Universities in UK

[Nabz]

One thing i don't understand about the universities is that

1. they accept you based on your predicted grades? what if you get a bad grade in final exam which is likely the case so then do the universities reject your application?

2. If your application gets rejected because you've scored low on predicted grades but then you get a better final grade, can you apply again over the summer although the deadline has been exceeded?

How does the system work in UK? I'm very much concerned because my grades are fairly low and now that i have started working really hard, i have a feeling that i will get a better final score (when all IAs etc pump up my grades). I feel as if i will never be able to change those grades back again...Do i have a chance in good universities.

[Award Winning Boss]

One thing i don't understand about the universities is that

1. they accept you based on your predicted grades? what if you get a bad grade in final exam which is likely the case so then do the universities reject your application?

They make offers based on your predicted grades. So you're given a conditional offer of, let's say, 35 points. Then you have to get 35 points or more (including any conditions on the higher level subjects). If you miss your offer then you can either beg to be let in on results day, or go to your insurance university.

2. If your application gets rejected because you've scored low on predicted grades but then you get a better final grade, can you apply again over the summer although the deadline has been exceeded?

You apply through UCAS extra to see if they're any vacancies in other universities (not necessarily to the course or university you want.) There's also stuff about adjustment and clearing you might want to read about.

How does the system work in UK? I'm very much concerned because my grades are fairly low and now that i have started working really hard, i have a feeling that i will get a better final score (when all IAs etc pump up my grades). I feel as if i will never be able to change those grades back again...Do i have a chance in good universities?

I'd strongly recommend against applying to universities that have requirements above your predicted grades. You'd be asking for rejections at that point. You could apply this year (the deadline for equal consideration is Jan. 15th if you didn't know) then should you get much better grades in the summer, go through adjustment or take a gap year.

[Nabz]

One thing i don't understand about the universities is that

1. they accept you based on your predicted grades? what if you get a bad grade in final exam which is likely the case so then do the universities reject your application?

They make offers based on your predicted grades. So you're given a conditional offer of, let's say, 35 points. Then you have to get 35 points or more (including any conditions on the higher level subjects). If you miss your offer then you can either beg to be let in on results day, or go to your insurance university.

2. If your application gets rejected because you've scored low on predicted grades but then you get a better final grade, can you apply again over the summer although the deadline has been exceeded?

You apply through UCAS extra to see if they're any vacancies in other universities (not necessarily to the course or university you want.) There's also stuff about adjustment and clearing you might want to read about.

How does the system work in UK? I'm very much concerned because my grades are fairly low and now that i have started working really hard, i have a feeling that i will get a better final score (when all IAs etc pump up my grades). I feel as if i will never be able to change those grades back again...Do i have a chance in good universities?

I'd strongly recommend against applying to universities that have requirements above your predicted grades. You'd be asking for rejections at that point. You could apply this year (the deadline for equal consideration is Jan. 15th if you didn't know) then should you get much better grades in the summer, go through adjustment or take a gap year.

Also when a university explicitly requires credits, lets say 35, does it include the bonus points? Lets say i got 32 credits as predicted grades and i am likely to get 3 bonus points, would the application be considered?

[Sandwich]

Also when a university explicitly requires credits, lets say 35, does it include the bonus points? Lets say i got 32 credits as predicted grades and i am likely to get 3 bonus points, would the application be considered?

If they ask for a total score of 32 points then they literally mean a total score - including bonus points. Often they'll also ask for specific grades or combinations in your higher level subjects too. For example they might offer 36 with 6,6,5 as minimum at HL. Or 36 with 6,6,5 including HL Biology to be at least a 6. Or something like that

Not many schools predict 3 bonus points though. My school just blanket predicted everybody 2. I was shocked by how many people got just 1 bonus point to be honest, everybody assumes it's an easy score but then so many people fall short on their bonus points.

[Guest HayashiEsme]

Out of curiosity, is there absolutely no chance of me going into LSE's Economics programme because I didn't take Maths HL? I was thinking, since the school starts offering places as 38, say if someone's got a 44/45, and does have the relevant subject combination (minus Maths), they probably do have a better grasp at academics on the whole than say a 38. (Not to throw this out as a blanket statement or anything, just theoretically and in the eyes of the unis)

[Sandwich]

Out of curiosity, is there absolutely no chance of me going into LSE's Economics programme because I didn't take Maths HL? I was thinking, since the school starts offering places as 38, say if someone's got a 44/45, and does have the relevant subject combination (minus Maths), they probably do have a better grasp at academics on the whole than say a 38. (Not to throw this out as a blanket statement or anything, just theoretically and in the eyes of the unis)

On their website it says the requirements are 38 points with 7,6,6, at HL (7 points for HL Maths) - so given that you don't even do HL Maths it is impossible for you to meet the requirement of a 7 in HL Maths! So I'd say yes it is impossible. The thing with UK Universities is that if they ask for a required subject it's because it's really important that you have relevant ability in that particular subject because essentially you will need that level of ability in order to undertake the degree. If you don't have the relevant subject, then it really doesn't matter whether you're really good at French or History or whatever subjects you do have, because you're not going to have displayed any of the ability which is really relevant to the course THEY are offering. If that makes sense. Your grasp on academics as a whole is somewhat irrelevant to your grasp of Mathematics, and it's Maths which is going to form a big part of your degree.

Also, generally they don't re-teach anything you did at A Level/IB standard, so if they ask for HL Maths then very likely they'll expect you to arrive fully competent at all the things within the HL Maths syllabus - and won't ever teach it to you because it's presumed knowledge.

[Nabz]

some universities ask for HL math because the course they teach includes the stuff which is taught in HL math onlybut there are some universities which say HL math only to increase the competition because they have a lot of applications per seat.

@Sandwich: I mean i got a B in the TOK presentation and i'm hoping to get an A or high B in TOK essay = A and EE wasn't that bad so B or C. Is it that hard to get 3 points? DO you think that external moderation is harsher compared to internal moderation?

Edited December 8, 2012 by shad0wboss

[ILikeTurtles]

Out of curiosity, is there absolutely no chance of me going into LSE's Economics programme because I didn't take Maths HL? I was thinking, since the school starts offering places as 38, say if someone's got a 44/45, and does have the relevant subject combination (minus Maths), they probably do have a better grasp at academics on the whole than say a 38. (Not to throw this out as a blanket statement or anything, just theoretically and in the eyes of the unis)

Hey, LSE visited our school during a college fair, and a lot of us asked the same question. They said that we should not really consider applying if we don't have Math HL it is a requirement... Just like Chem HL for most med schools :/ So even if you have a great predicted scored, it's not really worth applying if you don't take math HL.. sucks right? :/

[Arrowhead]

Out of curiosity, is there absolutely no chance of me going into LSE's Economics programme because I didn't take Maths HL? I was thinking, since the school starts offering places as 38, say if someone's got a 44/45, and does have the relevant subject combination (minus Maths), they probably do have a better grasp at academics on the whole than say a 38. (Not to throw this out as a blanket statement or anything, just theoretically and in the eyes of the unis)

Don't be too disheartened. I can tell you firsthand that you're not missing out on much.