[constantmeowage]

I'm asking because it doesn't seem like I'm going to many, because the course that I want to do isn't offered in many places. I'm a bit worried about this, so if there are any other people out there who didn't go to many unis beore applying, I'll feel much better, but if not, how can I improve the situation, because I'm a bit lost at the moment regarding unis and courses and UCAS and how many unis I need to apply for and stuff.

Sorry if I I've immensly confused you!

Thanks!


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[aspirinpharmacist]

...I went to 5 in one month and then another one a little later on. It did help me a lot but then I'm indecisive as hell so I think I really needed to. Probably just as well, I'd always thought I wanted to go to Bath but then when I saw UEA I fell in love with it. But there are plenty of people who didn't go to any open days at all, it's more of a leap of faith I suppose but it's not always practical to spend every weekend running up and down the country (it has taught me that I never ever want to commute) but if you're only going to a few open days because there aren't many universities that do your course, then that's different. I think it's good to have an idea of where you're going but if you don't see the uni beforehand it's not the end of the world as you know it.

[Jabberwox]

I went to one and I firmed it kinda reckless maybe, but I really liked the place and got a brilliant vibe from it so I thought, why not.

Plus I didn't really have the money to visit others (they were all pretty far out) so I picked my favourite (ironically the furthest one away) and firmed it after visiting ^^

[EckoGecko]

I went to quite a few before applying, and before receiving AS results
Didn't make my decision until visiting the ones I'd actually applied to.
It is beneficial seeing the different places but can be quite expensive and tiring if they're far away... Plymouth to Bangor and back again in 12 hours...Never again

[JordanadroJ]

I picked my 5 choices by what the requirements were (1 high, 3 average, 1 low), then when I got my offers I visited the 3 that I liked the look of most

[Vitamin D]

Two (Strathclyde and Stirling) and the applicant day for Aberdeen after I'd got my offer.

[constantmeowage]

Thanks everyone!

Do you have to put 5 on your UCAS application mewhatsit, or is it just up to 5?


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[littlemissmidget123]

i visited 7

you can put up to 5.. youd be stupid not to put 5 though i think

[rockrunride]

Lol.. two. Both at Cambridge. Visited all the unis I applied to after I had done it, though (Cambridge, UCL, ULIP, Southampton, Durham).

[camaieu]

I just went to one - Queen's University Belfast, since pretty much most schools in NI take their Upper Sixth pupils to one of their two days. I visited UCL when I was in London last year and did a self-guided tour, and I also visited Cambridge on an offer-holders open day in February

[fretter778]

(Original post by littlemissmidget123)
i visited 7

you can put up to 5.. youd be stupid not to put 5 though i think

Why? If there aren't 5 universities you actually want to go to, what's the point in applying somewhere you wouldn't be happy studying at?


In response to OP: I visited 4 of the 5 universities I applied to before applying, and then went back to visit my favourite two after I got offers to decide firm/insurance.

[Batmonkey]

three, - Leicester, Nottingham and Birmingham, didn't apply to Birmingham though. I thought I didn't go to enough and when I went to Leicester on my open day I hated it and then for some reason I decided to put it down as my insurance and I ended up going there and I love it!

[Perseverance]

Two, one of them I didn't end up applying to

[beccafairy]

i knew what course i wanted to do early on so i went to nine (i live in the midlands so it's not too much of a hassle to travel around) over two years, it was really useful as some courses that sounded amazing just weren't impressive when i actually visited, or other things weren't right e.g. the location. i ended up applying to four that i would be really happy at, whichever i went to, and one back up.

[chinaberry]

I didn't go to any. I knew what one of my favourites was like because I'd been there for things when I was little and it's where I live. My other favourite was in Scotland, ages away. I wasn't all that into the uni fever like some people were (not an insult, I wish I had been, I think it's good) so I wasn't too bothered, and also I thought you could make yourself like anything as long as it was a good uni- if thousands of other students were satisfied, who was I to be picky about little details. Plus, I loved York, and let's face it, most uni campuses are prettier than that (although personally I find York very attractive...)!

[PrismaticCore]

I didn't go to any.
I applied for Medicine this year (so I was limited to only 4) so all I did was:
1. Make a list of medical schools/a spreadsheet on excel
2. Write down their entry requirements, course types/structures and distance from home (stuff which I felt was relevant in how to choose a Uni)
3. Cross out the entry requirements I could meet. Cross out any course types/structures I didn't want. Cross out any which I felt were too far away.
4. Highlight the ones left.

After that, it was just a matter of doing more research and personal opinion and I ended up choosing four. One based on 'Prestige'. One based on it having a more lenient offer. One based on 'Familiarity'. And one was really a 'Draw out of the hat'.

I've ended up firming the 'Draw out of the hat'.

Though I highly recommend visiting the University, it's really not the be-all-and-end-all of how you choose which to apply to. Consider course structures and entry requirements.

Good luck

[Jackso]

Three; two post offer.

[mrshinyshoes]

About 6 or 7, the free pens were the best, and went to all post offer

[StacFace]

It's not the number of open day visits you go on that matters - it's that you make sure you visit your firm and insurance before firming and insuring them. A person who visits just their potential firm and potential insurance before deciding they are the right unis for them and thus firming and insuring them is in a much better position that someone who visits 20 different universities across the country before deciding to firm/insure one they didn't visit.

If you're unsure on your firm/insurance then try to visit all of the potential options. If you can't visit them all then rule some out that you are less likely to pick, instead of just ruling out the one furthest away which you think is likely to be one you pick. However if you have a set firm and insurance in mind just go to them, you can then visit others later if you decide you don't like one/either of them or if you don't get an offer from one of them.

This is also why it's a good idea to start early, as then you have later rounds of open days if you decide there is somewhere else you want to look because you weren't keen on your potential firm/insurance.

[PonchoKid]

i went to a grand total of 0 open days

and i visted 4 of my unis id applied to, but only because i had to go to interviews...

but i hadnt visted them before hand, and ended up the furthest away, classic me really