not going to an open day

will not going to an open day disadvantage me? does this show a "lack of interest" or something?

i know I want to apply, and have done a **** load of research, its not like Im not interested, I just feel an open day wouldn't benefit me that much.

if you say it will disadvantage me, ill try and get myself a visit early next year just when the A2 teaching starts, lol.

thanks

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Reply 1

Powersymphonia

You might benefit going to an open day because you'll learn more about the university and the courses but they shouldn't penalise you for it, you are showing interest simply by applying to the university. I didn't go to an open day for my university and I got on the course. Open days are merely to inform and aren't a requirement for entry onto a course unless otherwise stated when you apply.

Reply 2

kcfch

they wont know if youve visited, and more importantly, they wont care.

Reply 3

xMiss_Sarahx

If you're worried it will show lack of interest then like register for the open day...then you'll be on their list.
If you don't have to register for the open day, then they wouldn't know if you went or not anyway, so it can't affect anything...just out of interest, what uni is it?

I was too late for one of my Unis open days this time last year, but was convinced that i was in love with it and had done loads of research. Fortunately they make you go for a visit day at that uni as part of your offer...and although i'd seen part of the uni before(i took myself on a self guided tour out of hours once)...when i went for the visit day and sat in the building and the room where i'd have to sit for next 3 years...i couldn't bare the thought...and i properly loved that uni, loved the course, loved the attitudes of the staff and everything...in fact i took up further maths and caused myself alot of trouble, just so that i could apply there...but when i was sat there, i just knew it didn't feel right.
I guess things like that you can only tell from visiting and the like.

So i'd say if you really can't/don't want to go to the open day then dont...but if you get an offer, make sure you visit the uni before first choicing/insurancing it.

p.s. I didn't notice this was in the oxbridge forum...stupidly...so ignore my question of what Uni it is. For Oxbridge, and I'd advise the same for Durham, i reckon it probably is quite important to visit the college you wish to apply to.

Reply 4

The_Lonely_Goatherd

In most cases it wouldn't disadvantage you, but you really won't know everything about the place unless you go on an open day. I went on an open day to my college, where I was told that further to the standard admissions test run by the Faculty of Music, my prospective college (Worcester) had an extra test for all its Music interviewees. This is a test that isn't advertised in the Faculty or college prospectus, so unless you had spoken to the tutor on an open day, you wouldn't know anything about it. I knew about this extra test and could prepare for it but tons of people turned up to the interviews in December, were told in their interview that there was an extra test and panicked!

That's an extreme example and it's unlikely to be a common occurrence, but it demonstrates that people can sometimes end up really regretting not having gone to the open day.

Also, like xMiss_Sarahx has pointed out, you should always visit universities that you intend to put as your firm/insurance choice. I was convinced I'd love my insurance place if I ended up going there and had done tons of research and got lots of feedback/opinions on the uni and course, so I confirmed it as my insurance without visiting it. I then got invited to an open day for all the candidates they'd offered places to and I realised that the environment was the complete opposite to what I wanted and needed (that kinda stuff is very personal and no amount of research can tell you whether you'd be happy in a certain environment unless you experience it for yourself). I missed my grades and came very close to ending up spending three years in a place I wouldn't have been very happy in. Luckily Oxford took me anyway, so it didn't end up being a problem!

So, though it's unlikely to disadvantage you (although as my example proves, it really can do!), I'd seriously advise you go to a Faculty open day, as well as visiting a few colleges if you can :smile:

Reply 5

peanutbutternjelly

I'm not going for an Open Day but I am going to look around on my own at some point, probably in early September

Reply 6

SouthernFreerider

cool thanks.

yeah its cambridge, and i think ill try and have a look around in september.

Reply 7

MSB

I don't it disadvantages your application, but it's a little weird.

Reply 8

Audrey Hepburn

I didn't go to an open day - I just couldn't be arsed and I thought that I'd get to look round during the interviews anyway, and I got in. I didn't tell them that I hadn't been though - they didn't ask, so I don't think it really matters. :smile:

Reply 9

Greatleysteg

I didn't go to an open day, nor was I asked if I had been to an open day, and I got into Oxford.

Reply 10

*pitseleh*

I only decided to apply to Oxford at the beginning of last September, so I was too late to go for any official open days, and had a bit too much on my plate to take time to go and visit by myself.

I don't think I was at a disadvantage because of that - but all the same, if I'd had more time on my hands I definitely would have tried to go to an open day.

Reply 11

invisibleforest

I couldn't make the open days, but I'd say try and visit before aplying - or at least make sure that when you go for your interview it isn't your first time. I visited in summer just with my family - email admissions, as most colleges admit tourists during summer (and if they don't they might be able to arrange a tour for you). It just puts you at ease a bit more about whether you feel that you'd want to study there, and it's a little more assuring if you've visited before you arrive at your interview. :smile:

Reply 12

North

I didn't go couldn't afford to and it was too far away. Nobody ever asked me if I'd been to the open day and I never got asked why this college or why oxford thankfully.

Reply 13

The West Wing

No it should be fine. I didn't register for an open day and nobody asked and I got an offer. They don't care at all.

Reply 14

Zenobia

Lots of foreign students obviosuly can't go to the open day and that's never an issue as far as I know. Also, here in the Netherlands, (most of the time) the only reason people go to open days is to get out of school for a day (since they always plan those on schooldays for some reason)... making it not much of a big deal at all.

Reply 15

faik_kheft

They won't know whether you've been to an open day and they won't care.

The open days are there for you to look around, ask questions and get a feel for the place, the aren't used to judge how keen you are. If they were it would be discrimination against people that can't afford to visit, live too far away, by chance can't make any of the open days, people that looked around by themselves rather than at an official day etc etc etc.

Reply 16

kitkat_2007

I didn't go to an open day either - I read all the prospectuses (does that go to prospecti?) and then visited the colleges at a later date......
it's definitely not a necessity! :biggrin:

Reply 17

Miam!

They won't know, and won't care.

I would be *extremely* surprised if the academics who interview you and review your application knew whether you attended any faculty or college open day. Academics give talks and answer questions in faculty open days but they don't do all the registration stuff (this is done by some admin people). They can also understand that people sometimes can't make it to open days or decided to apply too late. And I don't think they 'd give a damn if you mentioned the open day in your statement...

I didn't go to an open day because I live in France, but I didn't need that to know that Cambridge was right for me. I'd also found all the info I needed online.

Reply 18

Vesicle

They definitely won't care, as I only decided to apply to my college in October and didn't go for an openday there, but bear in mind that at College opendays (as opposed to the main Uni openday) you meet your prospective DoS, the admissions tutor and other peeps who will most likely interview you. And even if you don't you get to talk to a billion students who are all so lovely, so you'll feel more at home when you go down for your real interview.

Reply 19

The_Lonely_Goatherd

Miam!

I went to the college open day and spoke to my prospective tutor. A week later, I went to the faculty open day. He spotted me and waved! About three weeks later, I was on a summer school where he was teaching a course and he remembered that he had seen me before and asked how I was.

Five months later, I walked into my interview and he remembered that he had met me on at least three other occasions.

He had serious deja-vu! :biggrin: