Exeter: uni de jour ! Why ? Everyone we know wants it ?

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My DD is high achieving and has offers from all she wants but she's thinking of Exeter.,it was the most popular place at her school last year and everyone else I'm chatting to says their DC want it.
We didn't visit but I can see it's in a beautiful place. Any thoughts ?

I hope she goes somewhere she really wants not becsuee it's the fashion.

@BlueskiesnotgreyI tried to explain that. Devon and Cornwall are pretty white and the west country is as a whole except Bristol.

eh ?

I have no idea what you are trying to imply ?

I was just explaining that - although University Open Days like people to book on, and that obviously the people booked in will get priority for any talks, there is absolutely no limit to the number of people who can walk round the campus (or buildings if not a campus university).

Exeter don’t like people who haven’t booked rolling up - for good reason. Some people always think they are more important though and don’t need to follow protocol. And then moan about everyone else who did book. @JustGiveMeReason So you didn’t go and just think dc can go without booming, Hmmm. Exeter say this. Did you read it?

This sounds like a personal attack! Nothing to do with the original post.

It is at least a refreshing change for you to be acting as the personal cheer team for Exeter instead of Bristol..

I very much doubt Exeter is concerned about one extra 17 year old turning up for an open day if this is their only chance to potentially view and pick the university as one of their choices. In fact, despite the fact that it clearly can't be their stated policy since they need some level of planning around numbers, I would assume they were probably delighted given the issues attracting students.

@fortyfifty By all means report it then. It’s about Exeter and it’s about what they require. Posters have had a field day complaining about accents, wealth, being white and just about everything else at Exeter. At least what I posted was fact and not prejudiced nastiness against dc for no reason other than “they aren’t like me”.

There's far more nuance in the arguments in this thread if you look for it.

She doesn’t want nuanced argument, just dramatic ones.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 You are wrong and I didn’t complain about who was at open days. Others, if you read the thread, did. Maybe attack them for being narrow minded and not nuanced?

Also when considering university, do young people from Newcastle and Liverpool flock to Exeter making it their uni of choice, I doubt it.

I have a DC at Exeter - loves it and teaching and pastoral care has been very good. Was concerned it would be a bit small before going but has loved the fact you can walk everywhere, good shops, cafes, night life is a lot of fun but not the big club type environment), loves the proximity to the countryside, the accessibility of the beach (where much time is spent when the weather is nice) and the campus. Lots to do with clubs and sport at all levels. Also careers dept seems very active if your DC wants to take advantage of it with lots of skills and employability schemes. Avoid the big catered halls like Holland or Penny C and you avoid the private school kids - much like some of the halls in Bristol, Durham or Edinburgh, they tend to stick together. My DC is very happy there.

@Bigfatsquirrel Do big clubs exist these days? Many have closed down. London has very much moved to members clubs.

DS loved Exeter and lives in London now with a few of his uni mates, they all work in the city. I loved going to visit him when he was there.

Did anyone go to the Exeter Uni OHD today? I have to say the campus was stunning in the summer sunshine. It is one of the nicest uni campuses I have been to (out of perhaps 35 different universities I have visited now) and I could really see the attraction. A very pleasant vibe I have to say. We also visited nearby Exmouth where all the students were relaxing on the beach in the nice weather and I can totally see why students that are into a beach lifestyle would love it.

I did see some of the stereotypes that have been mentioned on this thread, particularly in one hall, but also lots if more varied kids as well (both existing students and offer holders). Apparently 7000 kids will join in September so that seems plenty to find other people like you, if that's what you want. I noticed a real mix of ethnicities (like all uni campuses I have been to). The posh kid archetype was no more widespread than what I have also noticed at Nottingham and Bath, I have to say.

There was a very dynamic and forward looking vibe from the talks we went too, compared to some more traditional/staid ones we have been to, so I can see why that would be very attractive to a modern young person.

My ds loved is and is considering upgrading it from insurance to firm.

It really is beautiful on a sunny day. Good luck, my ds thrived there.

We are going next week. DS is completely stuck between Exeter and one other uni. Both have pros and cons but it’s lovely to have the two offers to choose from.

DS is at a private school but we are Not Posh, to the extent that he’s worried he might not be posh enough for Exeter! He has a contextual
offer. Hopefully the visit will reassure him. Your comments are really helpful, and confirm what I’d hoped is the case re a huge mix of people and finding one’s tribe.

Exeter is like St Andrews and Durham as they are all small towns ( city) so the students tend to stand out more than in Bath or Bristol. They are less diluted than in bigger places but yes it does require a certain standard and less of the "less traditional " courses.

Might be worth you having a look at some population stats @lovemybling . Exeter has a bigger population than Bath, and has around three times the population of Durham. Bristol as you rightly point is a completely different magnitude.

I did wonder that about Exeter being smaller than Bath 😁.

Either way, these are the two front runners for my DS and he wants the campus experience and isnt really that bothered about big city/clubs etc. We're from London anyway so he can do that already in sixth form and can meet up with friends here in the holidays (London teens dont seem that into clubbing anyway compared to how it used to be ...). All unis have club nights and according to my older son and his mates (some at Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham) it gets old pretty quickly for most of them after the first few months. So I dont think small city (or town) is an issue for him.

We are in London and one of my DC in Exeter and agreed the smallness is not an issue. I love visiting it as it is a pretty place. Beautiful campus!

Was it Holland by any chance?

We’re going next week. Went to the open day last year.
Is the probable firm at the moment.

Good shops too - well it used to. Haven't been in a while.

Oh really I would never have thought that about Bath. I think it's the business of the centre made me think that. Exeter town centre is very small and laid back. Yes Durham is small as I said.

Going back the original title, one reason why Exeter is so popular (beyond its lively campus) is that for most subjects it makes offers at a level that mean it can appeal to both aspirational students who hope to just about get the grades, or who know they often take lots of near-misses, and also acts as a decent insurance for those aiming for places with higher offers. As it holds that v good, but not truly top tier, it has mass appeal.

We know they accept dropped grades. We know they take through Clearing, sometimes at substantially lower grades. So it’s more accessible than many think…and feels that a great achievement for many who are averaging Bs. And it’s very attractive, has a number of v strong departments and has been a good uni for many years, so is well established. Yes, it’s had lots from more affluent backgrounds and maybe that makes it feel a bit aspirational or just comfortable for those in the more affluent or aspirational groups.

But I’d also say - and have said before, that I think young people worry too much about ‘their tribe’ and fitting in, and often parents feed this too. It doesn’t help to suggest they can’t fit in everywhere and find their people, or that their people can only be from a similar background to them. Uni is about broadening your world view. Snobbery and inverse-snobbery shouldn’t be supported by parents but challenged within their kids.

Even today, pretty small numbers of students at top unis are from genuinely deprived families. Most have working parents who have supported them - not all are affluent or highly educated themselves, but I always feel surprised how many working parents who’ve supported their kids through school, somehow feel that the other kids and parents are likely to be ‘other’ and v different to them. There are far more similarities than people think. Huge cultural shocks can exist….but not for the vast majority of kids. And I apologise if your family is one where that is the case - provision is improving substantially but I get that more needs to be done for students in this group.

I see it as kids who get these places are able kids. They have the potential to do well. It’s time for these able kids to spend time together and learn together about their academic stuff and the wider experiences of life. Part of it is stepping into the unknown. They can cope with it. They benefit from it and lose out if parents ‘protect’ them from it to just send them to something familiar.

Yes Holland :) Even then, seemed a lively mixture and looked very nice, all sitting out in the sun, but that is where I particularly noticed that particular stereotype skew. I think the only way that could happen is that those kids specifically requested Catered vs self-catered so it can only be a skew, as I don't think everyone gets their first choice of accomodation. And so what I guess, they seemed like reasonable kids, out playing ball, relaxing in the sun, same as at East Park. At Exmouth they were all mixed in together. If I had a particularly anti-private school kid with particularly chippy parents who presented as a bit of an emo/goth type, then I maybe wouldnt want Holland for them. But on the other hand, as PP said, they should all be mixing and broadening their horizons at university!

Re near misses, for DS course, they said 1 in 4 for accepting one dropped grade is the prediction for September. Is that much different from other RGs non-Oxbridge, not Durham, not LSE/Imperial/UCL?