CCW or Oxford Brookes foundation?

I recently got an offer from camberwell (which i was extremely surprised about) and i'm now struggling to decide whether to take a risk and go to Camberwell, or go to Oxford brookes. Price is not an issue i'm under 18 so both are free and you can get halls at both. My problem is Oxford brookes is a course of only 120 so its much smaller and the campus looked nicer. It's only one part of a uni, so its more diverse and one of my friends is doing in english at brookes, so we won't be doing the same course but will be able to meet up. Camberwell is obviously incredibly prestigious (as my art teachers have been telling me over and over) but i didn't feel as comfortable there as it felt like everyone was sooo arty. It's a brand new course this year combining 750 students which is a masssive amount, but it is an amazing opportunity to live in London.
So yeah your opinions would be much appreciated i'm totally clueless as to which one to choose. thanksssss! :smile:

Reply 1

arty

London!! Ccw! I too have an offer from there.

I am also still deciding. As It is an amazing opportunity, but I don't really want to live in South London very much!! How ever I might want to do my degree at the UAL, or somewhere in London, so thinking i should probably just push myself to go As it would open so many doors.

I have no idea about the Oxford brookes stats, (though I know it's a really lovely location). But only 35% of CCW applicants got offered places! So be flattered that you gt in :smile:

Reply 2

Kallistrate

Oxford Brookes!

Only 15% of OB applicants got offered places, so it's even more competitive, and they have a good record for getting people in to great unis for degree. While UAL is prestigious, it seems like they live off their reputation a little.

Reply 3

knowltona

Yeah the figures for both seem amazing. My art teachers are incredibly biased towards camberwell most probably because it has such a high reputation, but i agree that it lives off that a little too much. I want to combine them haha that would make the perfect uni. I think right now i'm veering towards Oxford Brookes, because i will most likely try to get into a degree within UAL after my foundation, so it gives me a year to settle into a smaller course.

Reply 4

arty

Original post by knowltona

if you are thinking of doing a degree with UAL definitely do the foundation at CCW. Because you will then get a real feel for the Colleges and uni and London... you'll be more used to it and prepared to start the degree. Whereas Oxford Brookes may have a totally different way of doing things.

Also if you complete the foundation course at CCW, then you are guaranteed an interview for the degree courses have chosen to apply to at the UAL!

Reply 5

arty

Original post by Kallistrate

perhaps CSM do. But I love the way that you can only apply to 1 UAL foundation course, so you have to decide which one is best for you. The only place you get an offer from at UCL is your first choice there!!!

CSM is obviously the most well known and 'prestigious'.. but ask people who have done their foundation there recently what they thought (and I have) and a lot of negative comments come out. Moving elsewhere for their degree courses.

However ask people who are currently doing the foundation at Camberwell and indeed Chelsea at the moment (and I have) and they couldn't praise it enough. A couple of them even staying on to do their degree starting Sept 2011.

I know the course has now merged, and it might be as bad a CSM, but I hope not! Even if the teaching isn't that great, worse care scenario, hopefully I'll be able to stick it out for the 6 months you're actually there just to get it on my CV and help me progress onto a degree course.

I also think UAL will have much better contacts and opportunities than OB.

However I think in all honesty I would chose OB for location and the small numbers. But neither of those factors are going to further you're career.

So bite the bullet and head for London!?

Reply 6

knowltona

yeahhh i'm thinking camberwell now, because its only 6 months and its such a great opportunity. Although i don't know what the accommodation is like because you didn't get to see what it was like inside? there was one about 5 mins walk from the building which was really close, but i'm not sure about the others. Do you reckon you'd feel safe like going around at night though? and do students go to central london a lot or stay in south london, i haven't had an opportunity to speak to any current students studying at camberwell on CSM and thats a totally different environment.

Reply 7

arty

Original post by knowltona

Yeah there are definitely so many resources to make use of around London. Also they sent me an email on friday explaining what the average week would be like. I will paste it in here, it might of interest to you.

"The timetable will include three studio days, these have 4 hrs of contact each day although students can use the studio for much longer (studios are open from 9am till 8pm).

On one of the other days you will be encourage to do visits to museums and galleries and we currently intend to offer a cinema season.

This leaves the 5th day - this tends to vary - tutorials, technical workshops, student led activities - and many students choose to work.

We can not tell you which days your activities would be on as we are not that far ahead with planning yet."

I like the way they are constantly encouraging us to make use of our environment, and seems so friendly and supportive.

As for accommodation.. I did a bit of online research about the halls and also emailed them about it regarding how likely foundation students were to get a place at their desired hall of residence. They've not replied yet. Apparently the Halls which are a 5minute walk away isn't situated in the nicest of areas, but then again not many of them are. The one up the road, Brooke Hall looks slightly better. So accommodation doesn't look great... but theres always a private fat. They were saying in the presentations that a lot of the students actually live on that road where the college is there. The accommodation is one of the downsides... but once again, might be worth putting up with for the opportunity.
I'm not sure, my choice is basically home or London!! I have a nice Unconditional offer waiting for me at my local college to do the foundation (a safe option I guess, in my comfort zone), or the offer from CCW, the opportunity. Meaning making the move up to London and putting up with the dowdy location and huge numbers!! Does seem silly not to take up their offer though!!

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 8

knowltona

yeah many of my friends are in your situation. I think although it is an amazing opportunity any where you do your foundation will be an amazing opportunity and everyone i have spoken to no matter where they are have said it was one of the best years. I'm in a slightly different situation, as my family are moving to australia in the summer so i'm kind of left on my own, so thats factoring into it. I think i'm going to have to write a lit of pro's and con's and see which looks better on paper, because i really can't decide what course i would prefer! The idea of having so many galleries in easy reach is so appealing, but the idea of living in a safer environment with free travel at Oxford brookes is equally appealing ahah

Reply 9

artguy01

Hi, got a place for the art foundation at CCW, but no sure if I should chose it over Farnham UCA. This is because there are so many students at CCW, and I think that it might be more productive going to Farnham; but on the other hand CCW is known for being one of the best places to go. Any advice ???

Reply 10

kaylafrances

Original post by artguy01

I'd advise you to go to ccw. Farnham is definately lesser known and UCAs are not as good. Everyones saying how ccw is big etc but i think they'll make an effort to make it less daunting. It's definately more reputable and better on CVs and to get into a UAL for BA

Reply 11

artguy01

cheers, will take it into consideration, where did you do an art foundation???

Reply 12

kaylafrances

i didnt! im going to ccw :smile:

accepted today
where are you leaning towards?

Reply 13

artguy01

still not too sure, most people would leap at the opportunity of going to ccw, but we are sort of acting like test subjects for ccw as we are their first year for a all in one art foundation. Farnham seem as fun place to go because of the fun campus and other things. But once again CCW is known for being one of the best places to go, so still quite stuck. Where else did you apply ??

Reply 14

knowltona

i wish wish wish we weren't the guinea pig year for CCW i feeel like its such a massive risk and there will be quite a few teething problems with such a few changes. i wrote a list of the pro's and con's and it really helped, so i think i'm going to go to oxford brookes, as there were like no con's compared with CCW.

Reply 15

kaylafrances

yeah i know what you mean, it was always gonna be between wimbledon or camberwell so to apply to ccw was the easiest option. I live in london so its the obvious option, where do you live?

I also applied to oxford brookes - so knowltona well done! you should deff go it looks so good - but didnt get in, and i got on the waiting list for leeds. I didn't apply anywhere else coz i was so disorganised and applied quite late like 20th jan and before thinking about all the cons my first choice would have been ccw.

I think everyones really emphasising how it may be disorganised it may be etc but you need to think about the pros which i can think of loads. I read on a forum that people at camberwell now, there's 300 people on the course, but when asked, a student said there was 150. So it feels smaller and i think they'll really try make it feel smaller as the whole disadvantage is the huge number of students.

Where else did u apply?

Lol excuse the essay

Reply 16

knowltona

i've decided i'm going to oxford brookes. I'd rather do my foundation on a smaller course and then go into London, or abroad, it'll depend on how i find my foundation. I wish i'd got an offer from Kingston instead of Camberwell that was my first choice hah it looked so nice. Oh well! hopefully oxford brookes will be gooooooooood!