Needless to say, university admissions to the top programs in the UK have been competitive (if not becoming even more so). To make the cut, last minute preparation would most likely not bring you the top IB grades that are needed. This is the first part of a 5 part series (the next series will cover science, social science, medical school and business programs) that gives you an outline of the IB grades to be attained to satisfy those requirements.
Please note that, wherever possible, we will include the grades needed for 2020 admissions (which had passed) as they should reflect more accurately the grades needed for the year ahead (minimum grades they posted are often misleading; so let\’s not be misguided). Also this list is by no means exhaustive. If you have any comments regarding this article, please post them below. Look forward to hearing them!
1. Imperial College London
Chemical Engineering
,-2020 offer made to at least 80% of IB applicants for 2019 entry was ,41 points,. A 7 in IB HL Mathematics should be included.
-Also a 6 in Biology, Business Management, Economics or Physics at higher level expected
,,Electrical and Electronic Engineering
,Minimum entry standards
-2020 offer made to at least 80% of IB applicants for 2019 entry was 38–40 points.
,IB HL Mathematics recommended.
2. University of Oxford
Engineering Science
IB: 40 (including core points) with 776 at HL (with 7s in HL Maths and Physics)
3. University of Cambridge
Cambridge and Oxford has a more characteristic college system, meaning that the applicant has to satisfy not one, but two, requirements concurrently as set by the their respective course (in this case engineering) and college (depend on their choice of college). Across board, admission requirements are generally rigorous.
https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/chemical-engineering
Chemical Engineering
IB grades: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
College requirement: IB Mathematics HL, Chemistry and Physics expected. STEP, also known as Sixth Term Examination Paper, is also expected to assess aptitude of all applicants intending to take the science/ engineering subjects but this exam is only mandatory for certain colleges.
4. King\’s College London
Electronic Engineering
,35 points overall (including TOK/EE) with three Higher Level subjects at 665
5. University of Warwick
Biomedical Systems Engineering
IB: 38 to include 6, 6 in Mathematics and Physics – at least one of these subjects should be HL. Like Cambridge, a pass in the school\’s practical assessment may also be required.
General Engineering
IB: Same as above
https://warwick.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses-2020/engineering
So as we have seen, all these schools have set a pretty high bar with admissions to their engineering program. It is always wise to set your chart early. Have you thought about going into engineering? If you have little IB maths/ sciences foundation, you may need to seek external help from a tutor with experience and the needed expertise to obtain those grades. Preparation starts as early as grade 7-8. Do bear in mind top-notch maths skills cannot be built up overnight.
Talk to us if you have any questions with this post or if you have any Maths/ Sciences questions for us.
Next week, we will break down the grades needed for business programs (i.e. Economics, etc).
As always, visit www.hudsonacademy.com.hk/blog for more entries on IB tutor, IGCSE tutor and UK/ US university or boarding school admissions.