Advice needed on university choices

[Universitynewbie]

Hi, I am looking for some advice for my daughter regarding what universities might not be worth applying to for a state school pupil for courses in the following areas economics/finance/actuarial science. She would love to go to a highly rated university but is worried she won't be considered for some because she is from a state school rather than independent school and doesn't want to waste her choices if there is very little chance of her getting in. Does anyone have any advice or personal experience at all?

Op, i don’t think you need to worry about the state vs private issue based on those stats. In my personal experience, it’s less a case of not being accepted, and more a case of state pupils being less likely to actually apply for uni. More of my friends who were private went to uni. More of my friends who were state educated didn’t apply for uni and went straight to work.

Just to add, many people actually do a different degree and then find a natural path to finance. My DH did physics at uni and got a place on a grad scheme for finance.

My brother did economics at york uni and found it ok.

I don't have a chip on my shoulder as far as I am aware, apologies if it seems like thar, my communication can be a bit hit or miss because of my ASD. I don't have anything against independent education, I was just trying to see if there were unis it wasn't advisable for her to apply to, sorry if I caused offence.

I think I may have let myself be influenced too much by someone I had a conversation with and some articles I read as I tend to read things as fact rather than opinion and I need to remind myself not to do that.

Thank you for the advice I shall not mention any concerns to her and let her make her own choices!

It's not 7% in private for sixth form. It's much much higher, more like 25%. No top university would discriminate against a state school pupil anyway. they are falling over themselves not to look elitist.

I’d also be leaning more towards staying in Scotland, not just because of the savings on fees but also because she may well get unconditional offers with 5 As at Higher. English unis will likely offer based on both Highers and AHs, so it would be more pressure in S6.

Thank you will have a look at Stirling, it isn't an area of the country we are familiar with so maybe a visit would be worth it!

Stirling Uni has a lovely campus - well worth a look.

This is one of the best courses in the country
https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/mathematical-computer-sciences/departments/actuarial-maths-statistics.htm

@Universitynewbie you need to get over your private/ state school hang ups, you are woefully out of date. University admissions officers REALLY don’t care, they just want the best applicants .

Your Dd needs to do her research and go to open days at as many Scottish universities as she can. Check out all the courses on offer within her area of interest. Ask good questions.

It’s crazy to go down south and pay all that extra money unless you have no choice / have money to burn / want to study a very unusual course.

Why on earth would you want her to have a year less university education that most other kids ? Don’t you think education is a good thing ?

Do you think she will hate being a student ? If so she should look at apprenticeships instead. She can still get a degree part time.

What is your Dd studying in 6th year? She could get unconditional offers from some courses with AAAAA. It’s certainly a good basis for S6.

No offence @Universitynewbie at all . Wasn't really a criticism more just a nudge into a wake up call. As you say, take other people's opinions with a (barrel) pinch of salt!

I think the bit you quoted was maybe for Oxbridge/Cambridge/Bath, sorry can't remember what other unis I looked a the statistics for there.

Yes I understand the concerns for those parents of independent schools too, there are a large number of pupils in state schools who don't qualify for contextual offers and I had managed to get myself concerned by reading articles and being influenced by someone else's opinion that daugjter was neither an independent candidate or eligible for a contextual offer(I have asd to tend to take things as facts if I don't concentrate hard enough on telling myself that everything isn't as black and white as that but I have to be very conscious otherwise I slip up)

Thanks for all of your suggestions will get daughter to look at them tomorrow, super helpful 😊

Thank you, will get her to look at this!

Open days are great! They really helped my DC make a decision.
https://www.stir.ac.uk/study/visit-us/undergraduate-open-days/

Lovely advice, thank you

This is good to know, thank you. I won't limit her choices :)

OP, don't worry, universities are a minefield to navigate and I think it's great you are asking on here and getting more information. Don't go off a family member or friend's opinion unless they work at a uni or know that subject area or best, a combination of both. Look at the high-scoring unis in the league table for those subjects, and go to a couple of open days with your daughter.

There are no unis that you should take off the table because you perceive differences between state/private pupils, private school pupils are over-represented in the uni system for a whole complex of reasons and if anything receive higher offers. As someone else has said, your dd may qualify as a widening participation student if you or your husband did not go to university, it's not just done off postcode/deprivation indices. Each has its own criteria, so you need to check for offers, my dd received two out of five offers slightly lower due to this.

Also, you mention you have ASD, I don't know if your dd has ASD or is neurodivergent, but many students are and this is again something you might like to consider- is there good support for students on the spectrum? There have been threads on this in the past. Universities have to provide support, but some are better at this than others, and it's good to hear from other parents and pupils.

Good luck with it all, your dd sounds like a great student and I think with those grades she'll be able to go somewhere good, and you are a supportive mum which will also help her enormously.

Thank you, will take a look ar all of these options

Hey OP, I noticed you said you have ASD, does your DD have ASD as well? If so, then she may be eligible for DSA and priority for Uni accommodation choices. Make sure at open days you chat with the SEN staff - they will have a table there and you can make contact and she can get known to them and get set up for support through the application process and then matriculation and during study.

Has she done advanced highers at all? For English universities they usually require some, with the degrees being a year shorter they often require them or to do a foundation year

I am very sorry, I didn't mean to come across badly, I was just trying to ask what I thought (misguidedly) was a straightforward question, I don't have an opinion either way on state or independent schools and I didn't realise asking the question would upset people as I had tried very hard to word it so it was just specific to my daughter. Apologies again as I truly didn't mean to cuase upset or offense was just feeling very anxious about the whole process and what to choose

I will look into this thank you, she has a cousin who has just gone to uni but we are not close (not sure if that counts or not)

Thank you, I will definitely just let her look and apply for whatever she fancies

Thank you, I will get her to look at this.

@londonmummy1966 thanks, I will tell her to look at all of those

Listen hunny, please don't listen to the horrible criticism - it's abundantly clear that you are trying to negotiate a system you have no knowledge of, and want to do the best for your daughter. There are some rotten people out there!

You didn't cause offence ONE BIT and please don't think you did for a second!

Your DD has got great results! Can she access advice from her school? She would be a lot better off financially going to a Scottish uni, because of the no-fees thing. Two of my three have studied locally as the fees are half of the fees in England.

If she did want to spread her wings, can I suggest NI? Queen's University has a great reputation, and is purely a 'grades' uni (as my eldest discovered to their cost when we thought that her high grades in music exams would have compensated for her dropping a grade in one subject!) and Ulster has a fabulous brand new campus in Belfast city centre, and is moving up the rankings.

Cousins do not count. It’s parents or grand parents.

OP can I just say that you do come across as someone who is desperately keen to support their daughter and make sure she does the best she can... and who perhaps doesn't know a lot about how this works. That's fine. No need to apologise. It's great that you have asked here for info and can now share a positive story with your DD. Very best of luck to her.