Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

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

Original poster

Durham University

998 replies

NotEnoughTime · 04/02/2020 14:18

Hello.

How many of us are waiting for their DC to hear back from Durham? My DS applied back in October last year and is getting very down now he knows that others who have received offers are being informed that they will be told soon re college allocations.

I am usually a 'no news is good news' type of person but even I am finding it hard to be upbeat as I too am fed up Confused

I wish they would just let him me know soon if he is going to get an offer or a rejection and then he can get on with his life and his A Level revision without this hanging over him.

OP posts:
Hoghgyni · 11/02/2020 22:12

Unless nobody else wants a place in South! Then they will both get super rooms!

Pros:

  1. All single rooms
  2. Brand new facilities
  3. No college reputation or traditions in place, so they can build their own

Cons:

  1. Self catering
  2. Little info about the facilities
  3. The smell of fresh paint
  4. No chance to look around
DadDadDad · 11/02/2020 22:31

3) No college reputation or traditions in place, so they can build their own - I think the problem is that in his head, DS feels he can get his Oxford offer and is picturing a life in a small college there that does have a particular character and tradition that he likes, and "modern" isn't his cup of tea. (This is someone who across his three A level subjects, topics in 16th Century history are the closest he gets to the present day Grin ).

Jano69 · 11/02/2020 22:32

I think South College sounds great with its brand new shiny facilities. DD, Y12, is seriously considering putting it as her first choice when she applies this autumn. We'll be checking it out when we visit DS next week during half term.

goodbyestranger · 11/02/2020 22:33

DadDadDad I think the reassignment thing is very likely.

Would any other insurance guarantee catered?

I have to say that I hadn't taken in that South College is self catered, which is an absolute pest for those wanting catered. But then if it's the insurance option it really is up in the air.

DadDadDad · 11/02/2020 22:39

Would any other insurance guarantee catered?

I take your point - I think it's just the unexpectedness of South College that's thrown us, as we'd not even heard of it, and couldn't even work out where it's going to be located at first. (Google Maps doesn't recognise it yet!)

Jano69 · 11/02/2020 22:48

DadDadDad South College is very close to Josephine Butler.

Fink · 11/02/2020 23:01

goodbyestranger It wasn't the fact that they invited me to interview after my Oxford offer that I found strange, it was that I wrote and said I would not be attending the interview and they still offered me a place anyway.

goodbyestranger · 12/02/2020 08:07

Perhaps the message never went to the correct place or wasn't read by the person pressing the offer button, or perhaps the interview was irrelevant and purely informal. I wouldn't think anything of it tbh - I certainly wouldn't read into it that the uni was weird.

DietCocoaBreak · 12/02/2020 08:18

First choice college here. Put the cat among the pigeons a bit as DS was set on Warwick as first choice but really loved this particular college.....we are going to go back back and look around both again....

Pepermintea · 12/02/2020 09:24

DS also got his first choice college, but as it is a possible insurance I guess it doesn't mean that much. He has never visited Durham, so will go to the March offer holders day and then decide whether to have Durham or Nottingham as insurance.

Theworldisfullofgs · 12/02/2020 09:28

My dd is waiting to hear from Durham and LSE still.

goodbyestranger · 12/02/2020 09:38

I'm going to have a snoop too when I'm there next week to see my own DS Jano69!

Jano69 · 12/02/2020 09:58

goodbyestranger I think there's a few of us MN'ers visiting our dc at Durham next week! DD, Y12, is very excited about guiding a personal guided tour from her big brother. She'll also be going to the Open Day this summer.

Fink · 12/02/2020 10:43

@goodbyestranger Alright, maybe 'weird' is the wrong word. But I certainly think their admissions process is opaque and not particularly well organised. And I've got plenty of experience of others as a comparison, both as a perennial student myself and as a former teacher with responsibilty for uni admissions for sixth formers. It is a very good uni in terms of teaching quality and student experience, but the admissions and some other admin departments just don't seem to communicate within their offices.

goodbyestranger · 12/02/2020 12:19

There could well be something to be said for a degree of opaqueness in admissions.

Fink · 12/02/2020 12:42

There could well be something to be said for a degree of opaqueness in admissions.

Really? What could possibly be said for it?!

bengalcat · 12/02/2020 16:44

Mine is at a SC college by choice . That said they do have college dinners ( which you have to book on in advance ) Mondays and Fridays and the bar area does do some basic food . Many students club together to get online delivery ( the clubbing together is so they spend enough to qualify for free delivery ) and of course there's always the good old takeaway and eating out option . I don't think she starves .

pinksparkly · 12/02/2020 16:53

My DS got an a very reduced offer in October and further reduced if firmed as first choice also got his college preference emailed yesterday.
A friend of his got rejected yesterday after having a Cambridge interview and he also has another friend who has got an offer but not reduced and this is all for the same subject and all the same predicted grades so not sure how they are doing it.

goodbyestranger · 12/02/2020 18:07

A certain amount of freedom of action Fink. And given that the applicants being offered places are individuals with different profiles who may bring different things to the various departments, to my mind being able to treat the thing not as a numerical exercise is good. These places are supposed to be diverse communities with exchanges of ideas, not monoliths. I've no idea why disgruntled parents make FOI requests, they'll only ever scratch the surface where unis are wanting latitude. Anyone who's ever been involved in selection will know that a lot of competing factors will go into decisions, and a good wodge of subjectivity.

Serin · 12/02/2020 23:00

DS has been offerred St Mary's. He is pleased with that as great choir Smile

bigTillyMint · 13/02/2020 07:05

@Serin, the acapella choir there is vey good - is that the one he’s interested in?

For those wondering about catered, DS says the food is pretty decent. Veggie and vegan offered and healthy choices. His problem is getting up to breakfast...

Serin · 13/02/2020 08:17

bigTillyMint, Yes it is!
Good to hear that the food is ok.
It seems a friendly place too.

KingscoteStaff · 13/02/2020 08:18

DS’s choice was based largely on reports of the food...

goodbyestranger · 13/02/2020 08:28

Food is very good at your DS's college Tilly but in the nature of things it will vary between colleges.

ifonly4 · 13/02/2020 08:56

DD applied last year in October. Had very early offers from Edinburgh and St Andrews (who tend to hold off until the new year), her two others offer Jan/Feb but Durham kept her waiting until March. A lot at her school had to wait unti then. They got offers but not their colleges an got put in one a bit further out with a lake.

Durham are well known for late offers, so hang in there.

Swipe left for the next trending thread