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UCAS forms sent - just the waiting game now !

999 replies

snowyowl70 · 27/09/2013 23:07

My super organised DD1 has had email today to say her forms/reference have been received and should be at her chosen Unis in the next 48 hrs !!!!! So the waiting begins - to those seasoned parents who have done this before can you remember how long they had to wait for their first responses ? At least 2 out of her 5 may call her for interview (MFL) so am guessing these might be fairly on the ball ?

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MollyBerry · 27/09/2013 23:09

Wow, she is very organised! Good luck to her :)

The waiting time really depends on the uni, Oxbridge will have interviews in December so you'll find out about November time (if she's applied there). Some of the others it seems to just be when teh admission tutor gets round to it!

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snowyowl70 · 27/09/2013 23:23

Not Oxbridge but mainly RG so Southampton, Bath, Nottingham, Birmingham and Cardiff. Oh well, we will just have to wait and see - I am not very good at being patient and neither is she !! She got best part of her personal statement done in July so her tutor could look through it and return it quickly as no one else was this far ahead of the game !! Think she just wants to know where she will be going (results permitting of course) so she can then get her head down and just focus on the exams.

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Lonecatwithkitten · 28/09/2013 08:14

Some wait until applications close before choosing those for interview.

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hattymattie · 28/09/2013 09:34

Wow - good luck - mine's still pulling her hair out over the PS.

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KneesoftheBee · 28/09/2013 11:44

I think it depends both on the Uni and the course - it can range from November to spring the following year.

With DS1 (applying for aeronautical engineering 5 years ago) it was only his Cambridge interview that was pre-Christmas.

When DS2 applied for Film Production (last year) he was shocked to get almost instant replies inviting him to submit film reels / project work / attend interview with only 7 days notice. However, a lot of his friends, on different courses, didn't have to attend interviews until about May the following year.

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fussychica · 28/09/2013 11:50

A few years ago DS applied for MFL including 2 from your choice. He sent everything off early Nov and had all his 5 offers back by15th December, including his first offer 10 days after sending form off. He wasn't interviewed by any. He is currently in France for his year abroad.
Good luck to your DD.

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creamteas · 28/09/2013 13:57

Where I work, applications are read on arrival and divided into 3 piles:

  1. Definite offer
  2. Possible
  3. Reject

    Applications in the Offer and Reject pile will get replies within a couple of weeks (we don't interview).

    If you are a Possible, you will have to wait until after the January deadline for an answer (we are obliged to ensure that equal treatment is given to all applications).

    What gets you into the Offer straight away pile are things like having A levels already, A's at AS and strong predictions or applying for a subject where there are usually more places than applications (eg MFL).
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snowyowl70 · 28/09/2013 14:04

Thanks everyone - would think she is strong candidate AAB at AS and predicted AAA at A2 as only just missed the A in one subject due to fit of nerves in one of oral exams !! Will wait and see then and hope she gets some positive news this side of Christmas !!

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webwiz · 28/09/2013 15:01

Both DD1 and DD2 got offers very quickly after sending in their forms (for Biological Sciences and Maths). DD1 had all her replies by Christmas and DD2 had four offers really quickly and just had to wait till after the Jan deadline for a reply from Bath which is where she's studying now.

Both of mine were later with their forms though I think it was the week after half term.

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snowyowl70 · 28/09/2013 15:11

Does she like Bath ? My DD1 can't decide whether Bath or Southampton is her favourite - course bit more suited to her at S'ton but loved the Uni at Bath !

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webwiz · 28/09/2013 15:51

DD2 loves Bath but she isn't there at the moment - she's on a work placement for the year in Leeds.

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JGBMum · 29/09/2013 09:47

So much depends on the department I think.
DSs between them have applied to bath, southampton and Cardiff for engineering courses. Southampton were quickest to respond, got an acknowledgment postcard 2-3 days later, then offer a week after applying.
Bath also pretty quick for engineering, took about 3-4 weeks.
Cardiff were a nightmare, no acknowledgement, then an interview date arrived in December, for a week later. Then it was another 2 weeks before he got an offer.

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snowyowl70 · 29/09/2013 11:51

Funnily enough Cardiff have sent an email already saying they have received her application from UCAS !! And not heard from the others !! Wasn't expecting anything of any sort as only got confirmation from UCAS on Friday that they had her application !!

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SlowlorisIncognito · 29/09/2013 15:26

It varies a lot between universities. Bristol, for example, are pretty (in)famous for making nearly everyone have a pretty long wait.

The problem with applying early, is, if you are a borderline (i.e. could be accepted some years, and rejected others) applicant, you will actually have a longer wait. This is because universities have to give everyone who applies before the deadline equal consideration, so they will wait and see the quality of other applicants before giving out all their places.

In some ways, no news is good news. IME universities tend to be quickest with definate rejections, although they can be pretty quick with definate acceptances.

If she has been sensible with her offers, she should hear back from at least some of them before christmas. For the more risky ones, she will probably have a long wait.

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creamteas · 29/09/2013 15:27

Funnily enough Cardiff have sent an email already saying they have received her application from UCAS

These are programmed to happen automatically, it necessarily mean her application has got any further than the university computer server Grin

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mummyofteens · 29/09/2013 17:35

Creamteas, can I just ask that if an applicant already has the grades that are required for a course, do they always get an offer?

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MollyBerry · 29/09/2013 18:10

mummyofteens I know the Q wasn't directed at me but the answer to that is, no.

If that was the case then all gap year applications to Oxbridge would get in as you wouldn't bother applying if you didn't have the necessary grades. (and obviously they don't all get in)

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snowyowl70 · 29/09/2013 18:12

I meant it was funny as someone else had posted that Cardiff were mega slow and never acknowledged they had received the application - I wasn't reading anything into it at all .

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ISingSoprano · 29/09/2013 18:24

Ds has just gone to Southampton and they were super quick in responding to his application last year. He sent his application into UCAS just after half term and had an interview and offer from Southampton within a few weeks.

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snowyowl70 · 29/09/2013 18:53

Thanks ISingSoprano that's encouraging. What are his first impressions of the Uni now he has arrived ? What is he studying ?

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creamteas · 29/09/2013 20:15

if an applicant already has the grades that are required for a course, do they always get an offer

It really depends on what they are applying for.

At my current (and former) university, students that have their A levels grades always get offers, except in a minority of cases.

These include if other other criteria have not been met (eg work experience) or there is something else in their application which raises a question about their suitability for the course (eg applicant with 3 science A levels applying for art/social science degree who has not explained the change in direction in their PS).

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mummyofteens · 29/09/2013 22:47

thank you for your replies :)

I wasn't really thinking of oxbridge applicants but it would make sense that the ones who have the grades already have to be at the front of the queue for offers. Why gamble on people getting the grades, when there are applicants who have already achieved the grades ifyswim or am I missing something obvious?

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ISingSoprano · 30/09/2013 07:17

snowy he is studying oceanography at Southampton. He has only been there a week and lectures etc start properly today but so far so good. He has a good bunch of flatmates and has enjoyed Freshers week. Southampton was the only university to interview for his course choice.

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Theas18 · 30/09/2013 10:31

Same here!

Waiting for he UCAS fairies to do their thing ...

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snowyowl70 · 30/09/2013 15:46

Theas18 - fingers crossed for them both then !

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