"Predicted Grades" and European Applications
Written on Saturday, 13 March 2021 16:58

 

Predicted Grades and European Applications


Unsurprisingly, the requirement for ‘predicted grades’ by some European universities, as part of their application process, is causing consternation in staff rooms across Ireland. This has become particularly relevant as ‘calculated grades’ (assessed grades) raise their head again, as a live issue in the assessment of Leaving Certificate 2021.

Firstly, lets get our lexicon straight. Apart from teachers supporting the applications of three or four thousand students applying for UK universities, through UCAS, we don’t do predicted grades in Ireland. In our current situation concerning the Leaving Certificate, schools are offering calculated grades or assessed grades, but not predicted grades: we are not predicting grades for August 2021, we are calculating them, as an alternative to grades from written tests. Our calculated/assessed grades will run in parallel to the written exams. Ironically, the predicted grades used in the UK process are, in fact, predictions of calculated grades!! So, we ask those in the media, and elsewhere, to stop using the term ‘predicted grades’, in a Leaving Certificate context, when they are in fact referring to calculated grades.

In most cases, in EU systems, universities don’t offer places on their degree programmes, based on grades (with a few exceptions, which we will look at below), so grade predictions are meaningless to most admissions staff there. It might suit student recruiters/brand ambassadors, in some of these countries, to refer to ‘predicted grades’, which might reassure students from countries where grades are relevant and who are needlessly concerned about the perceptions of the strength of programmes that don’t select based on grades, but admissions staff don’t find them useful.

So, where are ‘predicted grades’ being required in EU universities? Firstly, and importantly, there are some countries (e.g. Spain and Denmark) where selection for many programmes is based on grades, or GPA (Grade Point Average). Because our Leaving Certificate results (and those in UK) are so late compared to rest of Europe, they have in the past used our predicted grades to place our students in selection rankings. Secondly, there are some programmes where grades can be one of several selection criteria. For example, in the Netherlands, where some 10% (only) of programmes have a selection procedure and they include your academic record as one of their three or four selection criteria. (The other 90% only need to know that you are registered for the Leaving Cert. and yourperformance in recent school exams). Thirdly, some (a few only) of the Health Sciences programmes in Central Europe will grant admission based on grades in science subjects.

EUNICAS is determined to ensure that our students don’t miss out on coveted places in European universities because our schools are unable to provide predicted grades. So, what are the solutions?

Firstly, Guidance Counsellors should check, when students come to them looking for "predicted grades" that this is what is actually required. As referred to above, the term can be used with a wide range of meanings! Secondly, where possible, EUNICAS is working on solutions with universities, as below:

Netherlands
Wherever a university (e.g. U. Amsterdam, Hague UAS) has required “predicted grades”, and EUNICAS has brought to their attention the problems some schools are having providing these, admissions staff have confirmed that there is alernative documentation that they will accept. (contact EUNICAS if you would like this clarified)

Poland
Particularly in Med and Vet schools, some programmes (not all, e.g. Warsaw ULS don’t look for predicted grades) ask for “predicted grades”. Again, in many instances, this is marketing/image-led, in that selection for most of these programmes is based only on performance in entrance tests and/or interviews. In most cases, admissions at these universities (or the ubiquitous recruitment agents) have accepted alternative documentation. In some cases (e.g. MU Wroclaw), where selection is based on grades or “predicted grades”, arrangement can be reached, usually based on conditional offers.

Spain
This has been one area where agreement has been difficult. In Spain, where the number of Irish applicants has been increasing, students need to have their results validated as equal to the Spanish high school qualifications. Where no final results are available, this validation has been done based on “predicted grades”. There is currently no indication that authorities will change this position. In the case of private universities, particularly the Dentistry schools (e,g, UCV Valencia. U Murcia), unsurprisingly, greater flexibility is being shown.

Italy
Some progrmmes - e.g. Medicine, Dentistry, Architecture - select based on entrance tests (but not Leaving Cert grades) and, in that these tests are often in September and students only have to produce Leaving Cert results at enrolment (in any event Academic Years usually start mid-October), predicted grades are not an issue.

Denmark
As referred to in an earlier article, Danish universities are much less prepared this year to extend the July deadline for receiving Leaving Cert results, particularly where the programmes applied for have selecton procedures based on GPA. Predicted Grades were rarely requested in the past, and will be requested even more rarely, going forward.

Feel free to contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for clarification of any issues related to this.

 


 
IMAT Date Announced
Written on Saturday, 06 March 2021 18:55

 

Date for IMAT 2021 now announced

 

The Italian Ministry of Education has now announced that the date for the IMAT exam this year, for entry 2021  to Medicine and Dentistry schools, will be:

9th September, 2021


IMAT is the common entry test for entry to the English-taught Medicine and Dentistry programmes at public Italian universities.

No announcements have been made, nor are they expected, in the near future, as to when registrations for IMAT will open. If registration follows the pattern of recent years, which is likely, they will open in July. Neither has an announcement yet been made as to whether the exam will be on-line. It is expected that you will need to attend one of the 22 test centres around the world, to sit the test.



 
Applications Open in Denmark.but ......
Written on Saturday, 06 February 2021 01:26

Applications Open in Denmark, BUT ..........

Applications opened this week for English-taught degree programmes in Denmark, but there is disappointing news coming from Copenhagen, Aarhus, and other university cities.

Whereas, many Danish universities have in the past found workarounds for the July 5th deadline for Irish (and UK) students to provide results (obviously our results are published some five weeks too late), this appears to be no longer the case. EUNICAS is receiving a growing number of contacts from Danish Admissions offices confirming that:

“Bachelor Admissions has altered its practice, so applicants who have studied in countries that issue their exam results late (or rather, after 5th July) unfortunately now have to wait until the following year to apply”

It appears that the chaos of last summer’s Leaving Cert results was the last straw for a system that was already pushing the boundary by making exemptions for Irish students.

Of course, for those who did their Leaving Cert in 2020 and/or are doing QQI 5 or 6 this year, you can apply for entry 2021. There are some programmes, at some universities, where measures remain in place, to facilitate Irish students who are doing their Leaving Cert this year to start degree programmes this year, including excellent programmes in the area of Engineering.

Contact us for further information.


 
Meet Hanze
Written on Saturday, 21 November 2020 18:17

Following the successful OMG We're Going Dutch event, which was sold out, individual universities are asking EUNICAS to organise university-specific webinars for them. Of the growing number of Irish students going to study in the Netherlands, many are registering in the employment-focused Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). One of the leading UAS is Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen. Hanze experienced a 48% rise in the number of Irish first years for 2020-21!I

Hanze is now offering to  Irish students an opportunity to meet them and find out about their programmes, and life in Groningen. Importantly, several Irish students (studying in a variety of subject areas), currently studying in Hanze, will be available for a chat on the night. Meet these students and learn about the benefits of studying in the Netherlands (including the important differences between Research Universities and Universities of Applied  Sciences).

Hanze offers degree programmes in the following subject areas:

Physiotherapy
Business
Marketing
Mechanical Engineering
Music
Art & Design
Communication
Sports Studies
Electrical Engineering

Register here https://meethanze.eventbrite.ie


 
Some Programmes have a January/February Start
Written on Tuesday, 22 September 2020 00:00

Updated 22nd September 2020

Although most programmes across Europe are closed for applications for 2020, some application systems run later than our own, and there is still a few programmes accepting applications. Additionally, some programmes have a second entry route in January/February 2021. Dates below are application deadlines.


ENTRY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021


AVIATION

FIN Haaga-Helia UAS Aviation Management 16.09
GER Worms UAS Aviation Management 15.01

BUSINESS
NETH Fontys UAS International Business 15.01
FIN Haaga-Helia UAS International Business: 16.09
FIN Haaga-Helia UAS Business & IT 16.09
FIN Hame UAS International Business 16.09
NETH HAN UAS International Business 15.01
GER HTW Berlin International Business 15.01
DEN IB Academy Marketing Mngmnt (AP Degree) 01.10
GER Reutlingen U International Business 15.01
NETH Saxion UAS International Business 15.01
NETH Stenden UAS International Business 15.01
DEN Zealand Academy Sales & Marketing (AP Degree) 01.10

COMPUTER/IT

NETH Fontys UAS Information Technology 15.01
FIN SE Finland UAS Game Design 16.09
DEN UCND Software Development (Top Up) 01.10
DEN VIA UC Software Engineering 01 .10
DEN KEA Copenhagen Web Development 01 .10

DENTISTRY
LAT Rigas Stradins U 01.12

ENGINEERING
NETH Fontys UAS Industrial Engineering 15.01
FIN Hame UAS Mechanical Engineering 16.09
FIN Hame UAS Electrical Engineering 16.09
DEN VIA UC Architectural Technology 01 .10
DEN KEA Copenhagen Architectural Technology 01 .10

HOTEL MANAGEMENT/TOURISM
NETH Hague Hotel School Intl Hotel Mngmnt 15.01
FIN Lapland UAS Hospitality Management 16.09
NETH Stenden UAS Intl Hospitality Management 15.01
NETH Stenden UAS Tourism Management 15.01
NETH Stenden UAS Leisure & Events Management 15.01

LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES
NETH Amsterdam University College 01.11
NETH Erasmus U (EUC) 01.11
NETH U. Maastricht (UCM) 01.11
NETH University College Roosevelt 15.11
NETH University College Utrecht 15.09

MEDIA/COMMUNICATION
NETH HAN UAS Communication 15.1
NETH Stenden UAS Creative Business & Media 15.01

MEDICINE
BULG MU Pleven 30.09
LAT Rigas Stradins U 01.12

NURSING
FIN Satakunta UAS 16.09
FIN Laurea UAS 16.09

SCIENCE
NETH U. Maastricht Food, Nutrition and Health 01.01
NETH U. Maastricht BSc Science 01.11

 

 

 


 
Page 5 of 8