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BTEC Vs A Levels: what do uni's prefer?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
I'm doing a BTEC ND in music technology, and i've started to look around for courses...which is another mind boggling situation...but what do uni's normally prefer? BTECs or A Levels? I'm also a little worried because the minimum needed in points for the place i want to go to the most is 240 which is a MMM (merit) but i'm predicted a DDM (distinctionMerit) Or a DDD which are 320 and 360 respectivly...would someon turn me away because i was getting much better results than they wanted? or am i just being paranoid and silly?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    I would think a uni would never turn away someone as being too good!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They'd only get touchy about your grades being too high if they thought you weren't really interested and were only using them as back up for something else, but your application can show that that is not the case.

    As for A levels vs BTEC it depends what you are applying for. Very academic style courses like A levels, more practical or vocational type courses are less bothered.

    Best bet is to look at some courses you think you'll be interested in and see what they have to say, email some admissions tutors and look at their websites. If it's fairly easy to work out what they offer BTEC applicants then its likely that they like them. If there's no sign they've ever heard of BTECs or even UCAS points you are going to have more of a problem.

    Does that help?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't see why they'd turn you away for having high grades.

    As for what unis prefer - I guess it depends alot on what course you're studying. For the course I want to do, it says either an NVQ Level 3 or A Levels. It also says that I need experience with working with young children. Where I'm doing an NVQ, I get alot of experience whereas if I was doing A Levels, I probably wouldn't.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They'd only get touchy about your grades being too high if they thought you weren't really interested and were only using them as back up for something else, but your application can show that that is not the case.

    As for A levels vs BTEC it depends what you are applying for. Very academic style courses like A levels, more practical or vocational type courses are less bothered.

    Best bet is to look at some courses you think you'll be interested in and see what they have to say, email some admissions tutors and look at their websites. If it's fairly easy to work out what they offer BTEC applicants then its likely that they like them. If there's no sign they've ever heard of BTECs or even UCAS points you are going to have more of a problem.

    Does that help?

    In recent years universities have come to realise that BTEC Nationals are an equivalent to the A level and therefore most have them included in the entry requirements as an option that is 'equivalent' to A level, they will then give a UCAS point target.

    I scored DDD in my diploma and I was accepted by universities asking for DDM as well as universities asking for MMP. I think the only time a university would be 'picky' so to speak is if your diploma didn't cover the material the university already expects you to know.

    Hope that helps
    Steve
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    my diploma covers half of the uni sylabus...:S
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    mine was like that, I have a Btec Leval 3 in moving image and I was off to uni, got accepted etc, most of my Porfollio I could use, (kind of handy tbh ;) )
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What's a BTEC? I only did boring old A-levels not like you fancy lot.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    From the site:

    BTEC:
    This is an A-level alternative that offers a range of occupational-based subjects to study;
    You can study for a basic BTEC qualification even if you only have a few D to G grade GSCEs under your belt;
    BTEC isn't exclusively for post-GCSE students. It's designed to cater for people in work or with family commitments, by offering part-time and full-time courses over a one- or two-year study period;
    First Certificates (part time) and First Diplomas (full time) last one year;
    National Certificates (part time) and National Diplomas (full time) last two years. (Students will need four GCSEs at A-C grade to study a National course, or a First Diploma or NVQ level 2 for entry);
    Like A-levels, a BTEC National certificate will help you on the way to Higher Education, if that's what you're aiming to do
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I personally think that schools don't focus in enough on the whole BTEC and alternitive routes to higher education. Me being me went out and looked and found these alternitive routes which is me doing my BTEC but if I wasn't the kind of person to go out and look I would probably be studying for my A-Levels which really is the worse route I could have taken. Mabye it was just my teachers at school because I was a high achiever they had the wrong image of BTEC.
    My BTEC ND is equivalant to 4/5 (cant remember) A Levels and is just as much hard work. It just means that I am studying childcare, child development etc rather than biology, english lit and all the other shit I was desperate to leave behind at school.

    Vocational Work-Based and Experience-Based Qualifications are the way forward

    EDIT: just realised that this thread has nothing to do with all my above blabber oopss :razz:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What's a BTEC? I only did boring old A-levels not like you fancy lot.

    BTEC ND = equivelent to 3 a levels.

    TT, most universities will accept and prefer either, except for some high caliber red brick universities like oxbridge where there is really no comparison to a levels. a university won't turn you away because the grades you see in the prospectus are the minimum required for entry to that course, if you can do better, you stand more chance of being given a place at university not less :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm only looking at going to uni of westminster, but i'm gettng pretty paranoid about it, because i know it's probably the best for what i want to do, and there is a lot of competition
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm only looking at going to uni of westminster, but i'm gettng pretty paranoid about it, because i know it's probably the best for what i want to do, and there is a lot of competition
    It is, I was going to study Media there and ONLY just got accepted, but you'll be fine with DDD if you get it ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks, thats really going to boost my hope of getting in!

    were you going to Harrow campus?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks, thats really going to boost my hope of getting in!

    were you going to Harrow campus?
    Hey, you'll be fine, I got in with MMP so you'll be fine, DDD is more than enough, MMD is, if I go accepted with Merit Merit Pass
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