Official Durham Applicants Thread 2011

I'm not convinced the UK system was ever that way. The A* was introduced only a couple of years ago to help out the unis who were struggling to differentiate between the vast number of students who were getting A's. Admissions Tutors are used to looking at the whole application, not just the grades.

From hearing about the applications/offers of friends, the unis are still asking for and getting students with very high grades. Its not that they're dropping their standards for the sake of some ideal profile, they are just looking for something to supplement the academic achievement.

Anyone heard for Natural Sciences??
(sorry for being lazy and not checking the thread since its kinda long :P)

I totally agree that people will have to work out if a degree will be worth it...but completely disagree with your analogy, sorry!

The way UK fee loans are done is that repayments are made in the form of a graduate tax...9% of your income over £21k (for students starting in 2012).

So if you graduate and become unemployed/earn under £21k for any period, you stop paying off your loan.

If you haven't paid it off after 30 years, it's written off.

So there isn't a risk element in you not being able to pay it back and the bailiffs coming round to take your TV...just the opportunity cost risk of your degree not giving you an advantage compared to you starting work at 18.

BTW, congrats on your offers - well done!! I hope you enjoy your studies in the UK.

Regarding the money issue, I think that some unis are now so desperate for money from International students, that they are lowering their standards. A top 5 law uni that (from all available evidence to me) has never before accepted a law undergraduate (Home or International) with less than 6A*s at GCSE recently made my friend (an International applicant - although is studying in the UK) who had 1A*, 4As and 3Bs, an offer. LNAT could have been perfect, but I doubt it. I am happy for my friend, but it made me lower my estimation of that particular uni. My friend has all her offers now - conditional IB 36-39. 3 of those unis are TOUGH to get into, and all 5 are all in the Top 10 for law.

I can understand International students getting their decisions promptly. That is only fair as it will give them more time to make the necessary preparations to semi-emigrate. I can also understand a uni preferring an International student who has the same or very nearly the same academic attributes as a Home student - because their perhaps different perspective, experience and culture might add more to the richness of the University in general, and not to forget, they will pay more. What I cannot seem to understand though, is a uni that makes an offer to an International student when a Home student at least 2 times more academically qualified (if not even 3x, 4x etc.) would have definitely been rejected if there were no special circumstances involved.

Overseas, I was only there for a few years in Primary School though. 1998-2001.
Do you live there? Which school?

Oh nice! Congrats. I got university college for law as well. Will you be firming it?

I would go to the open day, but I'd be coming from the US--and can't justify the cost in a plane ticket to go for just a few days.

Yay! Well done to you too- but fair enough about the whole ticket thing. Just have to wait until autumn to meet you haha, provided grades etc. goes according to plan. Almost definitely firming it

Yes it is magical. It's like undescribable. I applied Castle even though I've got 0 chance of getting in lawl. Where did you apply and for what course?

Likewise, don't worry though..if they reject us, we'll just shank them. With lambs.

Hatfield for the MMath. I kinda like the idea of being the best you can, but i hear there's a lot of stick against people who go there... Meh.

Ah.. ok... Yep i still live here.. I go to Elizabeth Moir!
Where u from?

If you don't mind me asking, what were your module scores?

S1: 94, S2: 96, C1: 100, C2:100, D1:97, FP1: 91
What about you? I see Oxford gave you the boot as well.

Nice module grades! Mine are:

C1: 100 C2:100 M1:93 S1:90 FP1:89 M2:87

and yeah oxford gave me the boot as well.

What was his offer for Cambridge and Durham? Thanks

Think Cambridge was A*AA and Durham was ABB

I havn't actually been to Durham, but from what I've heard it sounds really great. Did you go to Edinburgh? Its my top choice, but you know what they say about the english admissions so fingers crossed. which one did you like the most?

i thought about st andrews and exeter but both st andrews and the cornwall campus that zoology was on were in really tiny towns so it put me off. and bristol just sounded too competitive and i preferred the course at leeds. newcastles my fallback- BBB and it has a really amazing course.

Apparently edinburgh decisions come out in february- please let me know!

Yours are pretty nice too! What board are you on? I'm MEI. MAT=epic fail It would've been good if i'd ever been taught anything in it! Ah well just have to wait 4 years for another shot ... fingers crossed for Durham for now!