Getting into university can be a heavy procedure, admission requirements can vary from tuition fees to academic results with the next step possibly being a DNA sample but fortunately that hasn’t come into play yet! So what are the options to get into university if you don’t quite make the cut:
 
1.Apply again; in some cases especially with the high first year dropout rate universities do tend to allow individuals a chance to get into an academic program the following year. It’s almost like being on top of a waiting list!
 
2.If you are financially stuck and not accepted for financial reasons, get a student loan or (shock horror) get a job!

3.If your academic requirements don’t meet the grade and the university is not letting you in, even though you are begging and pleading, doing cartwheels and magic tricks, then ask about the university’s academic bridging/foundation/pre-university program…which is actually the main topic of this article but we eventually got there!!

Academic Bridging/foundation programs are provided by university’s to allow students a pathway into their institution, here is what we found online:
(note: in the UK foundation programmes are also used in the medical field. This is to bridge the gap between medical school and specialist/general practice training, see the Foundation Programme website for more) http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk 
 
Firstly Studylink provides a cool breakdown of various programs on offer from all around the world: http://studylink.com/pathways-to-university
 
Africa: The only advertised University academic bridging program we could find online was through Monash South Africa Foundation Programme.
 
North America:
 
Find out more about the University of Toronto Woodsworth College Academic Bridging Program.   
 
Europe:
UKEAS.com has a full list of institutions offering bridging programs in the UK!
 
Australasia:  
For all those international students looking to study in Australia then Foundation Studies Australia provides a list of bridging systems for international students who need to meet the Australian Academic requirements to enter into their university system.
http://www.foundationstudies.com.au
 
If you are still struggling then contact the actual institute you wish to study at and plead your case, it’s in their best interest to find a place for you as well. Good luck and make it happen!