Guide to Universities - reference book?

Has anyone used this and found it useful (or a previous years version)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HEAP-2013-University-Essential-Winning/dp/1844555143/ref=pd_cp_b_0

Reply 1

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Nervous Mum

Has anyone used this and found it useful (or a previous years version)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HEAP-2013-University-Essential-Winning/dp/1844555143/ref=pd_cp_b_0

All Heap's books are good and useful, bit they're also very expensive and go out of date very quickly. If your school is halfway decent, it should have copies of them in the library. Use that and save a lot of money.

Reply 2

nulli tertius

Original post by Nervous Mum

Has anyone used this and found it useful (or a previous years version)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HEAP-2013-University-Essential-Winning/dp/1844555143/ref=pd_cp_b_0

Brain Heap is to university admissions rather what Crick and Watson are to DNA or Michael Ventris to Linear B.

Heap is the man who figured out how universities made offers back in the days when universities kept their admissions requirements secret.

Reply 3

DarkWhite

I'm sure it's very good as a reference material, but only really for entry requirements. Whether to go full-time/part-time and what course to study (two of the four things it claims to offer) I'd say are far more down to an applicant's own wants and needs than a book could detail.

I could be wrong mind..

Reply 4

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by nulli tertius

What did he manage to figure out?

And why would a university keep admissions requirements secret anyway?

Reply 5

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Smack

What did he manage to figure out?

And why would a university keep admissions requirements secret anyway?

All manner of reasons which have disappeared into the mists of time. University admission was as closed a shop as the Freemasons when I applied to university. Brian Heap has made, I hope, a large sum of money out of his (very expensive) books because there was a long, long time when nobody had access to any information that today's students take for granted, except for what they could glean from Mr Heap. It used to be like putting a message in a bottle and sending it out into the sea and hoping it got picked up. On the plus side, you didn't have to write a personal statement, so it wasn't all bad.

Reply 6

Nervous Mum

Original post by nulli tertius

Ooh maybe that's a sign. Francis Crick was initially educated at the same school as my son.

Reply 7

TenOfThem

Original post by Nervous Mum

Ooh maybe that's a sign. Francis Crick was initially educated at the same school as my son.

Oooooooh my baby girl to :smile:

Reply 8

Nervous Mum

Original post by TenOfThem

Oooooooh my baby girl to :smile:

Your baby girl as a sixth former?

Reply 9

TenOfThem

Original post by Nervous Mum

Your baby girl as a sixth former?

yes, presumably same yr as your son since she is also investigating universities

Reply 10

Nervous Mum

Original post by TenOfThem

yes, presumably same yr as your son since she is also investigating universities

He probably knows her then as there are only about 50 girls, assuming your daughter is lower sixth.

They have it better than I did, I went to an all girls school and they let boys in when I was in 5th year (Year 11), unfortunately the boys were 1st years (year 7).

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 11

nulli tertius

Original post by Smack

What did he manage to figure out?

And why would a university keep admissions requirements secret anyway?

This is a a period piece, a 1972 newspaper clipping (it is from The Times Digital Archive-I haven't saved it for 40 years!).

Reply 12

Nervous Mum

Can you imagine Warwick CCE now. I think for my son's degree course they want
A*A*A + Step.

I know they say the 'A' levels are easier nowadays but I know that my son is finding it hard going, I think he is hoping for an A for Maths and a B for Further Maths.

Reply 13

TenOfThem

Original post by nulli tertius

This is a a period piece, a 1972 newspaper clipping

I am wondering when "usual" requirements became a standard element in the prospectus

Certainly by 1978 when I was applying the prospectuses gave an indication

Reply 14

nulli tertius

Original post by TenOfThem

I am wondering when "usual" requirements became a standard element in the prospectus

Certainly by 1978 when I was applying the prospectuses gave an indication

I think it was fairly quickly realised that non-publication was unsustainable once there was reasonably accurate unofficial information.

It does mark one stage in change in the relationship from supplicant and benefactor to customer and supplier.