Getting onto a Computer Science degree with a Computer Science Access instead of Alevels. Has anybody done it?

[Whitepeach]

Is it harder to get on courses or the same?

I got on one with no computing quals at all! 🤔 I did an access course - English and science. I applied and got it without really knowing what it was 🥹 Crazy I know. I went to 2 more open days to try and understand a bit more… (you again??) They said they assumed no prior knowledge but still!!!
I ended up turning offer down after accepting. What a pickle. Did English instead.
Access courses are fab. I bet you’re more than ready. Probably…

Check the courses obviously, but my understanding is that maths is more of a prerequisite than CS a level as many schools and colleges can’t offer CS a level due to lack of decent teachers. Dd is doing comp sci and maths at uni and felt the first couple of terms of CS largely duplicated a lot of what she’d learnt at a level.

He has a B in Alevel maths but was ill during Alevels so only has BCD so needs to do Access. He has found one in computer science. His computer science A level is only a D as he only did half the exam. Has lots of coding experience. How do you know if online Access providers are any good and well thought of by unis?

Where does he want to study? Did those unis advise further study rather than seeing what he can get in clearing? Do those unis accept access course? If he is going to study for a further year, can he resit A level computer science somewhere?

Sorry about all the questions. In your shoes, I would email to the admission tutors for the courses he is interested in and take it from there.

But to answer your original question, I have no knowledge of access courses for computer science degrees.

Some universities run foundation years to their degrees but it does add another year of uni costs.

Why doesn't he do a foundation year instead?
There are lots of unis here he could go to with those grades some with and some without a foundation year.
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/search/course?utf8=%E2%9C%93&c%5Bq%5D=computer+science&c%5Bacademic_years%5D=2024&c%5Bgrade_ALEVEL_0%5D=3&c%5Bgrade_ALEVEL_1%5D=4&c%5Bgrade_ALEVEL_2%5D=5&c%5Blower_points_bound%5D=84&c%5Bupper_points_bound%5D=108

There is one foundation he’s interested in and has the grades for but it’s a big gamble ie if he doesn’t get it it’s another year wasted and he’d end up having to do an Access anyway. He just wants to get on with his future and he’d have more options on his UCAS with decent Access grades.

Has he applied for that foundation year course then? Why do you think he wouldn't get an offer? He could put an application in now and start this Autumn!

I think he’s going to try although still waiting for a reference from his old college. He has been out of education for a year. Idea was to start the following Sep though. He has bang on the grades for it but it’s the only foundation he wants to do and a bit of a gamble just applying for one uni. The other options for foundation with his grades aren’t great and I think he feels that if he’s spending the money on a degree he wants it from a decent uni. Particularly when he is capable.

He should hassle his college then and get an application in asap - at least be in the system. He should also get the Access course applied for in case he doesn't get an offer from the degree with FY.

But he needs to get a move on tbh. Though appreciate he may not have been well enough before.

As well as applying for this foundation course (which he probably stands a reasonably good chance of getting an offer for with grades in hand and the current state of university finances) he should also take a good look at clearing (assuming he is well enough to be flexible).

My son did A level computer science but didn't have Maths so he did a foundation year at the unis insistence- the course content was his A level computer science course basically so he felt there was a lot of repetition but he had no choice- 10k more debt for nothing really. He has just graduated with a 2:1 so good in the end!

My ds is 1st year of a CS degree he got his place through clearing. There would be lots of places in clearing with grades BCD especially with a B in maths. A lot of courses even for CS had dropped their grades (though last year may not have been a typical year).