Uni visits - when?

We visited our 2 local ones at the end of GCSEs as I wanted to show DD what a university was like. She found it very useful as we looked at 2 different healthcare courses she was interested in. For DD2 it was a bit different as she had been dragged along to some open days with DD1

I think doing the right A levels is key but schools should be able to advise on this

Honestly, they really don't. Suppose we started a drinking game with a covert hipflask: a shot every time someone comes to the stand and turns out to be doing completely inappropriate A Levels, an extra shot every time they then say "but my school said they would be OK" and a bonus swig from a second flask of cask-strength 130 proof Wild Turkey every time an accompanying parent decides to start an argument about it claiming you don't know your own department's admission requirements? We'd be in hospital having our stomachs pumped by shift change at 11am.

I think doing the right A levels is key but schools should be able to advise on this or MN of course. If you can get into a subject day at Oxbridge, you will get the best information regarding what to study if there are doubts! I know plenty of young people who went without parents on open days and I also have seen huge numbers of parents at the universities. It is what works for you. Leeds offered overnight accommodation in one of their halls. The main thing is, not to try and do too many. All 5 can be onerous if they are all over the country, not to mention expensive.

Summer of y12/early Y13 although for Oxbridge and Medicine etc earlier as the application timeline and preparation differs.

What Errol said. It's a marvelous opportunity for 17 year olds to do something independently. Mine were delighted to go on their own.
Parents could plan the (train) journey and buy the ticket.

Dd1 did the first one on her own, but was the only prospective student she saw without parents (in fact, one set of parents seemed to feel a bit sorry for her ). The second one dh went along to, as he wanted to see what they were like. She'll probably go on her own to the others.

I didn't go to any Open Days at all when I was looking at unis years ago (languages), but according to dd1 and dh it was useful to get a feel of the place. As they're quite far away from us they're all in cities that she hasn't visited before, and she's found it useful to see the labs, etc.

I've done 3 so far,dh has done 1.I have to say for my dd's prospective course they've been incredibly useful in terms of knowing how to apply and how to interview.
Dd1 wanted us to go with her although her friend has gone to the same ones also with parents in tow.Bristol Open day appeared to be a day out for whole families .Virtually everyone seemed to come with parents as was the case largely in Liverpool.

It's bad enough that parents appear unable to envision their children travelling to open days on their own. But to then complain about the time taken up by taking them is insane. They are 16, 17, even 18. They can travel on their own. They can stay in hotels on their own. If parents want to come, fine, although I question the benefit. But ffs stop complaining about it: it's your choice.

grammar - that may depend on the course. If they're interested in a technical subject, then looking at the facilities, probing how their problem classes and projects are organised can be quite illuminating.

Yes, it does depend on whether a parent has the time to take them or the kid can get there alone. If you've got the time and inclination, it can be quite enjoyable.

All the unis I have visited have be on a Saturday.

I'm a bit sceptical about uni visits. You could end up doing a round country tour. I have one at Cambs and one at Bristol, didn't do either visit , in the end... did SOAS and Exeter, neither did they choose. So many depend on parents being able to take 'days off' to do this, I feel hijacked' often and still have a third to consider. Don't jump through hoops, often they are as happy/unhappy as they would have been elsewhere as happiness tends to be based on more external factors such as the transition to other education, looking after themselves, isolation, worry about achievement, all this need not need a visit, it's a bonus.

re the 'taking them' - at Bristol the other week, we seemed to notice a lot more girls with one or two parents (when we checked into the holiday inn express we clocked 8 sets within about 10 minutes!) - talking with friends I think it tends to be groups of lads who go sans parents. Our DD values our insights but FGS don't 'helicopter', split up as far as you can and let them talk for themselves.

First year of A levels for dd1. We had to be quite organised as there's a plane flight between us and all the unis she wants to go to so it worked out quite expensive as well.

She's now seen 3 - two Open Days (one last month and one last week), and a week-long work experience placement in the relevant department of another one, so she probably doesn't need to go to their Open Day as well. One of the others does a self-guided tour at any time of the year, which she'll probably go for as their Open Day doesn't work for her date-wise, and she doesn't know what her fifth choice is yet.

If you go onto the website of the unis they're interested in, there'll be a list of forthcoming Open Days. For some of them you can sign up to get an email when booking opens, which is handier than constantly checking the website.

Oh, and less of the "take". Buy them a train ticket and wish them well.

University open days go on in the Summer term of Yr12 and the Autumn of Yr13,

It's worth having an initial look after GCSEs. It gives you a bit of a sense of purpose going into Y12, gives a chance to check you've chosen sane A Levels and generally get a sense of how the land lies. Just go to perhaps he closest place that you might think of applying to. Under another name I started a long lament about how grim it is telling people at the end of Y12 or beginning of Y13 that they're wasting their time, as they aren't doing the right subjects either for us or any comparable university, and avoiding that nightmare is good for everyone.

Thanks for replies; we are lucky to have a 6th form with good reputation 1/2 mile away. I noticed their Open evening advertisement banner today. I know they take early applications in autumn, not sure if DD will want to look elsewhere, anyway.

ljjk - DD got lots of cards/letters inviting her to 6th form college open days so you may find it becomes quite apparent!

lljkk All the 6th forms in our authority had open evenings over a 2 week period at end Oct / start Nov.

University open days go on in the Summer term of Yr12 and the Autumn of Yr13, but schools like them to be working on their personal statements in the first half of the Autumn Term of Yr 13, so good idea to have got going before then.

Re staying, it depends I suppose on where you live and where you are looking. All of ours (for 2 dc) have been within a 3 hr drive, so we've not stayed over.

As this year just finished , all uni visits done except Exeter in September. If they are applying for early application the deadline is mid October so best toget them done straight after ASs

Quite a lot of overnight stays for us - if you're planning on visiting distant unis then book accommodation as soon as you've got the dates sorted as it fills up quickly near the popular places and they hike the prices.

DD has just done AS so now and then sept/October of this year she's doing a lot of open days, but we also took her to a few of the closer unis last year to start getting some benchmarks, asking the initial round of questions, getting her comfortable with chatting to staff and students.

Argh, posted itself and then crashed!

Was trying to say that you'll just have to have a look and make some plans. My dd1's open days were day trips apart from the one where I went with her and we stayed with a friend of mine. Dd2 and dh did two northern ones (we are in the South) on a Fri/Sat, staying over both nights. So a mixture. Dd2 then went back to Newcastle for an offer holder's day and managed a day trip on the train, out from about 6.30am - 10.30pm.

So yes, it depends on a lot of things :-)

lljkk the sixth forms/sixth form colleges my dd was interested in had their open evenings mostly in the autumn of y11.

tenby

I guess you would need to stay in a premier inn or similar if they were far away as most open days are 10-4 and I found you need the whole time. So would involve an early start if you didn't stay the night before.