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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Open Days AND Applicant Days AND Interviews?

26 replies

rightsofwomen · 02/12/2016 18:00

So, DS1's offers are starting to come in. Great.
We went to 5 open days and now he's got an interview at one and an applicant day (along with an offer, not dependent on going to applicant day) at another.

Is this the norm? I honestly did not expect to go back to all 5 of them!

OP posts:
Hassled · 02/12/2016 18:04

What is an applicant day? DS2 went through this last year and was invited to "offer holder's days", (in the Spring) which was manageable. That does all seem a bit much.

BackforGood · 02/12/2016 18:08

I have a ds already at university and a dd applying now.
ds never had any interviews nor 'applicant days' and got 3 offers.

dd has got 3 offers at the moment (not long sent her application off) and hasn't had to return to any of the places.

My dc are average, run of the mill candidates, not typical MN dc though Wink so I don't know if that is just a 'thing' for a few select universities ?

dingit · 02/12/2016 18:09

Dd has an interview at Loughborough ( which we didn't visit) and an applicant day for Surrey ( which we did)

LIZS · 02/12/2016 18:18

It depends on the subject and institution. Ds had 5 offers, one offer holders' day, no interviews. He had visited them all in advance of applying.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/12/2016 18:21

It seems to depend a lot on the course. DD has an interview/applicant day at all 5 of her choices. One is Cambridge, the others are all RG elec eng. Some of her friends have offers coming in with no interview, others have some but not all. Our half - serious theory is that subjects such as elec or chemistry where theres a risk of a student burning down the building they like to take a look at you.Grin

As far as I can see, the only difference between whether its called an applicant day or an interview is whether you've got to convince them to give you an offer or whether they are trying to convince nce you to choose them - I dont think you get both for the same course .

AddictedtoLove · 02/12/2016 18:26

Applicant offer days are good for having a second look. Universities use them to help applicants choose. Of course, universities generally hope that those to whom they've made offers will choose to firm the offer.

My department interviews before we offer, and we'd consider a no-show, with no reason or communication a sign that they don't want us to offer them a place ( yes, sometimes applicants just don't turn up and don't bother to contact us).

AddictedtoLove · 02/12/2016 18:30

Errol that sort-of is the thinking at my place, although I'm not in Engineering!

goodbyestranger · 02/12/2016 18:37

My DC have never really gone to Open Days. DS4 has just had an interview at Manchester which was quite a shock train fare wise but useful for him to see the place, especially since he really liked it. Manchester said if you don't come to interview we'll take it that your application is declined, which is quite smart - respect! In this house we operate on the basis that they might as well wait until they get an offer to go and have a proper look. Travel isn't cheap from where we live.

DollyPlastic · 02/12/2016 18:41

DS didn't go to any of the places he applied to. He got five offers and choose his most likely three. Went to the offer holder day and then picked his best two.

That was plenty Grin

Original poster
rightsofwomen · 02/12/2016 19:19

Interesting.

errol he's applying for Elec Eng.

He was told on two open days that they interview all students before making offers so he is expecting that, it's just the Applicant Day I'd never heard of.

I'm not sure whether they are all RG, let me check.
Yes, 4 of the 5 are.

He found the Open Days very useful. I can't imagine him applying to go somewhere he'd never visited and got a feel for.

SO different to my day! I'm not even sure my parents knew where I was until I graduated!

OP posts:
CharliePurple · 02/12/2016 19:25

Two applicant days here from two RG universities but not from the other two RG universities.

DailyMailJournosSmell · 02/12/2016 19:26

It just depends. Applicant days can be really usefulbut they are not 'essential' DC2 ended up at a Uni he hadn't even applied for or visited via adjustment and loves it.

Original poster
rightsofwomen · 02/12/2016 19:34

If I had all the time and money in the world I would like nothing more than going on road trips with DS1 to all the Unis, but alas that is not my life, though I shall be doing some Xmas shopping while he's being interviewing at Manchester! Was going to chuck him on the train, but it would have been £80 (with a rail card) and a 6am train (station 40 mins from home), so we're driving.

OP posts:
TheMortificadosDragon · 02/12/2016 23:26

I think they tend to use the term 'applicant day' because the interview is just one part of it. Manchester is one of the ones DD has already been to, highlight for her was the high voltage lab tour.Grin The other shes had was Southampton, thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cambridge and Sheffield next week (road trip with DH); had been invited to Nottingham same day as camb so thats pushed back to feb. Where's your DS applied to apart from Manc, rights?

Original poster
rightsofwomen · 02/12/2016 23:40

DS said he wasn't obliged to go to applicant day (Surrey). He already has interview at Manchester that day anyway.

Interview at Imperial just in this evening!! Yay. That's not till Feb though.

Still waiting for Southampton and Bristol, though the latter is his last choice, just didn't like the feel of the place.

OP posts:
TheMortificadosDragon · 03/12/2016 00:07

Interesting - DD wasn't taken with Bristol either. She didn't look at Imperial because she didn't fancy living in London, but obviously its a very good dept, congratulations on the interview!

ErrolTheDragon · 03/12/2016 00:09

Just realised my last two posts were in the name of my alter ego dragonGrin

Original poster
rightsofwomen · 03/12/2016 00:13

Thank you.
He and I are both having collywobbles about London. The financial and travel side (we live rurally and he's sick of commuting).
I'm hoping once all offers are in it will all become an easy decision.

OP posts:
Original poster
rightsofwomen · 03/12/2016 00:17

Ooh good luck at Cambridge!

OP posts:
TheMortificadosDragon · 03/12/2016 00:25

If he's got interviews at Imperial an Manc, he must have good expected grades etc, I'm sure he'll get them (or applicant days) for soton and bristol too.

AtiaoftheJulii · 03/12/2016 09:08

If an applicant day is only being offered to those who are also given offers, then I guess it's basically the same as an offer holder day?

Dd1 went to 3 I think, can't quite remember about the 4th - mostly for the day off school I think, lol, although one was at the weekend and had a completely separate parents' programme.

Dd2 went back to her two favourites to try to decide between them.

CharliePurple · 07/12/2016 19:47

Ds is going to the applicant days alone, I got the impression that they were mainly aimed at the students but I was working and decided not to ask for the day off - he's more than capable of going on the train.

Kel1234 · 07/12/2016 19:54

A general open day is for any potential student to go and have a look around the university and get a feel for it. And to find about about courses, accommodation and so on.
An applicant day is only for those potential students holding offers (conditional is the usual offer held by potential students). It gives you a chance to find out more in depth information about the university and course, as well as extra activities. You can also apply for accommodation at applicant days.
(I went to 1 open day, and 5 applicant days. I wanted to go to all the universities I had offers for, to ensure I made the right choice).
Interviews I think are usually before you receive an offer, to determine suitability for the course (I never had any though so could be wrong)

lljkk · 07/12/2016 20:22

electrical engineering is a notoriously demanding course. I'd be thinking hard about pastoral care; extra visits might help you assess that better.

TheMortificadosDragon · 07/12/2016 20:29

I guess different places may name things differently - the 'applicant days' DD has/will attend include some sort of interview and the offer comes after and they weren't at the accommodation booking stage.

lljkk - pastoral care? like what? I haven't been particularly aware of any at any of the unis tbh except mention of tea and cakes in cambridge colleges.