Applying for different degrees or reapplying?

[Autumntreesss]

I posted awhile ago but application is getting closer and I am concerned about DD limited choices.

She wants to study Design Engineering at Imperial. Second choice is Product Design Engineering at Loughborough University.

That’s all as she can apply for; Bath has Integrated Design Engineering but needs Physics which she isn’t doing.Strathclyde has Product Design Engineering but needs physics. Other Product Design Engineering courses are not accredited.

Shall I persuade her to apply for other courses: Bath and Sheffield have other engineering degrees and courses which don’t require physics: Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and artificial Intelligence.

Or should she apply for what she wants? And if she doesn’t get an offer, take a gap year, do physics, some work experience and reapply again?

She is predicted 3 A stars, but likely to be 2 or one A star and the rest A. But can’t really tell yet; let’s hope for at least 2 A stars

Has she considered Sports Technology at Loughborough? Also doesn't require physics (or maths but it is useful), is accredited by the 3 engineering institutes and involves product design, mechanical and electrical engineering, bioskeletal (not sure this is the right term but you get the idea) sciences and textile design, etc. I'm thinking it may have a lower offer than her preferred course? My dd is about to start there on this course in 2 weeks.

But I would submit to UCAS with the two preferred courses for now (do they have to wait until Jan? Mine have all had offers in hand by November which reassured them) - my DD applied for sports tech and architectural tech courses and 3 German... got offers from all unfortunately 9was hoping they would narrow the choice). By the time it came to firming she threw away all others as that was where her heart lay and did not have the option to add something else as an insurance at that point. If she'd saved them for later she could have applied to one or two more, as from the beginning she'd little interest in two of the German offers as she didn't want to go to those places.

Oh and no interview for her at Loughborough - this was one of her criteria in applying! No interview and no portfolio requirement. She's not the most confident and yet does fine when put in that position!

Glasgow will take D&T as an alternative to physics for product design engineering, so could be a good third option.

If she didnt get an offer this year from either - she could see if they came up in clearing in Aug for 2025 entry.

Additionally she could take a gap year and reapply to same courses - showing commitment and maybe enhancing her PS with a relevent gap year job/project?

Lots of candidates for competitive med, vet, oxbridge places consier it a two year application process.