Exeter and Edinburgh as a POC

[h4nna]

Hi all,
DD is currently in the process of choosing her 5 uni options for geography. She's been to a few of the open days and was keen on the course and setting of these two unis. However, she noted that she was often the only POC in many of the talks compared to Birmingham, UCL etc. and felt like she "stuck out" a bit. However she loves the unis themselves so I feel that it would be a shame if this was what was stopping her from applying to them. I was hoping if anyone has/had dc at these unis they could share any experiences, which would be much appreciated xx

Edinburgh has a high number of international students so doubt she would stand out. ,

I have to say my dd was put off Exeter after visiting it and being struck by the lack of diversity. Lovely City and nice to be by the sea, and she liked the course, but that was a stumbling block for her.
In theory, it is a shame that more POC don't go and therefore do mix things up a bit, but not everyone wants to be the first, do they?

Exeter is much more diverse than it was 20 years ago, but still not as diverse as most other British cities.

Both universities have high numbers of international students as they’re both quite highly rated. Thing is, you won’t see international students at an Open Day.

It is true that different universities have different degrees of diversification but that was also true of different courses. I taught finance and accounting degrees in several universities and noticed a big difference between that course and HR degrees.
It might be worth enquiring about the diversity of the campus.

The student population at the University of Edinburgh would be far more diverse than Exeter as its attracts significantly more international students. This would not be reflected in the attendance at the open day.

The difference is mainly attributable to Edinburgh rank of 27th/29th (QS/THE) in the World University rankings, whereas Exeter ranks 172nd/169th (QS/THE).

The point about international students, mostly at postgraduate level, is a good one, but might not help socially.
Would she consider Glasgow as an alternative to Edinburgh? My black African friends at uni often travelled from Edi to Glasgow to (eg) get their hair done, and the city itself is more ethnically diverse. Some of the university’s initiatives around slavery reparations have been sector-leading, including scholarships etc.

A larger number of international students does not necessarily equate to a more diverse student population, especially when that large number is formed from a high percentage of both Chinese and American students

Edinburgh Uni is very diverse. My son is currently studying there.

@cyclingmum67” A larger number of international students does not necessarily equate to a more diverse student population, especially when that large number is formed from a high percentage of both Chinese and American students“

I guess it slightly depends what one means by diverse

You could use the office for students dashboard to check how many black home students each institution has, as a ball park. But it wouldn’t help you understand course breakdown - e.g. if most of the Black students study business and your daughter is on an English degree, she might still feel alone during academic studies, but the social scene might be better if overall numbers are higher?

Yes, Chinese and Americans don’t count as “diverse”? Quite odd.

@SlenderRations and @YellowAsteroid - the OP was in the context of race, in that she referred to her daughter as being a POC.

For me, a diverse population based on race encompasses Afro-Carribean, Middle Eastern, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani etc), East Asian (Chinese, Japanese etc) and White people.

If Edinburgh University has a significant number of international students from each of these racial backgrounds then I'll gladly admit it's diverse.

Agree with @cyclingmum67. The question was about how many people of colour her DD would find around her and the no of international students doesn’t necessarily translate into that kind of ethic diversity. My DD is mixed race - black and white and when she looked round Exeter she didn’t feel there were enough people who were not white for her to feel she would fit in. Also things like access to hairdressers who do braiding and know how to cut her hair is really important to her!! So it’s hard when unis they like don’t feel quite right because of the lack of diversity. She did end up at another uni where there is enough diversity for her to feel good - not huge amounts but enough. - it’s a very personal feeling and i suggest visiting during term time if can so really get a good sense of how it feels.