When to start University visits?

[justteanbiscuits]

Son is Year 12 - should he be starting University visits?? He has a list of 9 universities he wants to visit - is there a central place for University open days to see when they are? Are they subject specific, or do you just rock up to standard open days?

Start of a whole new journey and no idea where to start with it!

@justteanbiscuits I presume he is doing FM? It's less common to be doing three not four if so, but most unis are fine. Do double check tho as I have a thought that some unis don't accept it as one of 3? But iirc that's for medicine rather than maths so not relevant here.

Yeah this is from the LSE website However, the combination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics plus one other subject is considered insufficiently broad for many of our programmes.

So it’s worth looking at the specific course requirements if he is taking (say) maths, FM and chemistry.

yes, FM. From investigations and speaking to his teachers, very few universities look at a 4th a level. He is doing EPQ (though I really dislike EPQ and apparently universities are becoming less enamoured with it), but is doing extra curricular maths courses. None of the Universities on his list mention a 4th A level in their requirements, and all have 3 results as 'standard' offers, and most include further maths in their list. LSE don't offer Pure Maths so is unlikely to be one he would apply for.

@justteanbiscuits all good. Nothing wrong with maths, FM + one for a maths degree fir sure. Just wanted to flag tho.

Mate of DS dud maths, FM and PE and had sucessful time at Bath and now works in v fancy job.

@justteanbiscuits have you had a look at whether the TMUA may be needed? I think it’s needed for Oxbridge, Imperial, Warwick amongst others for maths?

Yes, TMUA and STEPS are required for various ones. He is already doing a TMUA thing as part of an outreach programme with UCLH / Imperial / Kings.

Oh he’s well ahead of the curve, then! Mine is prepping for the ESAT at the moment - we were clueless until the end of y12!!

To be honest my relative is the same but at 60k for a summer job and 200k starting salary he might do it for a year and buy a house and then leave!

That's a very interesting idea!! Would certainly make a Phd more financially viable!!

I went to 3 open days over the course of 2 months. That was enough! If he's going to be in Halls the rooms are all much the same re size etc. You don't need to go to more then 1 talk on finance as it's the same talk each place etc. In the end, just go to the one you like the location of

I took DD to an open day before she started her A Level equivalent course. She needed to see what universities were like to be motivated.
So go whenever suits. But don't take time off potential applicants until hes decided to go.

Is Warwick on his list for visiting? They really have a strong maths dept I have been told.

This Saturday! Which is how it all came up - when he informed me he'd booked to visit Warwick and I thought it was much too soon. Turns out it isn't!

Oh Good luck @justteanbiscuits My Dh and DS were very impressed with Warwick (they went for physics) - apparently it’s a very well orchestrated day and the staff and students are very enthusiastic. The weather looks to be dry and sunny, too, so roaming around the campus should be easy on Saturday.

It’s made the top 5 cut for DS!

Yeh my dd loved Warwick at open day too. Super campus and very nice accommodation too.

Definitely good to get started early! Glad we did, as there’s more than enough to be thinking about in Y13. We only went to 4 though. Any more can wait for Offer Holder days.

We started summer of Y12 but if you want to get started I see no reason why you can’t go to the ones happening now. The earlier you go the clearer picture you will get of all the places.

BTW, DD is at Sheffield doing Maths, doing mostly pure.

If lots are in London and you live in London. I would prioritise visiting ones outside London and both big city ones and Campus (plus Oxbridge if he has either on his list).
Because those are the “different” options for him. My daughter visited 8. Hated one at first sight, found another “too quiet” even for her. And still had ones she hadn’t visited on her application (and zi don’t think she had visited her insurance but then her firm had given her the lowest offer).

Yeah, he isn't prioritising the London ones as he is getting some experience of them anyway.. it's also trying to get him to understand that they will be very expensive for him to not live at home for!

We started in the summer of year 12, better to start early incase of clashes or other commitment's. We are done now and DD has submitted her application to the school last night for them to do their bit.

Most yr12 won’t do uni visits in their first term of 6th form. Most will need a while to decide their subject and think about unis.
But certainly thinking about it and checking out dates that become available for spring open days, is worth it after Christmas.

9 probably is too many but 6 or 7 might be needed although most won’t do that many.

You will need to plan. We did a couple of weekends where we did one Open Day on Friday and another within 75 miles of the first one on Saturday. These needed a Premier Inn over night or stay overnight with friends/family. Most places run a Friday and Saturday in both spring and autumn. Places like Bath and Bristol run same weekends so people can do both across 2 days.

In June/July of yr12 I think we visited 5 or 6 across probably 4 weekends and one was mid-week. We then did a last one in September. It would have been difficult if they’d had a Saturday job.

Some were done by train and others by car. Some we all went to and others just myself or DH went, but our spring was built around it. We must have spent over £1k in transport, hotels and food.

I remember it fondly. It was good to look at places and talk it through with DC and see their evolving thoughts. Don’t do too many 2a-in a weekend ones though - it’s exhausting and if they get tired and crabby, they don’t get much out of it.

NRTFT but we did "drive-bys" at both DDs' long lists of unis. If they liked the look of a place, we parked, had a wander round to get the feel of the place and maybe a coffee. It whittled the lists down quickly. These all happened in school holidays.