DD missed GCSEs wants to do Zoology degree.........

[soggyweather]

My DD has missed 2 years of school through MH issues, ADC and 2 boughts of residential care. She has done amazingly well over the last year, managed to get a pass in Maths and English GCSE last summer despite missing 2 years education. She is now doing a Level 2 Art and Design course at our local college, she's extremely talented and could do well in this field. BUT she is fixated on this not being an academic education, she has a keen interest in zoology and wants to do this at degree level at uni. She has been offered the option of doing Level 3 Animal Care next year as a route to a degree. We are also looking at her studying either Double or Triple Science GCSE so she has some science background s well.

The problem is she is very depressed as all her peers are finishing their A levels this year and will be going to Uni next September, so justifiably she feels she has missed out. I am trying to encourage her as best I can but it is difficult to know if she does follow the animal care route if this will get her into university. Does anyone out there have any similar experience or advice to give?. I am at my wits end trying to re-assure her and show her that it is all possible

It would be worth contacting the universities she is interested in and checking their entry requirements. I would have thought most would give priority to applicants with 3 A Levels including biology.

Is she open to spending another 2 years doing A Levels? It would really increase her options. Appreciate she would be 2 years older than everyone at her school / college but seems worth it in the long run.

I believe a distinction in the level 3 extended diploma is the equivalent of 3 A-levels (so no need to do A-levels as well), but I agree it's worth speaking to her target unis to check.

No inspiring story to tell, but we're a year or two behind your DD on a very similar path - I have no idea what the future looks like, but on the plus side, it's great that our DDs have goals and can envision their future, at least.

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/subject-guide-list/zoology

It is really not that unusual now to go to uni at 19/20 so I think she would get over the peer group issue quite quickly. There is an Applied Science btec which might be more relevant. She could ask prospective uni admissions tutors for advice. They may suggest a course with a foundation year.

The full extended diploma in animal management (if she got DDD or higher) would give her enough points to study zoology at some universities. It is worth working backwards. Look as few unis she might be interested in and see what they accept. Chester usually accepts btec students happily as do aberystwyth and Nottingham.

My dd is looking at doing Animal Behaviour and welfare via the Foundation route as she doesn't have biology A-level.
We looked at Chester (reeceheath) and Harper Adams. Harper adams call it the extended degree programme and it doesn't require A-levels. I'm pretty sure they offer zoology through that route too.

Thank you all for your input. I will contact some universities, she is keen on Bristol, but I'll look at others too. I don't think doing A levels at college is an option, she would find it very hard to be 2 years older than everyone else. I think being older at university will be less of a problem with people taking gap years etc.

@LonginesPrime yes it is good they have goals. DD is having a bad day and its sometimes hard to remember the positives.

@BookWitch Thank you I will look into those too.

DD has put Chester/Reeceheath as her first choice, they want CCD at A-level, so very realistic for her (she was never A* material) but Harper Adams gave her unconditional based on her GCSEs, so they def not need A-levels for the Extended Degree programme. (That is her insurance).
I liked Harper Adams when we went to see it at the Open Day

You might find this useful.

If your daughter wants to do A level biology she really needs to do GCSE first. It isn't a subject you can do from scratch. It is never too late to catch up on missed education. Good luck.

Thank @Ginfordinner that's a really useful link. After a bit more research today I think if she starts Btech Animal Management Level 3 next year that will be equivalent to A levels. she has Maths and English GCSE grade 5 and is doing Level 2 Art and Design now which is equivalent to 3 GCSEs. So if we add in 2 GCSEs (doing privately) i.e. biology plus another's science she should be OK. There seems to be a lot of choice out there and a Foundation or extended degree may be the way to go for her as it hopefully won't be so intense. Thanks again for everyone's input it has really helped me find information quickly today, it's been a great help and I feel a whole lot better (or could that be the wine!!).

It needs to be an extended level 3 btec to be 3 A level equivalent. Double science is normally all 3 disciplines.

@BookWitch - just to let you know Harper Adams is local to me and is gorgeous. One of my DD’s friends is studying there and is very happy. For all it’s not a well known uni, it has an excellent reputation and scores very highly in student satisfaction studies. By all accounts pastoral care is also very good.