Hi
Can anyone advise whether the D of E is an advantage for uni applications? DS missed doing it in year 10 and is not sure whether to do silver in year 12 or do you know if you can go straight to gold?
Thanks

No idea whether one can skip a grade, in afraid. Just having done something isn't what will 'look good' on the cv - it's having learned something from it that is what one needs to demonstrate.

_________________
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Can I suggest you look at the DoE website which is incredibly clear on all the rules about what you can do/miss out etc? If you Google DoE it comes up at the top. Never ever do DoE JUST because of the Uni Application. If this is your child's sole reason for doing it, don't do it!

As a careers adviser, Admissions staff have told me they do not even blink when they see Bronze Award on a UCAS form - it is such a rite of passage now in so many schools that it adds nothing to an application, although can reap rewards for an individual in terms of them moving on etc. In my experience, I have seen parents of young Bronze candidates doing their baking or cooking "skill" for them each week, or organising the voluntary work doing something where the parent is actually "helping" out, for example, just so that the child can get it signed off.

Silver, and certainly Gold, are worth doing, as they are much rarer still, but more importantly, the involvement is far less tick box, so they have real value to the child's development - but they can be a big time commitment, so make sure your child actually wants to do it, not just that you think it will be good for the Uni application.

You can start at Gold but it takes longer.

As stated, simply having it on your PS is pointless.

As I have said many times the PS is about why you want to the course and why you would do well at it.
Thus it is primarily related directly to the studying - demonstrating interest and ability.

Extra curricular activities is a very small part of it and only to demonstrate relevent skills - maturity, knowing how to keep going when it gets tough, time management etc.

Obviously there are some courses where specific practical experience is relevant ( medicine etc).

D of E should be undertaken because of what you get out of it.
For any of these kinds of activities you need to think about the transferable skills that have been learned. In any case they are more likely to be applicable to job applications than university ones.

D of E was started to give young people new experiences to develop their skills and character. It's one of my pet hates when schools set up groups just to get pupils the awards to 'look good'. ( Rant over....)

My DH moved from a tiny to a large indie at 6th form and had never even heard of DoE before that. He started with his gold so it's definitely possible. He really loved it and still continues to work with them as an expedition assessor (? correct terminology) decades later.
Dd has just decided not to do her bronze because she has so many other commitments. Even though he'd have liked her to do it he agreed with her that there was no point just doing it for the sake of it and she can do it later if she really feels keen.

It's much better to take up something she enjoys. In some schools D of E is very little more than a tick box activity which is far from what was initially created.

In the PS they need to think about the skills that they develop from extra-curricular activities such as teamwork, organisation, leadership ... and how that relates to their degree studies.

DS didn't do it because it would have caused us far too much stress given his other interests. The truth is I actually talked him out of it.

Thank you for all the advice. I think my son fits all the criteria to do the Gold. He is very involved with local sports and volunteers at the local youth group and also football training.
He would like to do D of E but his school does not do it.
My question was not asked so 'it will look good', it is because I am on my own and would struggle to pay for both bronze, silver and gold. If I am honest, I am looking for the cheapest option to do the best by my son.

He does not need D of E if he is already doing those things.

The part he won't be getting otherwise is the expedition.
Does he have experience of hiking, map reading and camping? ( as in expedition tent and cooking on a tranger, not family camping The gold expedition, if its worth anything, should be pretty challenging and if he hasn't got prior experience he may not manage it.

It's worth checking if there is a local scout group that do D of E as it can be a cheaper way if he's prepared to make the commitment to Explorer scouts.

Makes me sad that the cost has escalated to be prohibitive.