History at Leeds, Bristol or Edinburgh?

[Ketzele]

Dd has offers from Leeds, Bristol, Manchester and York and is waiting on Edinburgh. She's ruling out York (to my sorrow) and Manchester is lagging a bit for her. But any advice on the others would be great.

I think she's rather fallen in love with Bristol City, loves the beauty of Edinburgh, really likes the course at Leeds. She is an introvert but she doesn't want to be anywhere sleepy.

She has good contextual offers, lowest is Leeds (three Bs). I think Leeds is probably the best bet because of the course, and tbh it's cheaper than Bristol or Edinburgh and that is an issue for us. But would welcome any advice. Eg. Does the prestige of Edinburgh count for much with future employers?

@Ketzele Assuming she wants to work post degree, what might she like to do? Bristol has many DC from London who are eying up jobs in London so maybe a different vibe? DDs friend who did History at Bristol went into Civil Service and is doing very well! He spent time working abroad and gaining a MFL skill so had more than a degree. The degree in history opens a door but the young person has to push through it to get a job. No one hands you a job based on the course or the uni. It’s the skills you get and the ambition you have. Employers don’t really look at degree content but they do want skills.

Have a dd at Edinburgh who loves it - I'd say that although the four year course puts some off ione huge advantage there is you can spend the third year at a university abroad, with some super prestigious names on offfer including Ivy Leagues, though obviously there is competition for the top slots. They're all great unis and she should go wherever she thinks she'll feel happiest.

Dd loves Bristol and would recommend it to everybody. She's not doing history but an arts degree.
I love it there. Where in the country are you?

Dd is also very proud to have got into a uni with a high proportion of privately educated people. Rather than feeling out of her league with this, she's embraced it and said how it shows she's as good as them and deserves her place.

@NCTDN She is in the majority of students! She’s not a tiny minority having to prove anything. Why would she not be able to join a 70% majority?

I really don’t understand this attitude. Why does she think others might be better? Art is not a talent that is just present in the privately educated. Plus Bristol has an extremely generous policy to open up the university beyond its traditional intake which was only reflecting that there are more privately educated dc who live in the SE and actually apply there. Maybe privately educated dc feel like a nearly extinct species at Sheffield?! Do they ever say so? Just tell her she’s in the majority and maybe stop caring about who comes from where?

@TizerorFizz I didn't mean it in any derogatory way. I was saying how dd is proud to have accomplished exactly the same as others without the private schooling and opportunities that inevitably come your way when you have £££

@NCTDN Well yes but why think private school gives you a better talent in an art subject? These dc are not better, they just have had a different school experience and like Bristol. As my DD did.

I didn't say art I said arts. As in a Bachelor of Arts. Private schools = smaller classes, more funding for better resources etc

It’s VERY disingenuous to suggest that private schooling doesn’t give an educational benefit!!!!

Art anyway isn’t all about talent at exam level - it’s about learning to answer briefs accurately which is helped when you’re in a smaller class and have help after school etc. It’s also about having access to cultural opportunities (“let’s take x to Barcelona for the weekend - the Gaudi will really help open her eyes to her project” etc) - as well as state of the art equipment eg cameras etc. Many art unis are 50-70% private school students, be they UK or international - check out Central St Martins %.

Not for history but my son firmed Bristol over Edinburgh (originally he liked the latter partly because his twin was going to Bristol and they wanted the break although different Bristol halls solved the issue and he loved Bristol). He qualified as a solicitor earlier this year but didn't do law as his degree.

Edinburgh is lovely but sometimes the course is an extra year which I am not particularly keen on particularly if people are going to do post grad after that - law post grad is two more years of study.

..and my son had Edinburgh as his back up which was very dangerous as I think it was the same offer as Bristol but he said he knew he would get his grades (silly boy... although he then did so it was fine).

My DD2 went to Bristol and did anthropology. She loved it. DD1 works at Leeds uni and has been blown away by how great it is. Edinburgh is always a solid choice but expensive and four years.

Who says art A level classes are small at private schools? At DDs school loads took art! More than the average state school! Art is a lot about talent. Those without talent cannot wing it.

So you are saying that at a private school an Art A level education won’t be better?

Agreed.
My dd is at Leeds and has had zero pastoral support.
She's loved her time there from a social perspective and loving the city (we live in London and she's used to City life already) but we've discussed how there's zero accountability. A student could be totally off the rails/ struggling and missing lectures and no-one in the department would pick it up.
We both have friends at Bristol who talk of registering your attendance at lectures.

To me that feels important.

Ditto.
This has made a huge difference to my dad's finances.

Just to get back to the main topic @Ketzele I was curious as to why your DD was refusing York? And if it was something she saw or heard on a tour, or a pre-conception of some kind? I went to York (a long time ago) and the History Dept is really strong, with a brilliant cohort of students from all kinds of backgrounds (yes, lots of posh public schools too). A very good friend of mine read History, went onto Law and is doing extremely well. I am also hoping my DS gets in there next year and would like to know what gives your DD pause if that's possible.