Doing Duke of Edinburgh purely for UCAS?

[WestMuncher]

DD, who is going into Year 10, really isn’t outdoorsy or sporty in the slightest. She’s just got back from a Year 9 adventure week and absolutely hated it. Ditto camping with Guides when she tried that last year.

She’s got her eye on a very competitive uni course though and is already keen to do everything she can to maximise her chance of a place. She’s saying she thinks she ought to do Duke of Edinburgh (Bronze), yet is this really going to make a difference? She really would be doing it purely for UCAS as it just isn’t the kind of thing she enjoys.

She plays piano to Grade 4 and will probably get another grade or two in before UCAS time. She also sings in chamber choir (which requires an audition although she’s never done singing grades). That’s it so far though in terms of extra-curriculars. She’s not into either sport or drama.

no , if she doesn’t want to do it use the time for other things she would enjoy more. There are other ways to enrich her ps which might prove more relevant to the subject.

Thank you. This is what I’ve been thinking too. I just need to convince her…

Lots of unis don’t even read the personal statement.

Very competitive university courses are rarely interested in extra curricular activities, unless of course they are applying for music or drama, they have been volunteering at an animal charity & applying for vet med etc. Offers are based on straight grades, so any extra UCAS points are largely irrelevant u less he is doing something at an exceptionally high level.

What course does she want to do? I would organise something subject related for her rather than DoE.

Bronze DofE won't make any difference. In my DCs comprehensive half the year did it

DS 2 did Gold which does carry some weight but he loved the hiking, skills etc element. I wouldn't encourage your DD to do bronze unless she really wants to

What relationship does d of e have to ger Subject choice?
Eg if medicine and she will volunteer with SEN kids as part of d of e then great
If she can link experience of d of e to history ifshe choosing history then sure maybe she volunteers at local museum etc
But d of e just because then not needed for ucas
She can do it for her own personal growth yes
For subject interviews she needs to seek other ways linked to that subject specifically like attending junior events or entering young geographer of the year etc

Will make absolutely no difference. I won’t say that DofE in itself is useless but it absolutely isn’t necessary, nor will placing it (especially just at bronze level) in her UCAS put her at any advantage for entry into a competitive uni.

DD did it because she felt she had to (pushy grammar school!) and absolutely hated it. Didn’t gain anything from it except from the knowledge that she never wants to camp again🤣 Yes it’s good for teamwork and communication skills but there are many different avenues in which she can work on these that don’t involve an expedition.

If I was you I’d definitely push on with the chamber choir as that in itself is very impressive (DD has multiple friends on choral scholarships at St Andrew’s & Oxbridge). I’d also get her to look at volunteering opportunities like St John’s Ambulance, local care homes, food banks, animal sanctuaries etc. There’s absolutely no reason to unnecessarily push her into sport, drama etc or go climbing up mountains if she isn’t already interested

My child wrote three sentences about achievements/extra curriculars. The rest was about the subject.

I don’t think you would be putting what you did in year ten in your personal statement anyway. Not only that but her sixth form college told them only to mention it if they did gold.

My kids loved DofE especially the outdoorsy bits, but unless yours particularly needs to demonstrate exactly that kind of thing, or d of e particularly maps exactly onto the uni course she’s looking at, please don’t bother for that purpose. Much better to think of something specifically relevant if possible, or just keep on with what she’s already doing well.

Aren’t personal statements being phased out?

She wants to do psychology at Oxford. I’m thinking too that Bronze on its own isn’t going to add anything and I doubt she’d get higher than that. So many applicants do bronze these days. Plus she’d be doing it in Year 10 which will be quite a long time ago by the time she writes her personal statement anyway.

She’s very keen to start volunteering but virtually everywhere wants her to be at least 16.

Are they?

Yes, starting from this year.

My children didn’t bother and they all went to good universities.

@IrishMist78 Yes similar situation here with a pushy school bigging DofE up. I’m not quite sure they’re so keen for people to do it? Over half the year do bronze. Yet only two are doing gold this year.

No, it doesn’t make a difference, and it’s not ‘authentic’ for your DD. Focus on activities that help to demonstrate her love and aptitude for the subject. For example, if it’s veterinary science then doing voluntary work at an animal shelter would be good. Obviously this won’t work for all subjects but even doing something like doing a free online course, or making TikTok’s of elements of her subject, or joining the local council’s youth panel (for politics) - anything like that would be great. Her school will have societies for most activities. I was in the chess club and computer science society (nerd alert!) so she should join any she’s interested in.

I'd have thought she'd be better doing something health related eg St John's Ambulance.

Thanks @MayaPinion

Her school only offers societies to sixth formers. There’s no psychology society so she’d like to start one. Yet that won’t be possible until she’s in the last term of the lower sixth.

My youngest cousin is going into her third year of medicine at Oxford. She never did d of e and it didn’t impact her at all. A strong personal statement and strong predicted grades is all they need for competitive courses.

She’s doing lifesaving actually. I forgot to mention that.

Sorry, missed the psychology bit. In that case focus on analytical/mathsy activities (psychology has a lot of statistics) alongside clubs like the debating society.

DS never did his and it hasn’t impacted him at all.

Makes absolutely no difference for university entry. I’ve no idea why schools say it does. It’s the something quirky, or highly relevant to study that might make a difference, not a forced extra curricular.

My DC is doing it. I think the 6 months volunteering might be a help as a talking point, but not the Award overall for university applications.