Applicant Visit Day

What days have people put down to visit? Is anyone else going on the 9th of April? And for those who've already been, is it basically just the same as a standard open day but for applicants?

Reply 1

Colinj451

I went with my daughter there both to the open day and the applicant day.
The applicant day morning was talks for parents (which I found useful), and a talk, mini lecture and personalised tour of the physics department for her. No lab tour as she is looking at Theoretical physics.
The afternoon is campus tours, including accommodation etc

University of Sussex

Brighton

Reply 2

cbaker22

I'm going to Applicant day on 27th Feb/ and interview for Journalism.. I was sort of expecting something similar to the open day

Reply 3

katie.193

I might go on the 9th of April, it's a long way to travel for me & I've already been to an open day so I'm unsure whether I really want to go or not, but I found Applicant Days at other universities (Reading & Royal Holloway) really helpful. They went into a lot more depth about my course specifically and showed us relevant labs instead of giving tours of the campus in general, although campus tours were still available. So yeah, Applicant Days seem to give a lot more useful information & I feel like I should go to one at Sussex to be able to make a balanced judgement, although I think I'm going to firm Sussex anyway lol

Reply 4

Colinj451

Just to put the days in context, we went to Nottingham on Wednesday and my daughter has now ruled it out.
Look closely at the course, the modules, the projects the teaching style etc.
Tbf my daughter wasn't well and the weather was awful but she felt the day was rushed and didn't give a lot of information over the open day.
Regarding me I had the opening talk and lunch but then had optional "self guided" campus tour.
I should have taken a book, but looked at off campus accommodation

Look at anywhere you can closely with the rose tinted specs off

Reply 5

heivetia

Original post by katie.193

Are you still going on the 9th? :smile:

Reply 6

heivetia

Original post by Colinj451

How come your daughter ruled out Nottingham? I'm quite surprised considering I know a lot of people who are at Nottingham and love it there!

Reply 7

Colinj451

I'm sure they do, its lovely, but it was a combination of course and interviewer. Also having to live in halls off campus due to all on campus halls being catered.
Broadcast park is ok there, but is at far end of campus from physics.
Raleigh park is about mile off campus so has issues with being isolated despite bus from Jubilee campus
Offer was A*AA but reduced to AAB if firmed (however made it clear that this is minimum level they will accept so no near miss), however interviewer who saw her hadn't read her PS, didn't know what physics areas she was interested in (particle and quantum)
In the end got standard offer as above, so feeling of what was point of interview.
The applicant day was basically walking round all the areas without anyone checking if any issues. (She has asthma which flared up)
Just got sense that they weren't bothered if she went there or not, so she went for place where she felt they did.
Lancaster is insurance but with higher offer so likely will be Sussex or clearing (Hull?)

PS Same reason for her not choosing York tbh, poorly organised admin and care in her opinion. Leeds was too close to home and facilities are quite old in comparison.
In the end I think all her offers were AAA so difficult to choose between them on academic issues, altho the course delivery did vary markedly.
Sussex isn't perfect but chosen on strength of feeling for physics dept