The Student Room Group

Is there a university search tool by criteria?

Hi, I recently dropped out of Warwick for personal reasons and am now looking to apply to university either for this year or next year. I know that applications for this year are closed but a tutor in my department advised that I might be able to find universities accepting transfers to their first year at this stage and that I would need to catch up with the first month or so of course work if I go there. Any ideas about this? If not then please advise me on the best universities satisfying the following criteria:
Catered accommodation
Campus accommodation guaranteed for all 3 years
Has to offer some form of math/physics course (e.g. "Maths & Physics", "Theoretical Physics", "Mathematical Physics", etc. Courses like "Maths" and "Physics" however don't count.)
Edit: However I don't mind "Maths" if it has enough theoretical physics (e.g. like at Cambridge)

So far I've managed to find Bristol and Nottingham. Places like Durham on the other hand don't guarantee accommodation for second year so they are out of the question (I need it to be guaranteed because it would be too risky otherwise)
(edited 8 years ago)
Why do you need guaranteed accommodation for all three years? Most students want to move out into a shared house with their new found friends after first year anyway. It's very unusual for universities to offer this, so you are ruling out a large proportion of universities based on a rather odd criteria.

If it's because you're disabled and need specific adaptations made to your room that are unrealistic in a shared house, then often universities will be happy to guarantee you an adapted room for all three years - they just don't state this on their website.

Sometimes your fee status affects guarantees e.g. international students may get a 3 year guarantee, but UK / EU students don't.
Reply 2
Original post by Origami Bullets
Why do you need guaranteed accommodation for all three years? Most students want to move out into a shared house with their new found friends after first year anyway. It's very unusual for universities to offer this, so you are ruling out a large proportion of universities based on a rather odd criteria.

If it's because you're disabled and need specific adaptations made to your room that are unrealistic in a shared house, then often universities will be happy to guarantee you an adapted room for all three years - they just don't state this on their website.

Sometimes your fee status affects guarantees e.g. international students may get a 3 year guarantee, but UK / EU students don't.

Why is it a problem that I want this criteria? I'm autistic and fairly antisocial, so I highly doubt I'll make friends that are good enough to move out together, and my experience at Warwick has confirmed this (everyone in my corridor became good friends within the first week or so except for me). No one seems to want to be anything other than an acquaintance with me (it could be my personality, which is rather private, but that's something I can't change.) Also the fact that some unis offer this, such as Oxbridge, Bristol and Nottingham, make me wonder if there are others out there. I need at least 5 fairly good unis offering this to make my UCAS application.
(edited 8 years ago)
The other 4 unis that you applied for a year ago?
Original post by Paul Dirac
Why is it a problem that I want this criteria? I'm autistic and fairly antisocial, so I highly doubt I'll make friends that are good enough to move out together, and my experience at Bath has confirmed this (everyone in my corridor became good friends within the first week or so except for me). No one seems to want to be anything other than an acquaintance with me (it could be my personality, which is rather private, but that's something I can't change.) Also the fact that some unis offer this, such as Oxbridge, Bristol and Nottingham, make me wonder if there are others out there. I need at least 5 fairly good unis offering this to make my UCAS application.


I know how you feel, I have Aspergers :frown: It's horrible because I want to make friends but have no idea how, I'm slowly improving though. I'm going to try and find a studio even for my first year as I'm also sensitive to loud noise.

Edit: Aberystwyth do if you fulfil certain criteria, you might want to check that out.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by emiloujess
I know how you feel, I have Aspergers :frown: It's horrible because I want to make friends but have no idea how, I'm slowly improving though. I'm going to try and find a studio even for my first year as I'm also sensitive to loud noise.

Edit: Aberystwyth do if you fulfil certain criteria, you might want to check that out.

Thanks, yeah I was also thinking of getting a studio but I don't have the money, hence the criteria listed in my first post regarding uni halls. Thanks for the Aberystwyth suggestion, they look promising (especially with their many scholarships) so I've added them to my list.
Original post by Paul Dirac
Thanks, yeah I was also thinking of getting a studio but I don't have the money, hence the criteria listed in my first post regarding uni halls. Thanks for the Aberystwyth suggestion, they look promising (especially with their many scholarships) so I've added them to my list.


Aberystwyth only do it under certain criteria, I'm not sure what that is. But it's a wonderful university. I visited last year for the open day and loved both the town and the university (plus it's got a beach!!) I'm planning on putting it as my insurance.
Reply 7
Original post by emiloujess
Aberystwyth only do it under certain criteria, I'm not sure what that is. But it's a wonderful university. I visited last year for the open day and loved both the town and the university (plus it's got a beach!!) I'm planning on putting it as my insurance.

It's subject to doing well in an entrance scholarship paper. I know someone who sat the maths one last year and found it easy. I've just looked at the past papers and they look trivial compared to tests I've done well in in the past such as STEP. Same goes for the physics paper. I will probably do that one as I'm planning to do their theoretical physics degree.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Paul Dirac
It's subject to doing well in an entrance scholarship paper. I know someone who sat the maths one last year and found it easy. I've just looked at the past papers and they look trivial compared to tests I've done well in in the past such as STEP.


Definitely worth checking out then :smile: It's a fairly quiet town too, if you're worried about that. I stayed there in a B&B for 2 nights and I swear it was the best 2 nights' sleep I've ever had! I also found some spots where you could easily sit down and forget everything. There's a kind of cliff/hill walk and the bench at the top of it has the most wonderful views. (sorry, I'm rambling!) I'm going back there this weekend, actually.
Reply 9
Original post by emiloujess
Definitely worth checking out then :smile: It's a fairly quiet town too, if you're worried about that. I stayed there in a B&B for 2 nights and I swear it was the best 2 nights' sleep I've ever had! I also found some spots where you could easily sit down and forget everything. There's a kind of cliff/hill walk and the bench at the top of it has the most wonderful views. (sorry, I'm rambling!) I'm going back there this weekend, actually.

Nah, any quietness would be a pro really, I'm a fairly quiet person myself and really enjoy going out on long walks alone to put everything at the back of my mind and just relax. It's also so my brain doesn't explode, because I do solve maths problems a lot when I'm alone (mainly of the "high school competition" type, but I do tend to get obsessed with meaty research-type problems that involve number theory from time to time). I guess my biggest mistake last year was choosing unis solely based on ranking but it turns out that things like catering vs self-catering are much more important for me than I thought. How comes you're going back, are you planning to study there?
Original post by Paul Dirac
Nah, any quietness would be a pro really, I'm a fairly quiet person myself and really enjoy going out on long walks alone to put everything at the back of my mind and just relax. It's also so my brain doesn't explode, because I do solve maths problems a lot when I'm alone (mainly of the "high school competition" type, but I do tend to get obsessed with meaty research-type problems that involve number theory from time to time). I guess my biggest mistake last year was choosing unis solely based on ranking but it turns out that things like catering vs self-catering are much more important for me than I thought. How comes you're going back, are you planning to study there?


Same! :smile: Yes, I've never relied on League Tables when making my choices. No, I'm going for a Campaign weekend. Aber is my insurance choice though :smile:
Reply 11
Original post by emiloujess
Same! :smile: Yes, I've never relied on League Tables when making my choices. No, I'm going for a Campaign weekend. Aber is my insurance choice though :smile:

Yeah I think league tables should definitely factor in things like location and if they offer catered etc. However this just goes to show that unis can't really be ranked because they're too multi-dimensional to put in a linear order. Its like trying to rank music, which is impossible to do objectively as anyone who's tried will quickly found out. Oh nice, that sounds like fun. I'll probably have them down as my insurance too (Cambridge firm if I get an offer, as I'll be 21 by next October so I can still make a mature application - just realized this yesterday btw!). Well, have fun and good luck with your applications.
Original post by Paul Dirac
Yeah I think league tables should definitely factor in things like location and if they offer catered etc. However this just goes to show that unis can't really be ranked because they're too multi-dimensional to put in a linear order. Its like trying to rank music, which is impossible to do objectively as anyone who's tried will quickly found out. Oh nice, that sounds like fun. I'll probably have them down as my insurance too (Cambridge firm if I get an offer, as I'll be 21 by next October so I can still make a mature application - just realized this yesterday btw!). Well, have fun and good luck with your applications.


I completely agree! Everyone has different needs when they're looking for THE university, so a league table on it's own isn't really of much use. Hopefully! :smile: Best of luck with Cambridge! :biggrin:

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