Duke of Edinburgh award - bronze

[Linneasweet]

DD want to do this, I been on the info meeting in school but think DD wants to do it for the wrong reasons, she says it will help with uni applications while I like the fact she would do it for the community side and be more responsible. Can someone please explain it for me? Does it help with uni applications?

from what i understand, its sort of...expected now on uni applications. what i mean by that is that lots and lots of people have it, and so its nothing unusual. but yes, it could help with uni. i would definitely let her do it, its a fab experience x

It can give them something to talk about for interviews.They do have to learn some life skills (like cooking and organising). I'd totally encourage it if she is keen. My DS (yr10) may do it this yr.

Those aren't 'wrong' reasons for doing it. University applications are the primary motivator for the majority of applicants. Teens aren't renowned for their selfless altruism

Seriously it means nothing on uni applications.

Its evidence of extra curricular activities and personal development.

discussion here

Almost irrelevant for uni application, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. My DD did all 3 levels, something about the gold made about the least interesting sentence in her PS but the volunteering and expeditions in particular were very good for her.

That guardian link has it about right. The most important things for uni applications are the grades in the right subjects and a demonstration of genuine engagement in the chosen field.

That was for Cambridge. Most people don't apply for Oxbridge. You seem to have cherry picked your evidence from that link and ignored the comments from the Bristol University admissions department

And the comments from the Swansea student where it helped him secure his place despite missing his offer grades

“she says it will help with uni applications”

No it doesn’t. It really doesn’t. Universities don’t care. I have sat through enough subject talks for medicine and biomedicine, and all the course tutors said that they were only interested in why you want to study their subject.

Nothing wrong at all in doing DofE for any reason, my Ds1 did bronze and silver, may do gold at university. Not done with his school, only him and friend did it, so did it with groups from different town. This with his volunteer cadet work and rugby career, I am sure helped him to get an unconditional offer for a BCC course when he only had CCC predictions and got CCC.

Dd1 hated the expedition bit so didn't go beyond Bronze and it didn't make the cut for the personal statement. She still did lots of extra curricular stuff and volunteered in a hospice when she was older, which did go on her PS. DD2 isn't bothering, one of only about 5 in her year so it's not exactly anything to get you noticed.

There is nowhere on the UCAS form to input Duke of Edinburgh awards. An applicant could mention something they did as part of D of E in the personal statement if it's directly relevant to the subject e.g. volunteering in a hospital as part of a personal statement when applying to study a healthcare-related course.

I think it's a good experience if you don't do scouts but it's not very stretching to walk 10km in 6 hours. The thing that my dcs found useful was the volunteering but you don't need to do a DofE to do this. I really do think it's a waste of money - just volunteer or get a part time job.

I am sure helped him to get an unconditional offer for a BCC course when he only had CCC predictions and got CCC How are you sure? Lots of people get accepted at Uni with lower grades - it all comes down to the results other students got - if they have a spare place they will happily take your ds's £9k a year off him - even with lower grades, they just work their way down the list.

In many ways, it doesn't matter what her motivation is - the point of the DofE awards is to get teens to get off their backsides and have a go at doing something new. It is to get them to commit to somethings over a period of time. I agree, having the Bronze DofE isn't going to impress anyone looking at your University application, but it might uncover a previously undiscovered skill or talent or love of volunteering or commitment to sport or something, which, in itself, might lead on to great things. It is a worthwhile thing to do, but she needs to want to do it herself, as it is a commitment.

Most people don't apply for Oxbridge.

True... but as far as we could gather, a lot of the other unis don't really pay much attention to the PS at all, except for stuff relevant to the course.

I think the OP is closer to being right as to why it can be a good thing to do than her DD is. It's good if it motivates the kid to volunteer, stick at some skills and activities. Even the bronze expedition might be good for getting some of them out of their comfort zone if they aren't used to that sort of thing at all- and whether useful for uni or not it may be good to have done if later in life they find themselves on one of those 'outward bound' management training things. It may be particularly good for girls if they stick with it to know that yes they can read a map, wild camp, cover quite a distance carrying a heavy pack.

QuantumGroan Because all of it was relevant to the course he wanted to study and the career he wants to proceed in. He was advised by his school advisor and a mentor in his career to put it in his PS

Carrying 20kg+ of stuff for 10km on rough ground is not a trivial task.

I am in the same boat with my DS. I have read lots of posts on MM and elsewhere , there are strong arguments in favour and against DOEd. When I started researching it, I found that this will push DS into some structured discipline / routine for his co-curricular activities. Bronze is a good way of starting it, if he enjoys, we will continue to Silver. There's no harm in trying. So we have started it and would see how it goes.

My son has nearly completed his bronze. It's been good for him, and his mates who have done it. Does it really matter what she says her reasons are? There's no possible disbenefit to her.

@2BoysandaCairn which section of the DofE was relevant to his study? I am not opposed to DofE how can you be it's all good experiences but it's expensive and if your main reason for doing it is for something to put into your personal statement I think you need to carefully think through how your DofE experience is going to highlight your commitment to your course, beyond the usual. And of course if money is tight you don't need the rubber stamping of the DofE to learn new skills, get physically active or volunteer - the expedition is probably the only part that can't easily be replicated - unless you are part of the scouting movement.

We encouraged DD1 to do DofE, not for uni applications (she didn't go) but because a) it would take her out of her comfort zone b) it would give her the impetus to do some volunteering which would be helpful to deciding future direction. She got a lot out of it.

For DD2 we might also encourage it, but we are taking a side view and trying to find suitable volunteering first. If she gets into it, we will be less bothered about the actual DofE though will encourage her if keen.

Bronze means fuck all as far as uni applications go, but it was useful for discovering that both my older dds hate hiking and camping