Applying to UCAS (A long shot..)

[PapaHett]

So i'm applying to UCAS as an external student.. When I applied last year with the school, I had listed all of my AS Levels, and then listed a number of A-Level modules as Pending, as I hadn't sat the exams at this stage.

But now that I have my certificate of results, and it shows a grade for all 6 modules (AS, and A2) I was thinking about just listing them all under 'GCE Advanced Level' with grades for the 6 modules i've cached.. And in some cases, leaving out the repeats that i've done?

I hope i'm making some sense.. Is this okay to do? Or could it come back and bite me in the ass?

[cardigankid]

I can't offer you specific advice but I can give you some general advice.

If that's what you want just do it. The problems will speak for themselves, or more likely won't

Good Luck.

[timlongs]

I sent my UCAS off last week. You have to list both your AS and A levels, or at least I did.

[koolchris99]

If you have converted one of those AS levels into an A level you list it as an A level... just the final grade.. if you quit after 1 year and have an AS level you leave it at that..

just work out the points and you can see where you will get in.

I did the same things after applying for dentistry then changing my mine in the summer and reapplying for product design the next year.

[Davey111]

Have you tried contacting the school you did your exams at and applied through? I applied after I had left school but they were still really helpfull and invited me to come in to get some advice. This would probably be best if it is an option.

[PapaHett]

timlongs said:

I sent my UCAS off last week. You have to list both your AS and A levels, or at least I did.

Yea, but i'm wondering do you have to list the AS and ALevel modules seperately.. Or could you just list all six modules as 'GCE Advanced Levels'..

And if only listing the grades that i've cached? I have 3 Maths C1 Grades; Two repeats.. Am I specifically required to include them?

[Hairspray]

My reference is currently in the process of being written and then I can send mine off, but we do not have to put our AS's on our application because at our school, they do not certificate them, only the A.

[hazzel_frazzel]

You should only list the grades you cashed in. So say you did 4 subjects at AS level, 3 at A level, dropping englihs in between, you would list english AS level as the grade you got in it at AS, and the rest as A level, as the final A level grade you got. It's fairly simple, you list the qualifications you have, and you didn't get an A level in subjects you dropped after year 12. Similarly, AS can be used stand alone or as half of an A level, so if you carried on to do A level, the AS grade fromed part of that and doesnt count

[PapaHett]

hazzel_frazzel said:

You should only list the grades you cashed in. So say you did 4 subjects at AS level, 3 at A level, dropping englihs in between, you would list english AS level as the grade you got in it at AS, and the rest as A level, as the final A level grade you got. It's fairly simple, you list the qualifications you have, and you didn't get an A level in subjects you dropped after year 12. Similarly, AS can be used stand alone or as half of an A level, so if you carried on to do A level, the AS grade fromed part of that and doesnt count

Ah, That actually makes alot of sense now. Don't know what I was thinking about haha.. Yea, I dropped Chemistry after AS Level, but carried Maths, Physics and ICT onto ALevel..

Has anyone here written a personal statement as an external candidate?

[littlegreenfairy]

Did one when I changed uni courses - just talked about why I wanted the change, what I hoped to achieve and how my skills fitted in with the course,

[va1o]

From what I remember you only mention your AS-level grades if you haven't yet (or won't be) taking an A2 in that subject. Also if you are retaking any AS (or A2s) and haven't yet recieved the grade, then set it as Pending.

In my case, I got st AS-Level results and decided to retake all bar about 1, so set most of them as Pending. This didn't seem to stop me getting offers from the likes of Nottingham uni.

[H_Kan]

However, some unis do specify that a grade can't be from a retake etc.

My brother is applying for medicine and I know he has come across some like that.

[parakitaMol.]

The UCAS website has a lot of help on it - is this not on there? plus a helpline. The guardian and www.prospects.ac.uk has webchat sessions with advisers on this subject as well as guidelines and tips.

There is a lot of help out there for your personal statement writing - definitely worth spending the time on and getting some help with before you submit it. Make sure you do your research on the establishments you're applying to with regard to what they are looking for (especially if it's a competitive course) and cross reference this with the content in your statement.

[Eric Mc]

Oops - I thought you said UCOS.

[Herbie58]

Having this much trouble with the form might raise doubts? Non?

Pick up the phone to ucas

[ninja-lewis]

Plenty more people in the same boat here.

[G_T]

PapaHett said:

Has anyone here written a personal statement as an external candidate?

I wrote one to apply for medicine some months ago if that's any use to you.

I'll pre-warn you it's pretty cheesy.

[parakitaMol.]

G_T said:

PapaHett said:

Has anyone here written a personal statement as an external candidate?

I wrote one to apply for medicine some months ago if that's any use to you.

I'll pre-warn you it's pretty cheesy.

Please do your research and take your time with the statement.

There is a lot of advice out there on the web, do your resarch, look for examples of personal statements for similar courses (eg a Medicine statement will be very different to Law or Arts or Engineering). Do not underestimate the importance of getting it right.... especially if over-subscribed. There are some good books available about statement writing on Amazon too. Look at the university (s) that you are applying to and the faculty info - speak to the head of that faculty and course tutors and even attend their open days if possible.

P.S. I work in this field and work very closely with the UCAS and Anthony McClaran (the outgoing CEO).

[G_T]

Good advice Parakitamol.

I spent the best part of 8 weeks writing my personal statement and read countless examples. Only time will tell if it's good enough.

The personal statement on my first degree was far less involving but it was an under-subscribed course at the time. But I wouldn't underestimate it's importance with the current over-subscription for most courses.

Best of luck either way.

[james_gt3rs]

I'd write your personal statement before looking at other examples, because then it is sure to come from you. The most important thing is to get across why you like the subject so much, and then why you would be good at it (include previous experiences to back it up).

Leave out any quotations or jokes. Keep it concise and to the point, and don't waffle.

The one thing the admissions tutors hate is when you say "I have wanted to study "X" ever since I was 6 years old when I visited "X"...blah blah, as they have seen it a million times before.

Oh, and the admissions tutors are like the grammar nazis on here

HTH