Hello all! I’m going to be a high school senior this next school year and I’m preparing to apply to universities. I would like to go to the UK, but I’m not completely sure what I want to study. When you apply to university in the UK, you choose the degree program you’ll be studying, and you can’t change it (although I’ve heard that Scottish universities are more flexible). I’ve decided to apply for a foundation year, which is a year where you go to university as a full-time student and essentially are brought up to speed with the British education system and you prepare academically for university. The majority of students in the UK have a 13th year of schooling, so international students may have a disadvantage if they weren’t able to complete 13 years of education. I don’t feel especially prepared for college, even though I’m taking advanced classes at school. I also feel like I’ll be able to figure out what I want to study if I have an extra year to explore my options. I know that you cannot apply for a foundation course through UCAS and that you have to apply directly with the school. I was wondering how difficult it is to get into a foundation course in the UK. Thank you!
Super easy: they looooove your money. Do some homework: like everything, some are more reputable than others.
If you meet the requirements for undergrad entry, consider applying for a joint degree. Edinburgh, for example, offers a great number of these. You can explore two subjects, sometimes unrelated, plus one elective, and be on your way to graduation. Foundation year is more useful for non-native speakers.
@jupiter98 is right: if you meet the requirements for admission, you are likely to find the foundation year not very interesting.
Anyone know if foundation years are offered if the student doesn’t quite meet the courses requirements, or does the student need to apply directly to the foundation program? I’ve read in other posts that maths in the UK are more advanced than the US, and I am concerned my DD will not be ready to start a 3 year degree in the UK straight out of a USA high school(she’s taking AP Calc AB her senior year btw).
Never is a big word, but I haven’t ever heard of an applicant applying to a course and getting an offer for a foundation course as a result.
Iirc, your DD is applying for chemistry- look up the A level math syllabus (easy to find online) and give that to her Calc teacher to see what she is missing. I have heard of students doing a math course (in particular) over the summer between the end of secondary and start of uni to be sure they have covered what is expected.
Son’s UK friend applied for CS course but was relatively weak in maths. At least 1 uni offered a foundation course (for students with 3 good A level predictions not including maths) to bring him up to speed. He opted for a different course in a different uni where he should have been able to do the same thing with an additional course in his 1st year but found this too difficult in practice. The foundation course may have been the better option…
With reference to undecided degree subjects, combined honours are offered by several unis, eg Durham. In these 3 or 4 subjects may be studied, usually narrowing down a bit at some stage.