Scottish UCAS applicants 2025 entry

[motheronthedancefloor]

i know there's a HE board but that's dominated by English parents/schools/unis.

I thought I'd start our own thread for Scottish parents of kids applying to UCAS this year. What are your kids applying for? Where are they applying?

I'll start!

DD is applying to primary teaching. Considering Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Stirling. We discussed UWS but its too far away to commute and as she'd be a young 17 (february born), I wouldn't feel comfortable with her so far away. She's academically capable, but in some ways still quite young.

She has BBBCC from S5 (bastard SQA and Higher HIstory). Doing 1 AH and 2 more HIghers this year. Qualifies for a contextual offer.

Personal statement draft all done. Teacher seems happy with it. She has work experience, did the Accerlerate Education challenge I think its called and is accepted onto Top Up. So her statement looks quite good.

What annoys me is that Strathclyde asked for something specific to be included in the personal statement but that's specific to Strathclyde and might not necessarily be accepted by other universities or what they want to see. Plus it doesn't seem to be mentioned on their entry requirements so other applicants may not know this for that particular course.

Also annoys me that they don't use UCAS Tariff points. That would make it so much easier as its not clear if DDs C grades are accepted or not.

DDs school will do the submissions in December. Then I'll probably post here like every day as an anxious mum or rather angry mum - why won't they give my DD a place? lol

DD got BCCC plus National Progression Award in film at level 6. (Also bloody Higher History). This year she’s doing History and Business highers, AH drama and a NPA at level 6 in creative industries. She also qualifies for a contextual offer.

She wants to study film (not film studies, she wants to be a cinematographer and do the technical side). Our only Scottish options are Napier and Royal Scottish Conservatoire
and they are incredibly difficult to get in.

So we’re looking at English universities—Nottingham Trent, Manchester Met, Northumbria, Sheffield Hallam. I think she stands a reasonable chance of getting into one of those. They work out at around BBBC or BBCC. She has an award for a film she made and has a brilliant reference from a film professional (who taught the NPA in film last year).

We have a back up plan if she doesn’t get in anywhere.

I was quite surprised to see NPAs are not accepted by universities generally especially considering how they are encouraged in schools. This might not apply to ‘art’ courses where portfolios matter and they might help with building one, but for most courses they are not accepted. I believe that may be down to lack of external validation?

NPA’s are recognised by Napier and Queen Margaret’s as a grade C at higher.

I don’t know about English universities. I need to check with some of the admissions. UCAS points calculator puts it at 21 points,
which is a grade C at higher.

That is good, better than I thought. I see they can also be used for access to HNC/HND so they definitely have a role. My DC might well do an NPA next year. But I do wonder if everyone who choose them were aware of their limited currency at university level?

@Ginko I wasn’t particularly aware of it in S5 when DD took the film qualification, but it was the first time it had run/was only offered by 3 Scottish schools and was in exactly what she wants to do so don’t regret it. She got an
award for a film out of it, confirmed that she wanted to go into film and worked with a professional film producer. It’s also got her a great reference. Definitely worth it for her.

She’s dyslexic and struggles with standard academic ways of learning (exams are a nightmare for her), but she thrives on the creativity of the NPAs that she’s doing.

You should be aware of how bad job prospects are for Primary teachers in central Scotland currently, have a search of Scottish Teachers for Permanence. Constant churn of cheap probationers.

Not saying don't do it, just be aware of the issue...

We are well aware, with family and friends in the teaching field, but its what DD wants to do. By the time she completes her probationary year it will be about 5/6 years from now and the situation could well change. Thanks for the support.

It’s also very difficult to get jobs in film, but it’s what DD wants to do. Do you limit their aspirations when it’s something they really want to do? Push them towards jobs that pay well, but what they don’t want to do? It’s a genuine question. We’ve read a lot about how dire the job market is in film and I’m struggling over whether we should be encouraging her. But I wanted to do a job that’s incredibly difficult to get a job, but I managed it against the odds. Why can’t she?

quite right @theferry my DD is doing everything right - work experience, speaking to current probationers (hence knowing the situation), doing Accerlerate, doing additional work with young people, doing a tonne of research online - she's well versed on the situation. We've also discussed alternatives and back ups. Its not exclusive to teaching either - my cousins son has a marketing degree but worked in a shop for 5 years as he couldn't get a job in marketing.

the doom and gloomers can go and post elsewhere. Lets get this thread back to a more positive, ucas application focus!

My Dd did teaching at Dundee. They were great when her mental health dipped in her 2nd year, but covid held her back, so she didn't graduate for an extra year but did her probationary year well and is in her second year, just a temp position but got onto a few supply lists too. I would recommend Dundee for teaching.

My Ds is in his final year of Television. He was an S6 chucked out of school due to Covid and took an alternative back up which has worked in my favour of him editing my videos for work and filming them and making my ideas come true.

I know with Dd she felt despondent as loads of friends got into teaching before Christmas but for her it was March before she got a conditional. So try to support that they haven't heard due to the university taking their time.

We have been told by school that unless you have any pointers towards a contextual offer, always always always have an English / Welsh option in there due to the capping situation.

For all subjects? We weren’t told that, and unless they are doing 3 advanced highers it might be tricky to get an offer too. My son applied to all Scottish unis and got 5 offers

Are you at a high performing school or private school, as I can't see any other reason why a school would say that. Maybe if its a law or medicine degree?

Anyone else's kids doing the top up programme? Does everyone who applies get in (if they meet the criteria)? DD has been accepted.

No, we’ve not been told that either. We are going to apply to English universities because we’ve only got two Scottish options.

i don’t think it’s that hard to get into an English university where they use UCAS points. It works out about the same grades as up here. Our problem is them wanting Maths at grade C, which DD doesn’t have.

What’s the top up programme?

https://www.gla.ac.uk/study/wp/topup/#:~:text=The%20Top%2DUp%20Programme%20is,courses%20in%20university%20or%20college.

Interesting, shame we’re on the east coast, although DD has already experienced university classes.

Has anyone come up against the problem of DCs needing Nat 5 maths when it’s really not relevant to the degree (film)? It seems to be an English thing. Her first choice in England asks for it. I’m pondering over contacting admissions to see if they would accept Nat 5 accountancy (DD got an A for that).

She got a D for Nat 5 maths, which I blame the school for. They didn’t have a maths teacher for 3 months. They spent their time playing on their phones!

@theferry I think it is mainly an English thing but also several Scottish universities and future careers expect English and maths at Nat 5/gcse.
At my DCs school anyone failing either English or maths is strongly advised to retake as it can limit future career choices

I know for teaching, if you dont have your N5 Maths, you're unlikely to get onto a course. If you do get onto the course, the lack of N5 Maths will be an issue again when applying for jobs. They won't take any alternative options, even if that alternative option includes numeracy. Some courses wont take N5 App of Maths either.

I can understand why teaching and some other jobs require Maths, but not so much for film.

Whose DCs have already submitted their UCAS applications? Trying to get DD to make a decision on where she’s going to apply for, but she’s very unsure.

My son is applying for software development. First choice Heriot Watt, then Dundee, then Napier i think. He has BBCCC but was going through a recent T1 diabetes diagnosis and literally had an insulin pump fitted the day before one of his exams, so we're hoping they'll read his personal statement where he explains that, look at his N5 results (AAAABB) and predictions for S6 (As and Bs) and see beyond the grades. Time will tell - HNC/HND at college and then into third year is the back up plan.

Yes my DC has submitted their UCAS application- so far applied to 4. Had to get it in by end Sep as applying to Oxbridge. Strath, Glasgow and Edinburgh are the other choices. Undecided on the 5th and final choice so far. Good to get it out the way as writing the PS was a bit of a nigh----tmare 😱

Our youngest has just started at UWS staying in halls, studying teaching and isn't 18 yet (early Dec bday) and I wouldn't discount it completely. They have a really good support system and from what we've heard from friends with children at other Universities much better than many of the bigger, more established schools!