there was no such requirement, when another relative went to a uk med school...

maybe something new, or just a requirement by liverpool....

the corollary of that is, as demand for internship places soften with many internationals leaving to do housemanship in other countries, the chance for places in oz will correspondingly increase....

In the form, they do ask when you intend to travel......and that would be the start date......if you are not sure, just put any date a few weeks in advance......

technically...yes....you can only apply 3 months before start date, and they take a few weeks during peak periods, so i suppose that is possible.....

whether they will allow you, is another matter.....

Many straight as students get rejected simply because it does not mean that much.......17% of students will achieve that......

there has to be some means for the uni to differentiate that big group of students with aaa....that has been a bone of contention between a level boards and the unis.....the a level results are just NOT helping the unis differentiate students.....hence the recent introduction of the a* grade, in an attempt to sub-stratify the 17% of students with aaa....

many unis use other parameters to select.....oxbridge is well known for disregarding a level results, and have their own exams and interviews....critical courses selection now use standardised tests (ukcat/bmat) and ps/interviews...

for most other unis, and non-critical courses, the a* grading will be a useful addition.....

but i am sure they have their own other criteria for selection...i agree with lightningfist, they will also look at subject combinations, regional applicants, affirmative action (disadvantaged region, comprehensive school etc)...

also, some unis are famous for particular subjects, and getting into such courses can be very competitive....

not all a level subjects are the same....there are 'soft' subjects, and there are 'hard' subjects.....eg media studies, and the sciences, respectively....and a study a few years ago, suggest there is as much as 2 grade difference between subjects...ie, an a in media studies is equivalent to a c in chemistry.....

so obviously unis do take this into consideration....and like you said, they may choose aaa in the sciences/maths over a*a*a* in 3 soft subjects.....

it is possible to live with 500 pounds (or rm2500) a month in smaller towns in the uk, all inclusive....

the actual amount one uses of course depends on one's lifestyle....it is also very possible to live with 2000 quids a month......

MH has mostly priced themselves out of the market, but in peak seasons, the other airlines are also expensive, so mh appears okay....

but they still gorge msians....try look at the reverse schedule (now priced in pounds) for the same period and note the price....

off peak, you often get good deals with sq.....and if you don't mind a stopover, etihad can be cheap...

they all do that....including cardiff, that much maligned establishment by a parent....

http://www.ccoex.com/

the college/uni will issue you a cas no. but you will need to do the visa physically yourself, for full biometric data collection.....

it is much easier to get into pharmacy in uk (or any other country)....

i am not sure how dentistry is nowadays, it used not to be popular as well....the fact many gets in would suggest it has not reach the popularity of medicine....

as a side info, it is an uncommonly know fact that dentists are NOT addressed, nor considered as 'doctors', and do not carry the dr. title in the uk......

another rarely know fact: while the nhs does provide dental service, it is NOT free across the board, unlike nhs medical care.....other than specific categories of people like children, the pregnant, on the dole etc, you will need to pay some of the cost.....

there is no such thing as a 'safe' amount....it depends on where you will study (living cost) and the 1st year's fees........if you are going to london to do medicine, rm100k will NOT be enough..........

my advise is to book one way, and then buy return tickets when coming back for holidays...for the simple reason that fares starting from uk (especially from lhr) are cheaper than starting from msia.....this applies to mh, and actually most airlines...

try booking a return trip, at about the same time, in reverse directions and see what the price is like....and you know what i mean....

in addition, you have a lot more choices from lhr....which will bring you to kul with low fares through a connection at their home base...eg thai via bkk or cathay pacific via hk....

also check out etihad, which will ticket you from/to all major cities in msia via code share with mh....

i am not aware of any special arrangements jpa/mara have with uk unis....they do/did with some unis in oz and nz.....not sure if these arrangements are still done.......

those who already have their cas no, it is best to get your visa done now.....before the crowds descend......

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=...6307&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: The British High Commission is bracing for the approaching peak student visa period, with applications to be processed and decided for the first time in Manila.

The handling of the students’ visas at the UK Border Agency (UKBA) visa centre in the Philippines will be put to the test, but British officials here are confident of an improved visa service.

i am not sure what the rationale of moving the ukba operations to manila is....maybe cheaper labour costs....

it should not impact on msian applicants, as the collection agency is privatised to vfs for several years already....and students don't really deal with the high commission.....unless there is a problem with the visa.......

tier 1 visa is no more.....and if you have graduated in 2005, you will not be entitled to it now even if it is still valid....

tier2 visa is still available...but is dependent on having a firm job offer...

that is why most new graduates will not get to stay back, as it is now difficult to get jobs, in the austerity climate....

almost every international student graduating with a uk mbbs will get matched to a f1 job.....there was a slight hiccup last years, and some went on to 2nd round.....there appears no problem this year, and the figures for 2013 also suggest there will be enough f1 places.....

f1/f2 doctors come under tier 4 visa, so is not an issue, and does not come under eu rules about priority for eu citizens.....