Modern Languages degree for my BBB/BBC DC

[BigVaseofTulips]

where would people recommend. Leicester is the aspirational one (say ABB but clearing suggest they take lower). What about Aber, Swansea, Surrey, Ox Brooke’s, Sheffield Hallam?

What languages are they interested in? Also keep in mind that some Russell Group universities will take much lower grades for MFL through clearing to balance the books, e.g. Exeter, Sheffield

@jwr carrying on with French and starting German. Understand about clearing but don’t know which choices to put on UCAS form

We went to an Offer Holders day at Reading and were really impressed by the MFL dept's presentation.

Their standard is BBB but will offer BBC if DC put them as their firm choice.

York offered one of mine BBB for French/German joint. You might get Exeter although they would offer higher. Royal Holloway?

They can’t fill modern language places so many will take a dropped grade or two from a candidate that firmed them. Some will from an insurance candidate. There are always Mel courses in clearing.

MFL

Have you looked at UCLAN? They have a good reputation for languages.

I attended Oxford Brookes open day with DS1 a few years ago and their course seemed interesting.

Might be worth looking at Cardiff, as well as Swansea.

SHU has been closing departments. I might swerve that one.

@BigVaseofTulips
I don’t think she needs to go too far down the rankings. Obviously avoid top ones but once you add in German, she might well get offers. Swansea has long been good for MFL. The former polys were not set up for MFL but if you like Oxford, Oxford Brookes is a good choice. UCLAN and Sheffield Hallam are ok but I think she could do better. Surrey would be a top pick I think from what you say. Reading maybe but not sure about Leicester.

However, others might be generous. In no particular order, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and Cardiff might be worth an aspirational punt. Queen Mary in London too. We know a DD who did a single honours MFL at Bristol with your DDs grades. Not one of your DDs languages but there is flexibility around grades.

I would also check how well ab initio German is taught. Are other languages easier with French? Not sure!

The Complete University Guide for French tells you which universities have lower entry standards. I think she also needs to decide what sort of university. City or remote. Aberystwyth is remote! Leicester is very different to Guildford.

I’d suggest she looks at the unis themselves. Sheffield is very different to Aberystwyth! DS originally felt he wanted a city uni (looked at both Sheffield choices) but is actually going to Aber in September and is really pleased with his choice (smaller uni, exciting course, very different from home).

Friends dd went to Swansea with slightly lower grades. Year abroad in France.

Newcastle has a very generous lower offer scheme, it may be one worth looking into!

Some fantastic advice so far. My DD is following with huge interest and is very grateful to you all

I don’t think Leicester offers German, and I don’t think Surrey do either.

What about Manchester Met? Or Scottish universities might be good, a few of them are BBB sometimes - Herriot Watt? Glasgow? Aberdeen?

Has she looked into Birmingham? Lovely campus uni in Edgbaston and i did Major / Minor in a foreign language, but i have many friends who did MFL degree and had an excellent experience.

It's not really on to heap disdain upon UCLAN as an 'ex poly' but exempt OBU from this disdain - simply, presumably, because it is familiar to you tizer as you always seem to mention it as good, and is I assume somewhere you approve of. UCLAN was 'set up' to offer languages. It is very innovative and very popular and , as I said, has a good reputation. It is worth a DC with the grades mentioned at least looking.

FWIW, OP, I know someone whose (very able )DD is at UCLAN right now doing languages (Korean and French) and having a brilliant time with lots of opportunities.

As others have mentioned, many universities are struggling to fill their MFL places with good students, so don't assume that if you don't meet the standard offer, you have no chance of getting in. There is an element of "game playing" that goes on here. Universities don't want their published standard offers to be too low, as they know it will affect people's perceptions of how good the university is. For undersubscibed courses, universities may therefore prefer to keep their published standard offer on the high side, but in practice take students with a missed grade or two. Keep an eye out this August for which universities have MFL places in clearing. Any that do will almost certainly have accepted students who didn't quite make the terms of their offer.

DD has an MFL offer from Lancaster BBB if firmed. Plus at the offer holders day the department head said please call him if anyone misses a grade.

I think Surrey does German but not sure about Oxford Brookes, DD discounted them for this reason.

DDs offers were in line with standard grade offers on the uni websites but it's worth checking the actual grades accepted as there's definitely flex. (Discover Uni website is a good resource).

A couple of years ago ds was offered BBB for ML by Cardiff if firmed, and BBB by Warwick which became his insurance. He’s at Birmingham but the Birmingham offer was AAB.

@Piggyiseatingfire
I specifically mentioned OB and related it to the fact it’s in Oxford. That’s a usp. It’s in a world class university city. The rest of my post suggested the DD could do better. It also probably depends where you live. No one in the south or west would really favour UCLAN over OB for MFL. In the North, they would. However it’s not on a city remotely like Oxford. However as OB doesn’t offer German it’s a non starter. I would also look at Kent.

Yes. German is the problem. According to the CUG, only 39 universities offer it. Surrey does. With French. Again check ab initio offering. UCLAN is lowest ranked at 39. Can’t see Leicester either. Sometimes universities “offer” a MFL but it’s not part of a MFL degree. It’s to support another subject or a bit of translation. Therefore making sure the ab initio is thorough is vital.

We don't know where the OP is. Also...people do definitely go to UCLAN from the south. What an odd thing to assert.

@Piggywaspushed For MFL? I don’t think so! Do you know anyone who has gone there? Why choose if over Lancaster?

Just to say: uclan is bottom of the league tables for German. The op didn’t mention it. No one thinks it’s good for MFL. What are you comparing it with? If you can get to Lancaster with BBB, take that. 100%

I mentioned upthread that I do.

Honestly, it was just a suggestion of several!

Lancaster is fantastic, of course. BBB is the top of tge grade range in the OP, so I suggested a slightly lower option.