University interviews etc

[mollykins]

Do you have an interview or have to enroll etc at a uni during the summer holiday before you start, and if so, how much notice do they normally give you?

I'm planning on going on a mini-gap-year that'll give me a bit of experience in marine biology and I don't want to book it then find out I have an interview or something I have to attend during that time.

I'm planning on going for a few weeks in the summer of 2012, after my exams and before uni starts (when/if I get a place).

[bednobs]

you enroll when term starts, not before
interviews (if you get any) are well before the summer before you start

[boxtops]

You'll find that interviews take place any time in early 2012, certainly before you get your final results - results are often predicted so you are offered a conditional place until the results come through. Your chosen university will publish its likely intake and interview dates in their prospectus. As a clue, we are interviewing at the moment for university nursing courses starting in Sept 2011, we have to interview and put forward selected names no later than the end of May.

[bednobs]

the only problem you will have is if you find you have offers but then do not get the grades you need. - it's a good time to be around so that you can contact the unis or go into clearing

[boxtops]

... or indeed are offered more than one place, you need to around in order to decide which one to take up.

[mollykins]

Mum said the interviews were a lot earlier for her course and the enrollment was in september but she didn't know if other courses and unis were different and had something you had to go to in july/august.

[sophie_1003]

If you're very worried about it could you go in the summer after your first year?

[mollykins]

That's the kind of positive thinking things I was after boxy . . .

[mollykins]

Sophie I wanted to go before uni so that I've got a bit of experience over most of the other people in my classes.

[Prudie]

Your exams will be over early June and the results not till late August, plan to go inbetween.

[sophie_1003]

After you've been accepted extra experience won't be as relevant until you start applying for jobs; also you may find that the knowledge you gain in the first year of uni (assuming you will be studying marine biology) will help you to put your mini-gap-year into a better context than you would be able to before beginning uni; just a thought!

[mollykins]

And that way prudie, i can still go to the olympics.

[Chaffinch]

If you are not doing Medicine or Vet Med, then you don't normally have interviews. You are simply offered a place on your predicted results. All Uni's hold open days so that you can go and have a look round, you then apply to (usually to 3 or 4 Uni's), Your school carears officer should be advising you on all of this!

[Prudie]

Will you come to the sailing events (I live near Weymouth)?

[dotty.]

what event are you entered in Molly?

[sophie_1003]

Chaffinch; that's not true; I was interviewed to gain a place on an education degree and this seems to be common across unis offering education or teaching degrees.

[mollykins]

According to mum it's the courses where they have far more applicants, with the same credentials on paper than places. So they have interviews to see what they're really like.

[sophie_1003]

That could well be the case because the course I'm doing is quite competitive to get on I believe.