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UK University Admissions


Hughie

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Hey, I'm studying in Australia at the moment. Our school year starts around the end of January and finishes earlier on in December of the same year.

So I've finished my first year in IB course so far, having my summer break at the moment.

The thing is, I want to study in UK for uni - it's been a dream of mine since I was 5. But then the uni admission system kinda confused me a bit.

I always thought that I had to get the final final IB mark before I put an application form in and not the other way around, as it apparently is O_o

So I'm kinda confused about it at the moment.

And another thing is, down here in Australia we do our final exams in Oct.~Nov., so it's about 6 months after those in Northern hemisphere sit the exams.

When I get my predicted grades would be about 6 months after those in Northern hem. get theirs as well.

I think we do our trials sometime in Term 3, around August or September, and I've heard that a girl in the year above mine has done an interview with Oxford in Term 3 holiday. (Early Oct.)

Hence I wasn't too sure if I'd be able to get my predicted grades by then, fill in the application forms AND send them in by then.

So I was wondering, when exactly is the deadline for admissions in UK universities?

If I don't get my predicted grade by then, am I supposed to submit my application form without them?

Or can I apply for an entry the year after that with my final IB marks already there and with me?

Someone please give me a hand :D

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I'm in a hurry, so I'll be brief for now:

UK admissions are run through UCAS: http://www.ucas.ac.uk. The sight will give you the basics you need about applying.

15 January is the latest date for your application to be considered equally. If you are applying to the University of Oxford or Cambridge, latest date is 15 Oct, same goes for all medicine courses.

Since you are a November 09 candidate, the latest date for your application would be 15 Jan 2010. You can't apply this year for entry in 2009, as you obviously haven't taken your IB tests before semester starts, which is October-November. This means that, should you want to apply to Oxford or Cambridge, you have to get predicted grades from your teachers in the autumn, and submit your application by 15 Oct 2009. The universities will then probably defer giving you an offer until you have received your final grades. Should you not want to study at these universities (you'll need 40-42 points with 7-7-6 at HL most likely), you can apply in January 2010 when you have already received your IB scores. Don't apply without predicted grades.

Briefly put: If you apply in Oct '09 / Jan '10, you're applying for entry in Sept '10, which is the start of semester for the class of 2013.

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You sound really confused. :D

Since you're finishing your exams in November 2009, you will be eligible for admission in September (or October) 2010 at the earliest. The deadline for applications for admission would be January 15th 2010. If you're applying for Oxford or Cambridge, you will have to apply by either September 20th 2009(if you will be giving your interview abroad) or October 15th 2009 (or 20th)(If you're giving your interview in the UK)

So in essence, you will have a mini gap year of sorts. Ordinary students (those in the northern hemisphere :( ) would be having their exams in May 2010 for entry in September 2010. It's good in a way, since you'll actually get your grades in January, then send off your UCAS form so you know you've satisfied the pre requisites for the universities that you choose to apply to.

I think that answers your question.

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Hmm. If I am applying for Oxford, then would it be okay for me to apply sometime in October 2010 with my final marks? Or do you think it'd be too late? O_o

And just out of curiousity......can I apply for the same university over and over again, maybe for a whole decade or something? :D

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It would be fine to apply after you've graduated! Especially if you spend your gap year doing something that will look good in a personal statement. Lots of people seem to take a year off between graduating and starting university. The advantage with that, as I see it, is that your offers would be unconditional, since you would already have all the qualifications.

And yeah. You can apply over and over and over, at least if you don't accept any offers. (I'm not too sure of the details...) However, I definitely don't think it'd be worth it. Sure, it's shiny to go to an extremely good university. But it's also nice to get over that stage in your life, no?

But if you do feel like applying in October 2009, just ask your teachers for your predicted grades a bit in advance? I'm sure they wouldn't mind it if you give them a few weeks' notice; teachers generally have a pretty good idea of how well you can be expected to do. That way universities could give you unconditional offers straight away too, and you won't have so much time between studies. (Unless that's what you want, of course!)

Good luck!

Edited by Hyperbole
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