Any advice on last two uni choices please?

[ifonly4]

DD changed her mind re: her choice of university course. She's now interested in either sustainable development (which she is particularly interested in various aspects of) and if she goes down this route would like to work for a government depart dealing with sustainability issues alongside current day requirements. She is also interested in liberal arts as she loves her current A level subjects and would do modules (geography, music & philosophy) in these as well as incorporating some sustainability - she's always believed in not restricting your education. Her personal statement so far relates heavily to sustainability, but will include subjects like music and philosophy. She predicted AAA (A geography) and has chosen three unis to apply to requiring A*AA, AAA & ABB. She still has to decide on the other two: The choices are:

St Andrews, AAA, selection of modules in first two years then concentrating on sustainability for two years. Course perfect for her, but feels it's that step too far from home (400+ miles) and she'd feel cut off (she schools in another county so it's not nerves of moving from home). Also very similar to where she schools at the moment so doesn't feel like moving on to a new challenge.

Durham, AAA sustainability. She is already applying for an AAA course, is this too much applying for another aspirational and we haven't looked at it

Nottingham, AAA, new Liberal Arts course which looks good for her, nearer home, but they're looking for personal statement clearly geared to liberal arts (she'll have things geared to sustainable development, geography, philosophy and a strong link to music on PS).

Warwick has a number of global sustainability joint honours. She's already applying for SD course there, but has spoken to them and they've confirmed it won't go against her applying for two courses, in fact, it'll confirm how much she's interested in global sustainability with them. Does she put two eggs in one basket and apply for two courses there? Also, as with joint honours she could include philosophy (AAA) or might consider sociology (AAB). It's the closest to us (not that that actually matters to her). We feel the campus is perfect for her type of social life and interests and have no concerns about her being there whatsoever.

Sorry it's long winded, does anyone have any words of wisdom we can pass on.

When DS looked at GSD at Warwick the head of department advised that they would ask for an additional Personal Statement once they'd taken a look at the application as they were well aware that the course was quite specialised / unusual and that it would be difficult for an applicant to write a PS that encompassed all of the courses that they has applied for.

blametheparents - yes, DD was told something similar about a Personal Statement.

I think DD has ruled out a second course at Warwick (although very interested in the one she's chosen) and Nottingham.

That leaves St Andrews (a complete pain to get to and not in the setting she'd like, but the more I look at course, it sounds really good for her) and Durham (there are going to be some very bright kids applying, but she's predicted the grades so who knows).

Either way, she's got six days before submission to school. She doesn't seem hot on the idea of adding on a last choice later.

If she's looking at sustainable development, do any of the universities still offer a year 'exchange' in another country?
I did a year at UBC in Vancouver, and the issues they looked at there (first nations, large scale forestry, fossil fuels) were from quite a different approach to domestic universities.
Plus it was a great opportunity to understand global environmental policy.

OP, funnily enough I was talking to a university student at the weekend (in her last year). She couldn't decide on her last two options, but put two down anyway as she wanted to make use of them just in case. She got rejections very quickly from those two unis, but the ones she knew she really wanted made offers. If her PS is really geared to her preferred choices with experience, knowledge, reasons to do course etc, fingers crossed she'll get at least two offers and that's all she needs.

"She doesn't seem hot on the idea of adding on a last choice later."

I have some sympathy with that view! More scope for things to go wrong if you press the wrong button! (I know it's probably the simplest thing in the world to do it, and it does give you more time, but at least if you put all five now everything has been done and you can go off and concentrate on other things - including A level work!)

The thing about St Andrews is that the student body is very international, this somehow makes it feel less isolated. The four year course is very flexible, so good for the indesisive and it's also a very busy student environment with lots of music, drama, clubs and societies on offer. It's less in the middle of nowhere than many places in England and Wales! It also has lovely beaches and is one of the driest and sunniest bits of Scotland. Whenever I visit DS there I want to stay!

Many universities offer the study abroad option and for global SD this makes a huge amount of sense. Warwick certainly offer this.