The I'm Applying For University In 2007 Thread :) Options

[benjaminja]

Oddball, you must go to S.ton - then we three (you, me and mrb) can form an exclusive S.ton Forums Brotherhood. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

It's also the DBs (canine testicula) for that raft of subjects.

This is true indeed.

[chrisgs]

What do you want to study? Civil Engineering (but somewhere with a shared first year so I can change to mechanical if I want)

Any idea of where you want to go? Exeter will probably be my top choice, then Durham, Bath and not decided on the others yet. I thought I'd rather not apply for Oxbridge - too much pressure - although I'm on the verge of reconsidering.

Are personal statements driving you mad? Nope, mine's finished!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Had to have it done by the end of last term (it drove me mad for a week or two then though!).

[Tess]

Ey up - sorry for intruding, being a graduate and all.... Aim high. Then have an insurance offer that you'll be happy at, that you are pretty certain you can manage to get. Good on you for not bowing to pressure to look at Cambridge - there are loads of other good unis out there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I don't understand. What pressure? It's imaginary, it is.

Most parents or even independent school heads/teachers will NOT apply any pressure on their kids HOWEVER BRIGHT to go for the so-called "greats" like Cambridge / Oxford/ UoLondon / Durham / Warwick / Birmingham / Bristol? Why then do so many young people besmirch Cambridge, etc? Could this be ignorance or envy? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

The strange fact was, when I was working in the City, the bankers, analysts, lawyers and accountants did not ask me which uni I went at all! They were more interested in my old school. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) Etonians seemed a good joke in those days.

The only ones interested in which univ you went were the City interviewers. I had the audacity to ask some senior partners why. One said - Just to make sure it was a red brick, not a polytechnic, you know. We want people who have good grades consistently all the way from O Levels upwards. Maybe it's more to do with networking as well since it's not hard to strike up a rapport with another who went to the same school as you did.

So at the end of the day, the constructive point is - It really does not matter THAT much which univ you go as long as you LIKE the place/people/course/standard/environment THERE and could AFFORD it. No need to worry provided you have done the homework and visited the place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Unless you want to do something very academic like law in a former "polytechnic" AND YET insist on having a financial analyst's or legal career in the City of London.

I apologise for interrupting, Nicki. I am sorry. It's just that there has been so much said in the past about Cambridge, Oxford, etc, that they are boring, elitist and those things simply aren't true! Why!? My relatives have graduated not very long ago from them and they hail from a poverty-stricken estate where they had to miss school on days when their teachers were seriously injured by their own classmates against whom the police did nothing! *sigh*

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This post has been edited by Tess: Aug 26 2006, 08:45 PM

[nicki_flute]

For me, I want to study History, don't know definitely yet, but like Durham, York and Sheffield. I don't know how low I should be looking, the above I think are AAA, AAB and AAB - is that too risky incase something goes distasterously wrong or should I be looking at BBB unis too? I decided I didn't want to apply for Cambridge as I would put myself under too much pressure.

Nicki

Ey up - sorry for intruding, being a graduate and all....

Aim high. Then have an insurance offer that you'll be happy at, that you are pretty certain you can manage to get. Good on you for not bowing to pressure to look at Cambridge - there are loads of other good unis out there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think I'd have to aim for an AAB university then *goodness* or at the lowest ABB. I did visit Cambridge (Emmanuel college) and was never really quite taken with it at the time. I just know myself too well I think

Applying to Durham, Bristol, Warwick, Nottingham, Birmingham and Royal Holloway.
Some to do Classics, some to do Music, Birmingham to do both. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
Already finished my personal statement. *Grins manically* Just to be infuriating!

Then I'm applying to music college as well, haven't done my personal statement for CUKAS yet though. *Sigh*

You know, that really is infuriating! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Ey up - sorry for intruding, being a graduate and all.... Aim high. Then have an insurance offer that you'll be happy at, that you are pretty certain you can manage to get. Good on you for not bowing to pressure to look at Cambridge - there are loads of other good unis out there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I don't understand. What pressure? It's imaginary, it is.

Most parents or even independent school heads/teachers will NOT apply any pressure on their kids HOWEVER BRIGHT to go for the so-called "greats" like Cambridge / Oxford/ UoLondon / Durham / Warwick / Birmingham / Bristol? Why then do so many young people besmirch Cambridge, etc? Could this be ignorance or envy? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

The strange fact was, when I was working in the City, the bankers, analysts, lawyers and accountants did not ask me which uni I went at all! They were more interested in my old school. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) Etonians seemed a good joke in those days.

The only ones interested in which univ you went were the City interviewers. I had the audacity to ask some senior partners why. One said - Just to make sure it was a red brick, not a polytechnic, you know. We want people who have good grades consistently all the way from O Levels upwards. Maybe it's more to do with networking as well since it's not hard to strike up a rapport with another who went to the same school as you did.

So at the end of the day, the constructive point is - It really does not matter THAT much which univ you go as long as you LIKE the place/people/course/standard/environment THERE and could AFFORD it. No need to worry provided you have done the homework and visited the place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Unless you want to do something very academic like law in a former "polytechnic" AND YET insist on having a financial analyst's or legal career in the City of London.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Well...I know in my case, people sort of assume I'd be applying to Cambridge

[Tess]

Yes, it must be annoying how people often assume things! Including parents, and family members, the very ones who have our interests at heart. It's good though that you aware of "that" now so at least you will live up to your own expectations, not others. It's harder to please others so they say. Be yourself, I'd say. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[YetAnotherPianist]

I don't understand. What pressure? It's imaginary, it is.

OK, for instance, at my sixth form the brighter students were rounded up and told to apply to Oxbridge, various trips in the school minibus were organised, mock admission interviews provided etc.

Enough of a stink was made when neither AP nor me did, on the grounds that we'd considered it but didn't like the places, but relatively that was nothing.... Someone applied to Cambridge and was given an offer which he deemed unrealistic; as such, he wanted to drop Further Maths to give him time to concentrate on his other A-levels, put one of the London universities as his first choice and somewhere else as his second. As soon as this got out, he was sent to the headmaster who told him he had to put Cambridge as his first choice, and was not allowed to drop further maths. Thankfully, his dad was a govenor who managed to kick up a fuss about it and in the end he was allowed to do what he wanted. For a while there, though, he was within a gnats wing of leaving over the whole thing.

[nicki_flute]

Crikey! Our school does nothing like that, but there seems to be an unsaid expectation that if you get over a certain number of A* at GCSE and a number of As at AS then you should apply. The number of people I talk about university too and they ask whether I am applying to Oxbridge. For me, I put myself under so much pressure, to cover so much work in 8 weeks, I would literally make myself fail, even though the colleges and town is lovely.

[Lixandreth]

Applying to Durham, Bristol, Warwick, Nottingham, Birmingham and Royal Holloway.
Some to do Classics, some to do Music, Birmingham to do both. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
Already finished my personal statement. *Grins manically* Just to be infuriating!

Then I'm applying to music college as well, haven't done my personal statement for CUKAS yet though. *Sigh*

You know, that really is infuriating! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Yeah, but I have to write 2 personal statements so feel my pain!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)



Oxbridge pressure is a fair bit! We have about 40 people go every year from our sixth form. I went along to the meetings about it (before I realised I didn't want to put that much work in!) and SO many people turned up. I think it was 200+ people considering it?

It's a lot of work though, considering your UCAS form has to be in much earlier so you need to make your decisions quicker. Your personal statement gets scrutinised to a ridiculous level by staff. One of our English teachers has a second formal position as Oxbridge Admissions tutor type person who goes through the whole process with every applicant from college. You have to go to meetings with her, discuss your personal statement, your options, your grades. Then once you've applied, you have to attend mock interviews. I think it's an awful lot of pressure...

[nicki_flute]

And my school does nothing of the above, so would it really be worth it?
I know it would offer me top quality education but so would lots of other places, and the term are 8 weeks long, so wouldn't that mean you're basically at home for half the year!?

[sarah-flute]

Ey up - sorry for intruding, being a graduate and all.... Aim high. Then have an insurance offer that you'll be happy at, that you are pretty certain you can manage to get. Good on you for not bowing to pressure to look at Cambridge - there are loads of other good unis out there. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I don't understand. What pressure? It's imaginary, it is.

Most parents or even independent school heads/teachers will NOT apply any pressure on their kids HOWEVER BRIGHT to go for the so-called "greats" like Cambridge / Oxford/ UoLondon / Durham / Warwick / Birmingham / Bristol? Why then do so many young people besmirch Cambridge, etc? Could this be ignorance or envy? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

It's not always imaginary, Tess - I know that if I had got a place at Cambridge there would have been pressure from certain teachers and certains members of my family to accept it, even though having been there and having looked in detail at the course I knew it wasn't for me. I was relieved when I didn't get a place, and not at all surprised: nothing against Cambridge per se, or any implication that it was snobby or whatever. I just knew it wasn't for me. I'm glad I applied and went for interview, because I think I would always have wondered "what if?", but that experience was enough to convince me that it would not have suited me.

Someone applied to Cambridge and was given an offer which he deemed unrealistic; as such, he wanted to drop Further Maths to give him time to concentrate on his other A-levels, put one of the London universities as his first choice and somewhere else as his second. As soon as this got out, he was sent to the headmaster who told him he had to put Cambridge as his first choice, and was not allowed to drop further maths. Thankfully, his dad was a govenor who managed to kick up a fuss about it and in the end he was allowed to do what he wanted. For a while there, though, he was within a gnats wing of leaving over the whole thing.

That's appalling.

For me, I put myself under so much pressure, to cover so much work in 8 weeks, I would literally make myself fail, even though the colleges and town is lovely.

Yes, even 10 week terms can seem very short! Friend of mine is at Oxford, and although she loves it, she finds it really intense.

It's a lot of work though, considering your UCAS form has to be in much earlier so you need to make your decisions quicker... Then once you've applied, you have to attend mock interviews.

Actually I think those were the only two advantages for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

My UCAS form was completed in double quick time and in early - one less thing to worry about - and I was forced to make decisions on where to apply rather than dither for months.

And my mock interview with the head was a grilling but also a positive experience and he was really encouraging afterward, which was great in terms of making me feel more confident about the whole uni process, and also good prep for both the interviews that I went to.

[nicki_flute]

I am going to try and send my form off as if it was going to Oxbridge, i.e by October

[sarah-flute]

Sounds like a good plan. Best to get it out of the way and avoid a last-minute panic (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[nicki_flute]

Tomorrow is my university day, where I plan to do most of the UCAS form, research unis, and work on my personal statement.

[Tess]

I don't understand. What pressure? It's imaginary, it is.

OK, for instance, at my sixth form the brighter students were rounded up and told to apply to Oxbridge, various trips in the school minibus were organised, mock admission interviews provided etc.

... he wanted to drop Further Maths to give him time to concentrate on his other A-levels, put one of the London universities as his first choice and somewhere else as his second. As soon as this got out, he was sent to the headmaster who told him he had to put Cambridge as his first choice, and was not allowed to drop further maths. Thankfully, his dad was a govenor who managed to kick up a fuss about it and in the end he was allowed to do what he wanted. For a while there, though, he was within a gnats wing of leaving over the whole thing.

That's awful! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) I'd have no hesitation reporting that school if it were my kid! However, I suspect this is highly unusual. On the other hand you can't complain to the council if it were not a local state school but rather, an independent school. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[SuzyMac]

I don't understand. What pressure? It's imaginary, it is.

OK, for instance, at my sixth form the brighter students were rounded up and told to apply to Oxbridge, various trips in the school minibus were organised, mock admission interviews provided etc.

... he wanted to drop Further Maths to give him time to concentrate on his other A-levels, put one of the London universities as his first choice and somewhere else as his second. As soon as this got out, he was sent to the headmaster who told him he had to put Cambridge as his first choice, and was not allowed to drop further maths. Thankfully, his dad was a govenor who managed to kick up a fuss about it and in the end he was allowed to do what he wanted. For a while there, though, he was within a gnats wing of leaving over the whole thing.

That's awful! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) I'd have no hesitation reporting that school if it were my kid! However, I suspect this is highly unusual. On the other hand you can't complain to the council if it were not a local state school but rather, an independent school. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

That's terrible!

There often is pressure - there were very few people at our school likely to get *any* A grades at A' level. It was suggested we should be looking at Oxbridge for the good of the school. The one lad who did apply there was traumatised by his interview, having not been prepared for it at all!