Durham or Bristol

[Fabfabfab]

Does anyone have any advice on Durham versus Bristol for History? Durham ask for AstarAA and Bristol AAA (DC's current PGs). Given that a lot of the Universities seem to accept a slight drop in grades I'm wondering whether it's worth a shot. DC's college have said they are open to discussions about PGs and may very well change it if they know Durham is in the running (and if DC can convince them she will work hard this year - which I have no doubt will be the case - and she may very well end up getting AstarAA). Saying that, is Durham really that much better than Bristol? It's much further away for us so isn't ideal from that perspective but if it will open more doors (thinking of doing a law conversion possibly) then it would be worth it. We haven't been to the open day but pretty sure she would like the collegiate feel. Bristol seems great as well though and she did really like it at the open day. Any thoughts?

I gather History is one of the courses that Durham very very rarely accept dropped grades for, if that makes a difference.

Interesting...Are you referring to this year as well as it seems many Universities have been more flexible than usual? With all the accommodation challenges Bristol might be a safer option.

I don’t think Durham accepts lower grades- they didn’t for my DS for History.
However, I wasn’t that impressed with my elder DS’s experience in History. Maybe it was him but my second one went to his insurance course for Warwick and the course, the lecturers and the feedback is so much better. Just putting it out there

Warwick is definitely a serious contender, interesting to hear your DS preferred it

Don't know anything helpful about history so just saying Durham and Warwick have a very different feel and recommend she visits before committing to her choices. DS and I visited both and he wasn't taken by the campus or Coventry at all.

There is a recent FOI request which shows % of applicants with 3x A star, 2xA star etc down to AAA and % who got offers and the actual grades of those who started in 2023 and 2024.
Sorry I can’t link it but if you search ‘what do they know Durham History’ you’ll prob find it.
If I recall, even with 3 A star predictions only about 60% got offers and for those with one A star or AAA it was below 15%. The most common grades of those starting was 3x A star.

So, although A starAA is standard offer, not many with those predicted grades will get an offer. Prob lots who were predicted higher don’t achieve it but clearly get in if they meet the standard offer. But most achieve above it. It is a high achieving course in terms of entrants.
Its not as competitive as something like Economucs in terms of applicants per place, but you have got to be top academically.

Warwick was in Clearing for History for a short period. I think York was briefly too. Not Durham on results day although they had suggested availability in period before that, but until results day it’s all a bit meaningless.

I’d say with AAA it’s really not worth applying. With one A star you could choose to use a slot in applying - you’ve still got 4 more.A highly impressive PS with evidence of lots of wider engagement and comment on what’s been read/listened to etc could swing it. But it should be viewed as a long shot.

And think carefully about asking for higher PGs - it can help get offers obviously, but if the PH was already generous there a risk of missing by more than 1 grade and losing a place and accommodation probs.

But you’re right that lots did accept near misses this year, so with many places you can afford to be a bit aspirational. Mid tier RG unis seem to have taken lots who missed a grade for most courses, including History.

Durham didn’t budge on single hons History offers in my experience this year. But there was some flexibility on some other courses where joint with a language was concerned.

I honestly don’t know how you can compare Durham vs Bristol. Totally different in every way.

@Fabfabfabno, he would have preferred Durham with the collegiate system and most of his friends going there. But as a parent I feel the course at Warwick is more suited to him. No exams (or one week long ones) is a bonus.

Durham is currently more prestigious than Bristol for History. Durham ranks #4 while Bristol ranks #10. Arguably there's not a lot of difference if both are "top ten".

Durham does not usually have any spaces in Clearing whereas Bristol may have one or two in the History dept. which fill quickly.

Bristol has this new "innovation" element to many courses, which may or may not appeal. It might be worth reading up on that.

In terms of privately educated undergrads, Bristol has about 25% of their student population from private / independent schools whereas Durham has closer to 40%

Durham is collegiate, Bristol is not.

Both take many Oxbridge rejects, which has always been the case.

You really need to visit.DD loved Durham- her friends didn't as it's so small .
It was her insurance - the course wasn't quite what she wanted so really compare the courses too.
DD was predicted A*s and got all As so fine for her Durham offer. Her firm which never budges on grades only did due to mitigating circumstances (absent teacher for majority of 2 of her A levels) and because they had interviewed her so knew she was right for them. It was really stressful and although she got what she wanted in hindsight the experience would have been easier on her if her insurance offer was AAB.I'm pretty sure Durham wouldn't have accepted her, mitigating circumstances or not, if she hadn't got her grades.

I would say academically, they are close enough that there’s no reason to go for one above the other because you think it will “open doors”.
It really won’t make a difference, not compared to the young person finding the door they want to open and proactively pushing it open themselves.
Which university you attended should be a small part of the overall “package” you offer employers when the time comes, and neither of those should hold you back.

There will be opportunities to get involved in all sorts of things to work towards a legal career at both universities, you just have to look for them.

If you much prefer the collegiate structure in a small pretty town and don’t want to be in a city, go for Durham. If you want to be in a city, go for Bristol.

For my DC history was about the course modules. Visit both, look at course rankings, course modules and how the course is run eg my DC chose a course and don’t do any exams.

Im not sure about history specifically however many posters parrot that Durham doesn’t drop grades - it absolutely does. I know of at least 1 case where 2 grades were dropped. Now this maybe in a less popular course but Durham is the same as all
others (except Oxbridge) in that it is needing students. Look at the current thread about accommodation issues (which Bristol also has).

Durham is certainly small but it is still a "city", defined by the fact it has a cathedral.

Well I think History was listed on the clearing list for Durham this year (it had such a list, not sure they usually do). Quite a few courses on there and I know at least two people for him they dropped 2 grades for Durham (just to clarify, not for the super competitive courses such as Maths and Econ).

Yes, Durham seemed to list the majority of courses ahead of results day. It was odd.
But come the morning, barely anything was there and within an hour Clearing was closed to Home applicants.

I think they prefer to take a missed grade in some cases. But I don’t think they do for History. Prob would if joint with a language.

Thanks all, DC will put it down as one of her 5 and see what happens. Either way, she’s happy with the options she has and I am probably just being an annoying mumsnet mum! I don’t mind where she goes (out of her top 5 choices), and would rather she wasn’t too far away, but finding it all quite interesting and a steep learning curve!

This was my DCs experience this year. Just missed grades, not accepted. Although they are now content with their insurance place that they gained, and are heading off very soon, it did mean that Alevel results day was a bit of a damp squib. Now that you get the UCAS confirmation of a place at 8am, before results are collected, it can make you feel that you have 'failed', even if you still have great results. They just weren't 'great enough' for Durham. With hindsight, both they and I wish that their application to Durham had been rejected. They were not an all 8s and 9s GCSE student, predicted Alevel grades were aspirational, and all the right questions cropping up in the exams

Maybe let your daughter decide. It's her life

@doubleshift Bristol and Durham are not that different in terms of grads getting very good jobs afterwards! There’s a very strong push at Bristol to get a good job within the student body. It’s a city university, bigger than Durham, but several halls are catered and not unlike the Durham colleges. These two are much closer in style than Warwick. Warwick and Bristol are both places where students do well afterwards so campus vs city is what matters here.

If DC has a MFL it’s always a plus to add it in!

I don't know about history but a friend's daughter had an AAA offer for economics at Durham this year. She got A (maths) BB (economics and physics) and they accepted her.

They’re very different universities and places. My DC disliked Durham at the visit so didn’t apply: fair enough!

That's really surprising given that most people are saying Durham rarely take those who missed a grade. Even more surprising given that she didn't get an A or Astar in the subject she is applying for. But shows even top Universities like Durham are having to be a bit more flexible than usual

That's a really good point. I think unless DC is absolutely set to go to an aspirational choice it's probably better not to push it as long as the other options are still also desirable. Student accommodation seems a nightmare even if it's for a firmed choice, and having to change after result day can't be straight forward and seems pretty stressful

Thre three of my solicitor children who had Bristol and Durham offers (not for history) firms Bristol over Durham. I think Durham is probably better (and am from the NE) but they wanted somewhere a bit closer to home in London and liked Bristol (the last 2 qualified last year and graduated just as the pandemic was ending but things h ave not changed since then).

For careers as a lawyer Bristol does pretty well compared with Durham and lots of lawyers do history before they convert to law after.

Having read the other thread about difficulties with Durham allocating colleges/accommodation (some going this year still haven't heard), I am very put off it.