Accessing the Professions
Some courses at university require more than just a UCAS application, particularly for demanding courses with a restricted number of places. As well as gaining strong Higher results, to enter these degrees universities may ask you to take additional tests, gain work experience, and attend an interview.
Here is some advice on some of the courses that could ask for these additional requirements but remember that each university will have specific entry requirements, so use university websites to check the exact details for the course you are applying to.
Law
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If you are applying to Law you need to think about the essential subjects for the university entry requirements. Each university will vary in the specific grades needed at the end of S5 or S6, but they will all ask for Higher English as an essential subject, other social science subjects would be recommended, which could include Modern Studies or History for example. Modern languages would also be relevant for the study of Law.
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If you are applying for the University of Glasgow for LLB Law, you will be expected to complete the LNAT test as part of your application. This will assess your close-reading and essay-writing skills, so the best preparation you can do is practice past papers, keep up to date with current affairs, and expand on your vocabulary. You can find out more information here about when to book your test, how to practice for you test, and how the test is structured.
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This is not a specific requirement for Law but if you can gain experience it will demonstrate your commitment to Law, allow you to better understand the reality of working as a lawyer, and develop essential skills for working in Law which you can use in your personal statement and application for universities. Try contacting a local solicitor for advice on the possibility of shadowing their work, visiting a court, working at an estate agent, or volunteering in a law firm.
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The deadline for applying to Law is the same as most other courses. It will be in the January of the year you wish to start.
You want to demonstrate more than the academic qualifications needed for the course entry requirements, so try to gain experience where you can develop your ability to analyse and interpret information, showcase ethical judgement, and use logical reasoning.
Medicine
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There are five universities in Scotland that offer Medicine, and each might have a slight variation for grades by the end of S5 and then for S6 so make sure to check the universities for their specific requirements. The most important subjects for Medicine will be Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Maths at Higher or Advanced Higher.
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Each university might vary in the interview process they conduct but generally they would be either a panel interview or MMI (multiple-mini-interviews). A panel interview would consist of university members of staff and other external professionals asking you questions about your application, and a MMI would consist of different stations where you will complete specific, timed activities to better understand how well you can use communication and apply your knowledge within a scenario.
The best way you can prepare for your interview is read up about current affairs within the Medical field, re-read your personal statement to be able to expand on your work experience, skills, and subject knowledge.
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This is an additional requirement for all pupils applying for Medicine which is split into 5 sections (verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, decision analysis, and situational judgement). The test is designed to assess your quick-thinking and critical analysis because each section is timed, so the best preparation you can do is practice past papers in timed conditions. You can find more information here on how best to prepare and what to expect from the UCAT.
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Gaining work experience within the Medical field will be essential for your application, you must be able to write about this in your personal statement and talk about it at your interview. Work experience will allow you to gain an insight into the profession. Some ideas for work experience you could gain might be volunteering in a care home or hospice or speaking with medical professionals about the possibility of shadowing their work.
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The UCAS deadline for Medicine applicants is early and you need to apply by October the year before you hope to start university. Alongside the academic qualifications needed for medicine you want to be able to demonstrate key skills such as empathy, teamwork, patience, and the ability to demonstrate enthusiasm within the clinical field.
Dentistry
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There are two universities in Scotland that offer Dentistry, and both might have a slight variation for grades by the end of S5 and then for S6 so make sure to check the universities for their specific requirements. The most important subjects for Dentistry will be Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Maths at Higher or Advanced Higher.
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Each university might vary in the interview process they conduct but generally they would be either a panel interview or MMI (multiple-mini-interviews). A panel interview would consist of university members of staff and other external professionals asking you questions about your application, and a MMI would consist of different stations where you will complete specific, timed activities to better understand how well you can use communication and apply your knowledge within a scenario.
The best way you can prepare for your interview is read up about current affairs within the Dentistry field, re-read your personal statement to be able to expand on your work experience, skills, and subject knowledge.
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This is an additional requirement for all pupils applying for Dentistry which is split into 5 sections (verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, decision analysis, and situational judgement). The test is designed to assess your quick-thinking and critical analysis because each section is timed, so the best preparation you can do is practice past papers in timed conditions. You can find more information here on how best to prepare and what to expect from the UCAT.
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Gaining work experience within Dentistry will be essential for your application, you must be able to write about this in your personal statement and talk about it at your interview. Work experience will allow you to gain an insight into the profession. Some ideas for work experience you could gain might be shadowing a local dentist, or speaking with a dental professional about their working expectations and the skills they need within the profession.
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The UCAS deadline for Dentistry applicants is early and you need to apply by October the year before you hope to start university. Alongside the academic qualifications needed for dentistry you want to be able to demonstrate key skills such as empathy, teamwork, patience, and the ability to demonstrate enthusiasm within the clinical field.
Veterinary Medicine
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There are two universities in Scotland that offer Veterinary Medicine, and both might have a slight variation for grades by the end of S5 and then for S6, so make sure to check the universities for their specific requirements. The most important subjects for Vet Medicine will be Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Maths at Higher or Advanced Higher.
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Each university might vary in the interview process they conduct but generally there would be either a panel interview or MMI (multiple-mini-interviews). A panel interview would consist of university members of staff and other external professionals asking you questions about your application. An MMI would consist of different stations where you will complete specific, timed activities to better understand how well you can use communication and apply your knowledge within a scenario.
The best way you can prepare for your interview is read up about current affairs within the veterinary medical field, re-read your personal statement to be able to expand on your work experience, skills, and subject knowledge, and practice answering questions that the university may ask in the panel interview.
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Gaining work experience within Veterinary Medicine will be essential for your application, you must be able to write about this in your personal statement and talk about it at your interview. Work experience will allow you to gain an insight into the profession. Some ideas for work experience you could gain might be volunteering at a local farm, helping at a dog day-care, or shadowing a vet within a clinic.
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The UCAS deadline for Veterinary Medicine applicants is early and you need to apply by October the year before you hope to start university. Alongside the academic qualifications needed for Veterinary Medicine you want to be able to demonstrate key skills such as empathy, teamwork, patience, and the ability to demonstrate enthusiasm within the clinical field.
You may also be eligible for additional support with the Reach Programme, which you can find more information about here.
If you have any further questions which have not been answered here, feel free to contact us using the form below.