How important is it to go to a reputable University?

I'm in year 13 and have applied for a Midwifery degree this year. The typical entry requirements are BBB and my predicted A Level grades are A*AC. The C being in Biology although it is still possible to get a B depending on my summer exam. I applied to Nottingham, Sheffield Hallam, UEA, De Montfort and Birmingham City. I received straight rejections from Nottingham, UEA and Sheffield Hallam, an offer after interview for Birmingham City, and interview for De Montfort which I haven't heard back from.

All my friends have applied to Russell group universities and most have got all 5 offers. I don't know whether to see if I get A*AB and apply to Russell group universities next year or just accept my offer from Birmingham City as they have a wide range of hospitals in Birmingham and I'm not sure how much the universities rankings are considered within the NHS when applying for jobs.

I achieved 13 good GCSE's mostly A's 1 A* and 2 Bs, I'm just a bit worried that I won't be pushed to the best of my ability at Birmingham City and I would really want to be aiming for a 1:1.

I'm in year 13 and have applied for a Midwifery degree this year. The typical entry requirements are BBB and my predicted A Level grades are A*AC. The C being in Biology although it is still possible to get a B depending on my summer exam. I applied to Nottingham, Sheffield Hallam, UEA, De Montfort and Birmingham City. I received straight rejections from Nottingham, UEA and Sheffield Hallam, an offer after interview for Birmingham City, and interview for De Montfort which I haven't heard back from.

All my friends have applied to Russell group universities and most have got all 5 offers. I don't know whether to see if I get A*AB and apply to Russell group universities next year or just accept my offer from Birmingham City as they have a wide range of hospitals in Birmingham and I'm not sure how much the universities rankings are considered within the NHS when applying for jobs.

I achieved 13 good GCSE's mostly A's 1 A* and 2 Bs, I'm just a bit worried that I won't be pushed to the best of my ability at Birmingham City and I would really want to be aiming for a 1:1.

Get your grades. If you can get parental support, or look for work experience 100% take a year out.

Weigh up all the possibilities.

I achieved BBC last year, agonisingly, was only a couple of ums away from the grade above in chem and maths (the two B's).

I could have got into Pharmacy at somewhere like Wolverhampton or Medway (via clearing), but chose not to, because I wanted to go to a uni I would be happy at. I didn't feel I would be happy at those uni's.

Instead, I'm now on a gap year, doing work experience, learning how to drive and also managing to revise for my exams. I need AAB

Not sure about Midwifery, but does the prestige of the uni affect the chances of being employed after you graduate?

That's so annoying about the UMS. I don't think it does matter which uni you go to as I wouldn't have thought it would play a big part in the application process for a job with the NHS (especially as all Midwifery courses are regulated by the NMC so are the same rather than say English courses which could all be very different) but I could be wrong? A gap year would be good to learn to drive as I've had no time at the moment after failing first time, but I would have to make sure that I fill it with loads of work experience and its very had to get experience in the hospitals around here, especially on labour wards because of privacy etc. I hope you get the grades this time round to do your pharmacy course at a Uni you want to go to!

In terms of getting a job, it won't really matter where you go to uni. Nursing and midwifery education hasn't been based solely in universities for all that long compared to the history of the profession, so the distribution of which unis offer midwifery degrees (whether Russell Group or ex-poly) is largely historical accident rather than a reflection of the quality of the programme. You should be aiming to go to the best course for you in terms of facilities, placements etc, but honestly, midwifery is so crazily competitive that if you get an offer anywhere (which you have, well done!) I think you should probably take it. Many, many people get all unsuccessfuls for midwifery and reapply 2 or 3 times before getting in- if you declined your offer now in hopes of getting into a Russell Group next year, there is no guarantee that you'd get an offer or even improve your chances all that much due to the sheer numbers applying vs the small number of places available.

I do take your point about possibly not feeling academically challenged enough at BCU- to that, I would say that you get out of uni what you put in. Many people just do the bare minimum with academic work and don't use their tutors much as a resource outside of lectures- if you really engage with the theory of the course and go above and beyond what's required you can enrich your experience that way.

Thank you that's very helpful. It is extremely competitive and it wasn't till I received my first rejection and spoke to other people who had applied twice already for example that I realised that. Yes, it would be a risk to apply next year and at one point in my application process I remember saying I would be happy to study midwifery anywhere as long as I get to be a midwife when someone asked me where my first choice would be! Yes, i'm sure you are right. I guess as I'm at an all girls' grammar as well I feel pressured as my tutors go on and on about Russell group which makes me feel like i'm not 'on the right track'. BCU does have really good facilities and I would love to have my placements in the The Birmingham Women's Hospital- it just worries me that it is so low down in the rankings and I'd hate to be with students not at the same academic level and therefore not learn things in as much detail etc. However, as it is so competitive i'm not sure this would be the case, probably with most successful applicants exceeding the entry requirements. It does have very good unistats though even though the rankings are not great.

Hey I think I've seen you on the Midwifery 2013 thread a few times before I'm also applying for Midwifery and pretty much in the same situation as you, I'm 17 and go to a girls grammar so its very much a case of getting in to a good uni, not just for yourself but to please school and also keep up with your friends I find. I applied to two good unis (Kings and Cardiff) and three other ones that I wouldn't mind going (Plymouth, UWE and Kingston) and I've had three rejections and two (soon to be three) interviews. I completely understand what your thinking; I figured this is going to be my only degree and just because it is vocational doesn't mean I have to compromise although at this stage I'd be happy to get in anywhere because of the competitiveness! I think maybe for older people applying for nursing and midwifery they're more focussed on their careers and although I think I am too I wouldn't like to miss out on being young or having the chance to go to a really good uni, but as i've said there are restrictions because of the numbers applying unfortunately. It's very confusing! I think like people have said before firm BCU and then wait until August to decide whether you want to go there. At the time when you make your decision you need to consider what your chances of getting in next year are; your personal statement and skills can only get better but you still never know what might happen But then personally for me I don't want to look back and think what if, but that could apply to any outcome.

good luck anyhow!

For a subject like Midwifery i'd imagine that subject reputation is going to be far more important than overall uni reputation. Have you looked at subject league tables and course ratings on Uni stats for example?

I totally understand how you are feeling- I would have felt the same when I was just going to uni for the first time (I'm old- 28!- and already have a degree.) But please trust me when I say that for midwifery, it really and truly doesn't matter that you're not going to one of the upper tier unis that you could probably get into for almost any other course. Rankings aren't everything, even for traditional courses- for subjects like nursing and midwifery, rankings are almost irrelevant, especially since the content of all midwifery courses is so heavily regulated by the NMC.

If you're the academic type, your tutors will love you if you engage with them about the material, and will often be very helpful and willing to talk to you outside of lectures if you want to go over things more in depth. And after you qualify, the learning never stops, so you will have the opportunity to continue your education to masters level and beyond if you so choose.

Could I keep my options open by accepting the offer, seeing what I get in summer, if I get A*AB decline the offer and apply next year and if I get A*AC accept my offer? As you can only re sit exams in Summer now I will be in the same position with my universities applying next year as my grades will only be predictions and they will want to see that I have at least B in Biology?

Pretty much the same situation as me then! Howcome you've had 3 rejections and 3 interview? Did you apply for a 6th through Extra? Have you got any offers yet? I was surprised at how many mature students do apply for the course and I feel like they favour them over post a level students. Yes part of me wants to take a gap year get straight a's as those grades will stay with me for my whole life and in that year take my driving test, get more experience etc but then I'd have to go through the horrible application process again and risk not getting an offer at all especially if I applied to Russell Group unis. I think I will firm my offer and see how I feel on results day! Thank you for your reply and good luck to you too! X

I'm in year 13 and have applied for a Midwifery degree this year. The typical entry requirements are BBB and my predicted A Level grades are A*AC. The C being in Biology although it is still possible to get a B depending on my summer exam. I applied to Nottingham, Sheffield Hallam, UEA, De Montfort and Birmingham City. I received straight rejections from Nottingham, UEA and Sheffield Hallam, an offer after interview for Birmingham City, and interview for De Montfort which I haven't heard back from.

All my friends have applied to Russell group universities and most have got all 5 offers. I don't know whether to see if I get A*AB and apply to Russell group universities next year or just accept my offer from Birmingham City as they have a wide range of hospitals in Birmingham and I'm not sure how much the universities rankings are considered within the NHS when applying for jobs.

I achieved 13 good GCSE's mostly A's 1 A* and 2 Bs, I'm just a bit worried that I won't be pushed to the best of my ability at Birmingham City and I would really want to be aiming for a 1:1.

Hi, just to say that when i did some research before deciding which uni's to apply for midwifery, i noticed that some did a BA and some BSc, so then after speaking to my director of sixth form he said to look at job vacancies and see what they wanted for qualifications. All the ones i looked at just said and English qualification, and as all the midwifery courses are regulated by the NMC, the uni courses will have to be in some respects very similar. But also when i was preparing my presentation for my BCU interview researching the hospitals, and Birmingham hospitals will be great to gain varied experience due to size and everything! and thats what will give us the edge when applying for jobs! xx