recommendations for best uni for English

[wyrd]

could anyone recommend a good uni for english language or literature and do you look at league tables for guidance? thanks

1st

I thought MillyMollyMama was saying that some places might prefer to see three less related A levels, with History being one good choice. I must admit my eyebrows went up to see that the OP's daughter is doing Eng Lang and Eng Lit. I have no idea what the Eng Lang A level syllabus covers so maybe there isn't much overlap but it does seem a high risk strategy to do both. History or a MFL would have given her a wider range of knowledge to build on. However, too late now to change that.

Mmm. But if she then wants to do English Language and Literature as a combined course (which she may), it could be useful? I guess it might depend what else she did (eg., an AS in something else, or GCSEs or whatever).

I'm sure my perspective is skewed, but I didn't study English Language beyond GCSE, and when people talk about undergraduate courses in it, I have absolutely no clue what it all means. I have an English Lit degree, and could understand what the historians were talking about, but the language side seemed quite specialised.

theres no overlap with lang and lit and yes lang is specialised. DD is doing psychology and classic civ aswell and the college didnt see a problem with that.they want her to apply to the "top" unis

Might linguistics be an option? might be similar to English lang?

Ah, OP, you didn't mention psychology in your earlier post - hence a couple of posters, me included, saying to check admissions criteria carefully ( ie whether eng lang and eng lit would put your DD at a disadvantage).

You still have time to check that out and keep on psychology instead of eng lang for A2 if that proves to be the most solid combination.

It's good you're getting advice from her college, but there's no substitute for an email from an admissions tutor saying ' that's ok'. English at RG unis is SO competitive - seriously so - you don't want to miss a trick at this stage.

( and by competitive I mean for my DDs year, 3 years ago, top indie girls school, 5 girls applied for English, all five of them only got two offers each out of five. And they all had 5 As at AS level and went on to get one or two A stars each at A2. ( that was the last year of £3k fees tho, so might be different now?). Not saying this to scare you, just to let you know how competitive it is and how that translates into offers and rejections)

Hopefully my son is going to Brunel in September to study Creative writing.

It looked and sounds like a fantastic university

she then wants to do English Language and Literature as a combined course

For high-ranking, in-demand English degrees, the combined A Level in Lit & Lang generally isn't seen as as 'desirable' as the straight Eng Lit A Level.

I think you're quoting me, and if so, I think we're cross-purposes.

I meant, if the OP's DD ends up doing a combined Lit/Lang degree, it was probably sensible for her to do both A Levels. Indeed, given she's tossing up between the two, I don't see how it would've been a good idea to give up one to do something else like History.

For English Lit, I think Warwick is brilliant, but I am biased.
Not sure about Language or combined courses.

Oh, and I don't think there's anything wrong with doing both Eng Lang and Eng Lit at A Level.

and by competitive I mean for my DDs year, 3 years ago, top indie girls school, 5 girls applied for English, all five of them only got two offers each out of five. And they all had 5 As at AS level and went on to get one or two A stars each at A2. ( that was the last year of £3k fees tho, so might be different now?

The main thing that's changed is that English universities no longer have a funder-imposed cap on student places for students admitted with ABB at A Level because they're no longer publicly funded for humanities subjects

The limit now is down to each university and where they put resources for teaching ie staff. That is now the main limit on places.

LRD ah I see what you mean.

But IME, the combined English Language & Literatrure A Level is not as "competitive" (for whatever that is worth) as two separate A Levels, or the Eng Lit A evel for an English Lit degree course.

Yes, it's not as competitive.

I would have thought a good English Literature Degree is still the best academic option. Some have creative writing modules. I think there is evidence that English degree people struggle to get jobs so Oxbridge, Bristol and Durham etc have to enter into equations. In my DDs year at school there were more rejections for the English applicants than any other subject. It is a tough one. I actually think 4 A2s might help though.

Not so sure that the advice on 4 A2s is sound, milly . Do you have anecdotal evidence of that because the advice I've heard - from the DCs' schools, all pointed toward Oxbridge and RG - is that 3 is enough. 4 won't help you. Very important to get the right 3, though, from this particular combination.

I think our DDs must have been in the same year milly - likewise on there being more rejections for English than any other subject! ( except medicine of course)

3 very good A2s will always trump 4 not so good A2s, I thought. In the event that the applicant has the ability to get A* in absolutely everything and has plenty of energy there might be some point in going on with 4 subjects to A2 but otherwise I really can't see the point, except for Further Maths, which is a special case.

all pointed toward Oxbridge and RG - is that 3 is enough. 4 won't help you

Yes.

It is worth bearing in mind, part of the reason English has a high rate of rejections is simply that a lot of students take English A Levels almost by default - it doesn't have that element of active choice that something more niche (like Class Civ) would have.