Why are engineering degree courses suddenly all wanting AAA

[CatM1nt]

Looking at next years entry and I’m sure some were AAB previously when we looked.

You need to do visits and start shortlisting asap. Covid has meant that a few universities are only doing online open days but loads are operating normal open days. Has he not done the online open days either?

Loughborough BEng Mechanical is AAB - excellent uni

Also Swansea University has am amazing engineering dept on its new campus and has a low entry tariff (very overlooked uni IMO)

Originally wanted to do a year abroad but with Covid not even sure if possible so not crucial

Yes it's possible or my dds BF also doing mech eng is doing a year in industry which seems excellent

Loughborough probably a risky option though given it is so extremely popular with sporty types. Its ultra competitive. Plus the elite sports kids get reduced offers (which makes it even more difficult to get in)

@HasaDigaEebowai

Loughborough probably a risky option though given it is so extremely popular with sporty types. Its ultra competitive. Plus the elite sports kids get reduced offers (which makes it even more difficult to get in)

Ah, I'd imagine Bath is similar

Ok that’s good to know.

Had no idea re open days and had no advice or any communication from school.

How do you short list?

Someone this year on WIWIKAU FB group son was rejected with A*AA from a Russell group.

Crazy times. I would look at a range of options.

You decide what type of university you want

Campus?
City based?
North
South
Distance from home

You then look to see which universities do the course and note the grades and subjects they require.

You then have a list of for example London based universities that do the course and will accept AAB

You then go online and do their online tours etc

You narrow it to about seven

You visit and get a “feel” - clearly very individual DS loved york disliked Birmingham. Both campus but close to city and on paper quite similar.

You pick your five that should all now be ok if they make you an offer

You wait to see what offers come in.

How do you short list?

Dd looked at league tables and picked 5 from the top 20. Read the description of the courses very carefully. Emailed the unis with a couple of questions. Looked at entry requirements, 3 with predicted grades, 1 with aspirational grades and one lower grades. Then factored in the fact she wanted a campus not city uni so ruled out eg Bristol. We tried to do sneaky drive bys to a couple of towns we'd never been to. I know some unis are deffo doing open tours now although the uni she is going to is solidly booked

Where do you find out how to sort through courses as regard content, how respected they are, good career prospects etc.

It’s a lot of money.

Well dds school did all this with her - private school sorry! - but the league tables are fairly good places to start then go to the indicuak uni websites and read carefully

*individual

Where do you find out how to sort through courses as regard content, how respected they are, good career prospects etc

A basic rule of thumb is was it an ex poly but that certainly isnt determinative. But that shouldn’t be what he is looking at. He needs to look at the course. The course content is on their website.

Its a lot of work and he’s a bit behind the curve so he should spend the next few days of school holidays focussing on it IMO.

Even those universities not doing open days will let you in to wander around

Top 20 mech eng Complete University Guide

Cambridge Oxford Imperial Bristol Edinburgh Strathclyde Bath Southampton Manchester UCL Leeds Aberdeen Lancaster Heriot-Watt Sheffield Exeter Glasgow Birmingham Loughborough Cardiff

Heriot Watt Aberdeen Strathclyde all in clearing

Don't bother with the guardian universities league tables they are weird.

@CatM1nt

Where do you find out how to sort through courses as regard content, how respected they are, good career prospects etc.

It’s a lot of money.

Content and grades - uni websites. They'll also have links to grad employment and dropout stats. Complete University Guide subject league tables might be useful. Otherwise as others have said, town vs city, north vs south, campus, or spread out. It's a weekend of trawling websites, picking 20 that do the subject and vaguely fit location then reading web pages.

@topcat2014

Compared to 90s when I took a levels. The only people needing As were doing medicine

Well, no. I went to university in the ‘80s to do a humanities subject and I needed As then. I think AAB was the minimum required.

What was the rule of thumb re ex polys- yay/nay?

I remember applying to Exeter in 1987 and needing AAB to do English. Same with St Andrews

I was at a very underperforming comp

@CatM1nt

What was the rule of thumb re ex polys- yay/nay?

Stay open minded!! Lots of snobbery on here but I would have thought some good for engineering

What was the rule of thumb re ex polys- yay/nay?

Well in terms of layman’s perception a former poly may be seen as less prestigious. But tbh that is more about parental perception than student since the student probably doesn’t know the history.

Look at the student satisfaction surveys although obviously they have to be taken with a pinch of salt.

@Bryonyshcmyony

I remember applying to Exeter in 1987 and needing AAB to do English. Same with St Andrews

I was at a very underperforming comp

My experience exactly in the’80s. I was at a comp too and applied for English - York and Warwick.

However, to the OP, I would take the required grades with a big pinch of salt - especially for engineering. Everyone I know who applied for engineering got into university with less than the stated required grades.

It isn’t a hard and fast rule. Places like Nottingham Trent for example are very highly regarded for some courses and former polys are often centres of excellence for practical and artistic subjects (including engineering)

He has not got a privileged background or have special rights. That is your opinion and one you are pushing to deflect from the clear advantage and privilege the privately educated have long since had which is even more evident this year.

The only person that’s been trying to deflect and put on the blame on private schools is you, that’s the whole premise of the thread and people have been trying to steer you into focusing on the choices your DS still has to have a career in engineering. Nothing you’ve said shows your dc at anymore disadvantage that the next dc wether state or private. You’re also making the classic mistake that many make including the press in assuming that private school equals connections and work experience being dolled out for free.

DS has worked his arse of like yours, looking for work experience, searching online, making speculative enquiries, popping into the high street to ask in person etc. He is currently volunteering in a local charity shop. Just applied like anyone else infact! The private schools where these ‘connections’ happen are very few, not all private schools are Eton or Radley where all the parents move in the same social circles and exchange phone numbers whilst playing golf at the weekend, the image pushed by the press. We knew no one when he joined and will leave the same way bar the few friends he has made personally.
As for MH.....! I seriously wish you hadn’t said that. You clearly think you’re the only one hard done by . I hope you realise that private schooling does not also buy you the advantage of pristine mental health.