How do college admissions work in the UK?

Parents Forum
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<p>My 17-year-old son has friends his age who live in England. I understand that there is such a thing as A levels, and you get test results this time of year, and your college admission is dependent on your results, but I can’t find a general description of how it works for these kids.</p>

<p>The students took some tests at the end of this past year, which seemed to me to be like “junior year.” Next year is their last year at what is labeled a college but is where they have been going while they were 15 to 18 or so. So next year seems like “senior year.” And then they take some more tests and apply to university. And then some of them go on to university and some don’t. </p>

<p>Is this totally dependent on test scores? If you don’t do well, do you lose your chance to go to University in the UK? I was reading this article
[Taxation</a> in Britain: Forget class war, the real fight is between the generations | The Economist](<a href=“Forget class war, the real fight is between the generations”>Forget class war, the real fight is between the generations)
and it mentioned University spots being take by people who didn’t get in last year trying again. I guess there isn’t something like “go to community college then transfer”, which makes sense because I understand that outside of the U.S., students don’t take general ed/distribution requirement classes at University, they take classes in their “major.”</p>

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<p>I would love it if someone could explain how this works or post a link to a description of the process. Thanks so much.</p>

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<p>Check out the education section in The Guardian</p>

<p>[Education</a> news, comment and analysis | Education | guardian.co.uk](<a href=“http://www.guardian.co.uk/education]Education”>Education news, opinion and guides | The Guardian)</p>

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<p>Thank you. I read
[Record</a> 200,000 to miss out on university | Education | guardian.co.uk](<a href=“http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/aug/20/record-20000-miss-out-university]Record”>Record 200,000 to miss out on university | Higher education | The Guardian)
and
[A-level</a> results 2011: pass rate hits new record high | Education | guardian.co.uk](<a href=“A-level results 2011: pass rate hits new record high | A-levels | The Guardian”>A-level results 2011: pass rate hits new record high | A-levels | The Guardian)

[quote]
The number of applicants to UK universities has risen to 673,570, a record high, and a rise of 1.3% on last year. There were around 487,000 undergraduates accepted at UK universities last year, and there are a similar number of places this year.
and, from January,
[Record</a> number of new students, Ucas figures reveal | Education | guardian.co.uk](<a href=“http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jan/21/record-new-students-ucas]Record”>Record number of new students, Ucas figures reveal | Access to university | The Guardian)</p>

<p>I read that tuition is tripling next year, for students entering university in the fall of 2012. (From about $5000 to about $15,000, I think, although I am not positive I have this right.) I also read that admission depends a great deal upon 3 A-level scores (I think?) and that you can re-take A-level tests. Do most 18-year-olds apply after “senior year”? (Is there “senior year”?)</p>

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<p>“senior year” is not called that in the UK, but people usually apply to University through a central clearing house during their last year of “high school”. I believe you can apply to 5 universities and the deadline used to be November of “senior year” if I’m remembering correctly. Subsequently, the Universities evaluate the application and give an “offer”, for example, 3 B’s. This means if you get 3 B’s at A level you have a place at that Uni. Or you can get a straight out rejection. After A level results come out the clearing house tries to match up anyone remaining with places that are left. Sounds like a zoo this year.<br>
It’s a long time since I was involved in this system, so the details should be checked, but I think the basic process is the same.</p>

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<p>Just a quick comment and not a full overview: Students in the UK normally receive contingent offers of admission to university, specifying a certain set of scores on the A levels (typically three subject-area tests), or higher. If the student attains those scores, the student is admitted. Otherwise, the student has to go elsewhere, or sit out a year.</p>

<p>Some students take 4 A levels. The marking system on A levels includes A* grades (I believe this is a relatively recent change).</p>

<p>Also, I believe that students apply for a specific major field of study, and the caps in each area are taken seriously. Applications to Oxford and Cambridge fall into a special category, because the students apply to individual colleges within the university, or provide a list of preferences. I believe that a student can apply to only one of Oxford and Cambridge. At these universities, the “tutors” in specific subjects interview the applicants. The interviews are subject-focused, and may include on-the-spot problem solving in math, science, and engineering.</p>

<p>Extracurricular activities play no or almost no role in admissions. </p>

<p>As I understand it, most students apply during the equivalent of senior year, and will not know for certain whether their application will succeed until the A-level results come in. Students who are studying “modern foreign languages” are expected to become fluent in 3 languages (I think this is right, could have changed). They often take a gap year before university and spend it in one of the countries that fits their choice of language(s). Many others come directly to university.</p>

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<p>Kids also apply to UK universities who have done IB. Both in IB and in the British system you have to do well enough in subjects in grades 9/10 (US Grades) so that you can do higher level work in those subjects either for the IB or for your A levels. In the UK (and in many schools internationally which offer IB), there are GCSE exams taken at the end of the 10th grade equivalent which determine what A Level or IB Higher classes someone will take. The IB kids apply based on their Mock exams. </p>

<p>There are also essays and places to talk about what you have done besides study for exams in the applications… but it is really quite numbers driven- as described above.</p>

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<p>Uk kids go in secondary education from the age of 11. Recently these have been called High school, just to confuse the issue.
Qualifications in the UK and also internationally are as follows; a 2 year GCSE or IGCSE course from age 14 to 16 (grades 9 + 10) then either A’Levels or IB age 16 to 18 (grades 11+12).
To progress from GCSE’s to A’Level a certain number have to be passed, this is determined by the individual schools or ‘sixth form colleges’. For application to university a student applies through UCAS to 5 universities, these will then make offers depending on the predicted grades. A’Level exams are taken on a modular basis throughout the 2 years however the main exams are in May/June, the results from these are then sent out mid August and this is when a student will find out if they have got into the university of their choice.
If they have achieved the grades they need they are automatically accepted to their first choice, if they fall short they have their insurance offer which should be lower than their first choice, if they fail to meet the grades needed for either they can go into ‘clearing’ this is then something of a lottery as to what places are still left available. This year there are many students desperate to go to college as the fees are being increased to 9,000 GBP.
I hope this has helped to sort out some of the issues.</p>

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<p>Might also add: I met a student recently who was admitted to university with A level results of A, B, D. So the system is really different.</p>

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<p>All of this is great to know. I appreciate learning about “sixth form college,” too. Not I understand why the friends’ “high school” is called college. </p>

<p>The system is so different from the U.S. system. It sounds somewhat more predictable. However, it sounds like there’s a chance that - even if you are a B student - if you don’t do well on your A-level tests, you may find that no university in your country will accept you.</p>

<p>We often hear “there’s a college for everyone” but it sounds like that is not the case in the UK.</p>

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<p>I am in a position to hear bits and pieces about this. I am not an authority, but I will mention things I have been told.
Yeah, as of last yr I was hearing about a British student we know applying to 5 unis - one hears extremely late (I mean, like a month before attending) if/where one is accepted! This student had a school as a safety, but was admitted to a better school which entailed travel (and so, I imagine, rush planning since the timeframe is so short compared to what we are used to in the States!)
The testing and admissions system has changed somewhat over the years and recently also (certainly, in terms of fees recently - check British newspapers for the most recent)
I know middleaged British people who speak about these changes. Some felt too many students are getting high scores (as if testing had been dummed-down to some degree-)
With the class system, it used to be not many students attended uni.
I don’t know if this is true for all courses of study, but what I hear is after your first yr of uni you need to pass a certain large exam(s) in order to continue at school! Undergrad (BSc) is 3 yrs - one takes a narrow course of study…
I do not think American-British education system is very compatible…many times we have exclaimed over differences, when I have been in conversation with other parents…</p>

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<p>Wow, my daughter went through the English education system and then on to Oxford and it all seemed much more straightforward than the US application system my son endured – he went to an international school following the US system and will start at college in the US next week. But reading through the descriptions here, the mind boggles. It’s really not that difficult to understand. As for the UK being ‘numbers driven’ - I think the key point is that UK uni admissions depends on results from PUBLIC exams (A levels/IB/AP) . That means school grades (ie GPA) are meaningless because it’s recognized that grading systems differ so radically from school to school. Main reason D went to uni in UK is that she knew exactly which subject she wanted to study. S has no idea, so the US system will suit him better. These are very interesting times for higher education here – with the tripling of tuition fees next year.</p>

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<p>And to make it even more confusing the Scottish education system is different. Students sit Higher Grades " highers" in their 5th year at high school to gain admission to University. Some students gain scores high enough to go be accepted to uni. Both my H and I went to Uni after 5th year - my h was only 16. Most kids now do a 6th year and take more " highers" or 6th year studies in a particular subject. A gap year is also pretty common. Degrees in Scotland take 4 years.</p>

<p>There are many levels of college and most kids that want to go on to higher education find somewhere to go. Not all students per-sue higher education. Some kids leave school at 16 and enter a " trade/ apprenticeship", go to trade school, community college or get a job. You don’t "graduate " from high school.</p>

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<p>You have to stop trying to change everything into something the same as the US. Just accept that in a different culture that everything is different and it all becomes much easier.</p>

<p>The word college = this word can be used for any educational establishment for any age group. A friend of mine teaches at Sedgefield Community College (opened by George W Bush apparently). Thus is a school for students aged 11-18. Oxford/Cambridge (collectively known as “Oxbridge”) colleges are almost like dorms, but a small amount of teaching goes on there. Oxbridge is a whole separate thread so I am not going into it here in detail.</p>

<p>Children attend school in the UK from the year in which they are 5 (ie when they are 4) to 18. However, it is possible to leave the academic route at 16 and do an apprenticeship or vocational courses. How schools are divided up in by age varies around the country and an indepth discussion of this is unnecessary. For example, some go to “primary school” aged 4-11, whereas in other areas this school would be split into two called “infants” and “juniors”. Sometimes the term “high school” is used, but this can be any age ranged from 11-18. </p>

<p>As noted above, students take GCSE courses years 10-11 (which is ages 14-16, US grades 9-12). You have to get away from the American mode of thinking here. Each GCSE is a 2 year course of study. Students do not study anything else so there is no need for a GPA (and that term is completely unknown). Over the next 2 years the students do exams and course work which count towards GCSE grades in about 10 subjects. Usually students need at least 5 grade C or above GCSE passes (the grades are A-G) to go on to A-levels. </p>

<p>A-levels are also a 2 years course of study for years 12-13 (age 16-18, US grades 11-12). The first year is called AS and is worth half an A-level. Like GCSEs students take exams and course work over a year, and the results come out in August. Most students have 5-6 AS levels, and then drop a couple, only taking 3-4 into the next year, known as A2, to get a complete A-level. </p>

<p>UK students apply to university using the common application at UCAS
[UCAS</a> - Home](<a href=“http://www.ucas.com%5DUCAS”>http://www.ucas.com)
Applications open In September for admission in 1 years time. The application deadline is January, but Oxbridge and some competitive courses (ie medicine, this is a 6 year undergraduate course in the UK) have earlier deadlines. You can apply to a maximum of 5 universities (the term “school” means under 18s only. When American students tell Brits they are “still in school”, they are assumed to be in some kind of remedial classes for adults by the way!). The UCAS form asks for predicted A-level grades, and a teacher has to enter these, and base them on the AS grades already achieved. Admission is much much much simpler than the US. One form, fill it in, half page personal statement and click send. No essays, nothing else. Some universities ask students to for interviews, but most don’t. Admission is 99% grade-based. ECs are irrelevant unless directly related to the course of study a student is applying for. eg if applying for English, a student could add the acting in a Shakespeare play they have done briefly in the personal statement. </p>

<p>Students apply for one course of study at a UK university and it is very difficult to change (ie you usually have to drop out and re-apply). Most places don’t have minor subjects (though my sister went to Lancaster and they do, so it’s not impossible).</p>

<p>When a university decides offer a student a university place, it is conditional on them achieving certain grades in their Alevels the following August (or grades on vocational courses which may also be acceptable for admissions for students who choose not to do A-levels). If they do not achieve these grades, the place is very likely to be rescinded. Of they 5 schools they apply to, if they get offers from more than 2 of them, they have to drop the other 3, so when the A-level results come out they only have a first and second choice. Second choice is a bit like a safety school, which asks for lower A-level grades. If you don;t get the grades for either choice, you can go through “clearing”. This is a process of matching universities with places to students with acceptable grades. When i applied, all unis apart from Oxbridge had places in clearing. This year, less than half of unis did, and I believe there were about 200,000 students chasing less than 50,000 clearing places. </p>

<p>A sixth form college is an educational establishment for 16-18 year olds, usually doing A-levels but also sometimes vocational qualifications as well. I did A-levels in the UK and attended a sixth form college. In some places this is part of a school with younger students as well, but mine wasn’t. Often sixth form students don’t have to wear school uniform every day for the first time in their lives, and this is a big deal. </p>

<p>Scotland is different in that they take standard grades rather than GCSEs, and higher grades rather than A-levels. They finish highers 1 year early, age 17. </p>

<p>Every GCSE and A-level is an individual qualification. Job ads often ask for specific grades in certain subjects (I am pretty sure MCDonalds asks for GCSE grade D in maths).</p>

<p>Before we get on to it, a free government provided school for students aged up to 18 is a state school. If you have to pay for it, is it a private or independent school. A public school is a type of private school, usually a ancient one. I believe the term originate from “education in public” as opposed to education by private tutor at home. Contrary to popular belief, few UK students go to private schools. Only about 5%. This is the real world and not Harry Potter.</p>

<p>There are very few private univeristies in the UK. Only about 3 I think. There are about 120 others, including Oxbridge, which are technically like US public schools I suppose, but they wouldn’t understand the term here. The UK government has no money and has removed most of the subsidy for UK students from September 2012. This means fees will treble, and lots of students will no longer be able to afford to go (only about 10 years ago tuition was entirely free so people didn’t save for college, and even if they have, an overnight trebling is not something anyone anticipated). There have been riots about this (not the most recent ones!). Hence there has been a massive rush to apply to university this year as for many people this is the last chance for it ever to be affordable. I suspect application numbers will drop considerably next year.</p>

<p>Wikipedia explains a lot of the above in more detail.</p>

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<p>someone above asked about university exams. There are exams at the end of every year in most UK unis (I know someone who did nursing and they had smaller exams every 8 weeks though, so it is variable). Yes, you do have to pass these to continue. Some places will let you re-sit if you fail. Others with ask the student to leave. The British education system involves a LOT of exams and benefits a student who likes writing (not usually multiple choice. Just a blank piece of paper and time to write).</p>

<p>A-levels are grades A-E. Some universities do offer courses with entry grades of EE. usually these are unpopular courses. I know someone who got DE and went to do religious education teaching at Sunderland.</p>

<p>UK grading is really different. Universities grade 1st, 2.1, 2.2, 3rd, pass and fail. a 1st is about 70%. The same percent roughly is needed for a grade A at A-level. Usually only 30-40% needed to pass. It’s all based on mastery of the subject too (ie exams and course work). Nothing for effort. Whether a student can get into university depends on the subjects they take as well as the grades received. Old, traditional universities demand traditional academic subjects.</p>

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<p>Cupcake’s explanation of our school system is spot on.</p>

<p>I often see comments on here as to how students can be expected to chose their major at just 18! The UK university system is based on High school students selecting a course which they will study for 3 years and there are no general educational requirements to study anything else.</p>

<p>It makes sense over here because of how the school (under 18) system works. At 14 kids begin to reduce the number of subjects they study. There is a basic requirement to do English and Maths and a general science course but other choices mean a student can eliminate languages, history or the harder sciences physics, chemistry etc. This filtering of subjects happens again at age 16 after their GCSE exams. They can now restrict the subjects they study to just 4 or 5. They will take the AS exams at age 17 , the halfway point of the A level course and some drop another to just take 3 (the very brightest may still take 4/5) A2 exams at 18.</p>

<p>Which means they will leave High school with a depth of knowledge in say Maths and a couple of sciences but they will not have studied a language or history or RI since they were 16. This narrowing of the curriculum means they do not have a range of subjects to offer the universities and the admissions system acknowledged this. The universities will expect them to be applying for courses relevant to their A levels and the admissions criteria reflect that. If its is a highly ranked college or in some cases a highly ranked course at a lower ranked college the offer will be based on achieving A* or A in 3 relevant subjects at A level. A student with excellent results in humanities subjects would not apply or expect to get in to a science based degree at most colleges and vice versa.</p>

<p>So the decision on their ‘major’ was made several years before in many ways. There are obviously exceptions to this but in the main a student leaves High school here have already chosen a maths/science or a humanities path. </p>

<p>We can argue as to the merits or otherwise of this system but the college admissions process reflects the education system to 18.</p>

<p>This explains why most UK degrees are 3 not 4 yrs long - no general educational requirements means they concentrate fully on their major from day 1. This is also why it is very difficult to transfer onto the 2nd yr of a degree. The specialisation and linear delivery of the course would make it hard for someone to pick it up at that point. </p>

<p>I know Cupcake has explained the university admissions process before but just to underline another basic difference. At Oxbridge ( my son is currently studying there) they assess and accept students solely on academic achievements in Nationally set tests. In our country that is the A levels and increasingly in the private (public) schools the IB.</p>

<p>Some courses also require admissions tests , I know they exist for Medicine Maths, Physics, History, English, PPE and there maybe more. This is to test competences and also help select when there are too many applicants with the top A level grades.</p>

<p>They do not care about a students ethnicity, social background (deprived or otherwise) legacies, or EC’s. There are no sports scholarships at UG level. They simply want the brightest in their chosen subject. Admission interviews are handled by the teaching staff not admissions staff and they want the best or potentially the best Historian, Chemist etc. Why would they care if one student had a hat full of EC’s and could play the flute? Why would they offer them the place in favour of someone else who had more potential as a history student? The professors aren’t looking for ‘well rounded’ or care that the university are in desperate need of tennis players or any other sportsmen. They care about who will be in their tutorials, often one on one for the next few years.</p>