Over a year ago Julia Barnes and Wendy Heydorn started writing. They had noticed a gap in the resources available for parents seeking to compare post-18 options: UK, US and international university admissions, alongside UK Degree Apprenticeships — so they set out to fill it.

Between them they bring over 25 years of Higher Education guidance experience — Wendy spent sixteen years advising students at Sevenoaks School and has co-authored three IB text books with Cambridge University Press and last year Laurence Goodwin and she co-authored “An Educator’s Guide to University Applications" with Trotman. Julia has over a decade of Higher Education guidance experience at Sevenoaks School, US admissions expertise as an accredited Times Higher Education Counsellor, and the perspective of a parent of four — three of whom have recently been through university applications themselves. She is also a parent at Trinity and has been a governor here for the last four years.

They thought that a book for parents, guardians and carers was needed. The higher education landscape has changed so much since they were 18: Degree Apprenticeships, the rise of the student commuter, the increasing level of competition for the most competitive courses, changes to admissions tests, the reformed Personal Statement. Not only is the landscape shifting, graduate employment is getting tougher and the impact of AI raises yet more questions about the future of work. Then there's the child in front of a parent; their own teenager with their own strengths, talents, and potential.

 

Understandably, parents often turn to university rankings. But league tables tell them nothing about whether a course or a campus is right for their child. Where is a parent to begin making sense of this? This book helps parents begin and continue a conversation with their children about what comes next. Universities in the UK and US already have brilliant parent-facing resources and the book draws on these, with expert contributions from across the sector. It offers a comparative approach to different pathways: UK, US and international universities, and Degree Apprenticeships, and suggest how parents can support their son or daughter in Years 11, 12 or 13. This is for the families who understandably wonder where to begin.

Available at Amazon.co.uk : beyond the rankings