University applications – how to help your child choose

If your child is heading back to school for their final year of A-levels, they will soon have to decide whether to apply to university. If they can be reasonably confident of gaining three or more passes at A-level, your child has every chance of securing a conditional offer from a UK university, so how can you help them choose which courses and institutions to apply for?

Choosing the right university is an incredibly hard decision to make. You and your child need to spend some time researching various universities and courses. An English degree at one university can be quite different from an English degree somewhere else. Teaching methods, projects and course content vary widely so take your child to as many open days as possible in order to give them a better idea as to what life at the university will be like. They can meet lecturers and other students and find out all they need to know about the courses on offer.

Your child should also consider the location of the university - how far away it is, and whether it is based in a city or in the countryside. The cost of living is important too: find out what sort of budget you'll need to put aside for accommodation and travel costs.

A university with a good track record is imperative, and you should try to find out the proportion of graduates that actually find employment after they complete their courses. All these facts and figures can be obtained from the university and will aid them in making their decision.

Once your child has made their decision, support them as much as possible. Moving to university can be an intimidating experience for many young people, but with your help they should take to their new student life quickly and easily.