posting any further questions you have within that thread.)
The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
The Ultimate 'Am I Good Enough For Medicine?' Angst Thread
Medicine A-Level subjects queries
Work Experience and Voluntary Work
GANFYD's "Which medical schools accept retake A-Levels" list

2026 Applicants :
Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2026 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2026 Entry
Medicine 2026 entry for resit/retake/gap year applicants
International Students for Medicine 2026 Entry (overseas students applying to the UK)
UCAT 2026 Entry Discussions Megathread
GAMSAT Megathread 2026/2027 entry
GAMSAT Megathread 2025/2026 entry
2026 entry A100/ A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Medical Schools Index 2026 entry
Medical Schools Index 2025 entry

UCAS Extra and Clearing:
Medicine UCAS Extra for 2025
Medicine UCAS Clearing for 2025

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Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2027 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2027 Entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2028 Entry

Current Medical Students and Doctors:
Guidance on posting in this subforum
So, you're going to medical school.... MKII
OSCE Tips and Advice
Increase in the NHS Bursary and expenses for placement
The postgraduate exams thread

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Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
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Funding medicine as a second degree

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Reply 2

sir prof

Original post

by opt1m1st

Hi, I am an international student applying for medicine this year.
Here are my stats.
A-level Predicted:
A*A*A* in Bio, Chem, Math
IGCSE:
TTL: 9 subjects
2 A* in Math, Chinese as a Foreign Language
2 A in English Language, History
5 B in Coordinated Science Double Award, Additional Math, Economics, Computer Science
UCAT: 2180 (out of 2700) Band 2
Please give me advice on which universities in England I should apply for/stand a chance in getting an interview. Thank you so much.

With A*A*A* predicted in Bio, Chem, Maths and a UCAT of 2180 Band 2, you’re academically very strong but your UCAT is below the highest cut-offs some schools use for international applicants. Realistic options include Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, and Birmingham, where A-levels carry heavy weight and your grades make you competitive. More competitive “reach” choices would be Bristol, King’s, and UCL, but their UCAT thresholds for internationals are usually higher. To maximize your chances, apply to a mix of target and reach schools, and focus on showing commitment to medicine and reflection on your experiences in your personal statement and interviews. i have worked with many students before and am telling this is what happens.you can reach out for more guidance

Reply 3

opt1m1st

Original post

by sir prof

Hi, thank you so much for your reply.
I really appreciate your guidance. I wanted to clarify a few points about my application strategy:

Teaching Style Preference – I am mainly interested in universities that use an integrated/systems-based curriculum, rather than PBL or CBL.

GCSE Concerns – Since my GCSE results are quite low, I’d be very grateful if you could advise which universities place less emphasis on GCSEs and instead give more weight to predicted A-levels and the personal statement.

UCAT Considerations – My UCAT score is not particularly strong, especially in the international student pool, so I believe I may not be competitive at UCAT-heavy schools.

Universities of Interest – My top choice is Leeds, along with Southampton and Newcastle, but I heard that they all place significant weight on GCSEs. Do you know if these schools would still be realistic options for me, given my profile?

Thank you again for taking the time to help—I really value your insights.

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