Odd University Choice

[Giloin]

DS is waiting for his A level results. He had identical offers from 3 UK universities: 2 of them in the top 10 and one a middling university, which rates highly for student satisfaction for the course he applied for. All to do the same course. One of them is also our home city. He chose our home city as his first choice. He said he liked the course best and it would be 'easier'.

Whilst taking his exams, he seemed unsure about whether to go to uni at all, or go travelling, get a job etc. We reassured him that he could make his own choice, but to concentrate on getting the best results he could, so as to keep his options open. He's going travelling for the summer (partly funded by us), and wanted to wait until he was back to decide. Absolutely fine.

Today he announces that he's going to change his first choice to the middling university. Only justification - he's going to have to move away sometime and it might as well be now.

What do we do know? Just say that's great and leave him to it, or try to influence him to make what we think is a wiser choice, e.g. go to a 'better' university. I wanted him to consider living away from home initially, but he didn't seem keen so based our own life plans on him wanting to live here for the next 3 years.

Surely he had to confirm his choice a while ago? If he changes his mind now he will have to go through clearing? He could decide on something completely different or even wait a year

Op why do you regard Loughborough as middling. It’s ranked 6th in the Uk in one of the main league tables (complete university guide)

There are so many factors here and ultimately it is absolutely his decision. Given he is changing his mind it’s reasonable to talk through it with him and encourage him to take his time before finalising what he wants, but nothing more than that. Also depends on course rankings, but I also chose my final first choice based on the course specifics and I’m still glad I did, I really liked either city of the ones I was seriously considering, and though the one I didn’t go for was a higher ranked uni overall, it was lower in terms of my course and the ask for grades was higher for the one I went for.

I wouldn't call Loughborough a middling (?) university. However, granted, it's not part of the 'RG' and depending on the course might not have the same name brand recognition as Warwick, LSE, Bristol, etc. It's still a great choice.

If he was clear he prefered the course at the home uni + Loughborough. But didn't like the other historic city one - then he's not as indecisive, I guess?

He will have to find the money though. Or take a gap year if not completely sure. Once he's started he'll have wasted a lot of money if he 'changes his mind' yet again.

Cross post. I don't think the uni matters particularly these days, unless Oxbridge . It's the course that matters. You can look up ratings for graduate outcomes.

He sounds like he isn't that sure. Maybe a year out would be a good idea. Otherwise he might change his mind again halfway through the first year.

It’s quite possible I’d have thought. I am programme lead for a uni course which still has spaces. I’ve never been in this situation but in the event someone did contact me prior to clearing saying they’d change their mind and rather come to my uni if we couldn’t officially change them prior to clearing I could certainly hold a place for them and then get them on officially on clearing day.

At some point I assume he will have to reject the offer of his original first choice but not sure how things work from the students end.

edited to add, I’d also be nagging admissions to work some magic and get it sorted officially before clearing. They’re normally very good.

In the Times/Sunday Times ranking ( which is the most definitive ) it is ranked 33 rd. bery middling.

I would encourage him to go to the best uni. List all the positives of it make a strong case. He sounds very indecisive, so I wouldn't see talking him out of the lesser uni as terrible blackmail, I just think he needs guidance and long term consequences are that the name of where you got your degree is often more impressive than the classification itself. Persuade him to aim higher, he chose the lesser safer btec then changed.. he just needs to see you believe in him, it sounds lack of confidence and wanting someone to tell him you are good enough to aim higher so be the motivator, don't worry about pressuring him, it sounds like he needs the push and encouragement.

If it's Loughborough v Durham, I'd encourage Durham, but he has to make the decision at the end of the day.

Hi op I work for a university in Student Recruitment.

Reply swaps, this is what this process is called, are only allowed until 25th July. It is not guaranteed your son will be able to do a reply swap. He will need to speak to the university he selected as his firm choice as technically he has entered into a contract with them and tell them he no longer wishes to attend and then he will have to speak to the university he now wants to attend to see if they have still places.

Once he has spoken to both he will need to call UCAS to update his choices.

In both the complete university guide and the guardian it is top ten. The times ranking is less useful and less accurate for undergraduate courses.
The Times have Durham at 22 and St Andrews at 25. It’s bizarre

Loughborough is a fantastic uni! Very well respected in the sector and students do well in terms of careers etc.
My Dd did her UG at L'boro then was accepted into Oxbridge for a masters. They have impressive alumni across the board.

Let your son chose his own path. He's far more likely to settle in and be successful if he's chosen the place himself !

I don’t think you need to dictate but please do explain all the implications to him! I wish someone had when I was young! Why can’t he do the other well ranked one that isn’t in your city?

One cannot always go by a university's overall rating: it can depend very much on the course. If the 'middling', 'sporty' university is Loughborough: it is very highly ranked for some courses.

My daughter has done nearly the same thing. She got offered places at 5 different Universities. One is in our city which was her first choice and only a 15 minute walk from our house. She has a part time job and she could stay at home and save money. We all thought that was a brilliant set up. She was all excited and all ready to enjoy the holidays.
Then we went to my friend's house for her daughter's 21st birthday. Her daughter is 3 years older than mine and she moved away to go to University. She was talking to my daughter telling her how moving away was a brilliant experience how she's made a load of new friends and has grown in confidence. My daughter mentioned to her what her second choice was and this is when my daughter changed her mind. My friend's daughter really bigged that Uni and the town up. Saying she had friends there and they love it. Great shopping, great night life ect.
When we got home my daughter was adamant that she was going to change to her second choice because it sounded so much better.
I must admit I was absolutely gutted. This girl can't even clean her room, doesn't cook, doesn't do her own washing and is the most clumsy thing that walks the earth. But she is the most beautiful daughter. We are really close and get on brilliantly.
I was heartbroken for a good couple of weeks. I even got a bit grumpy with her and I must admit I dismissed her a few times because I didn't want her to go. I thought she was making a mistake because she can't even look after herself properly. Anyway in those couple of weeks she sorted everything out herself. She changed over the university, sorted out the financial side and has secured her accommodation. This is when I started to think maybe this girl can actually do this. It's been another couple of weeks now and I have listened to her and I've finally got used to the idea of her going. I thought that if she can sort all that out herself then I'm sure she can look after herself when she goes. I realized that It was me that was the problem. I didn't want to let go I didn't want to lose her but listening to her I realize that this will be the making of her. As hard as it's going to be I have to trust her decision. I think if I tell her she's making a mistake and she should be staying at home ect then she will resent me and I'll lose my girl and she won't want to come home to visit. But now I've come round to the idea I'm quite excited for her. It's really hard but I do believe you should support your son and his decision otherwise you may push him away. They have to figure life out for themselves we can't dictate to them. We have to support them. As long as they know you are there when they need you they'll be ok.

I went to a ‘middling’ university, and did an unusual (some might say Mickey Mouse, but sod that attitude) course, and had the absolute time of my life - and got a first. I then did a masters at Oxford and hated it.

I personally think reputation is much less important than the feel of the place - my UG uni felt like home, I was encouraged and supported, and as a result I thrived.

All the best to your son, whatever he decides.

I am also wondering why Loughborough is described as a "middling" university.

It's often put in a group of RG+ - with Lancaster, Bath and St Andrews - unis which for whatever reason are not in the RG but are actually considered better, for many courses, than some actual RG unis.

What are the other two unis? And what is the subject? I often wonder what people mean when they talk about "the top 10". This can hardly be a fixed thing. The best places to study economics may be LSE or Imperial or Warwick - but Warwick would be a poor choice for a music degree - as Lboro would for an MFL one.

Or do you mean the top 10 for your DS's subject? Again, where is this intel coming from? I see from posts on this thread that there is no agreement on best uni among the various league tables quoted.

FWIW @Giloin my DS is at Lboro and is having a great time. My advice (for anyone going to uni tbh) is to have an interest outside your course - you will have the time and opportunity (unless your course is very contact heavy) to pursue it - whether it is playing rugby, acting in plays, playing in an orchestra or a band, running the student union, journalism, umpiring at cricket - in a way that you maybe never will again. And people who want to do it with you as well. It can be the key to so much.

Warwick doesn't have a music degree though...?

'Top 10' is misleading, I agree. But certain universities have massive brand name recognition for academic excellence - any degree from these would be considered 'good'. Like Oxford and Cambridge obviously.
Universities like LSE, Imperial, and Edinburgh have a long list of Nobel Prize winners.

I don't think university name alone matters a lot in the UK outside of certain elite professions, but it does in other countries. Universities like Cardiff and QUB while supposedly 'RG' hardly gets any recognition abroad (Western Europe, US, Asian powerhouses), while St Andrews as you stated , and the others I mentioned are very well regarded.

Exactly.

Yes of course there are a handful
of unis that are at the top level. But once you get to RG unis like Southampton and Newcastle, I think Lancaster and Bath are just as strong. Esp for certain subjects which is why I asked what subject.

I know Warwick doesn’t offer music; Lboro doesn’t offer MFL. So they are poor choices for those subjects, however highly Warwick “ranks”!

When the op said “middling uni” I must say I thought of places like NTU or Leeds Beckett; if someone has the grades for Leeds then Leeds Beckett is an odd choice, tho of course both those unis have much to recommend them and will suit many students.

So we aren't mad controlling dictators, just worried that he is making a poor choice based on not understanding the implications.

This is where you are being unreasonable. First, most employers don't really care which university you went to these days. A degree from one us usually considered as good as a degree from somewhere else. Secondly, Loughborough is highly rated anyway, and if it scores well for student satisfaction, you should be pleased. The implications you are worried he doesn't understand, don't really exist.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk-university-rankings

actually in the Times/Sunday Times ranking, Loughborough is 10th. This is similar to the Guardian ranking and the complete university guide ranking

It's only in the THE (times higher education) ranking that Loughborough is down in the 30s. This is also the table that puts Durham at 22, St Andrews at 25 and Bath at 31. But puts Southampton at 11.

It's because the rankings are compiled using completely different measures.

Loughborough is a great uni choice, hope your DS has a great experience there. Moving away for uni is nearly always the best idea.

If it is between York and Loughborough, it really depends on the subject. Loughborough has a fantastic reputation for Engineering and Computer Science.

Bemused at the idea of Loughborough being described as a middling university!

Has he met someone who's going there and made the choice based on that?