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Declining 'best' uni

Has anyone declined their 'best' offer -as in the one from the uni highest on the league tables etc? How did you feel about it? Did you feel under pressure to firm the most respected university?

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I declined Nottingham for Leicester. My parents were fine with it because they know it's best for me and besides, if they were worried about league tables, although the offer was higher Leicester are actually higher for my subject. School will be fine because they want us to do what we want.
Reply 2
While I didn't turn down offers, I didn't go to my St Andrews or York interview for Art History after visiting my backup choice, UEA. I then changed my options to have UEA as my first and second choice (for simliar courses).

Not a single regret, loved my 4 years there and look back on them fondly
Declined UCL for Sheffield. Don't regret it at all, and to be honest, most people around me didnt blame me for doing it after finding out what my interview was like.
Reply 4
I turned down Durham and firmed Sheffield. At first the sound of all the traditional colleges and formal balls in Durham sounded amazing, especially as I'm from a very working class area. But after visiting the post applicant open days, I found that that lifestyle just definitely was not for me!! In the end, I chose Sheffield because I much preferred the more 'down to earth' feel of the uni :smile:
Original post by boredbeth13
Has anyone declined their 'best' offer -as in the one from the uni highest on the league tables etc? How did you feel about it? Did you feel under pressure to firm the most respected university?


Declined LSE for UCL. Had to choose where I'd be happiest, really. I did feel pressured to accept simply because it's LSE, but I know I would have just ended up hating it, and regretting the decision.
Reply 6
Original post by fimblesocks
I declined Nottingham for Leicester. My parents were fine with it because they know it's best for me and besides, if they were worried about league tables, although the offer was higher Leicester are actually higher for my subject. School will be fine because they want us to do what we want.



Yeah my worry is school as they are obsessed with us going to the highest-up unis, always lecturing us about Cambridge because we've had one student go there. I know it's about what's best for us but it doesn't always feel that way!


Original post by NW86
While I didn't turn down offers, I didn't go to my St Andrews or York interview for Art History after visiting my backup choice, UEA. I then changed my options to have UEA as my first and second choice (for simliar courses).

Not a single regret, loved my 4 years there and look back on them fondly



I'm glad to hear your decision turned out to be for the best :smile: And I love that you didn't even go to your interviews because you knew where you were ~meant to be~! I over-think absolutely everything so I'm really dragging out this process.
Reply 7
Original post by Jodie_668
I turned down Durham and firmed Sheffield. At first the sound of all the traditional colleges and formal balls in Durham sounded amazing, especially as I'm from a very working class area. But after visiting the post applicant open days, I found that that lifestyle just definitely was not for me!! In the end, I chose Sheffield because I much preferred the more 'down to earth' feel of the uni :smile:


I started this thread as I'm considering declining Durham! I also have an offer from Sheffield although my main alternative is York :smile: And my exact reason for questioning Durham is that I'm from a very working class area and am worried the lifestyle won't be for me. I know that York is still quite middle class but it's definitely not anywhere near as traditional as Durham. It's so nice to see someone in the same position as me!
Reply 8
My mate did something like that.........didn't decline, but he put Cambridge with a higher offer as his insurance, and put UCL for firm, but it was for medicine.
Reply 9
Original post by Mr Inquisitive
Declined LSE for UCL. Had to choose where I'd be happiest, really. I did feel pressured to accept simply because it's LSE, but I know I would have just ended up hating it, and regretting the decision.


Good decision, i think i might be at UCL if i hadnt been rejected by them, the career zombies at LSE fuelling the rank of the uni definitely puts me off and adds so much pressure.
Reply 10
I did - I had a choice between Durham and Warwick for physics (at the time 3rd and seventh respectively). I'd been to look at both and I felt I wouldn't have fun at Durham. Two years in, I stand by my decision. As long as it's not a massive discrepancy in league table places, go where you think you'll be happiest.
Original post by MALL COP
Good decision, i think i might be at UCL if i hadnt been rejected by them, the career zombies at LSE fuelling the rank of the uni definitely puts me off and adds so much pressure.


I'm very motivated and everything, but the atmosphere just seems suffocating, the accommodation vile, and the teachers negligent. Simply couldn't accept haha.
Reply 12
Original post by tory88
I did - I had a choice between Durham and Warwick for physics (at the time 3rd and seventh respectively). I'd been to look at both and I felt I wouldn't have fun at Durham. Two years in, I stand by my decision. As long as it's not a massive discrepancy in league table places, go where you think you'll be happiest.


What would you say about the difference between Durham and York? Do you think it'd still be a good decision to choose York? I know it's about what's best for me as a person but i's interesting to hear what others think, especially since I'm going insane trying to make this decision.
Reply 13
Rejected UCL and St Andrews for KCL...I feel good about it because I prefer the course structure at KCL to UCL and if I enjoy the course more , I will be more motivated to stud and will ultimately come out with a better degree and rejected St Andrews because of personal reasons.
Reply 14
Original post by Mr Inquisitive
Declined LSE for UCL. Had to choose where I'd be happiest, really. I did feel pressured to accept simply because it's LSE, but I know I would have just ended up hating it, and regretting the decision.


Lol, I'm not really sure that's the same situation!

At least not abroad, from my experience it seems UCL has much better international rep than it does here in the UK even.

At least among Americans/Canadians, our top universities are considered Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, LSE.

Many I talked to couldn't name others, (St Andrews because Hermione went there was one application...) and they hadn't heard of Imperial before I met them there!


Interesting. To me anyway. It's worth considering how reputation varies throughout the world if you think you might ever have international ambitions.


NB
Not to say Imperial doesn't have fantastic international standing, it does, American's just seem to be ignorant to it. Different story across Europe and Asia.
Original post by .snowflake.
Declined UCL for Sheffield. Don't regret it at all, and to be honest, most people around me didnt blame me for doing it after finding out what my interview was like.


?????
Original post by FuLLuPMepOrtION
?????


You know you're not going to enjoy 4 years there when the lecturers think it appropriate to take the piss because you're northern.
Reply 17
I declined UCL for Warwick as when it came down to it I just couldn't justify the added expense of living in London.
Reply 18
Original post by .snowflake.
Declined UCL for Sheffield. Don't regret it at all, and to be honest, most people around me didnt blame me for doing it after finding out what my interview was like.


wow you better hope you enjoy Sheffield then
Original post by yaboy
wow you better hope you enjoy Sheffield then


I am enjoying Sheffield.

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