Does it matter if you go to a summer school in a uni that is not very good?

So I applied to a summer school in the university of Swansea mostly because I need more things to write in my personal statement and a Cambridge one as well. I got into the Swansea one but Cambridge hasn't said anything yet. So I was wondering if it is okay if I go to the Swansea one instead of Cambridge. When apply to uni this year are they gonna prefer a student that did their summer school in Cambridge or it doesnt really matter?

Reply 1

Plagioclase

Original post by sweetiemelx

Simply having gone to a summer school really doesn't tell universities very much. It's what you take out of it that matters. Stating that you've been to a summer school isn't going to add very much to your personal statement unless you can actually explain what you got out of it. They would much rather see someone who's been really inspired by an experience at Swansea than someone who simply went to a summer school at Cambridge and didn't think much of it. So as long as this isn't some kind of a rip-off summer school that's charging you a load of money, it's fine.

Reply 2

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by sweetiemelx

I don't think that summer school really matters at all (never heard of it outside of here), let alone where you go to one.

What matters is your grades: ensure you at least reach the grades stated in the entry requirements for the courses you're applying to.

Reply 3

sweetiemelx

Original post by Plagioclase

The swansea one is charging £130 the Cambridge one is for free but I doubt I will get in because my predicted grades are quite low, which is really depressing.

Reply 4

sweetiemelx

Original post by Smack

Thanks so what sort of things should I be writing in my personal statement?

Reply 5

jamestg

Original post by sweetiemelx

The swansea one is charging £130 the Cambridge one is for free but I doubt I will get in because my predicted grades are quite low, which is really depressing.

Which Cambridge one is it?

Reply 6

Sandtrooper

Volunteer Team

Original post by sweetiemelx

This is going to be an unhelpful question but is it the Egyptology summer school by any chance?

Reply 7

returnmigrant

Swansea is an excellent Uni for Engineering - so I suggest you rethink any 'not very good' ideas you might have.

As above, it isnt 'doing it' that matters - its how you use examples from it to illustrate points/ideas about you, and what excites you about Engineering, in your PS.

Reply 8

sweetiemelx

Original post by jamestg

Which Cambridge one is it?

the trinity college women in STEM its not just engineering but yeah theres some engineering in it.

Reply 9

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by sweetiemelx

Thanks so what sort of things should I be writing in my personal statement?

It was almost a decade ago that I wrote mine, but from what I remember in mine I wrote about how I was interested in becoming an engineer, liked maths and physics at school and wanted to apply them in the "real world". I'm sure that there is more info on TSR, but don't think that you need to have a pile of extra curriculars. It's your grades that admissions are interested in, as that's the best way to determine your suitability for the course.

Reply 10

returnmigrant

Original post by Smack

It's your grades that admissions are interested in, as that's the best way to determine your suitability for the course.

This isnt always the case - and applicants usually wont know in advance what weighting any Uni puts on grades vs PS, so your PS should always be taken seriously. The most important thing to put in any PS is the 'bigger' reasons you want to study that subject, ie. not just 'because I enjoyed Physics at A level' or whatever. Using examples of your achievements outside school (such as Summer Schools, going to exhibitions, science days, lectures etc) is the best way to illustrate that your interest in the subject goes beyond just A levels.

Reply 11

Banana00

My mother studied at Swansea University and she's done alright.

Reply 12

Smack

Volunteer Team

Original post by returnmigrant

I'm not saying that you should scrimp on your PS, but I haven't seen evidence over the years to suggest that you need to fill it out with your PS with extra curricular activities in order to make you a competitive candidate, and I fear that this may be causing applicants unnecessary stress and worry (e.g., this thread) when they should be primarily focusing on achieving the best grades they can.

I'm not sure if many of the extra curriculars that are available to those seeking to boost their PS do all that much to indicate suitability for a maths and physics based course, and from my experience, the primary reasons students drop out of engineering degrees is because they either did not appreciate how much maths and physics would be in the degree, or they struggle with said maths and physics elements. I would be disappointed if suitably qualified applicants who had expressed their interest in engineering as a career and cited their enjoyment of relevant subjects at school/college were not being made offers because they did not have various other extra curricular activities to write on their personal statements.