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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:
LeiatheSchnauzer · 02/02/2021 09:50

They have replied already! Yes, it will be available.

janinlondon · 02/02/2021 12:24

Snowy in Durham this morning....! Hope all our chickens up there are wrapped up warmly.

Beetlesand · 02/02/2021 13:51

Thanks @LeiatheSchnauzer Smile

chopc · 02/02/2021 17:09

In previous years were Durham at all flexible with their offers on results day?

Applepieco · 02/02/2021 17:33

@chopc

Interesting question. They don’t go into clearing, but obv don’t have/want empty seats, so maybe. I’m not sure if there is anywhere you can find out grades of admitted students?

WinterRobin · 02/02/2021 21:31

The complete university guide gives the average ucas score for new students entering the university as entry standards as one of the columns in their league table and you can see the entry requirements under individual subjects. I heard of a few people this year who missed their offer grades this year and didn’t get a place. Lancaster on the other hand, interviewed my dd for their scholars programme, and offered her a unconditional place and a scholarship based on her interview. She turned Lancaster down though and firmed Durham.

KingscoteStaff · 02/02/2021 21:43

I didn't hear of any of last year's applicants getting in with missed grades - but because of CAG grades they had no places to spare anyway - quite the opposite.

sandybayley · 02/02/2021 21:55

When DS1 was applying last year he was warned by his school that Durham would not be flexible on grades. The school were very clear in their advice so I would caution against assuming any potential for flexibility from Durham.

chopc · 02/02/2021 23:33

I don't know if this has already been discussed - what has Durham's provision been like during the pandemic? Have students been supported in their learning and have access to their tutors? What portion of live lectures with Q and A has there been etc?

chopc · 02/02/2021 23:33

Noted all the advise about needing to get offered grades for Durham - thank you

WinterRobin · 03/02/2021 10:20

@chopc my dd is feeling a bit demotivated this week as all her lectures this week have been prerecorded. When they are live, most watch at the same time, and her course have a wassapp chat at the same time, so it feels more immersive. Last week, she had a couple of live tutorials, and a couple of one to one feedback sessions on essays and had a one to one during her lecturer’s office hours. When she has emailed, she often gets a quick response.

janinlondon · 03/02/2021 10:41

DD has had "one to one"s in lecturer office hours and good feedback when asking questions...On the question of Durham being flexible with grades, the one mitigating factor may be scholarships. If there is a big scholarship in the offing, I believe there is occasionally flexibility.

Jan069 · 03/02/2021 10:47

I've just posted their on the other thread but thought you guys may be interested too.

I have a DS in 2nd year and a Y13 DD holding an offer for Sep 21.

DD received an email from Durham this morning saying they're changing their college allocation process. She's been asked to rank her preferred colleges in order - 1st to 16th.

This is completely different to previous years when students would be randomly allocated a college if their first choice couldn't be met.

I think this is generally good news for students although I do worry that colleges risk reinforcing their reputations for a a certain "type" of student.

chopc · 03/02/2021 11:11

Thanks @Jan069 will ask DS if he received this. Did they mention a deadline for submission?

Also thank you and @WinterRobin for the info about online provision

Think DS just need to keep working to ensure he meets the offer grades now.

Crikeyblimey · 03/02/2021 11:39

Just asked ds to check his emails and he hasn’t had one from Durham. Hmmm. He has an offer already. Maybe they’re sending the emails in batches??

janinlondon · 03/02/2021 12:07

Details are here

SeasonFinale · 03/02/2021 16:37

@Crikeyblimey

Just asked ds to check his emails and he hasn’t had one from Durham. Hmmm. He has an offer already. Maybe they’re sending the emails in batches??
Maybe he is being allocated his first chouce so they haven't sent him the email (glass half full ).
Crikeyblimey · 03/02/2021 16:58

@SeasonFinale that’s just what DS said when I asked him to check 🤣

Beetlesand · 03/02/2021 18:54

Dd had the college allocation email today but her friend has not ( both have offers) so I’m guessing they are going out in batches. It’s such a good idea! Dd spent a happy afternoon looking through all the colleges and doing a preliminary ranking. Smile

LeiatheSchnauzer · 03/02/2021 19:45

Agree! I got home from work today and dd1 had been going through them all afternoon and putting them in order. It also means for her friend who really wants self catering that she can list them all as her top choices and will now have such a better chance of getting what she wants.

par05 · 03/02/2021 19:51

Hi all, have posted this question in other group, but dd has had the college allocation email too, but doesn't have a clue, any recommendations here? She will be studying English literature, is not really in to pub /clubbing etc, loves reading and writing and is very laid back. Any ideas and would self catering be better, or catered? Thank you in advance.

LeiatheSchnauzer · 03/02/2021 20:12

I don't think you have to put all 16 (?) in order if you don't have a preference, you could just put your top 3. I think it felt so random previously: if you don't get your first choice you get something completely random. Which for most people is probably fine but this feels so much nicer to be able to express your second choice - or even to make sure that your absolute worst (should you have one!) is right at the end of your list.
Dd1's first choice is a very popular one so she was very glad to be able to pick some more likely second choices.
@par05, dd1 has picked catered, I think there are a lot more of these than self catered. Her choices centred round proximity to her department, a smallish college with gowned formals and access to a piano! I think she hopes that catered will be quite social. She has spent a lot of time today looking at the college pages and watching videos to try and get a feel for them.

par05 · 03/02/2021 21:06

Thank you @LeiatheSchnauzer yep looking at what she studying and location at the moment, hoping to narrow down to top.10 I think. Dd also looking at college pages too.

Beetlesand · 03/02/2021 21:23

@par05 Dd said there are lots of individual college videos to look at if you Google.

KingscoteStaff · 03/02/2021 21:57

DS has been fielding messages from his friends in the year below, asking for ordering advice!

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