Expert: Ray Wilkinson - 1/3/2011

Question
hello sir
I am from Bangladesh currently doing my GCE A-Levels.I am looking forward to study aeronautical engineering in my undergrad.I have taken physics(AS+A2),chemistry(AS) and maths(AS+A2).Do you think that these subjects are enough for me to get admitted in a good reputed university in the UK.thank you for reading

Answer
Hi Anwar. To get onto an engineering degree course at our (or any UK) univesrity, you will need three A levels including Maths and a science- or technology-based subject, which your list includes. The standard tariff is for three full A levels at grade C or higher. Subjects at AS level count as half an A level, so you would need more subjects if you don't take all three subjects right up to a full A level standard. My understanding is that Hertfordshire are raising our tariff beyond this (so you would need at least one B grade), but I'm not the admissions tutor, so I'm not fully up to speed with the full requirements. However, if you make an enquiry through our website (www.herts.ac.uk) you will be told. Some UK universities will accept applicants with lower grades, and some will demand higher ones, of course. Generally, the better the university, the higher the grades they will ask for. However, it's not quite as simple as that - Hertfordshire is not the  highest rated in the UK (it's slightly above the middle, by most measures), but has a reputation for producing highly practical engineers, with excellent employment prospects. Some of the higher-ranked universities tend to produce scientists rather than engineers - well suited to research careers, but possibly less attractive to engineering companies.