Hertfordshire vs Imperial College London

Hertfordshire requires AAA offer including chemistry or biology, completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years. Applicants encouraged to consider arts/humanities for their 3rd A-level. GCSEs: minimum 5 subjects at grade 6 including English, maths, biology, chemistry and physics (or dual award).

Imperial College London requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Hertfordshire: Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science. Imperial College London: Strong GCSE profile expected; not algorithmically scored but considered alongside UCAT and academic record.

Both Hertfordshire and Imperial College London use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot-topic answers and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer.

Interview windows: Hertfordshire interviews in December - March; Imperial College London in December - February.

Hertfordshire runs a PBL curriculum; Imperial College London runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Hertfordshire leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Imperial College London uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB. Hertfordshire-based with East-of-England NHS placements. Six-year MBBS BSc with integrated science teaching from Year 1. Compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 4. Clinical placements from Year 3 across Imperial

Intake size: Hertfordshire — ~50-100 places per year (newer cohort).; Imperial College London — ~271 home + ~74 overseas fee status places per year (one of the largest international intakes in the UK).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Hertfordshire: For international students only and new this year - can apply directly in addition to your 4 UCAS medical choices, so no harm in giving it a try. New medical school actively seeking links with international applicants.

Imperial College London: Heavy emphasis on scientific reasoning and the integrated London course structure. Around a quarter of places are now reserved for international applicants. UCAT is the primary shortlisting factor, with personal-statement use limited to exceptional cases.