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Higher education

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

Original poster

Durham College Allocation

46 replies

KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 08:08

Hi

Dd is in the process of trying to rank her colleges. She knows she wants gowned and would also like to be on the Bailey. - I imagine these are probably very popular choices.

Ive read the website / been to the open day and she is booked onto a March offer holders day (although these are on strike days so who knows if they will happen - frustratingly the Feb one is on one of the very few days she can’t do).

can anyone give me any info as to how college allocation works - likelihood of getting a preference and also when students hear of their allocation- is it after A level results?

thank you!

OP posts:
Overeggingthepudding · 02/02/2023 10:26

www.dur.ac.uk/colleges.se.office/allocations/
have you seen above link?

Overeggingthepudding · 02/02/2023 10:33

Also this might be useful in seeing how colleges were ranked by prospective students in previous years:

www.palatinate.org.uk/durham-college-popularity-rankings-revealed/

Despite all the ranking shenanigans and some not getting their first choice , it seems most students are happy with their colleges once they get there.

olympicsrock · 02/02/2023 11:20

My brother and cousin went to Aidan’s. Both had a brilliant time. Have stayed in contact with all their friends . A great crowd. It’s win win I think.
many people don’t state their preference

Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 15:33

Overeggingthepudding · 02/02/2023 10:26

I had seen that but wasn’t sure about it’s info as it’s not up to date as you no longer express preference via UCAS application and it’s now done via the Durham portal after an offer is made.

thanks for the other link will have a good read!

OP posts:
Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 15:35

olympicsrock · 02/02/2023 11:20

My brother and cousin went to Aidan’s. Both had a brilliant time. Have stayed in contact with all their friends . A great crowd. It’s win win I think.
many people don’t state their preference

That’s great to hear - sadly she wants a gowned college. I think that with her desire to live at Castle seems to be part of her living out some Harry Potter / Hogwarts fantasy 😂😂😂

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 02/02/2023 15:37

She needs to be prepared then that she may not get a gowned college nor a Baily one - but then again she might.

BettyBoo123456 · 02/02/2023 15:39

If she chooses a gowned Bailey College then these are the most popular so she is much less likely to get her first choice or her first few choices.

Some of the Hill Colleges are gowned and have nice new modern rooms with 3/4 beds, large kitchen living social spaces and they can eat and cook what they like when they like.

Colleges are allocated post results day but if your first choices are Bailey Colleges you/she may still be in limbo for a few weeks after. See last years posts on TSR.

Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 15:42

Hi yes I’m prepping her for this eventuality but if you don’t put them first you deffo won’t get them. She knows the chance of Castle are slim. I don’t think the subject she’s applied for has the biggest cohort so don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad? Who knows!

They have to rank every single college though and there are a fair few of the Hill Colleges which are also gowned so fingers crossed!

OP posts:
Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 15:44

@BettyBoo123456 thank you that’s super helpful!

OP posts:
bguthb90 · 02/02/2023 15:53

@KittyMcKitty Re 'gowned' - what does she actually mean/want ?

Aidan's was a gowned college when I was there in the 90s, but in reality the only Thursday formal dinners which people really dressed up for were The Christmas one and the one before Easter.

For the rest we just wore our gowns over our normal clothes - only the high table/SCR would have worn jacket and tie etc.

KingscoteStaff · 02/02/2023 15:58

Is she sporty? Hatfield is fantastic for College teams for sports where she wouldn’t be playing for Uni. DS plays rugby + cricket for the University, but has played football, squash and mixed lacrosse for Hatfield! And possibly croquet???

Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 16:00

@bguthb90 Aidens is now listed as not gowned. As far as what it means it’s purely that they wear gowns over their (probably normal) clothes to their formal dinners.

Dd is probably the last person I would have expected to be into gowns etc (multiple piercings, slightly alternative and at state school) but she really likes it so what do I know 😂

OP posts:
BettyBoo123456 · 02/02/2023 16:01

Durham is a great place to be a student except for the stress of having to decide who they would like to live with and where they would like to live in year two (within the first three weeks of term).

The College choice really isn’t worth getting overly invested in as it is really just a base where they live as they are not taught in Colleges. Have you or your daughter looked at some of the reviews for the food in the catered Colleges.

It sounds like a great night out for the students visiting the many different College bars regardless of which College they are allocated and they have friends from various different Colleges.

The Bailey Colleges tend to attract those from private schools and wealthier backgrounds.

happyharpy78 · 02/02/2023 16:02

DS went to Hatfield. He loved the idea of Castle but thought his chances were slim so went for Hatfield which he liked equally and is also Bailey and gowned. He has really enjoyed it there and still feels part of the college even though he now lives out as a postgrad. Still goes back for formals and the Lion in Winter ball. I do think though that as a PP said, most students end up loving their eventual college wherever they applied to originally.

Overeggingthepudding · 02/02/2023 16:42

Dc got castle and wanted to share a room . I was surprised, but coming out of covid lockdowns it wasn’t a bad idea tbh. I think this eagerness to share *may have been in their favour as they actually got to live IN the castle.

Overeggingthepudding · 02/02/2023 16:48

Dc is State school educated btw.

Oblomov22 · 02/02/2023 17:21

Ds1 fancied gowned, and the Bailey's ones were as he'd hoped, but When we visited, he found others he liked aswell, Hatfield and Collingwood. whereas his girlfriend liked the hill sporty ones and also Josephine butler.

Can you visit any other weekend?

Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 17:28

Thank you all - we visited at the Open Day last September so have seen some Colleges (well Castle). She just wants to be up by the cathedral / near the town. Also her subject seems to have most of its teaching on Old Elvert as opposed to the main campus so they work better geographically.

The Uni says they are planning on still running the offer holders days so we’ll have to see. Unfortunately it’s about 5 hrs each way from home to Durham plus mega expensive for trains / hotels etc. so it’s tricky just to pop up for a look around. It’s costing over £200 for me to take her to the York offer holders day this Sat. (Durham is the only other one we will go to).

OP posts:
EwwSprouts · 02/02/2023 17:47

@KittyMcKitty If you have time to take a wander round York there is a trail of ice sculptures this weekend.

EwwSprouts · 02/02/2023 17:49

@KittyMcKitty DS is a first year at Durham. He wanted self-catering on the Hill and was lucky enough to get his first choice. So I can't help you with gowned.

ACJane · 02/02/2023 17:58

OP, has she has an email about college preferences already? My dc has an offer and has not...

Original poster
KittyMcKitty · 02/02/2023 18:07

ACJane · 02/02/2023 17:58

OP, has she has an email about college preferences already? My dc has an offer and has not...

Yes she had an email saying she can rank them on the Durham Portal. May have come at the same time as the offer holders days email but may not - Durham seem to be sending her a squillion emails at the mo!

OP posts:
BettyBoo123456 · 02/02/2023 18:11

I think DS missed out on ranking his Colleges initially. But he got the chance again later on.

GoldenRuby · 03/02/2023 23:25

DD is a first year at St John's. She is absolutely loving it. It's a tiny college so everyone gets to know each other quickly. Their gardens and the view from the dining hall are lovely. She is a college rep for the offer holder days, so will be giving tours of the college.

EconButlerSnow · 04/02/2023 16:55

DC applied for Trevs and Collingwood. They were initially allocated Stephenson, so not even catered. Friends who needed self catered because of the cost were given catered instead. It soured the whole idea of a fair allocation system. Don't set your heart on anything.