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Original poster

Durham - deeply disappointed child - any admissions insight

662 replies

albertandlilylight · 30/03/2023 23:29

First choice university by a mile and really really wants to go there and college system would suit very well. 43 (IB) in predicted grades, am told by school very good school reference and personal statement. However, got an offer for a course did not apply for and for which has no interest. Don't understand at all. Worked so hard all the way through school, told hard work rewards and then this. Anyone got any insight to how Durham are offering and is there anything that can be done from here?

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Willowwomble · 01/04/2023 19:06

My son has already passed his A levels and had a gap year, he has enough UCAS points for the course he wanted to attend at Durham and didn't get offered a place though he was offered a place at all his other choices, fortunately this wasn't his first choice. I'm guessing it may be a very popular choice university. Definitely worth pinging them an email to see if there is any other way forward for your child to attend, good luck :)

LemonSwan · 01/04/2023 19:10

This happened to me. Wanted architecture, was offered but missed the grades. They assessed my personal statement and sent it to landscape architecture. Which I didn’t even know existed. Very disappointed but went. Best thing which ever happened to me. Fell into an industry I love by pure mistake. And looking back my personal statement was an LA one not an architecture one. I was much better suited.

Puffalicious · 01/04/2023 19:17

Triantha · 01/04/2023 17:25

The contextual offers are also to counter things like social and time privileges - kids from poorer backgrounds at state schools might need to work at the weekends to earn money rather than volunteering at a hospital, or might not have the connections at a local law firm that a more privileged child might have access to. They can't necessarily afford to take a summer unpaid internship or (like another student on my program way back when) go to another country on a "help for humanity" type experience.

This stuff is incredibly hard to quantify. It may seem unfair, but students from privileged backgrounds need to be doing this stuff because they are able to. That's why just going on excellent grades is less fair for them.

A privileged student who spends a few weeks every summer volunteering at the hospital probably has a greater interest in being a doctor than another privileged student who just goes on holiday. It's impossible to go on that for the student who works in Greggs all summer because they need to save up for University. You can't judge their level of commitment because they had no choice to do an unpaid supracurricular.

Anyway, this will always be emotional and contentious. But when I think of all my friends at college who (like I did) had a job at the weekend as well as going to Sixth Form in the week, a contextual offer seems more than fair. I don't think I had one, mind you, because I was offered a place at/higher than the grades previously specified. I don't know if they did contextual offers back in 2005.

I totally agree with this. I work in a very deprived area in inner-city Glasgow and our pupils need to work so, so hard to compete (many without engaged parents/ an atmosphere conducive to study). Absolutely they should get some breaks. Equally I feel that pupils in rural areas who deserve these breaks should get them too: i wasnt aware that they are often excluded from this, which is terrible.

I've heard for too many years how contextual offers are unfair. My sister still can't help banging on about it as DNiece didn't get into medicine (2 yrs in a row), but 2 of my pupils got in via access to Medicine (Glasgow). She completely ignores the fact that she lives in a salubrious area, DN went to a v middle-class school and she's not had to live within poverty/ care system/ parents in prison! Honestly!

The debate about 'name' is interesting. It's all based on random past glory. My own DS was offered places at Edinburgh and St Andrews. He decided against these as for his course Glasgow is higher on the league tables. Strathclyde (shock, horror a non RG univ and my own alma mater) is top in the UK for accountancy. You need to do your homework for specific courses.

surreygirl1987 · 01/04/2023 19:21

I agree re contextual offers. The kids I teach are so so lucky. They get so many opportunities from the school and a lot of the kids just ignore them - what a waste. I'd have killed for the opportunities they have. I knew nothing!

Angliski · 01/04/2023 19:23

It’s just life. I got told by Oxford that I had written the best history paper they had seen but applied for wrong subject and was thus not offered a place. Was living in a bed sit with no parental support. Was devastated at time… now I think I may not have turned into the nicest of people had a gone to Oxbridge, being at Edinburgh gave me a much broader perspective. And I had an amazing time.

shit happens in life. Life isn’t fair. We aren’t entitled to stuff just because we worked really hard. We don’t exist in a meritocracy. These are important life lessons.

Optionshighlights · 01/04/2023 19:23

I work in university admissions, not at Durham but another red brick.
For incredibly popular courses with high entry requirements, there are analytics in place to offer the places to the small percentage of students who meet the entry requirements. Think A rather than A. It’s worth giving them a call to find out why the first choice course wasn’t offered and as a few have said she could swap after first year.

mellicauli · 01/04/2023 19:32

No one needs to go to Durham to read History to be happy. But she can go to Durham and read Archaeology if it's that important. Or she can read History somewhere else.

By this time next year, your child will be somewhere new, enjoying their new found independence with a new bunch of friends & interests. And any Durham /History disappointment will be forgotten, just an option she thought about for a bit.

My son waited from Sept to May for his Bristol rejection last year. (He had 3 A* prediction, good PS, great GCSE's - so no obvious reason there either). He's somewhere else now and loves it. As will your daughter.

Pr1mr0se · 01/04/2023 19:39

Get her to take the initative and phone admissions to get clarification and ask whether there are other options.

Check whether the course offered can be changed after the first year onto the course she actually wanted if it is a similar subject.

Flizzle · 01/04/2023 20:12

Ohhh I was in exactly this situation 20 years ago and I ended up loving archaeology. Granted, I didn’t go into it after but I loved my course and the digs were brilliant.
I now work in uni recruitment and admissions. Applications this year are insane! Record numbers and incredibly good grades. It sometimes feels like luck of the draw who gets an offer.
i would advise him to take archaeology and have take history modules as his choices.

Skybluepinky · 01/04/2023 20:57

Did their school not explain that everyone applying has top grades, amazing ps and work experience?
it happens every year they are over subscribed so very few get an offer and those that do it’s not necessarily for what they applied for.
For some it’s the first time they have ever been rejected.
Its ok to be disappointed but they obviously they rnt what Durham are looking for.
have they got any other offers?

WomblingTree86 · 01/04/2023 21:02

Skybluepinky · 01/04/2023 20:57

Did their school not explain that everyone applying has top grades, amazing ps and work experience?
it happens every year they are over subscribed so very few get an offer and those that do it’s not necessarily for what they applied for.
For some it’s the first time they have ever been rejected.
Its ok to be disappointed but they obviously they rnt what Durham are looking for.
have they got any other offers?

Why is it obvious that they haven't got what durham are looking for? The choice among those predicted top grades is probably pretty random, especially this year when they can't even rely on GCSE grades.

WeAreAllLionesses · 01/04/2023 21:14

I think your daughter needs to decide what is more important - the university she goes to or the course she can study.

Agree with this. DC was offered the uni of his choice but not the course he had applied for; he had also been accepted by another uni for the same course.

He decided to go to his first choice uni on the alternative course and is loving it.

Doggate1 · 01/04/2023 21:17

Academic results are now about the context in which you achieved them. So if you got 9GCSEs at grade 9 from a private or academically selective 6th then you will be lower in your success than someone who got 7 GCSEs grade 7 from a state school.

Skybluepinky · 01/04/2023 21:27

Bcos they would have been offered history if they were, just bcos u have the grades required doesn’t guarantee that u will get a place.

WomblingTree86 · 01/04/2023 21:34

Doggate1 · 01/04/2023 21:17

Academic results are now about the context in which you achieved them. So if you got 9GCSEs at grade 9 from a private or academically selective 6th then you will be lower in your success than someone who got 7 GCSEs grade 7 from a state school.

Why should people from academically selective state schools be discrimated against? All that means is they were academic when they were 11. They haven't benefited from small class sizes or better teaching.

Overeggingthepudding · 01/04/2023 21:44

2019 @Genevieva. Not teacher assessed grades for gcses

FlorentinePaper · 01/04/2023 21:51

@WomblingTree86 I can't see there is that much difference between top academically selective state and independent schools, other than class sizes. In some cases teaching will be better in the state sector. At least you need to be a qualified teacher to teach there. Also, many passionate, aspirational and inspirational teachers refuse on principle to leave the state sector. If a DC is in a top academically selective state school then they are in a privileged position academically. They are not being discriminated against by having their results contextualised to take account of this. It's just making things fairer.

user146539089 · 01/04/2023 21:52

@WomblingTree86 most dc who are ‘academic’ enough to get into a selective schools at 11 are usually the beneficiaries of pushy parents and lots of expensive tutoring.

FlorentinePaper · 01/04/2023 21:59

@User839516 I don't think you can generalise like that. The ones who really fly in such environments tend to be the self-starters who don't need tutoring.

mellicauli · 01/04/2023 22:13

@user146539089 if it makes you feel better, go ahead and think that. But it's just not true.

Sorry Josh, no place for you because even though you have got the grades, your parents are far too invested in education. And we're going to give your place to Ruby who maybe didn't get the grades but she's more worthy because her parents don't really care.

Having said that, I think it is OK to see performance in the context of their selective school. Teachers at a grammar won't have to stretch across such a broad ability band and so have more time to give help to high achievers. Difficult to push for a bright child to get a 9 when you can either do that or pull a few stragglers over to scrape a pass in an enabling subject like English or Maths.

Wonderfulstuff · 01/04/2023 22:13

Complete side thread but when did St Andrew's get so high and mighty? When I was doing UCAS it was known as the place for thick, rich kids (e.g. the windsors!).

I don't know if this applies in your case OP - but when I applied, a million years ago, Durham was infamous for rejecting if they saw that you'd applied to other top unis. Either way, Uni application is tough, especially for the popular courses like History, but I guess you need to be a bit philisophical and take it on the chin.

Socrateswasrightaboutvoting · 01/04/2023 22:16

FlorentinePaper · 01/04/2023 21:59

@User839516 I don't think you can generalise like that. The ones who really fly in such environments tend to be the self-starters who don't need tutoring.

Its a standing joke about the tutoring to get into the selective schools round here. Its the majority rather than the minority.

NCTDN · 01/04/2023 22:17

Wonderfulstuff · 01/04/2023 22:13

Complete side thread but when did St Andrew's get so high and mighty? When I was doing UCAS it was known as the place for thick, rich kids (e.g. the windsors!).

I don't know if this applies in your case OP - but when I applied, a million years ago, Durham was infamous for rejecting if they saw that you'd applied to other top unis. Either way, Uni application is tough, especially for the popular courses like History, but I guess you need to be a bit philisophical and take it on the chin.

I don't think unis can see where else you've applied?

user56912 · 01/04/2023 22:20

Wonderfulstuff · 01/04/2023 22:13

Complete side thread but when did St Andrew's get so high and mighty? When I was doing UCAS it was known as the place for thick, rich kids (e.g. the windsors!).

I don't know if this applies in your case OP - but when I applied, a million years ago, Durham was infamous for rejecting if they saw that you'd applied to other top unis. Either way, Uni application is tough, especially for the popular courses like History, but I guess you need to be a bit philisophical and take it on the chin.

St Andrews currently ranks above Oxford in some of the rankings. It’s top five in most.

it’s also ridiculously difficult to get in since it’s very small and also takes masses of international students (mainly Americans) and also has to take a certain number of Scottish students of course.

user56912 · 01/04/2023 22:21

And the universities cannot see where else you’ve applied to.

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