The Aspire Guide - Flipbook - Page 15
What should you consider when deciding
which university to apply to?
What are your predicted grades? Try to aim high and have a bit of a range to increase your options. Be
wary of accepting unconditional offers - often if you take conditional offers you can get into universities
that are more academically demanding. Remember that your A-Level grades will go on your CV so it’s
important to work hard no matter what the entry requirements are for your university of choice.
What living style would suit you best? Different universities will have different living arrangements.
Some universities, like Durham, offer catered accommodation, which means all your meals are cooked
for you. Others, such as Warwick, only offer self-catered halls, which come with kitchens and means
you’ll need to cook your meals for yourself! It’s also worth thinking about whether you would prefer to
live in a city or on a university campus. Campus universities come with the benefit of convenience, as
all the lecture halls will be close to where you live, while non-campus universities mean that you get the
opportunity to explore a new city.
Is the course right for you? It sounds obvious - but make sure that the university you’re applying to
offers the course you’re interested in! It’s also useful to find out about the modules that they offer and
the way they’re structured. For example, a compulsory module for history at SOAS is World Histories
- Global Encounters and Connectivities, whilst Warwick’s course requires you to take Europe in the
Making 1450-1800; music students at York are taught and assessed on just one project per term whilst,
at Oxford, students study a mixture of topics across the year, assessed in the summer. Think about what
you’re interested in and how you want to learn about it, and then choose accordingly.
What graduate jobs do students typically go on to do? It may seem a long way off, but the university
you go to is often more important than the course you choose and even your grades when it comes to
launching a successful career. This may be due to increased access to internships and work experience,
the certification of courses with professional bodies, or even the connections you’ll make there. upReach
want every young person to realise their career potential, regardless of their background. That’s why we
encourage you not only to consider university, but to consider the most selective universities out there.
Stretching yourself to apply to the best university you can, wherever that might be, can really pay off.
Name: Eilidh
Current job role: Law Programme Coordinator at upReach
Subject: Law
University: University of Exeter
When I was deciding which university to go to, there were many factors to consider,
including how I was going to finance it. One university offered me an unconditional offer which
specified that if I accepted them as my ‘firm choice’ I would receive a specific bursary. A university
which I liked more also gave me an offer, but this was conditional and there was no promise of
a bursary.
This made the decision of which university to put as my ‘firm choice’ difficult because while I
knew which I preferred, it was higher risk. I toyed around with the decision for a long time and
almost accepted the unconditional offer. However, I took the risk of going with the university I
preferred. This turned out to be the best decision because I achieved the grades I needed and
when I was then accepted, they also offered a bursary which I received automatically upon
enrolment! From this experience I learnt that it’s really important to look beyond the surface
level and really dig into what each university has to offer because what’s important to you won’t
necessarily always be advertised!
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