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Inside University of Bristol
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could it not be that these people had rubbish personal statements, poor references or maybe had not done very well in thier as levels rather than just doen to the type of school they go to? If you ask me I reckon they were embarressed because they got rejected so tried to find something to blame it on. Maybe they just weren't up to scratch? and you were.

At the end of the day people who go to private school should end up with better grades then people from state schools, the quality of teaching is better because there are less disruptions and more discipline. so in my opinion they should need higher offers to get in. Rejection is a bit harsh tho.
Inside University of Bristol
University of Bristol
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Reply 21
lessthanthree
actually, Bristol have recently come under fire for doing a complete 180 and turning down people with private school education.

disadvantaged pupils = more funding ^_^


I think you should have thought a bit more before you put that last point. People who go to state school are by no means automatically disadvantaged compared to private school pupils. I know many people who, if they wanted to, could have gone to private school (they had the money and the brains to pass any entrance exam) but instead decided to stay in state school education, including myself. I had the chance to go to a grammer school for sixth form which was private. However, I thought there was no point in making my parents fork out thousands of pounds a year to get the same grades of the same quality that I can get for (technically) free from a decent state school. I do not feel I am by any means 'disadvantaged' by doing that.
Sure, some people may be economically 'disadvantaged' and cannot afford private school education, but some people do not need that style of education to do their best.
Sorry, but that little comment annoyed me a little bit.
raagyone
I think you should have thought a bit more before you put that last point. People who go to state school are by no means automatically disadvantaged compared to private school pupils. I know many people who, if they wanted to, could have gone to private school (they had the money and the brains to pass any entrance exam) but instead decided to stay in state school education, including myself. I had the chance to go to a grammer school for sixth form which was private. However, I thought there was no point in making my parents fork out thousands of pounds a year to get the same grades of the same quality that I can get for (technically) free from a decent state school. I do not feel I am by any means 'disadvantaged' by doing that.
Sure, some people may be economically 'disadvantaged' and cannot afford private school education, but some people do not need that style of education to do their best.
Sorry, but that little comment annoyed me a little bit.



However a lot of people do receive awful teaching in the state school, and are significantly disadvantaged compared to a lot of private schools
Reply 23
raagyone
I think you should have thought a bit more before you put that last point. People who go to state school are by no means automatically disadvantaged compared to private school pupils. I know many people who, if they wanted to, could have gone to private school (they had the money and the brains to pass any entrance exam) but instead decided to stay in state school education, including myself. I had the chance to go to a grammer school for sixth form which was private. However, I thought there was no point in making my parents fork out thousands of pounds a year to get the same grades of the same quality that I can get for (technically) free from a decent state school. I do not feel I am by any means 'disadvantaged' by doing that.
Sure, some people may be economically 'disadvantaged' and cannot afford private school education, but some people do not need that style of education to do their best.
Sorry, but that little comment annoyed me a little bit.


State school bias isn't about the wealth of the candidates parents, it's about the quality of state education in comparison to that provided by the private sector. There is no doubt that, at the moment, private education is (academically) better than state education, and any bias shown to state school pupils is intended to refelct this, not how deep the pockets of the parents are,

There are other schemes in existance to combat significant wealth inequalities and access to higher education.
I rejected them becuase they were dim.
Reply 25
In order to save this "do they prefer private/state school applicants" which happens every year, why don't UCAS prevent universities from seeing what school you actually go to? You could just list your grades and results on your form, there isn't really any need to state what school you went too. That way people can stop complaining
Reply 26
thats nonsense. there are many public school ppl here.
Reply 27
I agree JackieS. That would be the fairest way. Or more interviews.
Reply 28
remus
I agree JackieS. That would be the fairest way. Or more interviews.


more interviews wouldn't realy solve the issue - omitting the school you go to on your UCAS is the fairest way to prevent this public/private schoola rgument. Never seen the point in putting it on.................it makes no difference to your application. By not stating your school you are erasing the public/private school divide and people would be accepted on the basis of academia and personality
Reply 29
oh dear, we're back to that old chestnut of discrimination. i think its somewhat ludicrous to 'reject' Bristol on those grounds. They don't just give offers away. There's a lot of people who'd kill for a offer from them.
remus, you do know that exeter has closed several of its faculties due to finance problems and may even be looking at closure don't you?
raagyone (if your comment was directed at me) -
i didnt say that state school kids were disadvantaged at all. If you read it I am actually suggesting that public school people are advantaged. do u believe that you will get the same education from a state schoolas a private school? of course not. im not having a dig at rich people or people that go to privatre school im just sayin that they should get better grades then people from state schools.

Its like looking at arsenal and then looking at shrewsbury (no offence). Arsenal are a better team because they have better facilities, more money and better coaching, thus better players. Public schools have more money, better facilities and propbably far better teaching, thus better students. Therefore they are at an advantage, state school people arnt at a disadvantage.
Reply 32
"remus, you do know that exeter has closed several of its faculties due to finance problems and may even be looking at closure don't you?"

Ahhh im going to exeter, BlackHawk how do you know that??

Ok, in response to a lot of the earlier comments -

Firstly, You cannot remove the school off the ucas form as universities have to know whether the candidate is public/private in order to meet the governments targets. Also the background of a pupil is quite essential - if you get two candidates with the same grades but one comes from a school with really poor records of achievement and the other is from say, Eton - then you know which one is more worthy of a place.

However, going to a private school myself, i do feel that this line of - oh the education here is so much better is a bit of a generalisation. I know a lot of good state schools in my area which people have actually left my school to go to. And hence, you cannot just assume that a state school pupil is 'dissadvantaged' because in some cases, the gap between these two sectors is very slim.

Also, it is so easy to say - yes we get good grades because we pay. But that is not entirely accurate. We get drop outs just like all the other schools. the truth is, a lot of private school people do better because of the attitude they have rather than the teaching. Taking myself as an example, my parents have put me through private education since i was 8, and so i am going to work my ass off to make sure i put their money to good use.
Reply 33
Richy Rich$$
I had the same experience at my cambridge interview. All the private school applicants, that i spoke to, were predicted much higher than the requirements yet they got turned down. However saying that i got rejected for my course and im a state person. So maybe bristol dont like oxbridge ppl??

actually, bristol had a reputation for just that. back in the days where the unis u were applying to could see where else u applied, and these had to be ranked in order of preference. they didnt like ppl who had applied to oxbridge as they didnt want applicants who thought brizzle was 2nd best.

but meh, i know i havent got much proof for this, but i think going there for an interview/open day can give u a definite vibe as to what the place is like. of course if youre going there with the opinion 'bristol are unfair to public school kids/private school kids/pirates/monkeys/ppl who like cheese' then you will look for ways to make it seem like that.

my opinion of it wasnt good cos of the painful interview i went through, but as its my last choice im not too worried. but i have been waiting nearly a month to hear from them after my interview, so again my opinion of them is sinking.

and this whole 'disadvantaged' ppl from state schools is annoying. its not like anyone except geniuses finds it easy to get an A, whichever school u go to. theres more to it than that i know but ive heard/read this debate countless times before and can't be bothered to go into it.

right, im off 2do coursework!
as i repeat i didnt say that state school kids were 'disadvantaged', what i actually said was that private school kids were at an advantage.

I agree with a previous comment about it being largely to do with the attitude. In a private school there is likely to be a disciplined and hard working enviroment, unlike in v many state schools, i know mine wasnt.
I'm not sure whether they do discriminate.
Thing is~ I go to independent school, & I've had all my offers from the different unis including Bristol (which I'm actualy planning to go to), so maybe I should count myself lucky seeing as a lot of people saying majority of the unis against independent school students?!
I don't think any preference should be given to either state or privately educated candidates. I have always been state educated (but I had the chance to go to the pretigious public school; Brighton College, but didn't due to continuing schooling with my 'friends').

I have gained a place at Bristol (of which I will probably accepting it as my firm), and after all these posts, should I feel that I have only gained a place because I am state-educated? I have more than exceeded the grade requirements for my course, but somehow, some people posting on this thread might dispute my gaining a place just because I am state educated.?! I don't think it's fair that some people might think I only got a place because I wasn't educated privately.

I think regardless of your background, as long as you have the qualitites required by the course, you should have a good chance of getting a place, and your educational background should not come into this. Universities should not be set targets of how many state-schoolers they should take. I know a lot of people might disagree with me here (and maybe I might not have gained a place if I were privately-educated, then I might change my tune).However, I do have the requirements for the course in which I applied to, and so I should feel proud of myself at getting into a top uni rather than thinking I am only worthy of this place due to being state-educated.
BlackHawk
remus, you do know that exeter has closed several of its faculties due to finance problems and may even be looking at closure don't you?



Just because they closed some departments, it doesn't mean everything's closing! They have a big accommodation building programme on right now and I imagine thats where a great deal of the money's going.

But anyway, back to the original topic...
Reply 38
Well Suited
I rejected them becuase they were dim.


For this reason?

If so, I fear you may have rejected them because you are dim. :rolleyes:
timeofyourlife
:biggrin:

Bristol has (or had) the third highest private school percentage in the country. They still take a very high percentage of private school pupils, hardly stinks of conspiracy, does it?



Where do you find all this stuff out??

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