New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

DS1 has looked into level 4 apprenticeships but a lot of them seem quite technical/practical (engineering, IT etc) which is not where his strengths or interests lie.

DD is thinking about doing an apprenticeship after college. I do think it is fantastic that there are now higher level apprenticeships. DH works for a very large employer who are becoming increasingly keen on apprenticeships.

second which open day is he off too?

have to add he is quite attracted by the chance of earning a reasonable amount of money and have a bit of a financial cushion of his own before any uni entry.

:) chcocolate I do have the advantage of having been through it once before, albeit with very focused and early entry DS1. DS2 keen on uni, but also as he really is not clear on what he wants to really study is not going to apply in this cycle. At some point he will need to think about what he wants to do in that gap year tho'

DS1 might not apply this year, or even apply at all.

Perhaps he'll have more of an idea after his first (only?) university open day tomorrow.

Hi boys3 - I don't know about you, but it feels kind of scary to me that my DD may be ending education in about 9 months time!! In some ways I wonder if I would feel like she was a child for longer if she was going to uni. She's got a PT job (well, in theory it's part time, but some weeks she does around 30 hours) - but somehow it will be different when she's off to work 5 days a week 9 to 5.30.

kitten I don't have any problem at all with the focus being on PSs etc - I know you guys will rally round me with support if I need it. I purely wanted to invite people like boys3 to join us if they fancied it

A wave from someone whose DC isn't applying for uni at all (well, definitely not for next year anyway) - just in case there's anyone else in the same position and not sure whether to post

same position here for DS2 chocolate , :)

A wave from someone whose DC isn't applying for uni at all (well, definitely not for next year anyway) - just in case there's anyone else in the same position and not sure whether to post

Sorry Ursula, I hadn't meant it to sound like a race.

To be fair DS1 was very singleminded about what he wanted to study and because of that he was grateful he was able to deal with the application process in good time and leave that part behind.

And whoa. This thread seems to be taking a turn towards competitive early applications.

Lovely if your children are so single minded that they have always known what they want to do.

Not everyone is made that way.

She liked it. Seems to be gravitating towards History now which I'm delighted about.

I am concerned that she says she would prefer a room with its own kitchen so that she didn't have to mix with others. I'm not sure whether it is chronic shyness or extreme grumpy witch.

I could practically touch the homesickness in the first room we looked at.

DS1 was really pleased he got his applications all done early. By Christmas he'd got all his offers and accepted his Firm and Insurance, then he could concentrate totally on his A levels.

He felt sorry for people still trying to decide on their choices in December.

Ursula what did your DD think of Nottingham?

DD loved it. She even made a friend.

BTW in the current climate relatively few Russell Group courses stop making offers to qualified candidates because they feel full - let alone lower tariff courses. Of course the usual exceptions apply - medicine, Oxbridge and very top courses, vet sciences etc - but you could apply to e.g. many Russell Group chemistry or MFL courses in April and still get an offer if your grade profile is in the right ball park. If your school is not telling you this, then they aren't keeping up with what's going on in higher education.

But inchy it is simply not allowed to treat applicants who apply before the January deadline differently. It doesn't happen.

So sure courses that can make plenty of offers will put out offers way before January.

And sure courses will offer until they think they have made enough offers - but the latter happens well after the January deadline, not before. Please let UCAS know of any admissions tutor who says that that courses stop making offers before the January deadline because such behaviour is simply not allowed.

It is disgraceful to imply there is an advantage (in terms of getting offers) by submitting UCAS forms before the January deadline. There is advantage of getting the UCAS submission out of the way, getting offers potentially before Christmas. But submitting forms earlier than the January deadline is a disadvantage if pupils are not actually sure what they want to do - they shouldn't be rushed into a decision by fear of all the places being gone.

Kitten I agree, there seems to be a real disconnect on the whole PS & careers info. The difference in advice between DC1 & DC2 is astounding & I don't know why. I totally agree with you Double scoop the DC do need more support/advice at a crucial stage in their lives & it needs to be cohesive across the board. I still think businesses could connect more with schools from Yr9-Yr13, so that students get a real grasp of all possible routes open to them & teachers learn about those routes too, especially in the case of IT types of jobs, where things are changing so rapidly, schools are probably out of touch with it all themselves.

dds sixth form said that they want them to apply via UCAS asap because they don't want loads of students leaving it up to the last minute, which would leave subject tutors too little time to check personal statements etc. So am not sure if this apply early mantra is really due to the unis or the sixth forms.
dd is still undecided and has booked a careers appointment next week. In one of her courses (the vocational A level) they are looking at related careers as one of their coursework units and work experience is being organised before half term.

User721 I do understand that the first come first served method certainly is not usual, nor I imagine widespread, but what school said last night does tie up with what we were told by two admissions tutors that DD has spoken to (and I heard myself, so not heresy). Both said that they work their way through the applications, and continue to make offers till they are happy they have enough of the right people. It could be that that is specific to a very small number of subjects, at a very small number of universities. I imagine that DDs school saying that they want everyone to submit in October, or early Nov if possible, means that no one is disadvantaged by being told there is no need to get their application in for non early entry universities till January.

It is really neither disgraceful, nor ignorant for them to encourage UCAS forms to be submitted as soon as is feasible.

Peace and love all.

Just found this - can always rely on Mumsnet .

We are waiting for predicted grades, Oxbridge applications have to be submitted to school this weekend and the rest by mid-October.

School has not been helpful at all - go and look at websites, students are supposed to be independent and do all research. I get that they are trying to increase their independence but this is the final stage and really the last time they should get some help before hitting university and the big wide world. They should be independent in a supportive environment not just told to go to the library and look it up. Quite disappointed about sixth form support.

Wow user that is awful that schools are still giving out such poor advice.

I know my DD's school seem to be pretty good at most things, but when dd first showed her PS to her tutor she was a bit surprised at the critique she was given to "improve" it.

She was told to make it less about the books she's read and what she thinks and more about what she's done. ("You've barely mentioned D of E and haven't written anything about Dance and Drama or the maths competitions you've done") The complete opposite of all the advice and info I've ever seen on here or the student room which is to write about only extra curriculars relevant to the subject.

So dd has ignored most of it and has a meeting to go over final draft today. Fingers crossed she stands up for herself if challenged about it.

The advice offered at that parents evening is disgraceful and ignorant.

Apart from the completely incorrect advice about courses being filled on a first come, first serve basis, the course finding websites are utterly useless and actually do a much worse job than personal search does i.e. they miss courses that don't fit their narrow searches.

Genuinely shocked - and depressed. All our (universities) work with schools gets undone by this kind of rubbish.

Our school want everything done by mid October too, yet haven't released predicted grades, despite AS results & a whole year's worth of test results - how hard can it be? There's so much conflicting advice from schools & Unis & differing exam routes this year, it's no wonder we all turn to this forum - think I learn most info on here! As far as school's concerned knitting they don't even go into alternative route options, just give you a website to research it all yourself. The only talk I've ever seen on a degree apprenticeship level was accountancy & law, nothing else.

Thanks NoHaudin