Computer Science suggestions for talented pupil (not Oxbridge / London)

[basilbrush]

Good morning all - I'd be very very grateful if anyone had suggestions/ advice for places for Computer Science degrees

DS is in Year 13, state school, he is very academic, 11 9s for GCSE and an A star* *in A level Maths which he did early in Year 12 and is predicted A star for his other 3 subjects.

He is sweet, shy and very nerdy. He likes the idea of a campus uni or one in a smaller city where you can get around easily.

He does not want to apply to Oxbridge or a London uni but does want to apply somewhere 'good' - as fair play, he should!

So far he has Warwick and York on his list. Does anyone have any other suggestions - Southampton? Bristol? Durham ? St Andrews? Edinburgh? (last two would involve another £20k of debt as 4 year degree so although they are lovely places, we are a bit reluctant for him to apply....)

Thanks!

What about one of the American unis? They tend to offer 4 years of on campus accommodation and often it works out free or cheaper if they want him. Harvard worth a look?

@cellarst has a good point, OP. Some of the top American unis and elite four year colleges, which offer an utterly superb education and are also highly competitive, offer a level of financial aid that is almost unbelievable. It is true that only a few offer parity to international applicants, but def worth a look. The website of the Fulbright Foundation, which focusses on bilateral UK/US educational exchange, can tell you more.

Though it will be a faff to make American applications at this stage, it can be done.
The Ivy League prob want extra curriculars, MIT, CMU less so.

Where are you getting your information from please?

For a campus uni have a look at Keele, you never need to leave the campus if you don't want.

I would agree with sashh went to the open day last weekend and was very impressed with the campus. The Comp Sci course there doesn't require Maths A level.

Dd2 is similar and is going to apply to Loughborough, Bath, Warwick and maybe Birmingham.
Does anyone know if you can live at Keele in the second and third year, or do you have to move off campus?

People I spoke to at Keele open day say you can ask to stay 2nd year but probably won't succeed unless special circumstances, many students live in nearby Newcastle-under-Lyme which is a small town.

Oh that's a shame @Plasmodesmata I wonder why they don't build more accommodation.

CS programmes that do not require Maths AL are taught differently. They are a great opportunity for certain students.

OP’s DS has A star in Maths from Y12. He is likely better off with a traditional CS curriculum, IMO. I agree Keele is a fab campus!

Ds got a 1st in CompSci at Cardiff. He was very happy there, and we liked what we saw when we visited him. It's not a campus uni, but the uni buildings, accommodations, SU facilities and student rental areas are almost all in within 20mins walk of each other, in the city centre, close to shops, parks, entertainment etc.

DN is at Birmingham doing Computer Science, and is very happy there. Self contained campus within easy reach of city centre and good train connections to get home. I think it would tick your boxes.

My DS has just started at Edinburgh with an integrated masters in computer science (MInf), so if you have any specific questions, please ask away.

So far so good. He's enjoying the course, it seems very sociable and also very accessible as he can take a bus (free for under 22s) and most things are walkable anyway. Edinburgh is a smaller city.

My DC5 just graduated with a BSc in CS at Swansea. It was a bit of a rough start due to Covid restrictions, but in the end she loved the 'ugly lovely city'. I think CS is one of the biggest degrees at Swansea, so there are plenty of opportunities for putting together modules of interest.

When we were doing Y10 screening at school, I was really impressed with Dundee. They have a very good heritage in computing. They don't pass on the fees for the fourth year either. With Open Days, I really liked Nottingham. DD did a summer Cyber course at Southampton, but decided not to apply there.

DC4 graduated from Edinburgh with a MA in Economics. Again, she was caught up with Covid restrictions, but it's a fairly perfect place to go to university.

As far as London is concerned, two of my kids have London University degrees. They attract a higher loan, so not as bad as you might think. DC1 was at UCL, and he really didn't spend a lot of money. He walked everywhere, lived in modest accommodation, and the cost of supermarket food is the same everywhere. He was also able to engage in so many social and enrichment opportunities.

LOL they are forever building accommodation.

There are busses that go through the campus to Newcastle and Stoke.

Oh and it is also the best organised and quickest graduation I have been to. Graduands get sent off to be fitted with gown and motar board your guests are sent another way.

You then go to join your guests who have been put in a bar to wait.

Then the actual graduation is in the chapel with just your cohort for your subject.