UCL population health

[WhiteCatmas]

My ds has his heart set on population health at UCL, he has applied to all 4 versions of the course there.
I’m frankly just grateful that he is applying to university at all after a year out. Can anyone help give me a rough reality check on the acceptance rate?

It's very competitive as those applying are very focused on this area. It's a brilliant and important field. Does he have grades in hand and extra experiences or learning accumulated? What are his subjects? Generally, strong applicants have high grades in combinations of biology, geography, sociology, economics and maths .

He is doing Psychology, History and English st A-level. Solid GCSEs in Biology, Maths and ICT. Sociology and Economics were not offered at his school.

OK, well ,hopefully he has a very good personal statement and some reading , studying, perhaps work experience beyond the curriculum?

Those A levels are probably not the most typical offered but the strength of application will matter most. Their webpage suggests students typically offer the A levels I named plus a few others but they do accept any subject.

What's his motivation to study the subject? Can he articulate that clearly?

I just found the stat on UCAS by the way. 26% of applicants are offered a place.

I think the risk is that if they don't offer for one, then they probably wouldn't offer for any of them. Does he have a fifth choice to fall back on?

Yeah that’s really not a sensible strategy at all. At the very least he could have applied for the BSc versions of the main one and the ‘with Data science’ one then had three further options. If offered he’d have still been able to do the MSci version of whichever he actually preferred.

Yikes, 26% is harsh.
He had a good personal statement, some relevant work experience.
I’ll have a word with him, he hasn’t submitted his UCAS form yet.
If he doesn’t get an offer, can he select further courses?

Yes he can if he is rejected from all five (or both!) but obvs that will depend on other unis having vacancies after the Jan deadline.

What are the 4 courses? PH with and without data science, both at BSc and MSc? Because the MSc isn’t an integrated one, so he can’t apply to that - it’s a post grad course. And even if it were integrated that application strategy is madness, and tbh makes his application look weaker. The can’t spot what the other two he wants to apply to are.

How different are the with and without data science curricular - can one converge them through choice of options? Are his a levels better aligned to the no data science one? The compulsory and optional modules shown for both are identical so why apply for both? The only notable difference is the use is the word “quantitative” in the blurb for the data science option - as he doesn’t have maths A level, the other is probably a sensible choice.

I am puzzled by the previous post about offer rates. The stats I can see are in the high 70%s for home students, and high would accord with the relative low grade ask at ABB

Basically, he should apply to max 2 of these courses and put other options in the other slots.

He needs to have a very quick flick through to find some other options elsewhere to broaden his chances. Eg Kings Global Health and Social Science BA (ABB, 80% in 2023) or Manchester BSc Public Health etc.

It’s not clear in the website but there IS an integrated Masters version (MSci): https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/degrees/population-health-sciences-msci

Where did you get the 70% from because the UCAS website says 26% of applicants get offers?

Worth reading the website closely.

I know that LSE have clear guidance for those thinking about applying for more than one course. Different Universities have different policies.

I would also look closely at the guidance for the course. If they like maths A level, whatever the overall stats the offer rate for those without might be lower. He might also speak to the admissions office, who should be willing to give a steer.

@Piggywaspushed. UCL puts out its stats for all courses annually. I can’t link to it as they appear as pdf’s if you google it.

Odd. Here is the UCAS page!

https://digital.ucas.com/coursedisplay/courses/1b516b21-3f5f-abd2-087d-065677f358ba?academicYearId=2026

Yours is more likely to be accurate since its source is UCL and the dates are more up to date but the difference is bewildering!

Agree, is really odd. And unhelpful!

The course size is very small, so the numbers are less robust than usual, but that wouldn’t. Explain the difference.

In any case, op’s DC should still branch out a bit !

Well he wouldn’t be moved, stating that applying to all four courses at UCL shows his commitment and passion about the course and the university.
Luckily the fifth choice has lower grade boundaries and worst comes to worst he had a 6th choice.

In UCAS applications you shouldn't mention the specific uni - so his commitment to UCL doesn't matter. The course itself is available in various iterations at a few other unis : those named above and also Southampton, which has a good reputation for its work in the field of population studies. I agree with others that, without maths A level, the data science options may be very tough and unappealing. In fact, I personally am not that sold on a course that pushes the important field of qualitative study into a year 2 optional module.

Do you live in London?

Population health strikes me as a subject that would be pretty maths heavy.