How hard is it to get an offer for engineering

[Pleaseandthankyou]

My ds is applying for mechanical engineering. The courses he is interested in are asking for AAA which he should get (fingers crossed). He is already has an A in maths and is doing 3 further A levels including further maths. He has AA at as level. So many universities seem to have about seven applicants for every place. Does anyone have any experience of how hard it is to get an offer from Bath or Bristol. He has also chosen other courses that are even more competitive and wants to get at least one offer.

[kingprawntikka]

I have PM'd you.

[eatyourveg]

my friends ds is just about to start Mech Eng at Bristol. He also had offers from Southampton Nottingham and Loughborough all asking A*AA or AAA. He'd applied for Oxford but didn't get through the interview

[glaurung]

Remember although there may be 7 applicants per place, each applicant will have also applied to 4 other places so the odds of getting an offer are much better than this. (for example: if there were just 5 universities each with 7 places and just 49 applicants who all applied to all 5, then 35 of them would get places somewhere and so the odds of getting a place somewhere would be 35/49 or a 71% chance, even though the applicants per place at each is still 7 per place).

With your ds's grades (especially with the A* in the bag already) and an enthusiastic personal statement I would think he stands a very good chance of offers from both Bath and Bristol.

[Pleaseandthankyou]

Thankyou, he is also applying to Cambridge but they are very clear that only 18% of those who apply get offers. He meets the minimum suggested entry requirements but he knows he is at the low end. However you will never get an offer if you don't apply. The same with Imperial College. Many applicants have five A levels which he doesn't. Definitely not expecting an offer from either but worth applying. I was just wondering if the same was true of Bath and Bristol. Do you have to be stellar. Personal statement is great, at least I think so.

[webwiz]

DD2 is doing Maths at Bath and has lots of Engineer friends - they all fit the profile of high achieving students with lots of A* and As alongside extracurricular stuff but nothing other than that. It sounds like your DS fits in with that and will be fine.

[glaurung]

Agree Oxbridge/Imperial are tougher, but he should definitely still apply as he might get offers, Bristol/Bath I would think he should get offers and again should apply. Can he put a slightly easier choice for his fifth that he would also be happy to go to?

[JustGettingByMum]

There was a recent thread on this very subject here

[JustGettingByMum]

Sorry, hit post too soon!

My DS is applying this year too!

[Pleaseandthankyou]

Thankyou. This is the first time I have used mumsnet. All tips are much appreciated