Hi guys, I have a question regarding application process

awak

Hi to everyone here.
Well, I'm High School student in Estonia, this year graduating. UCD looks like a good place to study and Ireland to live in. I'm interested in Electrical and Electronic Engineering course (undergraduate) and planning to make a late application.
After hours of researches through UCD website I'm stuck on what is A-level applicants and "all other EU applicants". I know that A means advanced in this case, but what's the difference?
What are advantages of being an A-applicant? What are demands? What the hell are those strange "430 points"? And why estonian grade "5" equals to 2 meanings in Ireland? How do I see the difference??
What do mean "recognised" subjects?
I end school with GCSE approximately half of the grades level A and half level B. My head will soon blow up in trying to understand the system.
I want to apply for Electrical and Electronic Engineering and I do not understand the difference between ordinary EU applicant and A-level one.
Please help.

Raphael

A-levels is the exams that UK students sit for university admissions

Edit: Points is the way Irish Leaving Cert (final exam oif secondary school) results are measured. Each subjects grade is translated to a figure up to a maximum of 100 points. Your best 6 subjects are then totalled, and that is the amount of points you have.

The most helpful info for you is probably here:https://myucd.ucd.ie/programme_info/eu_app.ezc#Estonia

Edit2: Essentially the 2 meanings for Estonian grade 5 means that it covers a range. Sort of like the way that a B, for instance, can be as a B-, B or B+.

awak

Raphael wrote: »

A-levels is the exams that UK students sit for university admissions

Thanks! *facepalming for himself* now things are much easier.
But, still. Can you please tell just a couple of things more?

What are the "recogniced" subjects and "matric" subjects?
Cause to end the school we have to write 3 national exams and 2 school exams. And final grades for the subjects are also separated from exams' points.
So, what do they mean by the "subjects"? My exams results or just subjects' final grades?
Because it is written:
Minimum Matriculation
Pass in 6 subjects including minimum 3 at State level and all with minimum 6 courses, including English and programme requirements.


Does this mean that my exam results arent important?


Also,

English Language Competence
4 at State level or equivalent competence in English


I have exactly 4 as my final grade. Does THIS mean that I do not need to pay 160 euros for IELTS and write it?

An addition: Exams are measured in 0-100 points. Maybe they are pointing on 4 as 80 points in exam?

awak

Raphael wrote: »

A-levels is the exams that UK students sit for university admissions

Edit: Points is the way Irish Leaving Cert (final exam oif secondary school) results are measured. Each subjects grade is translated to a figure up to a maximum of 100 points. Your best 6 subjects are then totalled, and that is the amount of points you have.

The most helpful info for you is probably here:https://myucd.ucd.ie/programme_info/eu_app.ezc#Estonia

Edit2: Essentially the 2 meanings for Estonian grade 5 means that it covers a range. Sort of like the way that a B, for instance, can be as a B-, B or B+.

Thanks again. Yes, according to this link I asked about B or B+. The problem is - we do not have any B- or B+ for a couple of years now. Just strictly 4 or 5.
Does it mean that I can take my 6 subjects with highest grades and get automatically 600 points?

Raphael

Matriculation is basically the condition for being considered at all - think of it as the basic requirements to be able to do the course. For you it's be grade 4 in english, grade 3 in a labatory science and grade 4 in maths.

Grades come into play when deciding between applicants - Say I get Straight As, and Bob over there gets Straight Bs. If we both apply for the same course that only has 1 space, we'll both have the matriculation requirements, so we'll both be considered, but that space will be offered to me first. If I turn it down, Bob will be offered it

The points given for every course are the points of lowest guy that got in. So if you have over them, you'll be fine. For Engineering, that was 430 last year. It looks like the equivalent for you would be a 4.3 average or better from your 6 best grades, so if you can surpass that, you should be fine

Edit: No - for one thing, it seems like the estonian system can only get you up to 500 points maximum, and for courses over 500 points you need to ahve done a year of university.

Essentially what you do is take 6 subjects, average the grades, then multiply it by 100 - So five subjects at grade 5 and one at grade 4 would give you an average of 4.8, which is equivalent to 480 points.

Alternatively, this chart (mostly)works:

Grade 5 = 83 points
Grade 4 = 67 points
Grade 3 = 50 points
Grade 2 = 33 points
Grade 1 = 17 points

Just add up your best 6 grades.



Oh, also, one caveat - this is all entirely based on my interpretation from the link I gave you, and my own knowledge of the way this works from a purely Irish perspective, so I may be wrong.

awak

Okay, now I got that more or less
Still, I have one very important question and one not so important:
1) My final exams' results do not mean anything?
2) Do I choose subjects by which I will get points?
At the moment I have 5 for math, physics, chemistry and 4 for english. Rest 2 subjects I choose according to what? My simple will?) For example, can I put in drafting and psychology/literature or even PE?

Regarding question no.1 . Grades are subjective. For example, 4 I got in English cause I was in strong group with very bossy and demanding teacher. If I studied in weaker group I would have 5 now, but really I wouldn't be this good in English.

Sorry for causing inconvenience.

Edit: B+ and B- thing. On UCD website all the things are measured according to the year 2007. Since then, a lot of things have changed in education system. I mean, really a lot and half of the written on the website is senseless at the moment.

Raphael

On that, I'm not really sure - what's normal for entering an estonian university, because it's probably based on the same thing.

As regards which subjects, it is the 6 you have with the best grades, whether they're relevant or not.

awak

Raphael wrote: »

On that, I'm not really sure - what's normal for entering an estonian university, because it's probably based on the same thing.

As regards which subjects, it is the 6 you have with the best grades, whether they're relevant or not.

Thanks a lot! Really!
I think I would be in confusion for many days more if not your help.

For entering estonian university final grades do not mean anything. They're meaningless unless all of them are 5 (then you get a gold medal and that adds 2 points for your average (max is 100) ). Only exams' results count.

This is quite embarrasing, cause I know how easy is to be A-grader in some schools and how difficult it is in ours or some private school. Therefore... sometimes C-grader is a lot more educated than A-grader.

pljudge321

The programme office will be able to give you the diffinative answers about what subjects you need for matriculation purposes and then what grades you will need to actually get a place in the course.

http://www.ucd.ie/eacollege/engarch/programmeoffice/

Also engineering in UCD is undenominated so you will enter general engineering in 1st year and then specialise into electronic & electrical in 2nd year. If you change your mind about E&E you will have a choice of mechanical, chemical, civil, energy systems and biomedical engineering.

awak

pljudge321 wrote: »

The programme office will be able to give you the diffinative answers about what subjects you need for matriculation purposes and then what grades you will need to actually get a place in the course.

http://www.ucd.ie/eacollege/engarch/programmeoffice/

Also engineering in UCD is undenominated so you will enter general engineering in 1st year and then specialise into electronic & electrical in 2nd year. If you change your mind about E&E you will have a choice of mechanical, chemical, civil, energy systems and biomedical engineering.

Mmm... how long do you, guys, answer? oO