Can someone please explain Scottish Uni system?

[homebythesea]

My DS just starting to think about Uni and may be interested in studying in Scotland. Having looked at a few websites it seems there is a 2 tier entry- level 1 having lower A level grade requirements than Level 2.

My understanding is that at level 1 he would be joining with Scottish students a year younger who have done Highers. Is there any disadvantage in this for him? Would a 4 year degree seem odd to future (English) employers? The additional cost of an extra year is not an issue (we currently pay more per term
Than a year at Uni!) but are there any other downsides of going in at Level 1?

My DS recently attended a talk by Edinbrough university. It seems to be a four year degree modelled more on the US system, for the first two years you have to or maybe it's can (I'm not sure) study other modules from other subjects up to two a year, this is a big attraction for him but it does mean that the whole degree takes four years instead of three. I don't know anything about levels, the entry requirement for my DS's subject is three A's nothing else seems to be mentioned on their website.
Hope this helps.

Happy thank you- the courses my DS is interested in do have an entry differential eg level 1 BBB, level 2 AAB. Level 1 is for him far more achievable!!

I have a dd at Edinburgh-but I don't know about the two tier entry- I'm sure it didn't come up when she was applying. I'm happy to pass on any questions you might have that she might be able to answer.

I don't know which Uni you're looking at but I've spoken to a couple of mums very recently with DC's at Edinbrough all say their DC's are really happy there.

Scottish Universities generally do 4 year degrees, which students in Scotland can get into with their Higher qualifications, which are roughly equivalent to AS levels. (Though in fact a lot of Scottish students will stay in in school for another year after that and do 'Higher Still' qualifications which are more like A2, and then do the 4 year degree)

They will sometimes allow students with good A levels to skip the first year and go straight into year 2.

I'd say there are a lot more downsides of going straight into second year - the staff will be assuming that you're already settled in, used to the system, know where to find things in the library or labs or whatever, and that you are already settled in with accomodation, friends, clubs, everything really!

If you start in year 1, you get to be part of a group of other new starters, get all the introductory tours, and everyone understands that you are new and confused!

Plus, the structure of most Scottish degrees starts much broader - details vary, but back in my day I really was admitted to the whole Science faculty, and had my choice of any of the subjects on offer (subject to timetable of course) so I could do a wider range of things in year 1, then specialise gradually over the course.

If he knows he wants to do law or medicine, that doesn't apply, as they are more focussed from the start, but if he is interested in 'science' or 'languages' or 'arts' it gives a chance to try out a wider range and get a feel for what suits him at that level of study.

The only downside is the money, which you say isn't an issue for you anyway. He might be older than average, but not by much - most 1st years are 18 or will be very soon, plus a lot now don't go straight from school anyway.

I don't think employers would even notice.

AMumin Scotland - thanks you have confirmed what I was thinking re being a "Fresher" along with everyone else etc. It does look like a way to get into a decent enough Uni with in some cases much lower grades than some English Uni's (English ones we have looked at need AAA usually for the subject he wants to do) - which made me wonder if there is a catch - or why isn't everyone doing it?!

Edinburgh is unacheivable on any level!!

Agree with the above; while it is possible for students to skip the first year with good enough grades, this is often a bad idea even it it's an option. In the universities I know best (the RG ones) many of the Scottish students entering for a four-year degree will in fact have done Advanced Highers, so entering after A levels puts you on a par with the typical student, not ahead or older.

The only caveat re the lower entry grades would be to be sure what you're looking at: sometimes prospectuses give minimum offers where in fact someone predicted those grades wouldn't usually get an offer at all. However, it could also be that an excellent course really does have a comparatively low entry requirement; entry requirements are affected by all kinds of things, so you can't just assume that a course with a higher entry requirement is better (or even, that its entering students will have higher grades, actually). Visit, and research (not just in the newspaper rankings)!

Scotland is a great place to live and study, not that I'm biased or anything :-)

Thanks Prof. I have a neice in Scotland who will be going to Uni even after advanced highers age 17 - my DS will be nearly 19 even if he doesn't take a year out so I think there will be some age difference - but that's not a major thing...

My (our!) thoughts are based on what the Uni's show on their websites as a "typical" offer which is all we can go on at this stage- when thoughts are crystallised I guess the next stage is to contact each place and ask what is a realistic likely offer so we can decide if any particular course is achievable. It's so much more tricky I think when the magic 3A's is not a realistic scenario.....

Please don't assume that everyone starting a degree at uni is going straight from school. My dd is in 1st year at a Scottish uni and over 50% of her cohort are over 21. Some have had gap year(s), other worked for a while, some done "access" type courses. Although I suspect that this figure will vary according to the subject studied.

Good point starving but I imagine the proportions of school leavers vs gappers/mature students will be similar at all Unis, English or Scottish. fact is that Scottish kids leave school at 17 hence the 4 year degrees and the possibility of post A level entry to the second year

Most do stay on at school for S6, and are 18 by the time they start though, even though they could start a year earlier - most teens who are likely to go to uni are encouraged to stay on for S6 and do Higher Still because it gives them some practice at being a bit more self-propelled in their studies.
DS was still 17 but only because he was in the later part of his school intake year, with an October birthday. Your niece is probably in a similar cetagory.

At any rate, the majority will be in a similar position to your DS in that they will either have just left school, or have done a gap year, so there would not be a big gap between them in terms of outlook on life.

I think a lot of people might feel the extra year is too much of a cost burden for an English based student.

One reason I console myself that an English uni mightn't be such a bad deal for my Scottish based children is the fact they would get an equivalent degree a year sooner. They wouldn't actually be at any disadvantage educationally on entry if they had done well at Advanced Higher.

A possibility for Scottish pupils, is that they can go to Uni at 16. My DD for example, is a January birthday and is in 5th yr at present. She turns 16 in January, then sits her Highers in May. If she passes them she could be accepted into Uni and start a 4yr course in September. Not too many Scottish students do it that way, but they can and the 4yr degree allows for it.

Under the new Curriculum for Excellence, Highers and As levels are a level 6 qualification and Advanced Highers and A levels are level 7. First year of a 4yr course is a level 7 equivalent year so the level 7 qualifications aren't really required, although do give them a head start.

Dotdot this was my understanding, thank you. It seems crazy to us Englanders to think of 16 year olds effectively leaving home, but I suppose it must work!