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Secondary education

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Original poster

What should a year 10 be doing for Uni requirements

33 replies

Toadstool93 · 20/02/2022 09:21

Hi All,

I just wondered what my year 10 daughter needs to do to be appealing to university selection.

She is doing dofe, electric guitar (grade 3). I know for uni they need to show positive independent things.

What should she be doing now to prepare her for standing out in a uni application please? I know she is only year 10 but I know they have to prove commitment to things.

Thank you for any help

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 20/02/2022 09:26

It depends which university she wants to go to. Bog standard university she is already doing enough.

RampantIvy · 20/02/2022 09:31

Honest answer? Universities aren't interested in D of E, even medical schools. They aren't as interested in extra curricular activities as schools would have you believe.

Universities want stellar grades above anything else. That said, any work experience or community volunteering is good, and if she is interested in medicine/vetmed she needs to get experience in those areas - volunteering/working with animals or medical setting.

sashagabadon · 20/02/2022 09:31

To be honest I don’t think most universities care about extra curricular! You basically get a couple of lines to include it at the end of your personal statement which should be mostly about why you are applying for the particular subject you are. She’d be better off doing things related to the subject. E.g she wants to study Geography for example. What Geography books has she read and what has she learnt from them, podcasts she has listened to , places she has been related to that etc. You only get so many words in the PS so sentences about DoE or whatever will need to be edited out!

Original poster
Toadstool93 · 20/02/2022 09:35

Thanks everyone, I think it's the pressure at school with other kids saying they need to be grade 8 in an instrument, Lamda, county sport. I think it's a bit overwhelming so good to hear that the interest in the subject is more important.

Thank you

OP posts:
Zodlebud · 20/02/2022 10:21

Unless you are considering US universities where you will need to have a great CV of extra curricular activities. They look at not only your skills but what you do with them. So playing an instrument is all well and good but are you part of an orchestra or band, or “give back” with it by performing at nursing homes etc.

In the U.K. so long as you can show there’s a bit more to you than academics and you have balance in your life then you’re fine.

sashagabadon · 20/02/2022 10:33

I think time is better spent researching her favoured uni’s and what the lecturers in her chosen subject specialise in and researching that do she can same something about what interests her what she has learnt or would like to learn. Many lecturers have written books, have podcasts etc, research so look into that rather than grade 8 on violin. That’s my advice Smile

titchy · 20/02/2022 14:29

I know she is only year 10 but I know they have to prove commitment to things.

Honestly, they really don't. Interest is subject is all. DofE, sport, music - irrelevant.

BennieAndBert · 20/02/2022 14:39

UK universities no longer place much or any weight on extra-curriculars- it's much easier to have grade 8 viola when you have parents who can pay for viola lessons or to have volunteered for charity every weekend when you don't have to help out caring for an unwell parent or younger siblings, so giving places based on extra-curriculars is another barrier for deprived kids. Which is obviously not to say that your daughter shouldn't be doing them- they're valuable in themselves.

US universities, on the other hand, definitely want them.

Does she have any idea what she wants to read? If she's keen to start thinking about it all now, doing something subject-specific might be useful for her statement and for her ability and enjoyment- so if she's thinking about maths, join maths club, do the UKMT challenges etc; if she's interested in history, join a club, start reading outside the syllabus etc etc. But in Y10 it's fine if she doesn't know and just focuses on getting good GCSEs and doing the things that she finds interesting and enjoyable.

clary · 20/02/2022 14:40

Agree with others, music, DofE irrelevant (unless doing music degree!). The things to talk about on PS are why you like the subject and what you have done extra. So dd (Eng) spoke about types of books she loved and why, reading around she had done, authors she had met that inspired her.

If it's med or vet she should look at setting up work experience or even a job in related role.

Otherwise the best thing she can do to prep for A levels and uni is work hard and get good GCSE grades. I wouldn't bother with DofE at all unless she loves doing it tbh.

RampantIvy · 20/02/2022 14:43

Many universities don't even bother reading the personal statement. DD is studying biomedical sciences at Newcastle and the admissions tutor told us that they only look at the PS if the student is bordeline. As long as the student gets the grades they are in.

GCAcademic · 20/02/2022 14:44

I’m not interested in any of that. In fact, country level sport, from experience, I’d suspect that the student would be spending their time playing their sport rather than coming to class, so it would not be something in their favour. I’m looking for evidence of engagement with the subject beyond what happens at school.

Trolleedollee · 20/02/2022 14:47

My experience is that unless it’s for the top unis - Oxford / Cambridge Durham Bristol etc or for medicine / vet med / dentistry and law if they get the predictions they get the offer even in the RG unis

ShowOfHands · 20/02/2022 14:48

DD knows where she wants to go to uni and what she wants to study. She's at a secondary comp and knows that competition for her chosen uni is fierce, particularly coming at it from our state/working class background. All advice she has had comes down to grades. She's working hard to get her predicted grades, aiming for 4 As at A Level after that. We also try and stress the importance of back up options and researching alternative settings.

Hobbies are just that and she does the things she loves and things that make her happy.

Tee20x · 20/02/2022 14:51

Like others have said unis don't care about that. Good grades in relevant subjects.

LizzieBananas · 20/02/2022 14:56

Secondary teacher here.

The only thing to consider is whether not doing a foreign language or triple science will close any doors at this stage. (There are generally enough courses for given subject that don’t need one of these but it will close some doors)

Beyond that, developing good study skills eg revision and note taking and resilience will stand her in the best stead.

If you really want to check, figure out which current school subject is closest and you/her should speak to her teacher. There may be more specific advice but it generally comes in Y12/L6.

pancakesandsyrupplease · 20/02/2022 14:58

@ShowOfHands

DD knows where she wants to go to uni and what she wants to study. She's at a secondary comp and knows that competition for her chosen uni is fierce, particularly coming at it from our state/working class background. All advice she has had comes down to grades. She's working hard to get her predicted grades, aiming for 4 As at A Level after that. We also try and stress the importance of back up options and researching alternative settings.

Hobbies are just that and she does the things she loves and things that make her happy.

She won't need 4 A levels, 3 is enough for any university (unless on is further maths)
LizzieBananas · 20/02/2022 14:58

Apologies if the options advice is too late; I thought you were looking forward to Y10, not currently in it.

CrimbleCrumble1 · 20/02/2022 15:10

My DC didn’t do D of E, they concentrated on getting good grades. They both picked traditional subjects at A levels. In the upper sixth form one DC was elected onto the student council so I think that helped. The other one ran a little business which tied in with studying Economics and he went on a few day courses held at a university during the summer holidays. They were nothing to do with the school. They both had part time work and a had done a tiny bit of volunteering which they mentioned and they talked about their hobbies on their personal statement. The DS who did History at uni read a lot and showed his enthusiasm for history through his reading and by talking about some places he’d visited on holidays. They both got all five offers and went to their first pick uni.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 20/02/2022 15:25

They want stuff on depth of study.

Clubs and most extra curricular are deemed non inclusive, as they are dependent in parental income and parental transport usually.

CraftyGin · 20/02/2022 15:27

@Toadstool93

Hi All,

I just wondered what my year 10 daughter needs to do to be appealing to university selection.

She is doing dofe, electric guitar (grade 3). I know for uni they need to show positive independent things.

What should she be doing now to prepare her for standing out in a uni application please? I know she is only year 10 but I know they have to prove commitment to things.

Thank you for any help

She needs to be passionate about the subject.

For extra-curriculars, few people care, but if she wants to mention them, it should be about the transferrable skills they offer.

CrimbleCrumble1 · 20/02/2022 15:30

I think I read it wasn’t so much about extra curricula activities but co-curricular ones. I may have got the word for the second one wrong.

User76745333 · 20/02/2022 15:31

GCSEs

gogohm · 20/02/2022 15:32

Work hard at her GCSEs and do extra curricular they enjoy, not so much that it affects mental health

Original poster
Toadstool93 · 20/02/2022 17:58

Thanks everyone for the fantastic advice, it certainly makes things clearer.

Thank you for all your help.

OP posts:
HelloDulling · 20/02/2022 18:01

For medical courses, relevant work experience is all but essential these days. Extra curriculars don’t add anything to her application really, but that’s no reason not to do them.