Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Is it good to apply two courses of same university in UCAS?

57 replies

User11010866 · 21/09/2023 23:44

DC wishes to apply the mathematics or computer science courses at Imperial College. What are the potential drawbacks of put these two courses in the UCAS?

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 22/09/2023 00:07

I doubt each department would know about the application to the other, same as different unis don't know where else someone has applied to.

The drawback seems to me that he's applying for two different courses - I don't know to what extent imperial uses the personal statement, it might be hard to make it work well for both subjects.

If he's undecided, has he considered applying for their Mathematics and Comp. sci course?

Marthamalteser · 22/09/2023 04:11

DC needs to choose a course. Maths or CS. Then apply minus the dithering.

Marthamalteser · 22/09/2023 04:17

So hard to get into Imperial (as prestigious as Oxbridge) so DC must know what they want - don’t apply for two courses there. Pick one! Then pick another four unis (including a safe bet)

JocelynBurnell · 22/09/2023 07:56

Applying for separate maths and computer science programmes in Imperial College with the same personal statement is not a major issue. For example, a statement outlining a love of maths and a keen interest in artificial intelligence and machine learning would be equally applicable to both. Any prospective computer science to Oxbridge or Imperial would be well advised to focus on maths.

ErrolTheDragon's suggestion of applying to the combined Mathematics and Computer Science programme in Imperial College is an excellent suggestion.

piisnot3 · 22/09/2023 08:01
  1. it's perfectly possibly to apply to 2 course at the same institution, and the applications will be treated independently - if they have different course directors and admin, the uni will probably be unaware.
  2. Imperial do joint honours in maths or computer science. But all 3 courses (maths, CS or joint) are very heavily oversubscribed with low acceptance rates.
  3. When applying to two quite different courses, you run this risk of diluting the relevance of your personal statement. They want to see passion for your degree subject, not indecision.
damekindness · 22/09/2023 08:06

ErrolTheDragon · 22/09/2023 00:07

I doubt each department would know about the application to the other, same as different unis don't know where else someone has applied to.

The drawback seems to me that he's applying for two different courses - I don't know to what extent imperial uses the personal statement, it might be hard to make it work well for both subjects.

If he's undecided, has he considered applying for their Mathematics and Comp. sci course?

As an admissions tutor - we do see other courses you've applied for within the same institution on the UCAS forms

MargaretThursday · 22/09/2023 09:36

DD applied for two courses at her favoured uni. I don't think it made any difference, and the courses were similar enough a few people applied for both.
She didn't get an offer for the ones she'd applied for, but did get an offer for a third, again very similar, course.

Original poster
User11010866 · 22/09/2023 09:37

ErrolTheDragon · 22/09/2023 00:07

I doubt each department would know about the application to the other, same as different unis don't know where else someone has applied to.

The drawback seems to me that he's applying for two different courses - I don't know to what extent imperial uses the personal statement, it might be hard to make it work well for both subjects.

If he's undecided, has he considered applying for their Mathematics and Comp. sci course?

DC is applying for mathematics courses at all other universities, and the personal statement is mostly about maths with a bit of computer science. Did EPQ in computer science, but likes maths more than computer science and would be happy with a joint maths and computer science course. I'm wondering if it's likely to receive offers from both maths and joint maths and computer science courses.

OP posts:
CraftyGin · 22/09/2023 09:39

It's hard to write a personal statement for two coulrses.

I would suggest focusing on Computer Science as there will be maths modules in it.

Original poster
User11010866 · 22/09/2023 09:42

MargaretThursday · 22/09/2023 09:36

DD applied for two courses at her favoured uni. I don't think it made any difference, and the courses were similar enough a few people applied for both.
She didn't get an offer for the ones she'd applied for, but did get an offer for a third, again very similar, course.

Thanks. That's encouraging.

OP posts:
poetryandwine · 22/09/2023 10:33

Lots of good advice here, OP, particularly @ErrolTheDragon ’s suggestion of the Joint Hons programme Maths and CS. The reason is that DC prefers Maths, but the EPQ is in CS. So within the School of Maths, DC may have a slight edge with a CS focus.

Two Imperial applications is reasonable; three is not - I realise neither you nor DC is suggesting making three. The question is whether the second should be in straight Maths or CS. I suggest DC seek opinions from Imperial students on the online forum TheStudent Room.

As a former admissions tutor my memory accords with the statement from @damekindness

ErrolTheDragon · 22/09/2023 15:22

As an admissions tutor - we do see other courses you've applied for within the same institution on the UCAS forms

Ah, ok. In general do you think it's positive, negative or completely neutral to apply for 2 different courses?

Igmum · 22/09/2023 16:14

Yes the university sees other courses and it is very common if one is popular and the other isn't to offer only the unpopular option. I suspect both of these are popular options so it isn't a danger but be aware this could happen

standys · 22/09/2023 16:22

I'm fairly sure at a St Andrews Open Day we were told people should not apply for 2 courses there.
This is what they say online:
'Key UCAS information. You may apply up to five different courses (we recommend that you only apply to the one course at St Andrews). You only write one personal statement which is read by all the universities you apply to - avoid referring to specific universities.'
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/applying-from-college/

College - Study at St Andrews - University of St Andrews

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/applying-from-college

ErrolTheDragon · 22/09/2023 16:33

Igmum · 22/09/2023 16:14

Yes the university sees other courses and it is very common if one is popular and the other isn't to offer only the unpopular option. I suspect both of these are popular options so it isn't a danger but be aware this could happen

The danger is getting an offer from neither (and I doubt imperial has some other less popular course to offload to as in the PPs experience elsewhere)

Original poster
User11010866 · 22/09/2023 16:35

Igmum · 22/09/2023 16:14

Yes the university sees other courses and it is very common if one is popular and the other isn't to offer only the unpopular option. I suspect both of these are popular options so it isn't a danger but be aware this could happen

Does this mean that the university can only give the offer to one of the applied courses?

OP posts:
standys · 22/09/2023 16:37

User11010866 · 22/09/2023 16:35

Does this mean that the university can only give the offer to one of the applied courses?

Show quote history

I remember St Andrews said you would only ever get one offer from them.

MargaretThursday · 22/09/2023 16:39

User11010866 · 22/09/2023 16:35

Does this mean that the university can only give the offer to one of the applied courses?

Show quote history

Universities can give a counter offer if they feel the candidate would be better suited to another course, but they aren't very common.
For example I think Durham, which is very popular for history, does counter offers for similar ones, maybe archaeology or something like that.

I don't know if Imperial does do them, but I did know someone who had a counter offer for Oxford. If you're interested they turned it down, reapplied for the course they wanted the next year and got it, but they did have some feedback that helped.

Edited to say: For dd's courses they were specifically told when they went for interview that they could get no offers, a counter offer, one offer, or two offers. So it would depend on the university.

TrailJacket · 22/09/2023 16:39

Imperial is crazily competitive. That would be my concern. To use up two choices at a ‘top’ place.

Ordinarily it’s fine. My sister’s daughter applied to two courses at Bristol (Philisophy/Sociology) and got offers for both.

damekindness · 22/09/2023 16:43

ErrolTheDragon · 22/09/2023 15:22

As an admissions tutor - we do see other courses you've applied for within the same institution on the UCAS forms

Ah, ok. In general do you think it's positive, negative or completely neutral to apply for 2 different courses?

I'd say it depends on the institution - the more competitive the more it's a negative

poetryandwine · 22/09/2023 17:30

A School will make at most one offer. If one of the options is less popular than the other that will be the one offered, but not a likely factor in this case. I think it is not harmful to apply for Maths and Maths & CS, but I think DS has his best chance in the latter if the EPQ is strong. If he doesn’t get it, he is very unlikely to get Maths. In that sense a straight Maths application is redundant.

I don’t know of an example where 2 Schools in the same uni have made offers. If they are both desperate for bums on seats it could happen, but again that’s not Imperial. CS is likely to be more competitive than Maths and CS - but don’t take my word, look up last year’s statistics.

WombatChocolate · 22/09/2023 17:32

Agree that you need an extremely focused personal statement to get a place at the most competitive unis. If you’re targeting 2 courses,it might not be focused enough and specific enough to get an offer from either course.

This is why people say hounded to pick a course and apply for it, not pick an institution and then choose multiple courses there. The PS is t why you want the institution but the course. You need to show lots of super-curriculars and developed thought about that particular course…not two.

WellDuh · 22/09/2023 17:35

My DD applied for 2 medical courses at one uni and was rejected by both as apparently she didn't know what she wanted to do/needed to make up her mind.

poetryandwine · 22/09/2023 17:37

OP, what about focusing on Maths and CS overall? I am thinking of the edge the EPQ gives DS at the most competitive institutions.

Original poster
User11010866 · 22/09/2023 18:49

poetryandwine · 22/09/2023 17:37

OP, what about focusing on Maths and CS overall? I am thinking of the edge the EPQ gives DS at the most competitive institutions.

Many thanks. DC will discuss this with the school advisor.

OP posts: