Are Level 3 BTec okay for uni?

[Blue0987]

My DD has just had an interview to a sixth form college. She was planning to do 3 a-levels but during the interview the interviewer said that it is the college’s policy that students with mainly predicted grades as 5 and 6 should be doing 2a-levels+ 1 btec.
Now, I understand the college wants to have the majority of students getting the max of their mark possible, but I wonder if 2a-levels and 1 btec are enough to go to uni. My DD would like to go eventually at uni (even in Europe, she has a eu passport as well) so I would like to learn more what btec are as I am quite new to the system.
any help please?

This looks like it has useful info

www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/ucas-application/can-you-get-into-university-if-youre-studying-btecs

Many unis accept BTECs for courses. Some do not - perhaps the very top - but I just randomly checked Warwick for the course DD applied for and also the one DS does (two very differrent subjects) and they both say they are fine with BTECs studied alongside A level in the main course subject. So if your DD will be doing A levels alongside her BTEC she should be fine with most unis tbh. I would advise that if she knows what she would like to study at uni she chooses that for her A level subject.

Tbh it's good advice from the college - for a number of subjects, a 5 at GCSE doesn't suggest a high A level grade outcome.

Most UK unis will accept most BTECs for most courses, especially when studied alongside A Levels, so she should be fine. What subject does she want to do at uni?
BTECs are available in all subjects so my first question would be can she still do a combination of subjects that works for her?
BTECs aren’t accepted as widely abroad, I’ve just had a look at four unis which teach in English and none will accept a BTEC as one of the quals so that could be quite limiting for her.

I did a BTEC first (GCSE equivalent)then a BTEC National (A level equivalent) and went on to uni no issues at all, been graduated 10 years now so I'm guessing things may have changed! X

Yup, DD is off to Bristol to study business and marketing after doing both years of a level 3 business BTEC. Absolutely no issues getting in, they’re very well regarded now apparently (I was concerned originally too).

subject dependent of course, you won’t get onto a maths degree with a business BTEC for example.

Yep, eldest is in his 2nd year of a Computer Science degree at what people would say is a "good" university and did BTEC level 3.

Youngest is in his first year of Level 3 and was advised that for what he wants to do, the level 3 would be better.

Both my DSs did level 3 Btecs and went onto university. Both have now graduated.

Thank you for all your messages. This is reassuring and i am starting to like the idea of it.

subject dependent of course, you won’t get onto a maths degree with a business BTEC for example.

Also, I remember when DD was going to open days for engineering , some would accept good grades in relevant BTECs but they had to have A level maths as well. I'd imagine similar might apply to various other subjects. I'd guess these students might tend to be ones with an asymmetric set of GCSEs ie 7 or higher for maths but maybe not as strong overall.

OP, at my local college a student has got an offer from Oxford with a BTec in music.

@OzziePopPop The university of Bristol doesn’t appear to offer this course? Do you mean UWE? If so, that’s an ex poly and they readily accept BTecs .

@TizerorFizz my apologies, it is Bristol Uni and it’s ’business And management’ there I believe. She then wants to specialise in marketing. Sorry for the confusion, so many applications and (very, very slightly) different course titles. Bristol definitely do take BTEC level 3 for admission.

Yes. Thats a Bristol course. However they want DDD for the Btec and if all A levels, AAA. So if dc is grade 5/6 at GCSE, this doesn’t look attainable. Hope your DD enjoys Bristol. My DD went there.

My kids both did btech s got good marks merits/distinctions. Both got accepted to uni. One did engineering and is doing civil engineering apprenticship, one did science and is doing a allied health course at uni (think occupational therapy, physio, radiography etc)

Dd did a btech in Health and Social Care, got all distinction pluses, went to Cardiff University

DS did a BTech and an A level. He's in his second year at uni and doing well. Some uni's won't accept them. He wanted to go to Loughborough but they only accept A levels. Most will be ok though.

Re Loughborough, it depends on specific course.

www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/entry-requirements/

(Similar probably applies elsewhere.). It's actually the uni I particularly remember mentioning BTECs at open day, I just checked and it's still the case for that particular course.

Even that is not totally true (tho i don't say it wasn't true for your DS's course).

Mate of DS2's is at L boro doign sports science having done ... well not A levels anyway - he did a footballing course after GCSEs. I just checked and Lboro accept BTECs (with very high grades) for sports science and BTECs plus A level biology for biological studies (which is what DS does).

Sorry @ErrolTheDragon x post there

My DD did a BTEC in Business alongside Maths, Spanish and General Studies A levels. She had wanted Business A level but it was in the same block as the Spanish. She went to a Russell Group uni and went on to do her Masters too and the BTEC seemed to be acceptable.

As others have said, it's very possible to get into uni with this sort of combination.

It's also worth bearing in mind that if she took a third A-level and got a D/E in it, then that would also impact uni progression. If she's hard working and organised and able to act on feedback, she will likely do better on the BTEC than she would on an A-level with that sort of grade profile.

My DD had 168 ucas points from her BTEC which is the same as 3 A* at A level. She got a 1st from a RG uni