Top Unis - am I missing something?

I had similar results at school/sixth form and went to UEA in Norwich. Turned out fine, got a First and had a good career. To an extent it’s not where you go, it’s what you do while you’re there.

FWIW I interviewed at Cambridge and chose not to go because I was shy when younger, from a very working-class background, and it felt like too much pressure. I think it was the right decision. Your daughter might be very different to me, but just worth bearing in mind a more relaxed environment can be good for some people and bring more out of them.

Very much depends on the school. I’m not sure about all this handhold fluffy spoonfeeding business. A lot of private schools are ruthless places - all about the glory of the school, academic, sporting, artistic achievement etc and if students don’t fit they can turf them out - there’s no responsibility for social inclusion.

@MOrven ah, very helpful post imo. I think you have clarified for me what seemed odd about OP's post, couldn't quite work it out. Makes me wonder how much school/college guidance her DD has had re uni applications.

Just work out which uni and course is the best fit. After you get a good degree from a good uni, no one gives a shit anymore about grades.

Hey I was refused by Edinburgh back in the day! Going by this thread, it’s a badge of honour 😆

In DD's year, there was more than one child surprised to be refused by Edinburgh and accepted by Oxford or Cambridge...

Yes it’s a bit of a cliche. I am not sure how anyone can be spoon-fed Further Maths!

It’s a beautiful city and a great uni, I’m sure you’ll have a good weekend. The Christmas market isn’t that great IMO so I’d try to squeeze in some sightseeing as well.

Its a shame you didn’t take the time to go the two open days last month, I, sure your DD would have found those helpful. However you can still book up for campus tours here, there are several each week in November and December .

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Can I just point out that when you say “ they want A star AA” , you actually mean “ a typical offer is A star AA”. That’s based on previous years and can change with demand etc.

Your Dd hasn’t applied yet so you don’t know what offer she might get. I think you are confusing these two things, which has led you to believe that your DD is over qualified in some way.

And you are also assuming that every other applicant except your DD will have met only the minimum requirements, when that’s very far from the truth for many courses and institutions. On some courses, the only students with the minimum grades will be those with contextualised offers.

That's ridiculous. More hand holding yes, as the previous poster said, in many cases, but it's ludicrous to say you can spoon-feed a top grade 🙈 The teachers can hardly sit the exam for them!

Surely the red brick unis you have dismissed will be fantastic. Oxbridge isn't for everyone. You will definitely need a plan B if Oxbridge not a reality. My dd didn't get into Oxbridge. Went to Birmingham. Loved it. Its her choice at end of day. You can help and support but not be disappointed with outcome.

Did you go to Oxford or Cambridge OP? You seem to have a very odd perspective to me …. Reads to me as though you fear that other unis will drag your daughter down in some way. Well done to her for her excellent grade predictions. Aren’t they worth anything unless you feel able to carry some kind of sense of superiority about where she is studying? Which in my view and experience would be massively misplaced. Your posts do read as though you think most universities aren’t good enough for her. I hope she hasn’t picked up this view, it won’t support her in the medium to long term.

You are restricting your choice - be more flexible, and different opportunities are available.
You are also over thinking the 'name' of a Uni being the important defining factor rather than the multitude of things like your child's happiness and wellbeing, the fact that many universities have great teaching and learning, and that the good exam grades will stand on their own as a record of her achievement.

My experience (of sons attending a college, a 'top' uni and a 'ex polytechnic' uni is that the top uni rested on its laurels, was over priced and unsupportive, and the 'cheap' college and used to be a poly Uni offered a better education and support.

And lastly, I have a brother in law who is a global head of engineering for a huge multinational company whose products you all use daily - and he went to Tyneside Polytechnic with suite of B grades. The early academic side of things is only half of what makes a successful career.

For my son's course the grade requirements for Oxford, Warwick and York were the same (mixture of comp sci at Oxford and comp sci with electronic engineering called by different names at Warwick and York).

You can’t possibly generalise over a whole sector which encompasses the most to least academic schools and special needs.

Nor am I really sure what spoon-feeding means in this context. You can’t spoon feed a student to top grades if they don’t have ability.

Students who are merely well-drilled but can’t think for themselves are not likely to secure a place at Oxbridge - as that is one of the things the selection processes are designed to weed out. There are plenty of straight A students, (now A*). Oxbridge want the ones with a passion for their subject beyond the curriculum, originality, and the ability to think critically and independently.

@OnTheRoll Remember she doesn’t need to fill out 5 choices if she doesn’t want to. If she’s happy with Cambridge, Warwick and Bristol, that’s enough. If she had a disaster with her grades, it sounds like she would want to retake rather than go to somewhere ‘lesser’. Only spend time, money, emotion and energy going through other options if the other three aren’t cutting it. Or you combine it with a lovely trip, like to Edinburgh.

Well as a ex student you’re not really bound by confidentiality so I’m temped to feel more than a little sceptical.

I think this is a great idea. Edinburgh is a fab place, excellent uni and lovely place to live. The distance is totally manageable and TBH once you’re going 2 hours away, 4 hours doesn’t really make that much difference.

Plus even a 4 yr course will pass in the blink of an eye and do remind her that university holidays are RIDICULOUSLY long! I think most still finish in May and don’t go back until mid September at least, with long breaks for Easter/ Christmas.

@YellowAsteroid 2 years ago. Agreed there are some fantastic scholars at Lancaster. There are also some bad ones.
@user8754387 I do have an issue, you are right. I want to shout from the rooftops to warn people about what is going on in that department currently but am bound by confidentiality.

Yes, I know someone who did this for medicine. Very happy with her choice.

I'm certain this is true. Private schools especially tend to spoon feed to get their students top grades. That's not necessarily the best foundation for further education. It also means that three A*s from a comprehensive are harder won and, rightly, Oxbridge and other unis seem to recognise this increasingly.

I also agree the travel thing is not silly. I chose Oxford over Cambridge because Cambridge to home involved going via London and cost over £100 even then. In the end I didn't end up going home in term time as it was only 8 weeks, but I did travel regularly to see my now dh in his uni town. Similarly I ruled out London on cost of living grounds. These things aren't ridiculous to have as criteria, even though they limit your options, and maybe aren't such big considerations if you have access to unlimited parental funds.

I went to a non selective comp and then Oxford, think this is actually a pretty fair summary, though I railed at your initial post. Though actually I found not being exceptional something of a relief tbh, found my crowd for life and really grew into myself. I also lost some of the chips on my shoulder realising that the posh people has their own angst and struggles and we are all just people the end of the day. I loved Oxford, and ended up with a first. I may well have ended up in the same place with a 2:1 from another uni, but that isn't really the point. I really enjoyed and thrived on the intellectual stimulation and that's stayed with me. I would recommend it, personally.

What subject?

My daughter chose Warwick over Cambridge and loved it. You and your daughter liked it and it's a campus university. The course was excellent. What's your problem? You seem to think that these universities aren't good enough for your dd.

And booking on to their Open Days is well worth it. Time-consuming but a fun thing to do together.