Universities that welcome BTEC students?

[flow4]

My son is coming to the end of his first year of a level 3 BTEC course, and is thinking about university. This is a major change since last year, when he was talking about living his life on the dole, and I am really proud of the effort he has put in this year to turn things round, not just studying but also now volunteering in a relevant field. :)

The FE college he's at doesn't start thinking about UCAS at all until November, for January applications. It's a good college, and I guess they know what they're doing, but I can't help thinking it would be good for my son to go to an open day or two this summer - partly because universities all seem more appealing in the sunshine, and partly to keep him motivated over this long summer holiday! DS himself was keen to do some visits too, though he's wavering a bit now because his college says there's no hurry... My SiL, who is a head of sixth form, also thinks that a couple of open day visits now would be good, but she knows about A level routes into uni, not BTEC ones, so can't sensibly suggest where...

So... Does anyone know which universities welcome applications from BTEC students, please, so we can identify a couple to visit now?

Congratulations to your DS for turning things round. What course would he like to do at University?

Even those his college don't process UCAS applications until later there is no reason why he can't plan/ write his personal statement in the summer holidays. I am sure your SIL would be able to give his some pointers.

I would register as a parent with UCAS, as there is a lot of useful and easily accessible information on there. A lot of U over sixties will take BTecs, I think even Cambridge does but it wants an A'level as well.

However I would also suggest that you look for courses more closely matched to a BTec, so more on going assessment, and good pastoral support.

Also look at push.co.uk

You can filter the choice of University in so many ways, including entry qualifications. I've found it really helpful to have a play with, and so has ds.

Great suggestions, thanks going, mummy and Back. :)

going, I deliberately haven't said what course he wants to do, because I'm a fairly frequent poster, and I'm worried it would be a 'detail too far' that would 'out' us. Sorry!

mummy, I didn't know there was a parent section on UCAS - that's handy! And Back, I've never heard of push, and it looks really useful... :)

Rule of thumb is more to do with the subject at uni.

I teach (when I'm employed) BTEC Health and Social Care, most student go into nursing, some do physio (not many and you need DDD) or Operating Department Tech.

Teaching is also open to BTEC students.

Any uni that just asks for UCAS points rather than A Level grades will accept BTEC.

Thanks sashh, that's really useful to know. :)

It does all depend on which BTEC and what he wants to study.

Can you get to an HE fair? These are exhibitions of lots of universities and you can wander round pick up prospectuses and chat to admissions staff.
See here

They are for year 12 students

My daughter is studying BTEC and is, indeed, starting to look and Universities now. This week we are going the first of three open days.

Many Universities accept BTECs which are relevant to the degree course.

If it is an extended diploma he is sitting then he will end up with three grades from PPP right up to DDD*. They also have equivalent UCAS point scores, but most courses my daughter has looked at so far have noted the minimum grade profile they need.

Start by looking online at Which? University, or UCAS website. Then get some prospectuses to read from Unis which offer courses of interest. It's a minefield of information but it gets easier the more he reads and works out what he would like to do. Starting now means he has all summer to consider his options, rather than waiting until the Autumn when he will have study work to do as well.

All this sort of thing will depend on

• the subject he wants to do
• the BTEC subject he is doing now
• what grades he gets

The college is bonkers to only start thinking about UCAS in November. I know your son won't be going to Oxbridge or doing medicine, but it's past the deadline for that, and so many students will have their applications in by the beginning of October, sometimes earlier than that. Plus, it's then too late for open days. He will do well to start his research now, and go to open days (normally there are some about now + some at the start of the autumn term) and make a start on his personal statement.

Creamteas makes a good point about HECs - though this is the complete list www.ucasevents.com/ucas/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=429859&eventID=1001&eventID=1001
You can expect the staff there to know about the university in general, and to have the information on entry requirements, but they probably won't know about the finer points of every course. You can pick up prospectuses there too. However, I'd suggest that going to an HEC will be most beneficial if he has done at least some research in advance - you get an awful lot of institutions there, so it helps if he can narrow down the ones he wants to talk to.

He may find www.thestudentroom.co.uk very useful, especially the wiki sections on applying to university and writing a personal statement.

Thanks to you too, cream, Kez and boom - there's so much useful advice here. :) The disadvantages you point out are exactly why I think he'd be better off doing at least something now, rather than waiting til the autumn.

The HE fairs look v useful, esp since he doesn't really have a good idea of where he'd like to go. (His only suggestion so far has been my old uni bless, but it is a Russell group one and doesn't do his subject).

DD3 is just coming to the end of a BTECH Extended Diploma in IT. She is going to Bolton University in September to do a HND computer course she is then looking to top iir up to a degree. She also had an offer from Greenwich for a degree in computer science. She did a lot of research last year and found that a lot of universities take BTECH for her subject.

Some RG unis do accept BTECs for some subjects, so don't completely discount them.

Thanks mumee and boom. :) I take your point about RG unis, boom... I can see that for more 'practical' degrees like IT, media, architecture and engineering, it would make sense for them to accept BTECs, because they may actually give a better grounding...