Do you still need the A levels at high grades if you go back to uni as a mature student?

[Katymac]

Cos if you do I'm stuffed as they want 3B's and I got a D and 2 E's.........is it different for mature students?

It is, phone the admissions officer at your local uni and they should be able to tell you what you need for the course you want to do. It may be that your A levels and life experience will be enough or you may be required to do a year long access course

I have found out that the 2yrs I did at uni before might count towards a degree....so I have paid £50 to find out what units I passed and that will relate to how many "points" I still need (apparently?)

ah, if you've already got 2 years of degree course experience, then I would say you'd have no problems getting onto another degree course (or completing the one you did 2 years of)

Naval Architecture doesn't really hold the appeal it did in 1987

Dh went to university as a mature student in his late 20s. He didn't have any A-levels at all. He did an access course first though IIRC.

A lot will depend on the course you want to do so it's a good idea to contact the university you want to attend to see what they will accept.

lol, katy

I'm planning to go to Uni too, in Sept 2007, but I have to do a 1yr access course first (no a-levels)

What are thinking of doing?

I'm looking at accountancy or management

what degree do you want to do now katy?

i had to do access as i barely had gcse's let alone a-levels.

NomdePlume, when do you start college??

sorry katy x posts!!!

Hopefully, this September tiredemma. Still not got my form in, must do it in the next week or so. They make their decision in April.

Katy - Hopefully, Nursing

That sounds like you will enjoy it

I'm still not sure.......very indescisive me

I have all of my access assignments here Nom, just gathering dust, if ever you need any of them just give me a shout.

I did an access course to get into uni, much better than doing a levels, everybody is over 21, all module and only a year. I only two GCSEs and 1 of them was in drama!

Best of luck.

I didn't have any a levels at all. They asked me to write an essay on their chosen subject. That was it. Ring the department and speak to the chief lecturer and see if you can go in and have a chat.

Thanks so much, emma

My dh got in to do a degree as a mature student with one A level (grade D!) in General Studies, and fails in a couple of sciences. He now has a degree, a Masters and a PhD!

Definitely talk to the admissions tutor in your chosen department

Good luck.

Thanks Ellbell

No probs, KM. Meant to say that, having failed his science A levels, dh then did something completely different at uni (politics and a language). Courses which are not frequently studied at school (like my own - Italian) are often more keen to recruit mature students than subjects which are studied at school (say, English and History). I don't think they'll make you do an access course, because you've obviously studied to A/degree level before. But I've never been in charge of admissions, so best to check this one out with your institution.

Another potential route into HE is OU study: I enquired about this to a brick uni, and they said they would welcome an application from me having done a 60 point level 1 OU course. This was for Sociology though, at a not particularly spectacular uni.

I saw some stats on percentage of mature students for London unis the other day ... and it would appear that the worse the uni's reputation, the higher the number of mature students

Do mature students ever go to top flight unis? I know for instance that the LSE takes applications from mature students, but you are expected to sit a tough entrance exam if you can't offer the required AAAAA "A" Level grades!

Yes, they do, SD. I have a student whose mum has just done a degree as a mature student in Cambridge. I'd guess it's pretty rare though. But there are plenty of mature student in those Russell Group unis that are just below the top tier (iykwim).

That's good to hear ellbell - I'd hate to think that unis are discriminating on the basis of age!

Should have said... at least in those subjects that I know about. Has to be said that, because we teach people who haven't got an A level in the subject anyway (since Italian is taught in so few schools), it's fairly easy not to distinguish between a mature student and an immature (?) one! For subjects which require very specialised A levels (not sure what... things like medicine, maths, etc.) to a high level, it might well be different! (We'll take anyone, basically!)

I have to admit that the only mature students I come across doing medicine are mature because they already have PhDs in biology. I don't know of any in the science subjects I'm involved in either as it happens, but it shouldn't be a problem for you.

NdP, did you change you mind about radiology?

Lots to think about then - still don't know what I want to do