Uni visits - when?

[tenbyeight]

Just want to know when do people take their kids to visit universities? 1st or 2nd year of A levels? Or as soon as gcse results come out?

Go and visit any you are interested in. My dd was surprised by how differently she felt about them compared to just reading the prospectus. We have mainly done them this summer as she applies early next academic year and also cos the weather is better!

Thanks neck, that's very helpful.

This thread is great - really helpful.

I agree that it is worth them putting some effort into their PS's even if they don't get read - it may help them to firm up what they want to apply for and also could be helpful for CV writing. But it is also good to put their importance into perspective!

I agree with RedHelenB It was really interesting how both ds and dd have reacted so differently when looking round places - I liken it to looking round houses when you are looking to buy, you get a 'feel' for a place that is different from looking on line.

What happens in practice during the admissions process will depend on manpower, how many automatic filters can be put in place and how invested the course leads are in the admissions process.
However it should n't be forgotten that PS may be an important factor at the stage of deciding whether to accept somebody with grades below the offer especially for humanities.
I do agree that students should not discouraged if they think they have nothing to put in their PS compared to some of the 'all singing and dancing' examples that appear on the Internet. They should put some effort in though even if the PS only counts for one or two potential offers

It should n't be forgotten that PS may be an important factor at the stage of deciding whether to accept somebody with grades below the offer.

I have never heard of this being done in sciences, maths or engineering. It really wouldn't make any sense and would strongly disfavour students from backgrounds with little connection to universities.

I think esornep your idea of what a PS may judged on may be different from others. I would also think that any admissions department using PSs to aid selection are capable of assessing them in the context of the students' backgrounds.

Why bpther having the personal statement part of the UCAS form if unis don't bother looking at it at all. It obviously has to have some bearing on things!

I think esornep your idea of what a PS may judged on may be different from others

Huh?

In science, maths and engineering, if you miss your grades the most relevant information is your UMS scores. Please feel free to check this with any admissions tutor in those subjects. I would be really surprised if any said that personal statements would be a factor.

Redhelen - because some universities do look at it - Oxford, Cambridge, medics , vets and dentists and one or two others where they still interview. Plus others such as nursing where experience is pretty much vital. You need some space to write that experience down!

It's like the school common application form - there's a space for 'why do you want a particular school?' - but for the majority it won't have any bearing on the outcome.

Folk really should take note of what the actual university bods on these threads say, not what their kids' Deputy head said or what Billy's mum said or what happened to your neighbour's son.

im still curious how those (few) courses which are oversubscribed select then.

We interview, MMI style, and score on individual interview questions, with a combined score. The highest scores without 2+ x "totally unsuitable" interview marks, get offers (but some or most or all offers are conditional on actual A-level results, I think that's how it works). PS is one of our scoring stations, but maybe is part of admissions elsewhere, too (I honestly can't keep track).

I wish folk wouldn't talk like the admissions process is some deep dark secret mystery black box. We are subject to FOI requests & have to be as transparent & consistent with our published admissions criteria as possible or we'd get masticated & punished by some authority. Obviously we'll always take the top % of applicants, and we can't completely control the quality of who applies. That's the only true unknown in the process. We think our programme is great but can't be sure who else is convinced of that.

Love to know if anyone left it blank.

Plenty leave it blank! And get offers!

esornep I think you are in order to make a valid point overstating something which is at cross purposes to what I am saying. You cannot make a blanket statement that only UMS points count for all STEM subjects, social sciences and humanities at all universities. (I am also sure that you realise that in some cases UMS points can also be discriminatory.)
Taking what you say to its logical conclusion you should be able to list STEM courses where prospective students can safely leave the PS section blank.

I have already said like PPs that I think there are positives of writing a PS. It goes without saying that some students will have more help than others. However any student aiming to do a degree (mathematicians being the possible exception) should be able to write a fairly coherent summary of why they want to do that degree without it being too onerous. Just perhaps there may be something in that PS which differentiates them as having more spark despite getting a couple of UMSs lower than another student. Perhaps in some cases that may help their application
I think we are all agreed that the process should not be given mythical status particularly for middling universities or courses that clearly state it is not part of the admissions criteria.

where have they applied and which courses Titchy?

My institution - London but not being any more detailed than that.

Like most we have centralised admissions. Apply with the right subjects and predictions within a grade of our standard offer and computer says yes. Simple as that.

Taking what you say to its logical conclusion you should be able to list STEM courses where prospective students can safely leave the PS section blank.

See Titchy's comment above. "Like most we have centralised admissions. Apply with the right subjects and predictions within a grade of our standard offer and computer says yes. Simple as that."

The only hesitation I have in listing courses explicitly which I know for sure do this is that these courses do not advertise that their admissions are centralised.

BTW these are not middling universities or courses, either - they include top 10 courses.

^The only hesitation I have in listing courses explicitly which I know for sure do this is that these courses do not advertise that their admissions are centralised.

BTW these are not middling universities or courses, either - they include top 10 courses.^

I am not sure that I understand. You are worried that the universities for these courses are wanting to dissimulate about their admissions process and therefore continue the myth of PSs?
I think it is possibly unhelpful to post here that PSs can be left blank for certain courses as the end result without concrete information is a half way house. Prospective students won't be sure if they might be wasting their time or not.

I could start the ball rolling. There is a top ten Midlands university that has centralised admissions.

I think it is possibly unhelpful to post here that PSs can be left blank for certain courses as the end result without concrete information is a half way house. Prospective students won't be sure if they might be wasting their time or not

I don't think anyone was suggesting that it was a good idea. It's more that it's possible and does occasionally happen.

I am not advocating leaving the PS blank (this is just provocative and silly). I am saying that the PS is unlikely to be a significant factor in many STEM courses, so students should write something decent, but not angst about it too much.

I think it is possibly unhelpful to post here that PSs can be left blank for certain courses as the end result without concrete information is a half way house. Prospective students won't be sure if they might be wasting their time or not.

And prospective students who look to Mumsnet for such information would also be wasting their time: they need to ask at open days to get reliable information. Pretty sure that STEM admissions tutors will confirm that PS is not a significant factor in deciding about missed offers. Some places will also be happy to confirm that offers are made entirely on the basis of achieved and predicted grades e.g. Warwick maths openly has such a standard offer policy. (A policy which is arguably unfair, as it does not allow for different backgrounds.)

Dampsqid I agree it does happen.
Esornep I do apologise, I thought that your post at 15:21 was responding to my comment since it started with it.

Thanks for all your discussions. I m not thinking about the very top Unis. I m more thinking about the subject/s that are most suitable for my dc. I believe my dc is more likely to want to do food tech or food sicience sort of studies. Have some of you done similar studies before? Would you know which unis offer the best choice courses?

School/college should be able to give details of relevant sites to give that info such as Which? Good University Guide. Tbh those type of courses may not be best offered at more traditional Unis.

Thanks LIZS, I just want my dc goes to a good uni and enjoys the subject.

Have you some nearby unis - if so then there is no harm in visiting sooner rather than later. Have a look at their websites. Even if your so. Wouldn't want to go there it might help him think about what he is looking for.