UCAS application whilst already at university?

[tyunnos]

Does anyone have a DC who has done this?

Mine has just started at University and doesn't really feel that she made the correct choice and so wants to apply elsewhere for next year whilst continuing at her current institution.

How does she go about doing this?

[svalencia]

yes , the process was the same as first time around. You can choose year 2 entry if that is suitable. There were the same 5 choices and the offers came through in the same way. All the staff at the universities were very helpful and happy to talk through their courses and the possibility of Year 2 entry and gave their requirements in terms of first year results.

[hellsbells99]

Unless she is applying for Oxbridge or medicine/vetmed, then there is no urgency. She has until January. My DD did this for restarting a new course and new uni for 2016 but didn't actually do her new application until March (and was fine) and 'dropped out' of her initial course then.

[tyunnos]

She is applying to Oxbridge so bit of a rush

[Chaotica]

Don't know about the exact procedure but remind her that she must be honest about her current circumstances (ie that she is in the first year somewhere else). If she doesn't (and some people do) she risks having her application thrown out. Saying that she wants to go on a different course is fine though -- honesty is not likely to be an obstacle to being accepted.

[sendsummer]

If Oxbridge may mean Cambridge, I am pretty sure that Cambridge have as a general rule not to accept applications from students already at university (there will of course be some exceptions).

[user918273645]

If she wants to apply to Oxbridge, you should not be asking this on a public forum but contacting Oxbridge admissions tutors in the chosen subject urgently for their advice. It is very rare for Oxbridge to take students who are already at university.

[BigGreenOlives]

I know of a boy a few years ago who had great predictions (5A*) & wanted to do medicine, didn’t get a Cambridge offer while at school, got the grades, decided to go to UCL, didn’t like it and reapplied to Oxford. He was offered a place. I’d ring the admissions officer for the colleges they are provisionally interested in to check they would accept an application.

[paq]

It’s a very expensive approach to continue a course you have no intention of completing. Financially they would be better off dropping out and working while applying.

There’s a cut off date during the first term by which time the student is not liable for the full year’s fees, I think that will apply here.

What’s their motivation for continuing?

[Maltropp]

I applied for uni all over again in my first year as an undergrad as I loathed my first year course and it was too late to transfer at the uni I was already at (I was reading geography at Newcastle but wanted to do law).... I went to the local careers office as well as doing an internal application at Newcastle. I ended up moving unis as realised I wanted to do the right course so found two unis that offered the options I was most interested in and focused on applying to them.... I got in to the one I wanted most without an interview and ended up practising the area of law I loathed most and actually failed in my second year.... Hey ho. But it was all easy and straightforward, just went thru u as again and my school re did my refs etc.

[Maltropp]

... Oh and I completed my year at Newcastle as I'd paid hall fees up front but didn't sit the end of year exams, this was advised by new uni to show commitment to studying etc. I did all my essays etc and geography tutor wrote a letter to say I'd completed the year well etc.

[bigbluebus]

Friend's DD went to Uni and decided by end of 1st term she wanted to cange to a completely different course at a different Uni. Sent in her UCAS had an offer from new Uni by February so quit her course, went home and got a job.

My DS completed Yr 1 of a science based course. Decided he wasn't sure it was right for him so took a year out - place was held open. A few weeks into the new Uni term (he was at home but working part time) he sent off a UCAS form to do a humanities course at a different Uni. Got offers and didn't go back to his original Uni.

[marine04]

I know it's possible to apply to some UK universities whilst studying at another one and I don't know about Oxford but Cambridge generally won't consider applications from students studying at another UK institution as they don't like to be seen to be poaching students; your DD would need to drop out and take a gap year. From Cambridge University FAQ -

Cambridge Colleges will only, as a matter of principle, consider applications from students enrolled in a degree course at other UK universities in very exceptional circumstances.

Any application to study at Cambridge would need strong support from your Course Director or other academic tutor at your current university. A reference or letter of recommendation from that person to the Cambridge College would be required, and only then can a Cambridge College consider an application. All such applications are still subject to the same academic assessment as any other application to the University.

It would probably be best to email the admissions tutor at the college your daughter is interested in to see what they say.

[marine04]

I've just had a quick look and Oxford will accept applications -

Oxford does accept applications from students who are currently studying at another university. Your full academic record would be taken in to account in your application, including your A-levels (or other equivalent qualifications) and study at university level, so we would need evidence of your performance on your university course. We would expect you to be performing at a high 2.1 or first class level (a US GPA of 3.7-4.0). Please note that for our Medicine course, applications will also not be considered from people already studying Medicine elsewhere who wish to apply to study the course from Year 1.

Please be aware that you would need to inform the other institution of this application and they would have to agree to “release” you. If possible, your reference should come from one of the academic staff at your current university.

We suggest that you also look into the financial implications of this option as it would involve an extra year of undergraduate study.

Another option might be to complete your current undergraduate degree and then consider applying to Oxford for a graduate course, or for a second undergraduate degree.