Help choosing universitys

[HighlandCowLover2]

DD is studying for her A-Levels in Computer Science, Maths and English Literature. She's hoping to apply for Computer Science at some rather high-ranking Universities. Her current predictions are ABB, but she's hoping to get these to A*AB/AAB, as well as hopefully an A in her EPQ. She's contextual at most of the universities she's looking at, which helps.

I don't really know much about any of this, so she's taken it upon herself to create an extensive spreadsheet detailing all of her options. Her school recommends they apply to 2 aspirational Universities (competitive or up to 2 grades higher than predicted), 2 normal Universities, and 1 safety.

She's being very indecisive, and most of her choices seem to rely on her being able to improve her maths to an A. Any suggestions for Universities? She's currently thinking something like Durham, Nottingham, Sheffield, York, and Leeds, but it seems to change every day... She also likes the look of Birmingham, but doesn't think she'd get in / doesn't want to apply to 2 that she 'doesn't stand a chance for'.

It's a shame that some universities with lovely campuses are so expensive! Loughborough and Leicester should definitely be worth a look at, then. Thank you!

Uni of Nottingham is struggling with strikes and cutting courses, but so are plenty of other unis.

Nottingham is facing specific issues with attracting students due to recent events. It’s certainly worth considering imho as offers recently have been lower than equivalent unis - I assume for this reason.

The campus accomm is all catered btw if money is a concern.

Take her to open days

Hi, OP -

I am a former STEM admissions tutor in a strong Russell Group university. I visit a number of the universities mentioned on thus thread.

CS is so competitive that I am not sure the school’s advice to apply up to two grades above your PGs is sensible. (Wherever DD meets the qualifications for the contextual offer, that should be her baseline for comparison). A university is never obliged to make an offer, even when the applicant has the PGs. The two disciplines most notorious for declining to do so (in the most competitive programmes) are Computer Science and Economics. I would not suggest applying to super competitive programmes for which DD lacks the PGs. If Maths remains a B, she could try slightly less competitive programmes with it.

A few good CS programmes don’t even require Maths, and teach accordingly.

There is a lot of good advice above, and FWIW I would not classify most of the programmes mentioned as ‘super competitive’ though they are all good. Because they are getting less emphasis but are quite strong, let me add my voice to those suggesting that DD investigate Sheffield and Lancaster. The city of Lancaster is small but nice, and students seem to find plenty to do.

Also Loughborough, which is renowned for STEM teaching.

I have not visited Surrey but I have heard lots of good things about the place (I confess to initial surprise) and CS is one of the Schools specifically mentioned.

The last shall be first: Birmingham is actually the top rated School of CS amongst those mentioned, for overall strength. It is an absolute star, ranked right behind the glam CS Schools, and has been for some time. I don’t know why this is such a well kept secret. (Although employers know it.) The university professes a commitment to widening participation and the use of contextual offers. B’ham is a lovely campus university in the midst of a vibrant city. In DD’s shoes I would start by investigating it further.

DD sounds motivated, organised and disciplined. That usually counts for a lot in the long run. Best wishes to her.

She's gone with some of her friends to about 5 😊

Thank you, this is some very good advice! If she can get her maths to an A, do you think Durham could be an option alongside 4 normal/safer choices? If it stays a B, do you think Sheffield would still be worth applying to, even though it wants an A? She does some sort of outreach scheme with them that reduces her offer, but it still needs an A in Maths, apparently.

Loughborough is also seeming like a nice option, and not too far from home. I'll tell DD to look at Birmingham a bit more, thank you! I think their contextual offer is still AAA, though, so she'd definitely need to get her grades up.

Nottingham is a mess and has very been very badly mismanaged so be careful there.

i agree with others that it would be good for you to go with her to open days. Even if you don’t know the system you know her and can help her with this.

is there a particular reason she’s set on computer science rather than something similar? CS graduates have some of the highest levels on unemployment and it’s only getting worse as the big firms cut grad entry schemes for senior engineers who are make the most of AI

Southampton is shit hot for computer science and related subjects. Tim Berners Lee invented the internet there!

It's just what she's interested in, I guess! Not sure what she'd do instead.

@HighlandCowLover2 as I am sure you are aware the deadline for her UCAS form is then mid-January so she only has about eight weeks to make her final decision, and to get any PGs higher than they currently are.

I think she definitely needs to be looking at unis that will accept a B in maths as the bulk of her form and really where she is mostly targeting. You mention some unis as being close to home – if that's a big factor (and Nottingham is close) then yes Birmingham is a great shout tho still wanting AAA for its contextual offer. And Leicester and Lboro are also in a similar area. Has she visited any of these? It doesn't have to be for an open day (tho obvs that's ideal) – she can just go to the city and campus and have a look around to get a feel for it.

I think she needs to go to some open days or at least visit the cities on her shortlist to get a feel for places. It she doesn’t want to be too far from home then rule those places out. Some uni cities are big and busy and can feel quite anonymous. campus unis have a different feel altogether and Durham is collegiate (and very small for a university town) so different again.

• Huge Deficit: The university reported an £85 million financial deficit, driven by rising costs, an £85m+ impairment charge tied to real estate losses (such as the Castle Meadow campus investment), and a drop in net assets. 1, 2]
• Staff Redundancies: In May 2026, roughly 2,697 staff members (nearly 2,700) were notified that they were at risk of potential redundancy, with over 600 to 700 academic and support posts targeted, particularly in departments with lower staff-to-student ratios like physics, medicine, and health sciences. 1, 2, 3]
• Course and Department Cuts: The university has planned or initiated the suspension and discontinuation of around 40 to 48 courses, including entire degree programs in Modern Languages and Music. 1, , 4]

Staff Strikes and Student Disruption

• Extended Strikes: Members of the University and College Union (UCU) launched rolling industrial action—including a 10-week strike stretching through the autumn term (running from October 5 to December 11, 2026) and action short of a strike—over compulsory redundancies and restructuring plans. 1,
• Academic Impact: Students have faced widespread lecture cancellations, disrupted seminars, and concerns over reduced face-to-face tuition. 1, 2]
• Graduation and Assessment Fallout: Earlier in the year, marking boycotts and industrial action forced the university to hold summer graduation ceremonies without physical degree certificates (which were mailed out later) and triggered contingency grading regulations. 1]
• Library and Research Pressures: Financial cutbacks have also threatened online access to major academic publishers (including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Wiley, and Taylor & Francis), raising concerns for researchers. 1]

@poetryandwine gives some very wise advice. Birmingham, Sheffield and Lancaster are all great shouts. I'd be wary of Nottingham with all the strikes, but it is known for being less mathsy so that may appeal (there's a list on The Student Room cs board of unis that put less emphasis on maths if that's useful. obv she is good at maths, but just in the sense that she's not done FM so that may be a consideration in the kind of degree she's interested in).

Not sure about Durham or Manchester, even their contextual offers are high and the majority of students will have FM (not a hard requirement, just a tendency). She could include Durham as a punt if she'll regret not trying, but generally no point applying above predicted grades for cs. An aspirational choice is your predicted and the others are something she should be fairly certain of getting.

To the point about doing something other than cs, I'd say that women in cs are still such a minority that it's worth sticking with as it's her thing. There's various internships and schemes to help women build a career in cs which she can benefit from, so it's a bit different to being another one of the many guys going to it. And I say that having DS1 just started on his cs degree, but it's what he loves so why not. He said his course is about 80/20 m/f.

Hi, again -

Is DD eligible for a contextual offer at Durham? That is probably important. If she is eligible for contextual offers at both Durham and Birmingham and she gets the A predicted in Maths, she should certainly apply to one of them. If she fully meets both contextual offers (and is certain she is eligible for both) she might risk both, if she likes.

Both programmes are so competitive that I wouldn’t bother without the A predicted fir Maths. Durhams says the lowest set of grades attained by an applicant in recent years is ABB and I am willing to bet that the A was in Maths.

The situation at Sheffield is similar, though it is somewhat less elite. DD appears to be a good fit for Loughborough, particularly if she can get a contextual offer, and for Surrey. I think either a contextual offer from Loughborough or an offer from Surrey would be a good insurance choice, though both programmes offer enough advantages to be considered as first choices also.

Now, Durham and Sheffield offer CS with an integrated Foundation Year. (That is a Year 0 for students who don’t qualify for direct entry) So do a few other good Schools of CS. B’ham offers a general STEM FY during which students can apply to the School of their choice, competitively, or apply elsewhere. (Again, other unis do the same.)

For Home students, the Durham FY seems geared roughly to those students who would qualify for a contextual offer. There may be stuff to do now so if this interests DD she needs to get cracking. She has the predicted grades.

Doing an integrated FY adds one year to the length of the loan. (I am not sure how a stand alone FY works now; it may be harsher) and to the expenses of the student and her family. That’s what people tend to focus on. However, in the bigger picture it can prepare students who may have come from more challenging backgrounds, or who could benefit from solidifying their knowledge, for Year 1study.

From what you’ve written I have been concerned that for all her admirable qualities, the programmes DD likes may be a bit of a stretch considering where she is academically at the moment. A Foundation Year would give her the chance to level the playing field.

CS programmes are dominated by self confident young men. (Probably the usual percentage are friendly and nice, but still …) A strong background and being freed from the feeling that she is playing catch up can make all the difference. Jobs for computer scientists, as opposed to related professionals, are still strong but you need to be good and you need to be a clear, confident communicator. I wish DD would consider the possibility that an integrated FY at Durham, Sheffield or a similar university could be a great investment in her future.

Again, best wishes to her.

@pinkdelight makes an excellent point about opportunities for women in CS, OP. I stand by the thought that DD should consider the possibility of an FY; regardless of that, I hope she will look for opportunities to build a supportive female network. It can make a big difference!

MComp Computing Science 2027/28 | UEA https://share.google/B7ztjDzQB0VcQJlhw

UEA campus is attractive and rents for off-campus accommodation post-first year are reasonable.

My son has just started at Loughborough, not doing CS, and he absolutely loves it. My eldest was at a different uni, also fine, but I have to say Loughborough have been particularly impressive so far. The accomodation is much better for a start. Its a real campus university and they seem to put a lot into making the campus fun and friendly whereas the campuses in city unis, they seem to be left to it a bit more. My impression from son and friends that went there is that they seem to have slightly lower entrance tariffs and will accept a dropped grade (generally, dont know about CS), but then work them hard in terms of contact, timetable and assessments and put a lot into catch up sessions - ds is doing catch up maths as hasn't done it since GCSE. I'd really give Loughborough a good look.

Hi, again -

Now I am concerned about how my last post may have been perceived. It is borne of long experience, and I want OP and DD ( and everyone) to know it isn’t personal.

I am all for students challenging themselves at university, that’s one of the main purposes. And FWIW, students eligible for contextual offers are less likely than others to have overpredicted PGs. (About 75% of PGs are overpredicted. Degree programmes that must recruit students will usually flex and offer a place to those with slipped grades who have firmed them. Good CS programmes not so much, especially with Maths)

However a running theme with my personal tutees and my service on Mitigating Circumstances panels is the triumph of hope over insufficient preparation. For example, if you haven’t got your asthma under reasonable control in May but you are sure you will by Autumn you may kick and scream against the advice to focus on getting well and not to return to university until you are. Nine out of 10 will petition early, return prematurely, and make a hash of it. It is very frustrating to watch.

Similarly (and obviously I cannot know whether this would apply to OP’s DD) if someone crams for their Maths A Level and scrapes a grade A, they won’t have the depth of knowledge - or possibly the retention - of their peers of whom an A star was required. (To be clear, I very much support contextual admissions. This is a different question.) Teaching on the programme will be geared to the latter. It will be easy for the former to lose confidence.

And that’s before we consider sexism: amongst STEM staff I don’t think it is a major problem and it is largely unconscious, but it hasn’t vanished. Amongst testosterone filled male undergraduates, attitudes can be expected to vary widely - I do believe a good number of the young men in CS will be nice, but they may not be the easiest to find. A young woman who is confident and a strong student will have a much easier time.

I always tell students that taking extra time early on to do things right can set you up for life. Why would you not give yourself that advantage, if you can? That is what I wanted OP’s DD to think about.

The integrated FYs allow this within the financial framework of a degree programme.

Of course, we have collectively come up with some good options where the teaching may be geared to the DD without an FY. I am not suggesting that they are second best.

Just putting in another vote for Loughborough if you want a campus university, the town is very quiet though. But good choice of accommodation and can return for second and third years

Dd doing comp sci there and very happy. Her other options were York, Essex, Southampton and bath. She also considered Birmingham and Sussex as was looking at campus unis only. Just in case you want ideas of other campus unis. But would say if your dd is considering cities too Sheffield definitely worth a look.

I agree with this. Dd has been at Manchester just over a year, first time in a big city and to,d me last week when she’s finished her course she wants to move to London as she thinks Manchester isn’t big enough! It’s certainly very walkable from where she is, both to uni and the city centre. She has found her feet and adapted to something which was initially very out of her comfort zone very quickly.

@poetryandwine She's eligible at Durham, yes, which seems to be her main motivation for improving her Maths grade. She does have some personal circumstances that affected her grades last year too, but I'm not sure whether these will have an impact on her application.

Foundation years are certainly looking like a good option then! Durham, Sheffield, and Leeds, 3 that she seems to want to apply to, all need an A in maths. So, if she doesn't get an A in maths, would you recommend applying to Durham and Sheffield foundation years and then 3 that don't need an A in maths? When you say there may be stuff to do now, what do you mean?

Thank you very much for the advice! I hadn't thought about foundation years / don't really know about them, but if they'll give DD a shot at her favourite choices, it might be worth it.

As I understand it she would apply now for a place on a course with a F year. On the basis that she is unlikely to get an A in maths (if that's so – I am guessing that after half term she will ask her teachers what they think about predicting an A). She needs to consider this now if she is planning to start next Sept tbh as he deadline is looming, and undertake any of the extra activities poetry references.

I gather from previous threads that universities are not so keen on a year out with a maths-based degree (like, maths or CS) as the skills may not be so strong after a year away from education.

What is her current plan? I agree btw that Loughborough is a great uni – DS was there and he is far from the only student there I have met who seemed not to want to leave haha.