University via access course

[Twoheliumballoons]

I wondered if anyone has any experience of this that they'd be willing to share.

My DD is doing an access course and would like to go to a good university. Do Russell Group universities (and other good universities) accept UCAS points from access courses or do they generally favour A levels and actual grades. It might be a really stupid question but we're a bit clueless on all this.

I'm a FAT with a very well-regarded HASS at a RG university.

My advice to your DD is to check the admission criteria for the universities he's interested as some RGs definitely do accept Access to HE courses. My school probably wouldn't, but then we're top tier RG, COWI level (there is no non-Maths equivalent acronym - TSR should work on that) The tier underneath accept Access, usually on a case by case basis. It is certainly possible!

Wishing her well.

How old is she? If she’s a “mature” student (so over 21) and if she has a reason for not going to uni straight away or not doing A levels (eg illness, a baby, work etc) then entry requirements for pretty much all courses become much more flexible. Pretty much everywhere accepts Access courses for at least some degrees-I know someone who went to Oxford with one!-, but the course matters too. Maths heavy degrees, for example, normally need A level maths on top. What does she want to study? Good luck 😊

My DD went to Newcastle to do physics for an access course.

She also sat a level maths as an independent student.

I did an access course when I was 39 and got a place at uni. When I completed my degree I then got a job lecturing on the access course at the FE college I attended.
I think Access courses are great and provide an opportunity to people who don’t have the standard A level entry requirements for Uni.

I went to Bristol after an access course. Everyone on my course got into their first choice universities from memory - mostly Bristol or Bath although there were some that went to UWE or Bath Spa put of choice to do more career-focused courses (marketing, education, social work etc etc). There were a couple that applied to other good universities - I think Durham and maybe Warwick? I was on the humanities and social sciences access pathway though so I can't speak for how easy it would be to get into a good uni for maths/science type degrees!

It partly depends on what subject you want to study, and what qualifications you already have. One of my dc is going via access to a Russell group university doing a humanities course, with only minimal qualifications alongside her access course. She did get offers from one other, but needed all distinctions . Her other applications (I think classed as Russell group - KCL and Warwick) were delaying giving offers so she withdrew so as to secure her accommodation.
If you want to do a science course, you might need A level maths too (probably not at all Russell groups, but some). Also, look at other universities for your particular subject you might be surprised which ones are ranked higher.

Thank you all so much for your replies. I feel really reassured reading them. She is 18 and didn't do as well in her A levels as she had hoped. She is doing the social sciences access course and has been told by her tutor that this will allow her to apply for law.

Whilst we're on, can I also ask if it's better to put her A level results on her UCAS application as well as the access course or just leave them off altogether? She has achieved some points but I don't know if the lower grades will hinder her application.

@worcesterpear best of luck to your daughter. Her situation sounds similar to my DD so it's good to hear that she has managed to get into the university of her choice.

@Twoheliumballoons does your DD want to do law mainly because she wants to be a lawyer? Or is she also interested in the academic study of law? Just asking because law at some of the 'top' universities can be a bit more 'traditional' in their requirements from what I've heard, and the entry requirements are usually amongst the highest in comparison to other (IMO more interesting!) degrees.

I did a non-law (social science based) degree then converted to law and got a training contract (with all further study funded etc) at a very good ('silver circle') City law firm. A lot of my cohort of trainees who did an LLB stated that they wished they'd done something else - something they had real interest in - for undergrad like politics/English/sociology/history etc. I'm now an in-house lawyer at a major FTSE 100 company so it's all worked out pretty well from my perspective! Just a thought.

Best of luck to your DD 😊

Oh and personally I'd leave the A levels off if they're bad. Unless things have recently changed I don't think many higher ranked universities base their offers on UCAS points, the focus tends to be based on grades. So I don't think there's any benefit to adding poor grades for the sake of a few extra UCAS points that may not even be considered asbpart of any offer.

Thank you and good luck to your daughter too @Twoheliumballoons , I'm sure she will get a good offer, if not her first choice. UCAS do state that you have to put all your qualifications down, don't know if they check, but it's a risk worth not to. I'm not sure where in the country you are but Nottingham and Leeds might be worth applying to (quite a few on my daughter's course applied for law, and Leeds was one of the universities that did a lot of outreach).

Why so rude?

These are terms mostly well-used by universities and my reverting to shorthand as usual was purely done out of habit. I apologise to the OP if my use of accronyms confusing.

FAT = Former Admissions Tutor

HASS = Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences

RG = well surely anyone posting in this section knows it means Russell Group

Ironic and very telling about your own personality that you're saying my contempt for people when, unlike you, I gave the OP advice and didn't come on this thread purely to scathingly attack another poster.

I've known people who have done undergrad at Oxbridge with access courses.

Out of interest, were they mature students?

I took an access to teaching course for an education degree. It was a breeze and only lasted a year compared to a-levels. I'm 26.

Just call the admissions dept

Most students doing an access course go to their nearest local university so they tend to get onto courses relevant to their access course

So loads of mature students do an access course to study nursing at their local universities travelling in from home for example

@sonnetsandspirits yes all students doing an access course are mature students of all ages

Students who have done the access course find uni easier because they work hard at essays more similar to uni than A levels

I meant mature student by the standard university definition, which is over 21

19 year olds can do access courses, and access courses are usually a year or under a year in length.

Yes.

My ds is starting at Sheffield University in a couple of weeks on a foundation year for an Urban Studies & Planning degree. He dropped out of his A levels due to Chronic Fatigue & mental health. He got accepted quite easily, he had supporting information from his Young Carers lead as to why he hadn't completed his A levels & got his confirmation of place on the course within a couple of weeks. The university have been very good helping him get ready for his course, sorting out his disabled students allowance & equipment, he has already had meetings with his personal tutors, got his timetable & can't wait to start.

@Nat6999 that is so wonderful to hear! Sheffield University is such a great institution, they really are on the whole nurturing and helpful and dedicated to their students' wellbeing.

@Nat6999 that really is wonderful to hear