School Leavers (UK and Ireland)
Information on our selection process for those at school or sixth-form college in the UK or Ireland
Selection and offer making for 2024 entry
We expect competition for places this year to be very high. In high demand subject areas, it may be necessary for us to select and make offers to those with grades above the top of the published entry requirements range in the degree finder. This would apply to the standard entry requirements only, and not the minimum. The University is committed to widening participation, and the minimum entry requirement will be applied to all applications from eligible widening access students.
We will use all of the information within the UCAS application, including the personal statement, to make our decisions. We will also continue to look at past performance in assessments as well as future assessments still to be taken. For applicants taking SQA qualifications, we may also take into consideration the number and range of subjects being taken in S6.
We expect we will need to hold most applications until after the UCAS application deadline this year, so we can treat everyone fairly. We understand the frustration of having to wait for a decision from us, but hope there is an understanding that we are taking these steps to protect the student experience by ensuring that classes are not oversubscribed. We expect most offers to be made by the end of April 2024 for entry in September 2024.
All applicants who have met, or are predicted to meet, our entry requirements progress to the selection process. However, competition for most of our degrees is high and demand for places generally exceeds the number of places available, so not all applicants who enter the selection process can be made an offer.
We consider all of the information contained within your UCAS application before making our admissions decision. This includes consideration of your academic qualifications, your personal statement and reference, and any other data and information considered in our approach to widening access.
It is important to note that the selection decision is not an automated process. Each decision is carefully balanced against the overall standard of the entire cohort of qualified and suitable applicants in your chosen subject area.
If you have applied for second-year entry but do not hold the necessary entry qualifications, your application will be considered for first-year entry as long as you meet, or are predicted to meet, the year one entry requirements. This does not guarantee that you will receive an offer for first-year entry.
Academic achievement
The most important factor in decision making is academic achievement above (or predicted above) the specified academic requirements. We will look at all academic qualifications listed on your UCAS application, including National 5 or GCSEs and subjects studied at Higher, Advanced Higher, A Level or equivalent.
It is important that your application includes predicted grades for all qualifications listed on your application that have not yet been completed. These should be added by your school when completing your reference but it is your responsibility to ensure that these have been provided. Where we receive a predicted grade range, e.g. 80–85 per cent, we will use the lower prediction in our selection process. If these were not submitted by your referee as part of the UCAS application, you are required to send a copy of these to us, on letter-headed paper, by the deadline.
Where we state a subject is preferred or recommended, we may use the inclusion or absence of this subject in our selection process.
Personal statement and academic reference
We will look for evidence in your personal statement of commitment, motivation and suitability for your chosen degree programme and a strong interest in your chosen subject area. We will also be looking for a supportive academic reference that shows you are ready to progress to higher education.
Widening Access offers
We recognise that applicants have differing backgrounds and experiences and that not everyone has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their potential with their school qualifications alone. For this reason we consider certain data and information in our selection process.
We use data from a number of sources, along with information on your UCAS application, to identify applicants for additional consideration in our admissions process – widening access applicants. We consider a widening access applicant to be someone who:
- lives in a target postcode area, or
- attends a target school or college, or
- attends the Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP), or
- is care experienced, or
- has refugee status or is an asylum seeker.