A level Results - 18 days - anxiety rising....anyone else??

[Poppledopple]

Maybe because it is August tomorrow - but seems to have come round quickly. Had a nice break not thinking about anything since last exam and after full on year choosing, applying, getting rejected, getting offers etc....

Might as well switch off and try and get distracted for the next 18 days....as either way it will be v busy few days/weeks after results to get started on next phase of his life.

PFB -- any old hands out there want to give me a slap?

[homebythesea]

I'm waiting with you Popple - also PFB. He is on a bit if a downer about prospective results, even looking up local temp agencies for jobs for gap year should it go tits up. I'm trying to be relentlessly optimistic!

[Cocolepew]

My PFB here too.
Shes not very optimistic that she will get the grades she needs.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I'm nervous. DS2 needs BBB, should get two but worried about the third! The course he wants to do is so right for him.

Have ds1 already at uni but he ended up going in a non conventional way, so can't really be of help there,

Also worried about ds3 and gcse results as he didn't do enough work, (I don't think, he thinks he'll do enough to get into 6th form)

[dreamingofsun]

i have to pick them up by myself, as son is on holiday. i just hope he doesn't have to go through clearing as not sure how we are going to manage that logistically

[Poppledopple]

homebythesea I think that is the only way that their thinking goes....downward spiral....not based on any reality. I remember my friend telling me this about her DD last year ... negative thinking had chipped away so badly, slowly, day by day that in the end she was convinced that she had DDD but got AAA!! My PFB is the opposite - thinks he has done great -- but I am remembering the days that he came home (twice) when he had not be able to finish the paper....and left a 20 marker undone......(PTSD Flashback for me)

[Poppledopple]

ThroughThick - I have GCSEs results also looming with DS2 - but not really worried about that as although I know he didnt do enough work despite the nagging - I think this is a good time to get his fingers burnt an learn a lesson (hopefully put out when his less able mates do much better than him)

[homebythesea]

I think he's overcompensating after bigging himself up for GCSE results which turned out to be less than stellar. And AS results which were remarkably good thus creating pressure to replicate this year.....

[Leslieknope45]

I've just started with the nerves too and I'm a teacher! Had a bad dream last night. Good luck to all your children- I hope they get the results they need.

[NickyEds]

It's my neice I'm waiting on. She's predicted to do very well and needs to for her course. She worked incredibly hard and I'm just hoping that it will be rewarded! It was my nephew last year but we weren't as nervous as he'd frankly dossed about whereas dneice has given it her all!

[homebythesea]

coconutty that is exactly my DS thinking and I don't blame him really. We have the added jeopardy of no insurance place as all his offers bar one were the same (and the one that was higher than the rest he didn't like the look of on a visit). So plan A or the highway 😉

[Poppledopple]

Can someone explain the clearing vs year out option for me.

My DS has a AAA offer - I have checked with his uni and they have gone down to accept BBB on clearing over the past few years - but if he got BBB and was offered a place on same course for this year but chose not to take it and then reapplied on his year out with BBB - I doubt he would get an offer on a AAA course?

Is it a case of take a place now in clearing if your grades are not stellar - as you would not be offered that same place if you reapplied with those grades as Unis only give out places on lower grades at clearing to fill the spaces but are always looking for the AAA students during standard application time....

anyone understand what I am rambling on about....??

[Cocolepew]

Dd has said shes not looking to go on another course if she doesn't get on her one (geography)
She has a place at a college for fast track A levels for a year if she doesnt get in.

[dreamingofsun]

popple - it depends. its all about supply and demand. if they have enough students to fill places at AAA then they won't go down to BBB. some subjects are more popular than others and so have less flexibility.

you can't go through clearing if your insurance offer wants you (one of my son's had to get them to reject him so he could take a better course offered via clearing)

[CatNip2]

Oh my goodness, read this title and was instantly transported back to last year, right down to the butterflies! Good luck everyone, hope all your DC get what they hope for.

[homebythesea]

I don't think anyone who misses their preferred choice would just reapply with what they've got next year- they would retake any papers they need to get up to requirements surely? That's certainly the scenario we are looking at

[Leeds2]

DD doesn't need specific grades as she is going to the US, so just doesn't need to spectacularly bomb! I am still nervous!

[Poppledopple]

home - yes I think that is what I understand the situation to be - if you drop a grade or 2 and are offered clearing on those grades for 2016 - you should consider taking it because if you decide to take a gap year and reapply you would have to retake and up your grades - you cannot assume that you can re-apply and gain a place on the lower grades in the next standard 2017 round as these places with lower grades are only offered for a short window during the clearing process.

[hellsbells99]

Popple - a friend's DD was in this situation last year. She phoned and asked if she could defer her place until this year. They initially said no as they had offered her the place in spite of her dropping 2 grades. She told them that she was going to struggle financially and needed to work for a year to build up money for university. They then asked her to email her request and why, and then did allow her to defer her offered place.
My DD1 dropped a grade but was accepted by both her firm and insurance even though the offers were the same for both. She has reapplied again this year for a different course and had no problem getting unconditionsl offers even though she hasn't quite met the requirements.
DD2 is sure that she hasn't made her offer this year so is keeping everything crossed and has been to visit her insurance choice again last week. I am getting very nervous.

[Poppledopple]

Thanks hellsbells that is really interesting to know - as I have been under the (false) impression that you wouldnt get unconditionals if you did not meet the standard offer. Had she done some research before to understand if this was possible for her specific course - or is this a well known situation?

[hellsbells99]

She just phoned and spoke to the relevant departments before applying. I think a lot of unis end up accepting 1 dropped grade (if not more) so at least if you already have your results you are a better 'risk'.

[Janjanmama]

Being so nervous. Most probably DD will drop one to two grades in one of the subjects. The offer of her firm is ABB but she thinks result could be AAC or even worse, ABC. If so, she will also miss her insurance too... I just can't believe this as her AS was very good but now I have to think about clearing. Does any mum know the possible C will be a definite 'no' ?

[homebythesea]

janjan it's impossible to say whether a C would scupper her chances- it differs between courses, Unis, might depend on raw scores in particular papers, what subject the C is in, whether the course is oversubscribed etc etc etc. All any of our DC's can do if they miss the target and don't get an automatic "yes" on UCAS is to get on the phone and plead! To that end my DS has, amongst other things, got a copy of his personal statement to hand so he has a prompt for all the great reasons why he should be accepted should that situation arise.

[hellsbells99]

Clearing vacancies are normally only in The Telegraph but this year are on the UCAS website too. The day or two before results day, your DC (and you?) need to look through the lists and check the websites of the universities they are interested in. Then make a list of the clearing phone numbers. Make sure all phones are charged up ready. On results day DD1 managed to get onto Track at about 7.30am and found she had been accepted for her course. She then went and collected her results. At school there was lots of help available for those not as lucky. Your DC need the actual results and their Ucas number before they start phoning universities.