Chemistry choices, Foundation year +3, vs 4 year Scottish, vs 3 years

Student Lounge International Students
1

I’ve now done a lot of research and I may be more confused than ever. Keeping in mind that DD17 has the grades and test scores to get in to a pretty good chemistry program at a University of California school, but would prefer to study in the UK, we are looking only at top 10 chem programs in the UK, as dipping lower would be significantly less academically/prestige wise than she could go here.

Her choices seem to be between a foundation year + 3 years in England, 4 years in Scotland, or just 3 years in England.

Here’s a summary of the programs we are looking at with admission requirements.

Durham/Bath 4 year programs

Entry requirements: GSCE maths with C or better, US requirement 650 on Math portion of SAT (she easily meets this)
Year 1- Foundation year for natural sciences- chemistry, physics, math

Years 2-4 Chemistry BSc program

Scottish programs in top 10- Edinburgh/St Andrews 4 year programs

GCE A-Levels: AAB (including A in Chemistry) International Baccalaureate Points: 35 including HL6 in Chemistry(taking next year) HL Math with 5 or SL Math with 6 (she got a 5) or AP Calculus with 4 or 5

Year one- Chemistry/physics/math
Years 2-4 Chemistry BSc program

Less competitive (but still top 10 in Chemistry in UK) 3 year programs

Bath/York 3 year BSc program, AAB in addition to A2 Chemistry, at least one other A2 level subject should be Maths, Physics, Further Maths or Biology, international equivalent- 3 AP’s no specifics on what scores should be

More competitive program (definitely not doing this) for comparison

Durham 3 year BSc program
A*AA including chemistry and maths to A2. – US equivalent appears to be 5 in AP Chem (she’s taking next year) 5 in AP Calc BC (not taking) plus one other AP at 5 (she has this easily)

Durham foundation year would transfer directly in to their 3 year program if she gets required grades that year, and she easily meets admission requirements, and this route gets her in to the number 3 program in the UK. But will the foundation year, other than Math be boring/repetitive for a IB Student with excellent grades?

Why are the Scottish 4 year entry requirements higher than the foundation year entry requirements, when the sequence seems much the same? What math would she take first year at St. Andrews/Edinburgh and would it be significantly at higher level than the foundation year math? Both seem to end you up at same place- ready for 3 years of chemistry.

2

You can get an idea of what math she would take the first year at Edinburgh here

  • click on course code

http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/16-17/dpt/utcmstm.htm

3

Based on that she is completely ready for that sequence. In fact Math SL covered most of those topics in depth.

We are visiting all campuses in November. I think it is going to come down to one of the 4 year choices, but I’m not sure how socially and academically she would fit in to a foundation year course.

4

At the Scottish unis, you can skip the first year if you’re advanced enough, I believe.
And at Aberdeen the 4th year is free (reasonable international tuition anyway).

Why a UK uni rather than a UC or other American uni, though?

5

She doesn’t want to skip the first year. I’m just baffled that the requirements are so all over the place, relative to the expectation when you arrive. Part of that I think, being the disconnect between what different schools consider to be equivalent US requirements.

She really loves the UK and cost wise it is not much more than a state school here. I think it would be a great experience if she gets in and it all works out.

She wants to focus on the Chemistry and Business track that several schools offer. That’s not so much an option here. Then work in industry for a few years, possibly internationally if possible, then go in to patent law. So not a heavily math/theory oriented career in the end.

6

In terms of Scottish uni vs. foundation year requirements, I think it’s because in the first case, you’re accepted in to uni and in the other case, you have to get a good enough grade in the foundation year and they are designed for folks with a weak background.

It’s similar, say, to getting in to a VA CC vs. getting in to PSU. It’s easier to get in to the former than the later even though you are guaranteed admission to UVa with a high enough GPA at a VA CC (3.7, I believe).

7

Also worth reading: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/united-kingdom/1905466-applying-to-a-uk-university-foundation-year.html#latest

8

The Durham program seems different than other foundation years because you apply directly via the UCAS just choosing chem with foundation year as the program.

9

So it seems like UIUC’s Engineering Pathway program. You apply to that out of HS, then, if accepted, start out at one of a few IL CC’s, take the foundation classes required for a major, and automatically transfer to UIUC if you hit a certain level of GPA.

10

Yes. I’m leaning towards this being a very good option. Gives her a year to get her feet wet in a new environment, get solid on her pre-requisites, then enter a really top notch program

https://www.dur.ac.uk/courses/info/?id=8362&title=Chemistry+with+Foundation&code=F103&type=BSC&year=2016#coursecontent