Is it possible to tell how likely it is a uni place will be offered?

[LynetteScavo]

Looking at courses for DS1, and one course seems perfect...location, professional accreditation, and DS should, by next summer, have much more than the minimum entry requirements. (It's not a Russel Group uni but we're fine with that).

So is it possible to tell how likely it is he will be offered a place?

If your ds wanted to specialise in a particular area for masters he could do a beng first and then apply somewhere different but most places have common first years and depending on results stay on MEng or drop to beng. I think it is more straightforward uni finance wise to apply for a MEng. Have a look via unistats at employability, salaries etc post study. Some non Rg unis have excellent specialised courses with great industry links.

My DS did a MEng at UCL, which was a four year course. He could have cashed in his degree at the end of third year for a BEng.

I imagine a reason for choosing a BEng from the outset is lower entry requirements, and the desire for a 3-year course. If going into one of the big engineering professions, it is quicker to get chartered from an MEng. It's also more desirable for major engineering employers.

If it makes no difference, a BEng saves a year's fee/maintenance, and gets you earning sooner.

Depending on the university and course structure, a 4-year course may give the student the option to do elective courses. In a 3-year engineering course, it is likely to be all compulsory modules.

Some excellent courses may also be sandwich courses so do not overlook them either.

MEng does mean the Engineer can get Chartered status quicker but that, to some extent, will depend on the quality of the employer too and how they train their grad Engineers.Doing a stand alone MEng does allow for greater specialism but the MEng courses do specialise more in Y4 anyway so it really depends on the university experience and initial grades.

What type of Engineering does he want to do? As you might expect, there is a pecking of universities and if they can ask for AAA, then they are top drawer, but that does not mean to say that the "lesser" universities have grads that do not do well. They do and they may even stay in Engineering. Plenty of Engineering grads go into the city and train as accountants or similar, so not all go into Engineering grad schemes by any means.

Doing work experience is a big bonus when finding employment so ask around at home for holiday placements. In my DH's company they are always on the lookout for suitable grads so getting in early is no hindrance.