home > 6th form > university application > choosing a course

Sixth Form

Choosing a University

Get your priorities right! Choosing the right course is the most important decision. If you are not committed to the course you will not enjoy the place. However, you will still need to choose a university. The following questions and answers may help.

What different types of universities are there?

Traditionally, universities have been divided into three main groups: collegiate, campus and civic.

Collegiate

Collegiate universities include Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and London. These universities are composed of different colleges, each of which may have a quite different feel.

Campus

Campus universities include Nottingham, Birmingham, Warwick, Exeter, UEA, Lancaster, Keele and York. These universities are based on one main site which has all the amenities a student might reasonably wish for.

Civic

Civic universities include Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield. These universities are based in the heart of the city and give students the opportunity to make use of all that the city as well as the university has to offer.

However, in some ways this traditional division is not very useful. There is really no comparison between Cambridge and London, two civic universities, and between Keele (which is extremely rural) and Birmingham, both of which are campus universities. Civic universities also vary enormously: Bristol and Liverpool are similar in some ways but as cities they differ greatly.

So how do you decide?

You may be tempted simply to apply to what are regarded as the best universities but you should consider some practical issues first.

It is worth thinking about where the university is and where you want to be. This may sound obvious but not everyone thinks through the options. Do you want to be able to get back to Cambridge easily? Have you examined the transport links? Do you know how much it will cost you to travel to Edinburgh or Bath or Cardiff?

It is also worth thinking about where you will actually live when you get to university. London is a very exciting place to be, for example, but what sort of house will you be able to afford to rent in the capital city? How much accommodation do the universities you are interested in offer? What sort of accommodation is it? Can you get university accommodation for one, two or three years?

Are some universities more difficult to get into than others?

Yes. Last year there were 1548 applicants for 110 English places at Bristol for example. 65 of these places had already been accepted by students who had deferred entry. 500+ of these applicants had predictions of 3 or more A grades.

There are 11.3 applicants per place at Nottingham. However, this does not tell the whole story. There were:

• 7 applicants per place for Mining Engineering
• 35 applicants per place for Geography
• 40+ applicants per place for English

How do you respond to this? Don’t panic but do apply to a range of universities. There are as many places available as there are people applying. In other words you should be able to find somewhere.

Which are the most popular universities?

In 2002 they were:
LSE, Bristol, Warwick, York, Nottingham, Bath, North London, St Andrew’s, City, Edinburgh, Exeter, Sheffield, UCL, Southampton, Brunel, Manchester, UMIST, Birmingham, King’s London, Lancaster.

Look at the UCAS Applications Excel Document in the Work Directory at school for a more detailed breakdown of information. Be warned: this document looks more useful than it is. It deals with broad subject areas rather than with individual courses.

Which are the best universities?

The best university is the best university for you. What suits you will not suit everyone else. Nonetheless, it is also true that some universities have a better reputation than others. The Russell Group of universities tends to be regarded as the elite. This group consists of the following universities:

• University of Birmingham
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• Cardiff University
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leeds
• University of Liverpool
• University of Manchester
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Warwick
• Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
• King’s College London
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• University College London

There are, however, some prestigious universities, such as Durham and St Andrew’s, which are not part of the Russell Group.

Which universities are worth considering?

There are plenty of other universities, though, which are perfectly good. Some of these include:

• University of East Anglia
• University of Bath
• University of Kent at Canterbury
• City University
• University of Hull
• Lancaster University
• University of Leicester
• University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies
• Loughborough University
• Queen’s University, Belfast
• University of Reading
• University of Wales Swansea
• University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)
• University of York

Just because a particular university is not on either of these lists does not mean it is not worth applying to. There are many universities which have excellent and renowned courses which I have not included on the list. Different universities specialise in different areas and you may well find that there is a university out there which offers precisely the course you are looking for and specialises in exactly those areas you are interested in.

How helpful are League Tables?

They are not wholly objective. This, for example, is how Sheffield University was ranked last year:

Virgin Guide to British Universities	1st
Sunday Times	1st
Daily Telegraph	13th
The Times Good University Guide	17th
The Guardian	20th

No league table is flawless but the one at Guardian Education Unlimited is probably your best bet.

Do you know where the universities really are?

• Warwick University is not in Warwick
• Sussex University is in Brighton
• Lancaster University is right on the outskirts of the city
• UCL is in the centre of London
• Royal Holloway College, London is outside the M25

How do you choose?

• Go on open days (but only 2 a year during term time)
• Attend interviews
• Wander round the campus
• Look at the web site (and look carefully!)
• Use our University Hot Links
• Read the prospectus
• Look at League Tables
• Use our Careers Library
• Ask the tutors and your subject teachers
• If you have any further questions please ask!