'Open' applications to Cambridge and Durham

Savvy_Sue

celyn90 wrote: »

I liked Warwick too, where else is he thinking of? Best of luck with the application process, cel x

He's only got 4 choices at the moment: Cambridge, Durham, Warwick and Imperial. I've warned him his grandparents will expect to see a lot of him if he goes to Imperial! And completely off topic, but I've told him he needs to get either a laptop or a flat screen monitor before leaving: for some reason he hates flat screens but I'm not carting a CRT monitor round for him, they're too big and heavy!

celyn90

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

He's only got 4 choices at the moment: Cambridge, Durham, Warwick and Imperial. I've warned him his grandparents will expect to see a lot of him if he goes to Imperial! And completely off topic, but I've told him he needs to get either a laptop or a flat screen monitor before leaving: for some reason he hates flat screens but I'm not carting a CRT monitor round for him, they're too big and heavy!

I only chose four when I applied instead of the usual six (actually, almost the exact same ones!!), I would have been happy at any of the four I chose, but didn't want to inconvience any other places just to fill the spaces on my UCAS form. My subject was highly non-competative though as people just don't do the physical sciences pure anymore.

He'll give up the CRT when he realises how small the average college room is

juno

As long as he meets the deadline in January, he can add extra choices (up to the maximum of 5) after applying. So don't worry too much if he only applies to 4. Theoretically he could just apply to Cambridge and then add the other choices later, but if he (and you) are sure then he might as well get it done asap.

Voyager2002

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

He's only got 4 choices at the moment: Cambridge, Durham, Warwick and Imperial. I've warned him his grandparents will expect to see a lot of him if he goes to Imperial! And completely off topic, but I've told him he needs to get either a laptop or a flat screen monitor before leaving: for some reason he hates flat screens but I'm not carting a CRT monitor round for him, they're too big and heavy!

Be aware that Imperial is virtually an all-male institution. For that reason I would far prefer somewhere like UCL.

He might also like to consider Bristol. My father is an academic Mathematician who moved from Imperial to Bristol, and was staggered at how much better things were in Bristol.

Dare I say it, applying only to leading universities is tempting providence. If something goes wrong with the exams and he gets only indifferent grades, would he prefer to re-take in order to go to a top university or proceed to a degree at a merely average place. If the second, perhaps he should apply to at least one second-choice type place, just in case... I am very fond of the University of East Anglia, although the Maths department there is not really one of the strongest in the country. And I am now at Exeter, which seems to be very popular among students, although again Maths is not exactly its strongest point.

As for Colleges: with Durham (where I did my BSc in Mathematics) I really do not think it matters, except that getting in to the more fashionable Colleges could be difficult. I actually went to Hatfield, and detest rugby. There were plenty of non-rugby players, and it took all of five minutes for me to start making friends with people in other colleges. And the walk to the department was a pleasant way to begin each day, particularly crossing the river.

Savvy_Sue

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Be aware that Imperial is virtually an all-male institution. For that reason I would far prefer somewhere like UCL.

I'm not sure that would bother him.

Voyager2002 wrote: »

He might also like to consider Bristol.

He might, if we didn't live in Bristol! Although DS1 applied there (not for Maths), saying after the open day that he liked the look of the course better than he'd hoped!

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Dare I say it, applying only to leading universities is tempting providence. If something goes wrong with the exams and he gets only indifferent grades, would he prefer to re-take in order to go to a top university or proceed to a degree at a merely average place. If the second, perhaps he should apply to at least one second-choice type place, just in case...

Good point, although I think both he and the school would feel that there is a vanishingly small chance of his 'main' subjects going wrong. And I tried to make the same point to DS1 when he insisted on accepting identical main and insurance offers ...

Voyager2002 wrote: »

As for Colleges: with Durham (where I did my BSc in Mathematics) I really do not think it matters, except that getting in to the more fashionable Colleges could be difficult. I actually went to Hatfield, and detest rugby. There were plenty of non-rugby players, and it took all of five minutes for me to start making friends with people in other colleges. And the walk to the department was a pleasant way to begin each day, particularly crossing the river.

Ah yes, the walk to lectures across the river! I was walking in the opposite direction to you ...

I said to him yesterday that somehow I seemed to be expecting him to be terribly together about his choices, researching and KNOWING what he wants. If I look back to the way I made my choices, it was all a bit hit and miss. All of my choices were miles from home, which was the most important thing to me. But I went to Durham for interview and was just "YES! THIS is where I want to be."

He's going to talk to someone at school again tomorrow, particularly about his Cambridge application. I'm sure he'll be fine, really.

juno

There's Extra and Clearing, so there are options if he gets no offers or if he misses his offers.

Extra is around Easter, and runs til June. It's for people who have no offers (either didn't receive any, or didn't like the ones they have and declined them), and it allows you to apply to one further choice from a list of places that have vacancies. A lot of places still have spaces in Extra, and there is a really good choice available.
Oxbridge aren't available in Extra, but a lot of the top 10 will be.

Clearing is after Results Day, and again a lot of unis have spaces. It's not as bad as people like to make out so it isn't the end of the world.

So whilst it might be nice and reassuring to apply to places which make lower offers, it isn't completely necessary. It's more important to apply to places he'd be happy going to.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I've just started a degree at Durham and actually never got to choose which college I went to.