The following notes of guidance provide information about how we make admissions decisions

Information for School Leavers www.ed.ac.uk/studying/undergraduate

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

Admission to the College of Science and Engineering

The following notes of guidance provide information about how we make admissions decisions in the College of Science and Engineering. The information below is specifically aimed at those of you who are still at, or have recently left, school or sixth-form college. This policy does not apply to: o Overseas (for fee status

purposes) o Mature (including Scottish

Wider Access Programme SWAP)

o Lothian Equal Access

Programme for Schools (LEAPS) applicants.

If you fall into one of the above categories further information on admission to the College can be found at: http://bit.ly/k1MeEE

For detailed information about our undergraduate programmes at Edinburgh please refer to the Undergraduate Prospectus or the UCAS Entry Profiles at www.ucas.ac.uk

1. Admissions Principles Our minimum entrance requirements have been set at a level to encourage applications from talented students who are enthusiastic and keen to develop their academic potential whatever their personal, social and educational background. We believe that it is essential to treat every applicant as an individual so each application is given full and equal consideration. Admissions decisions are taken by fully trained professional Admissions Officers who are based within the College Admissions Office.

In order to make a fair and full assessment of your application, we also consider your academic achievements in context. This means that we may take into account factors that might have affected your educational achievement and/or your decision to apply to university. Further information about the specific factors that are taken into consideration is provided in section three. Applicants are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, disability or age.

2. Why do we have a

selection procedure?

The College receives many excellent applications each year and regrettably we cannot offer places to all applicants who have the minimum entry qualifications that we require. All applicants who have met, or are predicted to meet, the minimum entry qualifications will be assessed against agreed selection criteria for each degree programme.

Information for Home/EU School Leavers for entry in 2013

3. What are the

Minimum Academic Qualifications? The minimum academic qualifications for entry to the selection process have been set for most degree programmes in this College. This represents our judgement on the minimum academic standard that is required for students to achieve success and enjoy their degree studies. Only applicants who have, or are predicted to achieve, the minimum academic qualifications (or better) are considered for selection. It is important to note that achievement of the minimum grades will not guarantee the offer of a place. Minimum Academic Qualifications to enter the selection process:

o SQA Highers ‐ ABBB at

one sitting.

o GCE A‐level ‐ ABB at one

sitting.

o Cambridge Pre-U – D3 M2 M2 in principal subjects at one sitting.

o Welsh Baccalaureate – Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma including BBB at one sitting.

o IB Diploma ‐ 32 points with

555 or 655 in Higher Level subjects, depending on the degree programme at one sitting.

o EU qualifications ‐ please

refer to the webpage below: http://bit.ly/jzrxO4

Please check the current Prospectus for details of the minimum qualifications and subject requirements for each degree programme. In addition to academic minimum requirements for the degree programme, you must also meet the General College Entry Requirement. For all programmes, you must provide evidence that your English will enable you to succeed on your chosen programme of study. The list of acceptable English Language qualifications is available at: http://bit.ly/iAjUql In addition, several degree programmes require specific Standard Grade/GCSE subjects or equivalent as listed in the Prospectus. Please check the current Prospectus for full details of these for each degree programme or refer to the webpage below: http://bit.ly/lGCFZk Please refer to the list of approved subjects for guidance on which subjects are generally accepted by the University for entry to our degree programmes. If you require further advice on particular subjects or a combination of subjects please do not hesitate to contact the College Admissions Office. Please find this information at: http://bit.ly/jQqlkD

4. How do we select? All applicants who meet, or are predicted to meet, the minimum academic qualifications are entered into the selection process. The most important factor in decision making is academic achievement above (or predicted above) the specified minimum academic requirement. In addition, the selection process will also include consideration of non-academic factors. Academic Achievement We will look at all academic qualifications listed on the UCAS application, including Standard Grades or GCSEs, subjects studied at Higher, Advanced Higher, A Level or equivalent and A* grades achieved.

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. Contextual Data In order to make a fair and full assessment of your application, we will consider your academic achievements in context.

This means that we will take into account factors that might have affected your educational achievement and/or your decision to apply to university. The University makes use of publicly available datasets obtained from the government. This allows the University to give additional consideration to applicants applying from schools where either a relatively small proportion of students progress to higher education or where the level of academic achievement is below the national average. 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.

5. What is my offer likely

to be?

Please note that any offer you receive is likely to ask you to achieve higher than the minimum requirement, in line with the grade ranges published in the Prospectus. While demand has been high, it does fluctuate from year to year across different degree programmes. As a result the threshold level to receive an offer will fluctuate based on the competition for places each year. Data on the most recent admissions cycles can be found online at: http://bit.ly/gD6CzT

6. Deadlines for

application We can only guarantee that we will consider completed applications from Home/EU students by the 15

th January

deadline. In order to meet this requirement, applications must contain all relevant information including qualifications gained and to be achieved, explaining any gaps within your application. In addition, your application must include predicted grades for all applicants where qualifications are outstanding. Where we receive a predicted grade range, e.g. 80-85%, 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.

7. When will I hear? Applicants may be placed on hold until all applications have been submitted. We give all applications submitted by the 15th January deadline full and equal consideration (this process is often referred to as a Gathered Field) and aim to complete the selection process by mid March if not earlier. If you apply early in the cycle it will prove neither advantageous nor disadvantageous in our selection process.

8. What happens if you

apply for more than one degree programme? Within the College of Science and Engineering we make a maximum of two offers per applicant, which helps ensure that we make offers to as many individuals as possible.

Those who apply for more than two programmes should write to or email the College Admissions Office indicating their preferred choice(s) prior to the 15

th

January deadline. Otherwise we will consider the first two applications.

9. Applications for

deferred entry Whilst we are supportive of applicants who plan to take a gap year as a means of gaining valuable experience, either through work or travel prior to commencing their studies, we also recognise that in many subject areas within the College, the break in academic study immediately prior to commencing a demanding degree programme can cause difficulties in the initial months of the first year. Applicants who are planning on taking a gap year are strongly advised to speak to the College Admissions Office directly for further advice.

10. Feedback if your

application is unsuccessful We are happy to provide feedback to any unsuccessful applicant. You can contact the College Admissions Office and we will aim to reply to you within 20 working days. Please note that we receive most feedback requests between January and March so it may take 28 working days to respond to your request at this time and we do ask that you contact us by email or letter (contact details below). Please note that data protection legislation means that we may not be able to provide feedback to a third party unless you provide written consent or they are your nominated person on your UCAS application form. If you wish to appeal the selection decision, or would like us to reconsider your application rather than simply provide feedback, then we strongly recommend that you read our Code of Practice on Complaints and Appeals for Undergraduate Admissions, which can be found at: http://bit.ly/l8ogEf

11. Applicants with

adverse circumstances The University is not best placed to fairly and consistently take account of any adverse circumstances affecting an applicant’s performance in pre-entry qualifications; examples of which include personal or family illness. The University therefore expects applicants to have taken appropriate action to ensure that the relevant examination bodies have allowed for such circumstances prior to the announcement of results or following an appeal. Further information on special consideration of adverse circumstances is available from the relevant Qualification Authorities.

12. Plagiarism and

Fraud

The University is not prepared to admit applicants on the strength of information considered to be either fraudulent or plagiarised, and reserves the right to reject or cancel an application under these circumstances.

Contacting the College Admissions Office If you would like any further information about our admissions principles and procedures or would like advice on your own circumstances, please contact us using the details below: By email at: sciengra@ed.ac.uk By phone: + 44 (0)131 650 5737 By fax: + 44 (0) 131 650 5738 By mail: College of Science & Engineering Undergraduate Admissions Office The University of Edinburgh Weir Building The King's Buildings West Mains Road EH9 3JY

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