How to get into the University of Liverpool

The University of  Liverpool is one of the original six redbrick English universities, founded in the major English cities in the 19th century, and  so-called because of their style of brickwork . The Victorian era  was a time of rapid industrial expansion and these English  universities were designed to provide the skills, training and knowledge needed in the fields of engineering and medicine. All six original redbricks are also part of the Russell Group, the English equivalent of the prestigious US Ivy League. Situated in the North-West, the University of Liverpool perches on the famous River Mersey, immortalised in so-many pop songs of the Beatles era, and celebrates its maritime past in stunning waterfront architecture, known as The Three Graces: the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. 

Be careful when you are filling in your application form, or you might end up going to a university you were not aware of having applied to. Apart from the University of Liverpool, UCAS processes applications to Liverpool John Moores  University and Liverpool Hope University.

Rankings for Liverpool’s universities (2024):

The University of Liverpool currently teaches some 29,000 students and is divided into three faculties -Health and Life Sciences, Science and Engineering and Humanities and Social Sciences – and offers 230 undergraduate courses in 103 subjects, organised into 35 departments. Applicants  are often attracted to the fields where University of Liverpool  teams and individuals have produced groundbreaking research and been awarded Nobel prizes. These include: physics and engineering, medicine, physics and economics.

The University of Liverpool is in the UK‘s Top Ten for research importance and quality and excels in the following fields:

• archaeology
• computer science
• chemistry
• general engineering
• architecture
• agriculture
• clinical medicine
• English
• veterinary and food science

As you can see from the above listings, there is an embarrassment of riches on offer at the University of Liverpool and  you may find it difficult to choose between courses. If this occurs, just call or email us, here at Elab, and we will talk through your options and offer you guidance and information.

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

If you want to do a double degree, you could apply to the first British-Sino university in the world and study in Suzhou, some 90 kilometres west of Shanghai. This Liverpool University  partnership offers undergraduate degrees in science and engineering and management. All teaching is carried out in English.

Online learning

The University of Liverpool has teamed up with Kaplan  International  to provide postgraduate masters and doctoral degree courses in education, management, health, psychology and computer science , and  you are registered as University of Liverpool students.

Like all English universities, the University of Liverpool processes applications through UCAS – a central admissions system. The deadline for submitting your forms is 15 January. Before you start writing your all-important Personal Statement  and completing the application, make sure that you meet the University of Liverpool’s general requirements: You must have the equivalent of Grade C/Grade 4 in English and Mathematics. International students  should have a GPA of 3; an IB score of 33+; an IELTS score of 6 and a TOEFL score of 78. For more information on national equivalents , contact Elab. If you are applying to do medicine, YOU WILL NEED TO PASS THE UCAT, score 7 in the IELTS  and 100 in TOEFL. This is a highly competitive course, which currently only takes 23 overseas students a year  for its five-year MBChB. NB: Law applicants do not have to sit the LNAT entrance test.

The UCAS form for applying to English universities is not open-ended, and you will only be given 4000 characters – a total which includes spaces – to make your case for being admitted to the course of your dreams. Remember, your PS should focus on the course and establish  how your academic background, achievements, interests and future career plans  make you an ideal candidate for a place. It is important to avoid “cute” personal stories, not to talk about loving fashion because granny let you play with scraps of materials, to stick to the point, and to structure your PS so that it flows and has an internal logic. No one will really want to hear about your transferable skills – the usual litany of good communication, time-management, and teamwork – since this is an overused statement. Think of how what you have done relates to the course, whether this is direct personal experience (volunteering in a hospital and shadowing a doctor) or a project you have undertaken.  Share your ideas, cast a critical eye on books you have read and areas which you want to explore. Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the subject through your opinions and never say ”I am deeply interested in…” – the ultimate non-statement. Avoid trying to be funny at all costs and stay on topic. The person who reads your Personal Statement may well be a senior lecturer, who takes his or her subject seriously and is looking for applicants who can drive the department’s research and make a significant contribution to its work. Not a comedian. Be clear and concise. Make sure you read through your Personal Statement and check it thoroughly for bad grammar, repetition, unnecessary adjectives and spelling mistakes.  Once you have finished your Personal Statement , put it aside for 24 hours and go back to it with fresh eyes. Revise any clumsy sentences and check the word length and number of lines, to make sure you can upload it to UCAS. Finally, ask someone to read through it and give their comments. Make sure you keep a copy, since if you are invited to interview you may well be asked about statements you made in your PS.

You will monitor the progress of your application through UCAS and once you have received an offer, get off the mark and immediately apply for accommodation through Liverpool Life, an excellent online portal. You will be able to browse the halls of residence – all of which are self-catering – and list three choices. If you have mobility issues or a medical condition, make sure you mention them, so the allocations officer can take these into account when offering you  a home from home. Applications have to be in by 31 July, if you want guaranteed accommodation. No accommodation offers are sent out between 1 July and 13 August, because secondary school students sit their exams and receive their results at different times, and this ensures that the system is fair. If Liverpool is your UCAS insurance offer, or you are applying through Clearing, send in your application as soon as you can. The University of Liverpool campus covers approximately 100 acres , and has 192 non-residential buildings as well as over 4500 rooms in halls of residence.  The veterinary teaching hospital is on the Wirral Peninsula, so bear this in mind when you are deciding  where to live . You can choose to live centrally or slightly off campus in university-approved private accommodation or student villages.

Liverpool is an affordable city, 38 per cent cheaper than London overall, with meals being  44 per cent cheaper than in the capital. In addition, it is relatively easy for students to find part-time jobs. Not everything  incurs a cost  and you must consider joining the University of Liverpool’s free, six-week preparation course, which takes place online before term begins.  The course gives you an opportunity to talk to other students, listen to pre-recorded lectures, take part in taster sessions put on by the student union and Sport Liverpool – which represents the 50 sports clubs at the university – and offers academic skills workshops, run by the English Language School. It’s helpful, highly enjoyable and free…

Since Brexit, all international students who wish to study at an English university need to secure a student visa. It is a fast and straightforward process and can be done online. For further information, contact Elab or look at the UK government website, which gives you information as well as a link to the application form.

The University of Liverpool is an excellent choice, particularly if you are interested in medicine, engineering, STEM subjects ,architecture or economics. The acceptance rate is around 14 per cent, overall, and 7,000 international students from 127 countries  have succeeded in their applications – so you too could be one of them. Call or email us, here at Elab, to discuss the courses, the university, the costs, visa process  and any other questions you may have about  studying in one of England’s most popular and highly respected universities – the University of Liverpool.