What advice to give to DD re choosing where to go for Uni.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

She knows she wants to do either a History degree (if it's a broad enough one) or an ancient History degree, or a combo of them both.

We live in N Wales.

She has her heart set on Cambridge, and her AS results in Aug will determine whether that goes on her application or whether she hasn't got the grades - stressful!

When I ask her where else she'd like to consider applying for, she says she doesn't know. And I don't envy her the decision.

When I went to uni, it was go to the closest one to home that I could commute to daily or don't go as we couldn't afford it and I wasn't encouraged to go away from home for Uni. We don't want to limit her, but don't really know how to help her decide.

How did your DD/you choose which Uni's to apply to?

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

I'd be delighted if she likes York when we visit in Sept. We already love the place itself from visiting a few years ago.

[thejeangenie36]

OP, I used to work in History at York and it is a good University and a good programme - among the very best in the world for medieval studies and a good choice of time periods / countries. York also still has a nice community feel - the students and staff know each other by name. Size of university can be important in this respect. York itself is an attractive and safe city.

Bubbles up thread has identified the best History departments in the country. Warwick is very good and, like York, a campus university. Newcastle does have a rep in History for students coming to party rather than from love of the subject. There's good advice up thread about picking a uni based on more than just the course.

Cambridge is first rate and you won't match its tutorial system, but your DD is very unlikely to get in with a B (it is fiercely competitive even with top grades). Cambridge is also not for everyone - colleagues who went there describe it as a hothouse environment. A good History degree from any of the RG universities will stand your daughter in good stead. Ultimately, she needs to be happy with her choice.

[BrigitsBigKnickers]

Mumsie she was at Loughborough ( Graduating next week! )

[mumsiedarlingrevolta]

@BrigitsBigknickers can I ask where your DD is studying?

Re Newcastle-DS is there and loves it.
Very nice vibe to the city-he is an athlete so not a big party animal as a regular thing but very friendly and also has bonus of being much cheaper accommodation, food etc than some of the others

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

My DD (English) is doing Ancient History at Trinity College Dublin. It has that Oxbridge vibe and she is really enjoying the course. I would very much recommend it . PM me if you like.

[GnomeDePlume]

DrMadelineMaxwell thinking about the down marking for English. It isnt necessarily a bad thing. When aiming for high grades it is very useful to know where marks are being dropped as well as gained.

DD1 found this when she had a tutor for a MFL.

[goodbyestranger]

Ah that makes complete sense I was being dim about the Welsh system. It could well turn out that the English teacher is out of kilter not your DD.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Welsh town/exam board, AS levels are still a thing here. Which I have read is good in terms of Cambridge, and that the colleges have tried to convince some sixth forms to still do them as they are a useful indicator for them.

I'm not surprised to hear that the B at A level could well scupper her chances. Again, fingers crossed her tutor is just really conservative. Time will tell.

GCSE's - 5 A*, distinction in further maths, 8 As, one B (in the subject they were made to sit a year earlier than the rest, much to her disgust). Good enough to get her recognised for the Seren network, designed to identify pupils who are oxbridge or RG material and to encourage them to apply for those Uni's even if they wouldn't have otherwise considered them due to distance etc.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Oh, I wanted to ask about the AS's as well! Is it a Welsh thing? Or just her school? Or what?

My dd2 was another one underwhelmed at a Durham open day - felt there was little in the way of trying to persuade people to go there. But again we know people there who love it - I'm intrigued as to where the disconnect is.

(Carrying on off-topic - Bubbles, look at this Jesmond house! Can you imagine what it would cost in Oxford? 😂 )

[goodbyestranger]

OP AAB would be a problem for a lot of the top flight unis. A*AA predictions would be preferable. I'm surprised your DD is taking AS in each of her subjects still. Her GCSEs will be far more influential and she has those to hand - were they good enough for Oxbridge?

[goodbyestranger]

OP three of my DC are recent Modern History graduates. The one who had a particular interest in ancient stuff went to the Durham offer day and was massively underwhelmed - the tutor didn't even show up for the taster lecture. He went to Oxford in the end but accepts that the offer holders' day was a misrepresentation of what Durham has to offer because his friends who went there (and the friends of all my other DC who went there) have all completely loved it. I've no idea why Durham messes up so badly with their Open Days/ offer holders' days but it seems to be a fairly common theme: really poor experience at those days compared to the actual thing.

[BubblesBuddy]

I am sure people can make up their own minds and I don’t think I’ve put anyone off the toon.

I meant genteel obviously when talking about Oxford - house prices are multi million in some roads. Yes, my stolen car turned up on Blackbird Leys a few years ago. But I wouldn’t suggest someone didn’t go to university there because of a few thieving nutters.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Thanks for everyone's advice.

She def wants to apply for places with more prestige and higher standards (and therefore higher entry requirements) than other unis.

I read a few posts on the thread about Durham open days and was relieved to see that other people have also felt a little underwhelmed by Durham. She's had a look at their ancient history course details and hasn't totally discounted them. If she gets those As then she'll be applying to there and Cambridge now she said.

Bangor was brilliant - and the MOST organised open day we've been to yet. Very impressive. But lower ranking, so lower down her list of 5 for her application.

Her A lev tutors for psychology and history can't be more complimentary and say that she drops very few marks in exams, so will get a 'high A' in her results if she performed as expected in the exams. They said they don't do A* at AS level, but seemed to be implying that she was showing she might be able to achieve them in her A levels next year.

Her english tutor marks her down in every aspect in her reports. And tells DD that she's a B student. And has sometimes worried her by saying she needs to work hard to get that B.

We're waiting for the externally marked AS exam results to see if she's just very conservative with her gradings, or whether DD needs to adjust her sights a little. I imagine A A B isn't going to cut it with a Cambridge or Durham application. Durham was very clear in their talk that they require A* A A and even if you have that and apply, there's no guarantee of an offer as they are so popular.

[boys3]

Quite surprised at your DD's Durham perceptions. DS1 just graduated in history and had a similar ancient / early history interest. He found this ruled out a lot of Unis (including several at the more elite end and also some on your potential open day list). He did like the course offering at Durham though. So much so that we went to two open days there.

He decided on Cambridge and perhaps ironically focused mainly in Yrs 2 and 3 on periods that as a more naive and opinionated sixth former he probably would have rolled his eyes at :).

My advice for your DD - Aim high but keep an open mind.

[Daisymay2]

We saw more history departments than I want to think about. In addition to some of those mentioned Leicester Lancaster and Leeds are worth considering . Some departments offer combined Ancient history and history degrees.

[blackdoggotmytongueagain]

Ds1’s turn now - his sole aim seems to be to find the option with the lowest entry standards.

[blackdoggotmytongueagain]

[blackdoggotmytongueagain]

dd1 visited five that offered her course and were not enormous cities as she is a pretty small town kid. She actually had one very clear favourite before visiting, but was blown away by one of the others when we set foot in the town - both the students running the tours and the recruiting team were head and shoulders above the favourite. She has hobbies and employment that she was bearing in mind, both of which would have been easy at her original favourite, but she went with her gut and loves it.

[eatyourveg]

ds3 is in Newcastle and not at all a party animal. I knew of the good time reputation and thought his ASD would make it difficult for him to make friends if everyone was loud and out partying all the time. In fact he loves the place and says its the friendliest place he has ever been to.

[AtiaoftheJulii]

You always refer to Newcastle as a party university. It's not clear that perhaps you actually mean that the city has a brilliant nightlife, is packed with great places to eat, etc. I just don't want quieter prospective students to be put off by you banging on about everyone going up there for a good time

From what I've seen, Newcastle is an extremely friendly city, with not many rough sleepers. Oxford has a lot of rough sleepers, high levels of bike theft, etc. And tbh the huge numbers of tourists there make it a less friendly city in my (longer than I care to calculate) experience. Note I say city not uni.

[BubblesBuddy]

Attia - I mean the City of Newcastle!!! Not any individual halls. I am talking about it as a place to live and the students I know who have chosen it for it’s lively nature. I have relatives there. I do talk to them! I’m not down on it at all but if someone found Manchester a challenge, Newcastle might be one too. Oxford is gentile by comparison. I know that to be very true!

[Needmoresleep]

Slightly different advice from others.

She sounds as if she will enjy University as long as it is the right course and the right place.

She should certainly have a crack at Cambridge, but it matters not one jot when she completes the other four lines on the UCAS form as long as it is before the January deadline, or whether she completes them at all.

The idea that "most schools" have policies sounds odd. I can only speak from experience of one school but they would not have advocated this at all.

I would take the pressure off, and simply have her apply to Cambridge by the early deadline. Writing the PS will have her thinking about what she wants to study and why. She would consider other courses but the key thing then is for her to work hard, and read/explore around her suubject.

If she does not find anywhere else she really wants to go to, don't push. Simply aim for a gap year doing interesting things - archealogical dig, working in a stately home, and so on. A chance to meet people who share her interests and get a better idea of the options available.

Then she either gets offered a place at Cambridge first time round, or she has the gap year, reapplies to Camrbdige (it is perfectly possible to get a place on reapplication especially if you are more mature, understand the process better, and have developed your interest in the subvject). She will also hear from schools friends about their experiences of different Universities and gain ideas from them. And when she gets to University she will have the advantage of another year's experience and maturity and be ready to resume study.

[welshmist]

Middle DS went to Bangor enjoyed it so much we hardly ever saw him. Whereas the other son would come home most weekends in the summer . I would encourage her to join some clubs at uni. it does help you to settle in faster.

[welshmist]

We live in your neck of the woods. Shy DS. Got him a job at the local pub restaurant. It has made him much more confident. He has been to uni. exhibitions so now knows more than us. Manchester is a good uni. with good train links, do not discount it a friends son is studying medicine there and loves it. Friends children have been robbed in Chester and Liverpool. Thieves love robbing halls of residence. We looked at Cardiff, but it really is a pain in the behind travel wise. Eldest DS went to Huddersfield, he had fancied Leeds but decided the course was better in Huddersfield.

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Bangor piqued her interest today. Another (non RG) place, that's got the Gold award in the teaching framework that was really pushing the wealth of choice of modules that the pupils could choose including joint hons possibilities and the major/minor choices of subjects. Beautiful place to live/visit too.

Lower requirements, though. BBB.

She is still considering Durham if she can't settle on a 5th place to put down, or if she doesn't like York when we visit. She's aware of the early application requirement with Cambridge, and the Asnac course she'd love to do has a pre interview exam too.