Is Bristol bias against private schools??
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Is Bristol bias against private schools??Hi,
I go to a private school and was going to apply to Bristol for Economics and Politics (2nd or 3rd choice though after my oxford punt) but I feel a little disheartened after all of the private schools in my area, including my school are disuading candidates from applying there because apparently they hate them. What's your take on this?? Should I or is it a risk not worth taking?Last edited by Solid_Snake_100; 07-07-2008 at 11:07. -
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??Yeah I have heard the same. Having said that, a number of people from my school got accepted this year, so don't be completely disheartened. If you really want to go there, then I'd say it's a risk worth taking - also I suppose it depends how risky the rest of your options are. So far 3 of the universities I want to apply for are super dodgy. Yay.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??What you are probably hearing is the widening participation programmes of the universities I mentioned earlier, the "posh" universities. Attempts are being made across all universities to increase the numbers of state school students. This doesn't necessarily mean that they "hate" private school students. Besides, the last I heard, members of the Russell Group (which includes Bristol) plus Durham were failing in their efforts to do this. An increase in private school intake has been seen in the past couple of years. Attributed to top up fees putting state school students being put off.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??Well the thing is I only got 4A*s 5As and 2Bs at GCSE. And my AS levels could range between 2As 2Bs to 4As. So my grades arent really good enough fo me to feel confident about any of my good choices (Oxford, Warwick/Bristol, Exeter). Im applying for both PPE and Eco+Pol at Warwick. So this is why I dont want to be complacent and put Bristol on my tough selections if my chances of getting in are minimal(Original post by kjc_us)
Yeah I have heard the same. Having said that, a number of people from my school got accepted this year, so don't be completely disheartened. If you really want to go there, then I'd say it's a risk worth taking - also I suppose it depends how risky the rest of your options are. So far 3 of the universities I want to apply for are super dodgy. Yay.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??Stop looking for praise(Original post by Solid_Snake_100)
Well the thing is I only got 4A*s 5As and 2Bs at GCSE. And my AS levels could range between 2As 2Bs to 4As. So my grades arent really good enough fo me to feel confident about any of my good choices (Oxford, Warwick/Bristol, Exeter). Im applying for both PPE and Eco+Pol at Warwick. So this is why I dont want to be complacent and put Bristol on my tough selections if my chances of getting in are minimal
Your GCSE grades are more than good enough. Oxford probably won't look at them, Bristol and Exeter will give them slight consideration. Even if you only get AABB at AS level that wouldn't be a major disadvantage in applying (certainly not to Exeter and Bristol). Your teachers will probably recognise that you're on the A/B borderline (should you get a couple of Bs) and predict As. Also predicted grades are based on more than just AS level results. What's more there are other vitally important aspects of your application, your personal statement being one.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??Who cares tbh, I thought Bristol was truly horrific when i went. :P
But really, it's only 'biased' because it traditionally has a large private school intake, so lots of private school students apply there. Bristol can't take 70% of intake from Private schools, so has to reject some, even if they're stronger on paper than state schoolers.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??fair enough, but my teachers are really agitating me about it!(Original post by River85)
Stop looking for praise Your GCSE grades are more than good enough. Oxford probably won't look at them, Bristol and Exeter will give them slight consideration. Even if you only get AABB at AS level that wouldn't be a major disadvantage in applying (certainly not to Exeter and Bristol). Your teachers will probably recognise that you're on the A/B borderline (should you get a couple of Bs) and predict As. Also predicted grades are based on more than just AS level results. What's more there are other vitally important aspects of your application, your personal statement being one.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??Tell them where to get off. Just make sure you have at least one "back up" option. I won't say safe as there are no certainties in university applications.(Original post by Solid_Snake_100)
fair enough, but my teachers are really agitating me about it! -
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??ok thanks, I'll probably use exeter as my back up, not sure what the tutors will say about this though(Original post by River85)
Tell them where to get off. Just make sure you have at least one "back up" option. I won't say safe as there are no certainties in university applications.
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??If you do that you will, I repeat, WILL, be rejected.(Original post by Solid_Snake_100)
Im applying for both PPE and Eco+Pol at Warwick. So this is why I dont want to be complacent and put Bristol on my tough selections if my chances of getting in are minimal
I (along with several others in my school) applied to PPE at Oxford. Two of those people put Bristol Eco/Pol down on their UCAS, and were subsquently rejected very quickly.
Not because they go to a private school, which annoyingly they went around saying, but because (I think) it would have been perfectly clear from their personal statements that not only were they applying to PPE elsewhere, but also that this 'elsewhere' was probably Oxford. This would have been made clear by the amount of philosophy shizzle written in their PSs, and as such made it clear that Bristol wasn't 1st choice.
One of the Bristol rejectees was later successful with Oxford, and the other was an extremely good candidate who got into a very similar course at LSE, so I doubt Bristol rejected them on academic grounds - however Bristol was well within its right to reject them on the grounds ( I believe) that they weren't a high enough priority with those two applicants. Being in exactly the same position and having the benefit of others previous experience, I suggest you don't do the same.
It really annoyed me when they blamed their rejection on going to a private school. In the grand scheme of life (and uni applications) there is no point at which being privately-educated is a genuine drawback, and I find that suggestion incredibly patronising to state school educated people, who have to struggle for the things we private schoolies get handed to us on a plate. -
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Re: Is Bristol bias against private schools??lol thanks for the advice, What i am actually doing however is keeping the philosophy to the bare minimum in my PS. I dont study it so I'm concentrating on Politics (my passion), and I'm doing quite a bit on econ. They may see that im doing philosophy but as long as I get into one of oxford, warwick or bristol, i will be happy so i dont think its too much of a problem.(Original post by aspiringlawyer)
If you do that you will, I repeat, WILL, be rejected.
I (along with several others in my school) applied to PPE at Oxford. Two of those people put Bristol Eco/Pol down on their UCAS, and were subsquently rejected very quickly.
Not because they go to a private school, which annoyingly they went around saying, but because (I think) it would have been perfectly clear from their personal statements that not only were they applying to PPE elsewhere, but also that this 'elsewhere' was probably Oxford. This would have been made clear by the amount of philosophy shizzle written in their PSs, and as such made it clear that Bristol wasn't 1st choice.
One of the Bristol rejectees was later successful with Oxford, and the other was an extremely good candidate who got into a very similar course at LSE, so I doubt Bristol rejected them on academic grounds - however Bristol was well within its right to reject them on the grounds ( I believe) that they weren't a high enough priority with those two applicants. Being in exactly the same position and having the benefit of others previous experience, I suggest you don't do the same.
It really annoyed me when they blamed their rejection on going to a private school. In the grand scheme of life (and uni applications) there is no point at which being privately-educated is a genuine drawback, and I find that suggestion incredibly patronising to state school educated people, who have to struggle for the things we private schoolies get handed to us on a plate.
