Uni choices for shy, autistic boy (Comp Sci)

[AmazeAmazeAmaze]

My DS is year 12. Minimum predicted grades are AAA and hoping realistically to achieve A star, A star, A. Good GCSE’s (999888776)

He lives in front of his computer and is uninterested in any social contact. He enjoys school and has a few “acquaintances” (his word!) but generally is a loner by choice.

He is keen to go to a ‘good’ Uni but has so many stipulations I’m finding it hard to help advise him. He did an Oxford open day and hated their comp Sci course as it was too theoretical. Despite being commuting distance to Imperial, Kings and UCL he “doesn’t want to be in London”. League tables suggest St Andrews, Manchester and Warwick are excellent choices for CS but are “too far” according to DS.

Ive sat him down and said he really needs to visit some places he’s ruled out (my personal feeling is Imperial would be the perfect fit for him) but he’s not showing much enthusiasm.

The only place he’s seemed remotely interested in is Cambridge but he’d find the interview very hard and I’m not sure his grades are quite good enough.

Any advice on how to help him choose? Should I push for him to visit a few places he’s ruled out or let him work it out for himself? He’s fiercely independent but does need a guiding hand when it comes to big decisions.

Ds is autistic and is doing maths and comp sci at York - it’s a long way away for us too, but the support has been great: introductory session for kids with additional challenges before term kicked off so he had a group of people he knew before he started; collegiate (accommodation) system means lots of lower scale opportunities to socialise (eg come and watch bake off & eat cake); autistic support sessions; Very nurturing space in general. Uni is small and out of town but town is relatively quirky and manageable too. So far we’ve been incredibly impressed. But, I would say nearly all of the unis on the thread are relatively theoretical (Ds applied to Warwick, Cambridge, Bath…) - if your Ds wants something more hands on and build focused they might not be the right courses for him…

RHUL ? Not in London but close enough.

Don't rule out Cambridge yet, he has a good chance of a place. Will his autism be mentioned on his application, by himself or a supportive teacher? Can you get him some interview coaching so he know exactly what is expected of him?

Sussex is great for comp sci and smaller than places like Manchester which can get overwhelming.
Agree with Bath too.

. My DS is autistic and dyspraxic and applying for computer science at university this year. He is very academic (predicted 5 A* at A level). He is waiting to hear from Cambridge and has offers at Warwick and Manchester. For him, Cambridge would be ideal because there is more pastoral care - e.g. guaranteed accommodation for 3/4 years, and he likes the theoretical focus
. He was torn between maths and CS. However, Cambridge is very competitive.

he really liked Warwick. Not too far from home and he liked the course. Like others on this thread, he wouldn’t contemplate any London universities.

I am worried about how he will manage at uni and it is nice to ‘meet’ others in a similar position. I’m interested to hear about the support offered but worried that DS won’t take it up. He isn’t bothered about being ‘different’, which is great, except that he is also quite sociable and keen to integrate. Unlike some autistic teenagers, he wouldn’t be happy on his own. He is aware of being left out 😞.

Is there anywhere he can live at home & go to? With so many lectures being online he may be more comfortable living at home.

OP, I would also be looking at Bath and Warwick. Both excellent reputations for CS. I don't want to put him off trying for Cambridge, but CS is one of their most competitive courses (if not the most competitive?) and, if the Cambridge stats are anything to go by, the majority (if not all) of those offered have a least three A. Just worth being realistic (as I'm sure you are anyway). I would check the stats for Imperisl as well as they may well be similar. A friend's son got four A and is also autistic - now doing very well at Warwick. Bath uni is known for its pastoral care and there would be the option there of living in student accommodation in town (a not too overwhelming and very beautiful town at that) or on campus.

Sorry, that should have read the majority accepted for CS at Cambridge would have three or four A* as it's so competitive. There's the advertised minimum grades ( 2 A star and an A) and then there's the grades the ones accepted actually have.