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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Doing Duke of Edinburgh purely for UCAS?

82 replies

WestMuncher · 22/06/2025 20:22

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.

OP posts:
tiredangry · 04/10/2025 08:32

A competitive course isn’t going to give a shit about d of e

TheaBrandt1 · 04/10/2025 08:35

No. So many do it now it doesn’t set you apart.

Dd1 started it but Covid happened and it never got back on track. She got lots of offers from RG universities. Dd2 has refused to do it cannot imagine her hiking.

I did bronze and it actually put me off walking for 20 years as it was so gruelling. Only got back into it 40 plus.

SilkiePenguin · 04/10/2025 11:43

DD is doing E&M at Oxford which has same admissions test as psychology course and 5%ish success rate. Didn't do DoE and wouldn't say extra curriculars made much difference. It is best to be able to show an interest and knowledge in subject applied for but DD had nothing from that pamphlet for Economics. She had Maths Olympiads, international maths comps, maths ukmt summer school, sport, job which she could relate to E&M but none of that was directly needed. Some of that helped her with interviews but indirectly such as ability to do an interview, mix with others and think on her feet. Someone else at her school did that recommended list for Economics, came first in UK, 4 A stars, high admissions test results and rejected which must have been interview score. They got into LSE Economics so wasn't wasted but they had wanted Oxbridge. They'll be fine but shows these things are of relatively low importance compared to admission test, interview and grades. With the grades lots will have the same predictions of 3 or 4 A stars and admissions test is used to select for interview so need to be great at that. I would do what she is interested in, degree choice can change quite a lot from y10 and also do things to maintain good mental health.

Dodgethis · 04/10/2025 12:16

Madness. And if she’s interviewed for this course the interviewer will see straight through this.

Grade 4 in a musical instrument is also neither here nor there.

If it’s medicine, try to get some volunteering in the real world. If it’s something else try to get some work experience or encourage her to find something she actually does enjoy and pursue that. Extra curriculars only mean something if they show a passion, skill, or a level of commitment. Bronze DofE that you don’t even enjoy shows a minimal commitment to even trying to tick a box

CarpetKnees · 04/10/2025 18:33

ShoutOutLucile · 04/10/2025 08:25

You are not writing about stretching yourself, comfort zones or voluntary work in a personal statement though.

Show quote history

At that point in the thread, I wasn't replying to the opening post or title question though, I was clearly replying to the (quoted) inaccurate statement from another posts who said "No-one cares about DofE".

Muu9 · 06/10/2025 14:06

Darner · 04/10/2025 08:32

Ours both did bronze and gold. Mostly because pretty much all of the kids at their school did them. They both went to good RG unis, but I don’t think it made a jot of difference in their personal statements. Much of their DofE evidence was a work of fiction anyway.

What do you mean by "work of fiction"? How would a student fake their experience?

Muu9 · 06/10/2025 14:07

SilkiePenguin · 04/10/2025 11:43

DD is doing E&M at Oxford which has same admissions test as psychology course and 5%ish success rate. Didn't do DoE and wouldn't say extra curriculars made much difference. It is best to be able to show an interest and knowledge in subject applied for but DD had nothing from that pamphlet for Economics. She had Maths Olympiads, international maths comps, maths ukmt summer school, sport, job which she could relate to E&M but none of that was directly needed. Some of that helped her with interviews but indirectly such as ability to do an interview, mix with others and think on her feet. Someone else at her school did that recommended list for Economics, came first in UK, 4 A stars, high admissions test results and rejected which must have been interview score. They got into LSE Economics so wasn't wasted but they had wanted Oxbridge. They'll be fine but shows these things are of relatively low importance compared to admission test, interview and grades. With the grades lots will have the same predictions of 3 or 4 A stars and admissions test is used to select for interview so need to be great at that. I would do what she is interested in, degree choice can change quite a lot from y10 and also do things to maintain good mental health.

Which international maths comps? EGMO, RMM, IMO, or something else? Which A levels did she take?

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