h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Couple of points:

1, Its called the big _guide_, I woudl nkow I have just been through the dreaded UCAS system (EAS actually)

2, the points system is about to change to an incredibly complicated scheme that nobody seems to understand....

True, the new points system is a bit confusing, but I think I more or less understand it. (Unfortunately, I don't know the points for anything other than AS and A levels). Right then, for AS levels you get:
-60 points for an A
-50 points for a B
-40 points for a C
-30 points for a D
-20 points for an E

For the full A level, simply double these numbers.

Negative points? That's a bit, erm, odd, isn't it?



Also, as far as I know, the reason you can't apply to Oxford and Cambridge at the same time is because then absolutely everyone applying to one or the other would apply to both, thus leaving one less application slot for the rest of the universities. They're the ones who object.

Well, actually I didn't mean negative points. I used those instead of bullet points. Perhaps with retrospect I should have used asterisks (*) instead. Sorry!

The 'Big Guide' is called the 'Fat book' by tradition in our school for some reason...

This entry will be especially relevent in the coming months. It's well written, congratulations!

odd how forums reopen at convenient times, isnt it? I have very recently written an article explaining the new UCAS tariff

http://www.h2g2.com/A616952

so that the UCAS entry can be updated.

Ah yes, I saw your entry when I was searching for UCAS...

There's no easy way to update entries at the moment but it can (and should) be done. Many Universities (or at least the big ones) don't seem keen to use the new system yet though...

Frankie

well, my entry has been accepted by the update-scheme lot, so it should be ok... possibly... one day...

the universities dont have much choice this year, as UCAS is the agency EVERYONE uses

Two points here really:

First - In my experience of reading Prospectuses (Prospecti?!), most Universities DO seem to like the new system.

Second - Not quite EVERYONE uses UCAS. Some applications (for nursing courses and the like), are handled by NMAS (and no I don't know what that stands for).