Any interest in a non-Oxbridge/ non-RG parents chat?

[SockFluffInTheBath]

There are lots of threads about applying to Oxbridge and other ‘top’ unis, anyone interested in a thread for those of us with DC looking elsewhere? Not trying to be divisive, but there’s no ‘drop in centre’ thread for other unis, and I thought it might be good to have a space to chat sometimes.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

Good luck to your dd @minisnowballs . I think they can be quite slow with healthcare interviews. A friend's dd was waiting until March a couple of years back for a Paramedic interview with her favourite uni (Worcester). It came eventually and she got a place.

@crazycrofter thanks. I keep telling her there is no earthly reason why Swansea won't give her an Adult Nursing interview when everyone else will - her personal statement is good and her grades/predictions really high for the course! She'll just have to cultivate some patience.

Wonder if Aber is getting more popular - they seem to put a lot of effort into their Open Days and people are noticing the cheap accommodation and good reputation for actual teaching.

More generally perhaps people are starting to see the virtues of non-RG universities, especially after last year's clearing revealed that in many cases their offers didn't match the reality of what they would accept. There's only so long an elite reputation can be maintained if it's not matching the reality.

Sorry, got interrupted in the middle of that last post - should of course have said "RG offers" rather than "their offers" .

We're off to see Notts Trent on Saturday. We are also having a quick pre-arranged look at Nottingham *Uni of) on Friday - just because we're there and I don't want to stop DS from being aspirational - just make sure that he ends up with realistic options in place. He's quite looking forward to this one - I'll let you now any feedback once we've been.

I think clearing reveals only that year's issues and things are still falling back into place after the pandemic.

Also when I went to university (88-91) there was no Russell Group. There was Oxbridge and other ancients (Edinburgh), the Red Bricks, the rest and then the polys. I think RG is a totally unnecessary category, its self selecting and out of date. I'd much rather have one of my kids go to Bath or Lancaster or UEA than Newcastle or Cardiff or QML

Would love to know what u think of NTU. What subject& campus are you looking at. I thinks dd going Ronald for biochemistry and visit if she gets an offer..we can't make Saturday!

My son’s Aber offer came through today. 120 points. We are happy; it’s what he wanted so now all he has to do is get the school to add him to the scholarship exam in February.

Brilliant - and good luck with the scholarship.

DD got in last year through Clearing with 104 points so even if he slips a grade he will hopefully be OK.

DM me if he decides on Pentre Jane Morgan for his accommodation - I can give you the number of the (former) double room in DD's house if he likes the idea of a big room! Once the uni sends the accommodation link you can choose your own room.

Brilliant re Aber!

Nottingham offer through today for DD1 (BBB or ABC, but B must be in Biology), and her Sheffield interview, which she said went OK.

But, more excitingly, she finally has her interview dates through for Cardiff and Swansea, so they'll all be done by next week!

Not expecting the Welsh offers through so quickly though, as their allocations are done by the Welsh Government, which pays the fees.

Well done re Aber @llareggub. DD quite fancied the Swansea scholarship but (fair enough) you can't have it if you're also getting govt funding.

Good news @llareggub ! My dh went to Aber and enjoyed it.

And well done to @minisnowballs dd!

Ah, thank you. He has his heart set on Fferm Penglais. Hopefully his friend from school will be going too, I think they are hoping to be allocated the same flat. There’s an offers day in March so we are going to find out if it’s possible.

If anyone wants to know anything about Swansea, let me know. I live close to the university. I actually work for the other university in Swansea, but no one ever mentions that one!

Place offered at Sheffield today! (BBB) !Two to go

Probably the easiest way for them to manage that is to make their applications side-by-side!

The uni sends a link - you then go on and see all the rooms available in each block. So your DS and his friend just need to make sure to select a room each in the same flat.

Lovely to see all the offers coming in. DS has now had Leeds and Oxford Brookes. He is still not sure! For those looking at Notts Trent DS24 went there for Pharmacology and has just finished his Masters there. He has had a great time there. First year accommodation was good.

@llareggub do you know if it's really not possible for students to park on/near either of the Swansea campuses, or are there nearby roads? Ds bought his own car earlier in the year and is very independent. I think he'd hate to go back to using buses! And he's hoping to transfer his Tesco job to a branch at uni, so I'm thinking he'll need a car for that.

Ds still hasn't done his personal statement, but he's pretty much decided on PPE I think. Good news to hear all the offers coming in!

@crazycrofter good question. Bay campus doesn’t really have anywhere to park. Singleton I doesn’t have parking on campus but there’s plenty nearby. He will find somewhere to park it. We have loads of Tescos, nearly every couple of streets has a little Tesco.

Currently sat on a train returning from NTU. We actually did a non-official visit to Uni of Notts on Friday and the official open day at Notts Trent today.

Me and DS really impressed by both.

I know we are not 'talking about' RG unis on this thread but we sort of thought it would be mad not to visit as we were in the city and one of the main History Dept Faculty staff was kind enough to offer us a one to one with him so we went

Summary is:

Uni of Notts.
Faculty member we met was excellent. Warm, friendly, engaging. Explained - very honestly and carefully - the options (DS was considering a joint honours) and the whole syllabus to him - module by module - and the course sounded like it would really suit DS. Quite a modern approach (no exams, not essay heavy at all) which is refreshing when looking at History
Campus was gorgeous. Sprawling. Green/lakes/woodland/lovely buildings
20 mins outside city but well served by busses and trams
Really good facilities on site - shops / sports (exceptional) etc
Lots on on campus accommodation options

DS preferred to any of the other RGs he's visited

Nottingham Trent
We were worried that this would feel a bit of an option B (which is sort of is) after loving Uni of Notts but we were both SO impressed. Absolutely loved it.
Met and spoke to two different people from History Dept - both completely lovely and passionate about the subject but also the Uni
Did the one hour History seminar and it was the best we've heard.

Approach to History SO modern. A really refreshing approach and DS loved that you don't have to do a final essay/dissertation if you don't want to (you can if you love writing) but they are so open to other ways of doing your final year: film making / showcasing practical research etc
Lots of flexibility in choosing modules of study
NTU also impressed with teacher to student ratios and pastoral care
Huge emphasis on future employment
Also lots of accomodation
More central (five minute walk to centre). We were in City Campus which is where he'd be (Humanities)

DS has been very slow is submitting his UCAS but both will be in his five and at least one will be in his final two I think.

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy That sounds like an amazing couple of visits - that you had meetings with these people ahead of applying is just great.
We looked at Uni of Nottingham for DS who is also going to do History (he has a place at York that he's firmed with grades in hand so that is done now). A friend of ours has a DS with an offer from Uni of Nottingham for next year and I know it's a strong dept. I don't know anything about Nottingham Trent except that when I was a student it was the best place in the country for Art Foundation years.

DD2 did her undergrad at NTU (biomedical science) and had a.great.time there like @mumonthehill 's DS. Got a good balance between studying, social life and sport and did well. She actually went elsewhere for her Masters, but her NTU friendship group get.together.all.the time - one is visiting tomorrow, another staying next weekend. She'd highly recommend it.

Dd is third year at UoN and has had a great time (well, apart from lack of academic support but this is Psychology not History - which is still also very exam based). It’s a great student city and she really enjoyed living on campus in the first year.

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy and @crazycrofter Notts has a beautiful campus - we really liked it and it is DD1's top English choice. Nice to hear others agree!

I've seen (via DD doing Human Geog at MMU) that sometimes doing a traditional subject in a 'second tier' Uni that tends to specialise in more contemporary subjects (design etc) sometimes makes for a really strong department. Smaller. More one to one, and a sort of "yes, we're not as cool as you lot but we're going to smash it" vibe.

I deffo got that from the history folk at NTU

My nieces went to Nott Uni and NTU, they both seem(ed) to have a great time.

DS submitted his UCAS form this week, and has had 2 offers and an interview offer already! One of the offers is for Portsmouth, BCC which is lower than their published lower offer (he has SEND), so that's fab news, I really liked their course, and it was one of his favourites.

It's a massive relief to have the ball rolling, his school work isn't going brilliantly, and he's currently struggling to pass his driving theory test (4th attempt on Tuesday 🤞🏼), so this is some lovely news at last, and I hope it helps him focus for his mocks and coursework and beyond...