Durham PS

[Fabfabfab]

For those of you with DC applying to Durham, have them/will they use the personal statement specifically for Durham, or the usual UCAS PS? Have to admit I don't fully understand the system and DC will check with the college tutor but wondered if anyone here had any advice. DC's PGs are in line with what they ask for but think it's still a bit of an aspirational option as GCSE grades were mostly 8s and 7s and most successful applicants seem to have mostly 9s. Worth a go though as DC really likes the idea of Durham so want to ensure the PS is done correctly

Mine has applied to Durham but didn't do any additional personal statement. Not sure he is even aware of it! I would imagine it's used if you're applying to a different subject than what the main personal statement is geared towards.

Hi. My son did a separate PS for Durham as it was the course he really really wanted and he wanted to make it as specific as possible. He got an offer 2 days later! This was back at the end of 2023.

Mine got 4-8s in gcse and got in - non contextual - so don’t worry about GCSEs!

I didn't think it was possible to submit more than one ps on a UCAS application.
My DS was accepted by Durham despite his ps being tailored to a slightly different course offered by all of his other choices.
It may also depend on the subject OP, what is your DC hoping to study?

@Elderflower2016. Correct in general but not for Durham - Durham allows a replacement PS to sent to them. It is indeed designed for students applying to D for a different course to elsewhere. Eg Natural Sciences when chemistry elsewhere. Or liberal arts when history elsewhere. Etc. Oddly their example is anthropology as a first choice after medicine.

I don’t know about the PS for Durham @Fabfabfab but I see you say most successful applicants seem to have mostly 9s – is that a genuine stat or more anecdata?

This year about 1,200 students in the whole country got all 9s at GCSE. Admittedly that excludes private schools as students will probably take some IGCSEs, which are not counted in that stat, and obvs doesn't account for those who got a couple of 8s in there; but even then – Durham probably takes around 5,000 new undergraduates each year so I think it's likely that most of them didn't get all 9s, or even mostly 9s.

Your DC got mostly As and A-stars in old money. Those are excellent grades by any calculation. Does the course at Durham even say it will take account of GCSEs beyond the basic requirements? Most unis don’t unless we are talking medicine or a few specific unis. I believe even Oxford counts 8s and 9s as equivalent.

Thanks all for your replies. DC wants to do History and from the research done so far on MN and Student room it appears the majority of students have exceptional GCSE grades and Astar in all a-level subjects. Helpful to hear that this is not always the case though! With Astar AA predictions, this may not be sufficient (even though it's what the course asks for) but let's see. Wouldn't be the end of the world as DC has other Universities in mind too. Sounds like a Durham specific PS won't be needed as not applying for a different course and I'm sure DC will be pleased about this as still working on the main PS!

OK I have to say I don't personally know what grades the history undergraduates at Durham gained at GCSE or A level.

But research on MN – you should know that most people on MN who detail the GCSE grades their DC gained will be parents of those gaining 8s and 9s. People whose DC gained 6-7-8-9 grades don't tend to shout about it so much. I suspect the set "MN posters whose DC have gone to Durham to study history" is too small for the data to have much significance tbh.

I don’t know the Student Room so well but have similar suspicions. If you actually want to know the stats, submit an FOI request to Durham uni.

But honestly, you must see that it is basically impossible for every history student at Durham to have all 8s and 9s at GCSE. There must be hundreds of students in each year and there are just not enough people with those grades wanting to study history there.

Yes absolutely agree, although people here have posted links to FOI requests and actual stats so not just basing it on individual posts. DC is putting it down as one of the options and may get a place but really doesn't think it's the end of the world as has other Universities in mind too

My DD is at Durham second year and didn’t do a second PS for Durham. She got a couple 9s but mostly 8s and one 6 (math). @MillicentFaucetI believe it is sent directly to Durham.

Every day is a school day on MN, I had no idea about the additional PS until this thread. Thankfully I won't be going through the stress of UCAS again but looking at how happy DS is at Durham it was worth it.
His GCSEs were mostly 8s with a few 7s and <whispers> 5 for French. But he pulled it out of the bag for Alevels and exceeded his PGs and offer. (Yes I'm boasting because I'm so proud of how hard he worked for those results)