Offer days - worth the trek?

[Sevendayweek]

DS visited all of the unis on his UCAS (plus one he opted not to apply to), now they are all coming back inviting him to offer days. He wants to go back and check them all out again, which I understand, but it's 5 days out of school altogether! Do any veterans of this process have views on how worthwhile/how much more he can find out/how to get the best out of them if he does go?

Our offer days are totally different to the general ODs: there's a mock lecture, to give them some idea of the subject, how it's studied (not taught at school) and what university teaching, as opposed to school teaching, is like.

They have a session with current students and no staff, so they can ask whatever questions they like.

Parents have totally separate sessions, if they turn up, so they are also free to ask the "embarrassing" questions.

We help them as best we can (as it's not fixed until August) with what a typical timetable might look like. They can go and view all the accommodation again, have specific sessions on finance etc and also get a bus tour of the city.

It's a good idea to send your child alone, and let them make up their own mind whether this is an institution they'd be happy to spend 3 or 4 years in, without being clouded at that stage by your opinions etc.

My DS went to the Open Days on his own/with friends and when he'd made a decision as to his firm & insurance offers I went with him on the Offer Days.

It was really useful for me to see the Uni, the accommodation and the two cities. Hw went to a lecture at one while I went shopping. It gave me piece of mind before he went.

DD1 has an offer from a university she didn't visit for an open day. We suspected she'd get an offer, because her grade profile is above their standard AAB/ABB + (extras to do with music) offer. We didn't suspect she'd get a 3 E offer. She's going to the offer holders' day because she can't make a decision without seeing the place and meeting some of the people, however attractive the offer is. Also, she will have a scholarship audition as part of her offer holders' day so it's well worth going, we feel. She knows people there so she is hoping to arrange to meet up with them to get more of an inside view, too.

Well done her, and good call

it looks like the consensus is that Unis are not really worth multiple visits in these days of social media and street view

We're in a similar position UhtredRagnorsson - DD has an unconditional offer from a uni she hasn't actually visited yet so I think we'll both be hotfooting it on one of the offer days.

And the little monkey secretly sent off her UCAS application before she showed me her personal statement

Dd1 went to the offer open day because she'd never even visited the city - was keen on one of her other choices as first choice. Was glad she went to post offer day as she chose that place (Bristol) and has recently graduated, having absolutely loved it. Dd2 chose one without visiting it. Once she'd accepted, we went there for a weekend together at the end of August. So far she's loving it too.

Back when I went to university, parents never went along to open days, interview days etc. I never feel the need to, but don't want to seem like an uncaring parent.

I never saw either personal statement - why would I? They are grown ups. Will help if asked but this is their time to go off and have a life. Worked out OK - both got 5 offers each. Dd2 even had a couple of letters specifically asking her to choose particular universities because of her very strong personal statement. She didn't even change what her 6th form told her to. Mind you, all my children are pretty strong minded. And grown up.