Advice on If a gap year is worth it

For some context:

I am predicted A*A*A* in maths biology and chemistry, my GCSEs are 998887766 (Grade 8 in maths), Ive applied for economics at the following universities,

Bristol - Economics - Offer achieved
Exeter - Economics - Offer achieved
Nottingham - Economics - Offer achieved
Bath - Economics - Rejection
UCL - Economics - Not heard (Very very doubtful)

I am very pleased with Bristol, as I like the city and all the historical university buildings, but I can't quite shake the feeling that it's maybe not as strong as Bath for example. If I were to take a gap year with my predicted grades or maybe one below them (A*A*A) and did the TMUA for example would this be a worth while endeavour just to potentially be offered a place at Bath or potentially Warwick for example.

I would really like some advice for this because its eating me alive and I feel like its distracting me from my school work etc...

Thank you.

Reply 1

Kanushi09

Original post by Fesdces1

For some context:
I am predicted A*A*A* in maths biology and chemistry, my GCSEs are 998887766 (Grade 8 in maths), Ive applied for economics at the following universities,
Bristol - Economics - Offer achieved
Exeter - Economics - Offer achieved
Nottingham - Economics - Offer achieved
Bath - Economics - Rejection
UCL - Economics - Not heard (Very very doubtful)
I am very pleased with Bristol, as I like the city and all the historical university buildings, but I can't quite shake the feeling that it's maybe not as strong as Bath for example. If I were to take a gap year with my predicted grades or maybe one below them (A*A*A) and did the TMUA for example would this be a worth while endeavour just to potentially be offered a place at Bath or potentially Warwick for example.
I would really like some advice for this because its eating me alive and I feel like its distracting me from my school work etc...
Thank you.

Well, is there any specific reason you want to go to Bath or is it just about the prestigiousness? I would say if you haven't already, go to open days and the offer holder days. Get a taste of the university. Find out everything u want to know. Then if you think Bristol or any other university might be good, choose that. If you still prefer Bath, take the gap year (however I would say do it as soon as u know so u can apply immediately).

Reply 2

pagan-scimitar

Original post by Fesdces1

For some context:
I am predicted A*A*A* in maths biology and chemistry, my GCSEs are 998887766 (Grade 8 in maths), Ive applied for economics at the following universities,
Bristol - Economics - Offer achieved
Exeter - Economics - Offer achieved
Nottingham - Economics - Offer achieved
Bath - Economics - Rejection
UCL - Economics - Not heard (Very very doubtful)
I am very pleased with Bristol, as I like the city and all the historical university buildings, but I can't quite shake the feeling that it's maybe not as strong as Bath for example. If I were to take a gap year with my predicted grades or maybe one below them (A*A*A) and did the TMUA for example would this be a worth while endeavour just to potentially be offered a place at Bath or potentially Warwick for example.
I would really like some advice for this because its eating me alive and I feel like its distracting me from my school work etc...
Thank you.

Bath doesn't consider TMUA so it won't make a difference. Did they give you a reason for rejection? I doubt it would have been your grades so I'm it was the personal statement. If so, is there anything extra you could do to improve it next time? I agree with the other user that you should visit the unis you have offers from, they're all great unis.

Personally I'd just go to Bristol, it's as good as Bath (maybe better tbh). Bath really isn't worth taking a gap year for... UCL/Warwick maybe but Bath really isn't much better (if at all better) than the offers you already have. Also stay hopeful because you might get a UCL offer :smile:

Reply 3

Fesdces1

Original post by pagan-scimitar

Bath doesn't consider TMUA so it won't make a difference. Did they give you a reason for rejection? I doubt it would have been your grades so I'm it was the personal statement. If so, is there anything extra you could do to improve it next time? I agree with the other user that you should visit the unis you have offers from, they're all great unis.
Personally I'd just go to Bristol, it's as good as Bath (maybe better tbh). Bath really isn't worth taking a gap year for... UCL/Warwick maybe but Bath really isn't much better (if at all better) than the offers you already have. Also stay hopeful because you might get a UCL offer :smile:

Thank you for the advice, I’ve done open days for all of them and Bristol was by far the one I liked the most. I’m probably just going to go to Bristol to be honest as there isn’t really much I can do for personal statement so I’m pretty sure that’s why bath rejected me. Thank you very much for the advice

Reply 4

Fesdces1

Original post by Kanushi09

I’ve been to all of them and i know I’ll be really happy in Bristol, the main reason I wanna go bath is their placement thing to be fair but I’d hope id be able to get internships in the summers to reduce the deficit of the impact of that by going to Bristol.

I guess my real question is do you believe there’s a big enough difference between Bristol and bath if there’s one at all that would warrant a gap year. And for prestige I’m fairly confident they both are in the same ball park (Bristol and bath that is) again thank you enormously for the advice

Reply 5

A Certain Clause

Original post by Fesdces1

For some context:
I am predicted A*A*A* in maths biology and chemistry, my GCSEs are 998887766 (Grade 8 in maths), Ive applied for economics at the following universities,
Bristol - Economics - Offer achieved
Exeter - Economics - Offer achieved
Nottingham - Economics - Offer achieved
Bath - Economics - Rejection
UCL - Economics - Not heard (Very very doubtful)
I am very pleased with Bristol, as I like the city and all the historical university buildings, but I can't quite shake the feeling that it's maybe not as strong as Bath for example. If I were to take a gap year with my predicted grades or maybe one below them (A*A*A) and did the TMUA for example would this be a worth while endeavour just to potentially be offered a place at Bath or potentially Warwick for example.
I would really like some advice for this because its eating me alive and I feel like its distracting me from my school work etc...
Thank you.

Honestly, you may end up having a better time at any of those other 3 unis than at Uni of Bath. I can't speak for eco specifically, but I went to uni in Nottingham, I lived in Bath for a good while and I have at least visited Exeter for a few days.

But by all accounts, they're all great universities (they're all Russel Group for starters) and Uni of Bath is reputable among its subjects - being a very STEM-heavy university - but Notts for instance isn't any less reputable (plus, there's a more diverse student body because Notts also does really well on many Humanities subjects too.) The only thing that I didn't really like about Nottingham was the city itself - it has a personality that's very much like sand-paper, it can rub you up the wrong way and the people can be a bit unhinged. But Bristol especially is quite similar, just much more expensive (that's another bonus with Notts, being in the Midlands, it is noticeably cheaper.)

Exeter is probably the place most similar to Bath. The people feel very similar with Exeter being just a bit bigger and more built-up - Bath was almost too small, and it can drive you a little crazy, it's just a cute uni-town (you can walk from one side of town to the other in less than an hour - through suburbs and everything), seriously, you'll spend more time in Bristol anyway - it's 12 minutes away by train. But both have really idyllic countryside around them - with Devon being extremely beautiful. I would just say that I had way more friends who were at Bath Spa than Uni of (a lot of the folks there just seemed very cold and quite aloof or even arrogant at times.) Bath Spa people just seemed happy. Exeter is very "white" though, is what I would say, like Bristol and Bath have greater diversity especially from European countries like Poland and Spain. So do think about that too - you do have to live there for 3 years, so you might as well know what it's like.