Applying to Edinburgh 1011

This is a summary of the presentations given by the Edinburgh University Admissions service on 10th September.

It is not a comprehensive guide to applying, nor does it carry any official endorsement from the School; it is merely yet another means by which we can assist you with your responsibility to check that you meet the course requirements for every university to which you apply.

The answer which they gave to almost every individual query was

If in doubt, contact Admissions and ask.

You will readily find contact e-mails and phone numbers on the University website.

The principal speakers were:

Rebecca Gaukroger, Admissions Service Manager

Niall Bradley – Head of Recruitment and Admissions, College of Science and Engineering

All the detail you could possibly want is in the prospectus, which may be read online:

So - What are Edinburgh looking for?

The text in boxes is reproducedfrom the slides which they showed us. Subsequenttext derives from notes taken as the speakers went on to elaborate on this.

Entry requirements vary from programme to programme
  • They are published in the online prospectus which will be kept up-to-date
  • They are expressed in terms of grades and not UCAS tariff scores
  • The correct subjects for your course(s) are very important
  • Required means required
  • Not just Highers – Standard Grades matter too. Don’t forget the across-the-board requirement for a language other than English
  • See published list of which subjects are acceptable

  • They are not remotely interested in horse-riding or DofE in terms of entry requirements (i.e. tariff points).
  • The rightsubjects very important if they are specified, esp in Sci/Engineering.
  • The list of ‘approved subjects’ is not secret – it’s published online – if it’s on the list it’s on it, and if it’s not, it’s not.

It is the responsibility of applicants to undertake research about what to do esp in F6 – too many instances of ‘Oops, I’ve done the wrong thing!’

The reasoning behind their entrance requirements is that all degrees in all three colleges are broad-based, at least to begin with, and applicants must be able to demonstrate ability to perform to a high academic standard across the board.

What does (stated minimum requirement of) ABBB in one sitting mean?
  • It does not mean:
  • ABBC
  • AACC
  • AABC
  • AAAC
  • Lots of Cs will not help

One or more sittings?
  • First sitting is the most important- F6 cannot always be used to top up grades, and where it can, requirements will increase:
  • BBBB goes to ABBB / BBBBB
  • ABBB goes to AABB / ABBBB
  • This allows candidates only to meet the minimum and does not always make them competitive

The minimum requirements as stated will not in any way guarantee you a place; they will merely get you into the selection process.

If you did not make the requirements in F5?

Well, forget about Medicine. Others may try to upgrade inF6.

More Highers, resits or AHs?
Depends on what was gained in F5
  • If the minimum has already been achieved, the choice is easier:
  • broaden range of subjects
  • go for depth
  • do both
  • AH is good preparation for university and is usually welcomed or recommended by our schools. A good performance at AH may allow 2nd year entry (see p4).
  • If the minimum was not achieved, beware AHs.
  • More Highers or resits may be required
  • AH can be used to upgrade a C to a B
  • AH cannot replace a 4th Higher

For example, they had someone who wanted to do Geophysics but got AACC in F5. So the pupil did AH Geography and Art and got AA, and H Maths and got a C. He was rejected - because B at Higher Maths was the minimum requirement for the course.

Suppose you got AABC. If you undertook AH in the C subject, and got a B, that would eliminate the C. But if you did AH in the two A subjects, and got AAA, that would leave the C and so would be insufficient.

General principles of Edinburgh admissions system

Admissions at Edinburgh are devolved to the three Colleges:

  • Humanities and Social Science
  • Science and Engineering
  • Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Therefore there is no point in applying for more than two choices within one college as they will not make you offers. In fact, if applying for more than one choice, you should e-mail your UCAS ID to the Admissions staff. In any case lots of these courses have very similar entry requirements – so if you don’t get in for one, you won't get in for the others either.

Read the prospectus!! – for example MA in Geography comes under Sci /Eng so you are applying to that college.

Timing of decisions
  • They operate a ‘gathered field’
  • They will know the threshold for entry only when all the on-time applications have been received
  • Most offers will not come out till early February
  • They have until end of March to decide

The nightmare for Admissions is just like overbooking aircraft – they have to do it asnot all of those to whom a place is offeredwill turn up. Some may go elsewhere; some will just not make the grades. But unlike airline passengers who may be fobbed off with a night in an hotel and some vouchers, students who have made their offer must be allowed to come. So last year, after three years of more than expected turning up, Edinburgh slashed their admission numbers drastically, from around 17,000 in the previous two years to under 9,000. Lotsof people did not get in.

Next year shouldbe a bit easier but it is still very difficult to predict what will be theeffect of random economic factors. For example,this yearapplications for nursing went up 40% for no obvious reason – quest for jobsecurity perhaps? So, the ‘going rate’ may not be set until they have all the applications in on 15thJanuary and can then contemplate the ‘gathered field’.

They are therefore unable to state categorically what applicantswill require, as setting their admissions numbers at the level they hope for requires them to guess what candidates may subsequently do.

Admissions is a three-stage process
  • application
  • decision
  • response
They control only one of these

Applicants should search online under ‘Admissions Statistics’ – disregard 2010 as that was an exceptionally difficult year.

The number of candidates getting in under LEAPS (Lothian Equal Access Programme for Schools) and other such ‘leg-up-to-the-socially-or economically-disadvantaged’ schemesistiny – fewer than 5% - andeven then they stillhave to make the grades.Last year LEAPSstudentsgained a higher percentage of Firsts than the rest of the student body.

If welook for example at high-tariff courses such as Eng Lit or Medicine – everyone has AAAAA. Last year there were 545 applicantsfor Eng Lit - for 132 places. Amongst these, 130 had 8 A* and 45 had 10 A* at GCSE and 20 were predicted 40+ at IB. So thecompetition is intense and Admissions are looking for reasons not to make an offer.

They use your PS as a discriminator - but they’re all well written too. (Last year, out of 40,000+ apps, 200 were caught in the plagiarism filter…) They will discard any who have a weak PS. For example, if someone applies for Chem and Chem Eng, but talks only about Chem in PS – Chem Eng have only 15 places so won’t take them.

Medics score the PS at 50%!!! – they don’t routinely interview school leavers, so this is their ‘interview on paper’. Candidates should put in what they got out of their work / work experience / observation – whether it was writing pieces at the FT or stacking the shelves in Tesco. Might include evidence of time management skills / control of personal budget etc. Put it in paragraphs!

Don’t put Med Sci as insurance for Medicine - they won't make you an offer. They have 13 places per annum available for people who want to be research medics and entry is even tougher than for Medicine. So put Bio Sci or Chem Sci instead – they have 300 places for those! – and that is also in a different College.

For Vet Med, there is an online form for Work Experience, to be submitted by 1st November. You list all that you have done and supply the relevant vet’s phone no and e-mail so they can check up that you have actually done it.

Direct Entry to 2nd year (College of Sci and Eng only)

Candidates can put down Point of Entry 2 on their UCAS form. Edinburgh will then ask for AAA / AAB at AH. If they don’t think you are good enough they will just downgrade your app and offer you entry to Year 1.

Even if offered Direct Entry, you don’t have to take them up on it; you can turn up in Freshers’ Week and say actually, I want to start in year 1.

If you don’t make AAB you will, however, not have automatic entry to Year 1 - will probably have to phone up and ask. They probably won’t say no!

Deferred entry

Because it messes up their numbers guesswork so much, they will now consider this only for a really compelling reason, such as having to have a major operation, or if you are really really at the top of the heap with 12/13 A* at GCSE or AAAAAAA in Scotland over two sittings.

So if you are taking a gap year, best to leave it and apply just before you go, for the following year. You will then have

  • achieved rather than predicted grades, which will help
  • plus added maturity
  • plus the ability to say ‘In my gap year I am actually doing x,’ rather than ‘I hope to…’ which lots of people then don’t do.

If you are going to be abroad and are applying for one of the few courses for which Edinburgh interview (Teacher Education, Music, Vet Med) - contact Admissions to make travel arrangements or ask about the possibility of a Skype interview.

Deferred entry applications are not normally considered for Fine Art or Vet Med.

Medical applicants who wish to take a gap year are encouraged to do so after completing F6.

Sept 10 / Edinburgh University Admissions Conference / 1