I did not think my university choices through

Hi,

I chose Bath, Bristol, Lancaster, Nottingham, and Edinburgh and have now been accepted to all of them for physics! However, I feel as though I applied for universities that aren't as high of a standard as I can aim for - especially when looking at peers who had lower grades and less on their personal statement getting into better universities for more competitive courses.
Is there a way to get into a better university at this stage? My top choices currently are bath or bristol.

Reply 1

tommei

Note I am predicted A*AAB in Maths, Physics, Computer Science and Further Maths

Reply 2

Picnicl

Bristol (7th), Edinburgh (8th), and Nottingham (11th) are 3 of the top places in the UK for Physics. Bath is 25th. Lancaster is 32nd. Source: Edurank. Nottingham's research quality at 89% is higher than Edinburgh's at 87%, Lancaster's at 86%, and Bath's at 85%. Bristol's is 90%. Source: The Complete University Guide.

Are you thinking of Cambridge (1st), Oxford (2nd but 1% lower research quality than Nottingham), Imperial (3rd but 3% lower research quality than Nottingham), UCL (4th but 4% lower research quality than Nottingham), Manchester (5th)?
Southampton is 6th (6% lower research quality than Nottingham), Sheffield is 9th (and has joint highest research quality, 91%, with Cambridge and Manchester, according to The Complete University Guide), Leeds is 10th (1% lower research quality than Nottingham), Birmingham 12th (equal research quality with Bristol), Durham 13th (4% lower research quality than Bristol). Source: Edurank.

Do you require anything from your environment other than being with students with similar entry grades? As my above information shows (as Nottingham has lower average entry grades than all I mentioned except Leeds, Southampton, and Sheffield), with these top universities, as they all are, average entry grades doesn't always determine the quality of the teachers/researchers. Average entry grades at relatively new places like Bath University can to some extent just be the equivalent of a new nightclub charging 5 pounds to get in to make you think they're better than the older, grander, nightclub down the road which is only charging 3 pounds.

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 3

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by tommei

You can use UCAS Extra, but only if you decline your current offers.

https://www.ucas.com/applying/after-you-apply/types-undergraduate-offers/extra-choices

Before you do anything, you should contact Bath + Bristol and see if they are considering Extra applications for Physics, then you can decide whether it's worth the risk.

Reply 4

University of Bath

Official Rep

Original post

by tommei

Hi,
I chose Bath, Bristol, Lancaster, Nottingham, and Edinburgh and have now been accepted to all of them for physics! However, I feel as though I applied for universities that aren't as high of a standard as I can aim for - especially when looking at peers who had lower grades and less on their personal statement getting into better universities for more competitive courses.
Is there a way to get into a better university at this stage? My top choices currently are bath or bristol.

Hi there,

It sounds like you've already had some great advice, just wanted to jump in to see if I can help too.

Its lovely to hear you've been accepted into Bath as well as two other great unis. I would say they are all very good unis (Bath/Lancaster/Bristol = top 10 for Physics according to the complete university guide) - however the rankings cannot tell you whether you would be happy at any of them.

I would advise if you'd be happy at Bath or Bristol and this place made you feel at home and welcome and has a course you're interested in, then firm one of these and insure one of your other choices. However if you feel you would not be happy at any of them, then you can always take a year out to travel/work/reflect and then reapply with your grades next year, if you strongly think you'd be happier elsewhere.

I'd also say that it doesn't sound like you've not thought this through - your choices sound sensible to me based on your predicted grades and I'm sure you'd have a fab academic experience at any of those unis. Try not to compare yourself to others and just focus on what you want to do.

I hope this helps - best of luck and give us a shout if you have any more questions 🙂

Holly
University of Bath

Reply 5

McGinger

Those are all top Unis for Physics - Bath and Bristol in particular.
Stop worrying and pick a Firm choice.

Reply 6

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by tommei

Hi,
I chose Bath, Bristol, Lancaster, Nottingham, and Edinburgh and have now been accepted to all of them for physics! However, I feel as though I applied for universities that aren't as high of a standard as I can aim for - especially when looking at peers who had lower grades and less on their personal statement getting into better universities for more competitive courses.
Is there a way to get into a better university at this stage? My top choices currently are bath or bristol.

Hi @tommei
Congratulations on all of your physics offers! There are many factors that can determine how good the university is for your subject, these can include teaching quality, graduate prospects, university rankings, student satisfaction and research quality, so its important to consider these as well as just the entry requirements. All of the universities you have applied for are ranked quite highly for physics, according to the complete university guide, so i would recommend looking if there are any other universities you would be intrested in and seeing if they still have places available.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 7

bbg1978

Depends what you’re thinking! You don’t meet the minimum requirements for Durham, Manchester or Imperial but you could give schools like Warwick or UCL a shot as they ask for A*AA. Your options may also depend on how strong your GCSEs are. If you’re really ambitious you could sit your exams and apply to Oxford you’d need to sit an admissions test, apply with strong GCSEs and get minimum A*AA in your alevels.

Bath is a very solid University, Top 10 worthy! I’d go for that tbh if I were you. It also depends how accurate your predicteds are, if you think you can do much better then sit your alevels and do a gap year. Although UCAS extra is an option, many top unis may not consider your application. If I were you, I would firm Bath and then make a decision once the results come in.

Clearing may also be an option if top unis have capacity. I know people who have managed to get Warwick and UCL through clearing so it’s not impossible. But honestly you have 2 solid unis at this point it becomes an ego thing. Unless you’re aiming for Oxbridge/Imperial you’ll honestly be fine, pick a uni that you truly love regardless of prestige.

Reply 8

Muttley79

Original post

by tommei

Hi,
I chose Bath, Bristol, Lancaster, Nottingham, and Edinburgh and have now been accepted to all of them for physics! However, I feel as though I applied for universities that aren't as high of a standard as I can aim for - especially when looking at peers who had lower grades and less on their personal statement getting into better universities for more competitive courses.
Is there a way to get into a better university at this stage? My top choices currently are bath or bristol.

You have offers from the two you want, what is the problem?

Bath is the nicer place with a great placement scheme.

Reply 9

Ghostlady

Original post

by tommei

Hi,
I chose Bath, Bristol, Lancaster, Nottingham, and Edinburgh and have now been accepted to all of them for physics! However, I feel as though I applied for universities that aren't as high of a standard as I can aim for - especially when looking at peers who had lower grades and less on their personal statement getting into better universities for more competitive courses.
Is there a way to get into a better university at this stage? My top choices currently are bath or bristol.

Bit late to the party but daughter did integrated masters at Lancaster for physics and is now a particle physics PhD student at Manchester and works in Spain for certain periods at her experiment. Lots of support at Lancaster and plenty of career fairs and dept was superb. Set daughter up for life did Lancaster.