Probably a stupid question but how do you go about choosing a university?

[Exhausteddog]

I feel a bit silly asking this but how do you choose which unis you want to visit/put on a short list? What makes one better than another?

DD is currently in year 11. She's done well in all subjects (although I'm mindful I think they made the mark scheme quite generous) but she's drawn towards creative subjects, and that's what she is planning to study at A level and potentially beyond.

SIL said she advised her DC to choose unis within a 2 or 3 hour drive of home so they could visit regularly (my DSis went to a uni 6 hrs away and was really homesick, but it meant she rarely came home for weekends and it was a long way for my parents to drive to see her)

DD is incredibly shy. She won't even say hello to a (very nice and friendly, female) neighbour, or answer the door to people she knows. She has talked about trying to go to the same uni as a friend. I know you probably shouldn't choose a uni based on where friends are going but what, ideally, should we be looking at? (if 10 unis have a fine art course for example, how do you narrow down which ones to visit or consider on a shortlist?)

We did it by area, we had a three hour drive radius criteria and went to about 10 open days. We ruled out some where my DC didn’t like the area or the campus didn’t have the right feel to it. My DC then applied for a couple of unis above or just above their predicted grades, one or two at the right level or just above and one each that was just under their predicted grades. Both DC got offers on all their unis (I think this is common) and went to their first choice one.

@Exhausteddog this little course www.futurelearn.com/courses/guide-to-university-entry is really helpful breaking down the steps for applying to uni, so what to ask at open day, how UCAS works and how student finance works.

I would say things have changed regarding art foundation and there are degree programmes that don't require one and lots that have it as a part of the degree. If your daughter knows exactly what she wants to do then she can go straight to uni if she wants and has a good portfolio - BUT a foundation is great for opening up so many options and a great experience plus it is still FE and so no tuition fees! (If you do a integrated foundation universities can charge tuition fees so look at that closely) She doesn't have to stay local either, there are some great foundation programmes that have amazing facilities and give students experience in lots of different disciplines - the UAL ones have already been mentioned but there are quite a few - a couple of years ago I took my niece around Arts University Bournemouth and it was really impressive.

@CrimbleCrumble1

We did it by area, we had a three hour drive radius criteria and went to about 10 open days. We ruled out some where my DC didn’t like the area or the campus didn’t have the right feel to it. My DC then applied for a couple of unis above or just above their predicted grades, one or two at the right level or just above and one each that was just under their predicted grades. Both DC got offers on all their unis (I think this is common) and went to their first choice one.

30something years ago I drew a circle 100 miles radius from home, and said I’d go anywhere on the other side. I went considerably further away!

Think these things...

Course content - does it cover the topics you like or are interested in
Optional modules - is there enough choice or things you can choose later because often they develop and change direction slightly
Options for year abroad or placement
Location in the country - consider where you currently live and is it a place you would like to live in
What you like doing - clubbing, gigs, hobbies etc
Your budget _ London is pricer than Sheffield
Vibe - is it friendly? do you feel comfortable there (when you visit)
Lecturers knowledge and interests - do the people working there have expertise in the area you would like to work in afterwards
Accommodation

@Fruitygal
Some of that is very difficult for Fine Arts though. Placements are rarely a thing. For a very shy DD, clubbing and other going out options might not be what she would consider important. Reputation for Fine Arts is what matters. It’s very very challenging to get employment so I would look at what alumni actually do afterwards. In fact are there better employment opportunities by not doing Fine Art? Are allied courses better?

@TizerorFizz just a generic list of things as a starting point not a definitive set of rules to apply to fine art 😂

Also think about whether a college based Uni would be a good fit. There are pros and cons of the college system.

Yes, accommodation can be a big issue. Different Unis have very different quality/choices/costs of accommodation. We didn't think much about it until the first time we viewed a campus accommodation blocks and were pretty shocked at the poor quality/size for the price they wanted. DS was very put off by it. Luckily, the offerings at other Unis he visited were a lot better. Some unis have very similar accommodation in the same location so you have a very good chance of getting what you want, but others have very different offerings so there was a risk of getting something you didn't want, in a location you didn't want. DS ended up chosing a Uni where he knew with certainty what standard of accommodation he'd get and where it would be - the only "doubt" was which block it would be, but all 3 were next to eachother so it hardly mattered!

It's good to talk to current students, DS did on various tours and found out, at one Uni which had been high on his list, that barely anyone had got the room types they'd asked for, even to the extent of someone wanting catered in a city centre block being allocated self catering 30 minutes out of the city. It put him right off that Uni.

@Fruitygal
Fine art is what the op was interested in. Your list was good for general uni choice but Art is different in some ways. Particularly, whether it offers a foundation and course specialisms and prestige.

DD1 wasn’t bothered about standard of accommodation. Plenty of boarding school DC take the cheaper blocks with shared bathrooms.

Clearly as I said already it was generic but as a fine art expert I bow to your superior knowledge but god I so know what you mean about boarding school when I finished at Sherborne so many wanted to continue with that slightly uncomfortable boarding feel to uni life. Luckily M&D were happy I wanted to be comfortable!

Can’t say I have superior knowledge of Fine Art but I do know some unis are far more prestigious than others. Finding a career after isn’t easy either. DD has a friend who went to Central St Martins but others find that intimidating. So really working through options and what outcomes might be is important otherwise it’s an expensive hobby. Unfortunately.

DDs room at uni was less comfortable than school and food was not as good either. Same supplier but everything overcooked!! She was insurance though so grateful for anything.