English Language Requirement - Please Help

[VKap]

hi,

I would appreciate any suggestions pls..

My application was refused as the letter i had provided did not have date of award.

I had drafted a letter initially which uni disapproved and gave me a standard letter just to confirm medium of instruction was English. To cover that up I enclosed original Bachelor Degree Certificate, Academic Transcripts and a Provisional certificate and submitted the application. But I guess it didn’t help.

Do you think there is any point in putting a review in?

Please advice,

Thanks

[push]

Dear Vkap,

The guidelines clearly say that the date of award needs to be mentioned on the letter. In absence of the same, I dont think you will get a positive response and additionally you will end up wasting another 6 weeks or so.

My personal advice to you is -

Option 1: Get the letter from University as per the prescribed format (show them the letter that you have received from HO & see if you can impress upon them the need for issuing it as per the suggested format) and re-apply;

Option 2: Apply for a review, clearly explaining things (also indicating the fact that the University issues the letter as per its own format) and additionally take a date for IELTS - if you get a positive result, just cancel your IELTS appointment (I think you can get a partial refund) otherwise re-apply with your IELTS result.

regards,

push_hsmp

[PounceQuick]

Vkap best to get the the University to give you a new letter with the exact format as specified with the guideline. This include the date of the award. Failing that you can take the IELTS test.

[VKap]

Thanks a lot Push_hsmp & PounceQuick for the valuable feedback. Most Appreciated..
I would certainly consider that as my first option. Just one more thing to clarify; according to the guidance notes letter from the institution should state:
That the degree was taught in English;
and
• Your name; and
• The qualification awarded; and
• The date of the award.

But just below it also states that " If the letter/transcript does not state what qualification has been ‘granted’/‘conferred’/‘awarded’ and that the qualification was taught in English, it cannot be considered as suitable evidence."

Doesn't that mean that these two points (qualification and instructions in English) under any circumstances should be on the letter and not the rest to be considered as suitable evidence. As for the date of the award it’s on the original degree certificate which was included in the application...

Please advice.

Vkap

[push]

It means that the letter should have all these details and should clearly state that the qualification was granted/conferred/awarded !!

Thanks a lot Push_hsmp & PounceQuick for the valuable feedback. Most Appreciated..
I would certainly consider that as my first option. Just one more thing to clarify; according to the guidance notes letter from the institution should state:
That the degree was taught in English;
and
• Your name; and
• The qualification awarded; and
• The date of the award.

But just below it also states that " If the letter/transcript does not state what qualification has been ‘granted’/‘conferred’/‘awarded’ and that the qualification was taught in English, it cannot be considered as suitable evidence."

Doesn't that mean that these two points (qualification and instructions in English) under any circumstances should be on the letter and not the rest to be considered as suitable evidence. As for the date of the award it’s on the original degree certificate which was included in the application...

Please advice.

Vkap

[Oxican]

Just for a 'reality check' here -- more important that the exact list of things that need to be in the letter and the exact format, is that the caseworker should be able to clearly make a connection between the letter and your degree certificate. I don't think they are looking for a particular format.

In my case, it said:

"This letter certifies than the [degree name] was conferred in [year]. All courses required for this degree were taught in English."

The degree name was exactly as written on my degree certificate. But the date was the year only, and my name only appeared in the address block of the letter (because I had asked for the letter to be written as if to me). Note that it did *not* specifically say that *I* had achieved that degree -- indeed, the person who wrote the letter had no way of knowing whether I was a real alumnus or not; all she could do is confirm that the degree itself was in English.

My caseworker needed to make the connection between the letter and my own degree certificate, which I had included.

It was successful.

I did have the advantage of having gone to a university in an English-language country where there was little doubt in the mind of the caseworker. I guess if you went to a uni in a country where it is not obvious that English would be the medium of instruction, you might want to err on the safe side by having more detailed information on the letter.

Just my £0.02