Top-Up Admissions

The main aim of Top-Up is to equip students with the essential skills they will require as first year university students. Our research shows that effective preparation can lead to increased student success and better retention rates once students are studying in higher education. The Top-Up Programme can also, in some instances, aid admission into a student’s chosen course of study. There is an agreement in place with most admissions officers in the GOALS higher education institutions that wherever possible, and if practicable, a strong performance on Top-Up will be taken into account.

Top-Up and the Student Profile

Our postgraduate tutors and students compile individual ‘student profiles’ which measure participation throughout the Programme, this includes participating in a seminar/tutorial on a university campus and being asked to submit a short piece of written work.

Top-Up and Amended Entry

The assessment element built into Top-Up serves two purposes.  Firstly, it checks that students have understood the sessions and acquired the appropriate skills. Secondly, it provides students with an individual set of grades, which are passed on to admissions officers in the GOALS higher education institutions and can be used as negotiation for an amended entry tariff. A good performance in Top-Up (three Bs or above) has been used in some instances to boost SQA exam results in order to secure entry to a student’s chosen course. The standard way this works is for a Top-Up Profile of 3Bs or above to compensate for one grade in one Higher.