Extracurricular activities for uni application

[Puzzledmum]

Hi, could you share what extracurricular activities did your DC in order to earn "brownie points" for their uni applications?
My DD has been doing music to a high level (since the age is 3) and is planning to do some volunteering next year.
I know they need to do something which will show they have leadership skills too and am trying to help her decide on what to do about it. But what else? What have your DC have on their CVs which helped them to secure a place at a good uni?

Who said anything about Oxbridge open days?

Most prospective students do go to some open days before applying. The answers they get about what to put in PS, extra-curriculars etc won't vary that much between different universities. There's lots of information online too, for those who can't make it to open days, including university websites and university guides. For those who don't visit Oxbridge before applying, questions can also be emailed to the admissions teams at colleges and departments.

Careers advice should be better than it is, but these days people can find the information they need for themselves if they go looking. Some of the onus is on families to find out the information they need, rather than sit back and expect over worked teachers to google information for them. (Nobody can possibly know about all university courses off the top of their head, not even those of us who work in universities.)

To be honest, LadyP it would not have occurred to me either! I assume his school has a reasonable track record of getting students into university, so one would reasonably assume their references are perfectly OK for most courses at most universities. I tend to think people who can only get higher grades by working like stink in those subjects and doing nothing else are a bit boring. Most people do have other interests and it makes them interesting people.

My DD loves Art. At an interview for a "job" last year she was asked to describe her favourite painting and why it was her favourite painting. As this was at an interview to be a pupil barrister, it seems one dimensional people with only exams are not necessarily the successful ones. Enjoy EC and you never know when it might come in useful! Especially if you can talk enthusiastically about it if you are asked!

DS has been to a few open days recently; three universities (2 RG, 1 not) said that they don't care about the personal statement or extra activities - it's all about the grades.

bizzy reading the Sutton trust report that virelai has linked will show you that a depressing amount of schools do not know best practice in applying to university.

A friend (Head of large dept at major uni) says they don't even read them for his subject.

Yes, haybott, if you actually know you can do that!!! This is my point. I was talking about subject days and lots of potential students do not know about these! You obviously have no clue that some parents have no idea how to help their children! Schools, in these cases, must do better! I personally think some schools need mentors for the pupils. Lots of teachers is some schools have not been to the best universities and blatantly say all universities are the same. Obviously they are not but students are not told what the differences are and don't know where to start looking. More and more often, they look at the university near home or the university that has linked up with the school. This is why top universities do not get applicants from some schools, ever.

That is probably, Rose, because they take everyone who applies! MFL is short of applicants nearly everywhere!

Ignore my last post - total rubbish!!!

Slightly OT, but some EC activities may be useful in subsequent graduate employment applications, where employers will be looking more closely at whether someone "fits" into their organisation or not. Work experience would obviously be useful, but teamwork, time management, leadership, creativity can also be expressed through EC pursuits, and school/6th form can be a good time to develop such interests.

bojorojo I think in the case of Oxbridge a lot of teachers who haven't been there themselves over estimate what's required.

Ladymuck I agree: all work and no play holds true always and will obviously show in conversations at interview, whether for uni places or jobs, regardless of whether it's committed in writing to the application form.

I am wondering why the Sutton Trust has undertaken research into Personal Statements in 2016 and 2012 if no admissions tutors read them and they play no part in selection? This seems a very odd position for the ST to take and I wholeheartedly agree that potential students should be told what role the PS does play, if any!

Well bojorojo obviously the tutors on these threads can speak for their own subjects and unis but certainly at each interview that my DC have attended the interviewing tutors had read their personal statements very closely and Bristol and Durham are explicit about the importance of personal statements in the decision making process, especially the former.

St Andrews read them. Glasgow doesn't (same subject).

Another Uni Lecturer friend said a part time job was worth far more than dozens of clubs and opportunities paid for by parents. World Challenge (or similar) and expensive sports were a clear example of privilege rather than something to be admired.

While someone who cleaned a B&B at the weekends while also carrying a full academic load would get his vote every time.

Apart from Oxbridge and Medicine / Nursing, no pupils at my school have ever needed to go to an interview (Scotland).

Bojorojo forgive my ignorance but** what are subject days and where do you get info on those from?

ladypeter - I'm sorry too! It wasn't intended as a major comment, just a little one, and I was bemused it generated so much discussion.

goodbyestranger very few courses/institutions interview though. Not one of my DS school house mates were interviewed for any if the wide range of subjects they applied for

I have only been to a subject open day at Oxford, so I am not sure how widespread they are. However, the idea is that young people attend sample lectures and look around the faculty. They have plenty of time to ask questions and discuss relevant academic topics and what the university looks for from applicants. Even if you do not want Oxford, getting an insight into a subject is useful.

puzzled - you can find them on the listings for Open Days (look at Department Open Days in the link, but it's early in the year so some may not have them up yet): www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/cambridge-open-days

Cleaning a B and B will not get you very far when applying for Vet Med though! This is clearly not relevant or useful! Much better to work on a farm. It really does matter what degree you are doing! Don't vets get interviewed? If a university department does not read a PS, they should explicitly say so.

Thank you so much bojorojo! Actually Oxford is definitely of interest as it offers the exact degree she would like to do, so shall look into these subject days. Are they offered just for year 12s or can you do it earlier too?

I'd have thought there was more reason to read personal statements if the uni isn't interviewing than if it is homebythesea.

bojo my DS applying for medicine hadn't volunteered in a care home etc but had held down a job for money for several years at a local cafe and that seemed to be just as much use, given the questioning about it at interview, than something more obviously medical. The thrust was simply about personal skills, difficult customers, working with others etc etc. So I wouldn't underestimate things like that - tutors obviously get that some DC work for money which doesn't allow time to do more altruistic things.

There's lots of information online too

which is very true, but only of use if it reflects the view of the faculty(ies) rather than the central marketing team.

Point in case:

www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/study/apply/ucas/personalstatement/

This looks very similar to when DS1 was applying a couple of year's back, and which was completely contradicted by the admissions tutor for the faculty's talk at the Durham Open Day DS1 attended.

Ds was quizzed briefly on both his sport and obscure musical interest at one of his Oxbridge interviews. Turned out that one of the interviewers was the senior member responsible for the relevant university sports club (his oddly specific questions appeared to be gauging the likelihood of a blue), and the other interviewer also had a known interest in the same music (ds found out after). Chances of that are so remote (it wasnt first choice college, so just possible that they had chosen to interview ds based on ECs but I think the second interview colleges were randomly assigned - it was a subject where everyone had an interview at a second college). Interview then moved on swiftly to detailed subject stuff as you would expect and DS was quite sure ECs had no bearing on interview result. The sport was mentioned in a brief sentence at the end of his PS and the music was only mentioned in the school reference. I reckon it's unlikely to have made any difference at all, and certainly not worth doing ECs just to impress at interview (except for US universities and a very few particular subjects).