New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

We had a Y13 parent meeting at school last night. It was really comprehensive, but I didn't take notes (apart from photographing one slide!).

From memory there was nothing that most people on here aren't aware of already. They did however explain why they wanted everyone to be ready to submit their forms around the same time as the early entry people though. Apparently they have found that more and more offers are being given on a first come first served basis, and that when they get to a number they are happy with, they will stop. They did also say though that they know that some places (I think they cited Philosophy at Exeter) won't look at a single application before January.

They also recommended a couple of course finding websites (Centigrade and Morisby), but having had a cursory look at them, I can't see they offer anything that personal search or the schools careers service isn't offering, and you have to pay.

DD has her predictions, but had to ask for them because she was getting in a tizzy about one of them. Apparently they will be uploaded on to the school system "soon".

lashings good news about the remark.
raspberry hope dd is feeling better soon.

Dd had her predicted grades the first week back. They would like everyone to be ready to submit by mid-October but are flexible if that is not possible. However 'We are flexible' ought to be her school's motto.

Oh dear raspberry at least it's at the start of A2's rather then exam season I'm hoping dd gets all sicky bugs out now
Dds school was hot on predicted grades and gave them out last term however some are still changing

DS is still waiting for predicted grades too. I'm not really sure why it's taking so long as he did two AS as well as school exams in his other subjects just before the end of Year 12. So the school has plenty of info to go on.

Hoping to get them next week so DS can firm up his uni choices...

I have no idea how or when college give out predicted grades, I would look on the annual timetable except they haven't uploaded it yet. I am certain that they will be doing them for DS before the end of October as they have a reference to write by then and I made contact with the person ultimately responsible for that in July. I did have concerns that they are were going to overlook the non-conforming student who is taking an alternative route and that DS wouldn't assert himself enough to get what he needs to move forward. I'm still concerned about the former but less about the latter.

Thanks Awesome & Second. We don't have parents evening for a long while yet. So far we have had one grade confirmed, but it's the other too we need, especially with a few more uni visits & choices to be made and just prolongs the agony!

Chocolate that's a relief that it's going well.

Lashings great news about the remark.

DS1 has spent two evenings this week babysitting and one evening helping at a church youth club. Still can't seem to tolerate his own younger siblings though.

DD's school haven't indicated when they will do the predicted grades. It is frustrating as DD wants to do medicine, and she will have to apply next month. We are looking at unis that offer foundation courses as well in case she doesn't get the grades.

We have parents eve end of September too. I agree it's a bit late by then for predicted grades. DD was given hers yesterday (better than hoped! Phew!) and is hoping to send application off tomorrow, although her meeting with Head of 6th form was cancelled today and it depends if she gives her the go ahead I suppose.

I've just dropped her and a friend at the train station - they're going into Birmingham to see one of their favourite bands (I've never heard of them and it's in a pub/bar - her first proper "gig" ) Very unlike her on a school night but they've been waiting forever apparently for them to tour, so she's put everything else on hold for the night.

Glad your dd has the anti B's Raspberry, hopefully she'll be on the mend very soon.

I hope your DD feels better soon raspberry. My DD missed school today due to illness, and she will miss it tomorrow for a university visit. I hope she feels well enough to get the most out of tomorrow's visit. We also have another uni to look at on Saturday.

I think I've got a parents evening next week to go to next week, I assume we'll get dd's predicted grades then.

I hope your dd feels better soon raspberry.

Great news on the remark lashings!!!

That's good Chocolate.

Thanks for all the good wishes. She does have antibiotics, yesterday was Day 5 and getting worse, so the GP was happy to prescribe. Hoping she'll start to pick up soon.

We don't yet have DD's predicted grades either lashings. She's been informally told 2 in the 4 days she's actually been at school. We have a parents' evening at the end of September to discuss predictions and references. Which seems very late for the early entry people.

Thanks Lobster, Chocolate & Raspberry. I hope your DD feels better soon Raspberry as tonsillitis is rotten Glad to hear DD has had a good start back Chocolate

DD is veering more towards a city campus I think & Exeter talk & team didn't excite her as much as other Unis she's visited. Plus there was only one student to talk to & they couldn't answer quite a few questions, so for first impressions she felt a bit underwhelmed as her personal experience.

I'm still waiting for school to issue DD's predicted grades, and in light of remark, as haven't got a Scooby Doo otherwise if it's worth her putting her top choice on the form. Is anyone else in this predicament after AS exams? I can't believe it's only been 8 days back & already Y13 feels like it's whipping up a frenzy!

Oh that sounds like good news Chocolate, completely odd, but hopefully it means this girl won't be giving your poor dd any more trouble.

Raspberry your poor dd, hope she feels better soon. Does she have antibiotics? I know GPs are reluctant to prescribe them. We had quite a fight to get them last time dd2 had it, but they worked so fast once we did.

I am pleased (and hugely relieved) to report that all has gone well with the first 2 days back at college. DD is happy with her new subject, her teacher changed for one of her other subjects and she likes this new teacher. Very bizarre thing happened yesterday - DD was sitting with a group of friends at break, and the girl that punched her decided to sit with them! Everyone ignored the girl but to be fair she didn't cause any trouble. DD said it was utterly weird!

Excellent news lashings

Sorry to hear about your DD raspberry - I remember only too well how miserable tonsillitis is

Brilliant news Lashings.

DD is off sick with tonsillitis this week, properly I'll. Thank goodness she decided against Oxford last week, otherwise the no PS yet would be a lot more critical.

Exeter open day confirmed It as her first choice, she loved the course and the uni. Current list is Exeter, Liverpool, UCL, Edinburgh and another.

That's brilliant news Lashings!

I've seen a few people say that dc don't have to put all 5 on the UCAS application at once.
So if a dc wanted to apply to Oxbridge they could submit their application for the early Oxbridge date and then go back and add other choices later. I don't see why your dd couldn't do the same, as long as it's done before the UCAS deadline.

Incidentally, what put your dd off Exeter?
(My dd is one of the no viewings until offer days brigade - she's chosen 5 based purely on course content. She's perfectly confident that she'll be fine at any of her 5 but I'm a bit wobbly about it!)

Thanks kitten - worth all the running around now, plus the reimbursement!

knitting her final two UCAS choices are being based on the last three uni visits now. I would have thought like that, but Exeter, which was a top choice on paper, turned into a definite no for DD after our visit

The PS in the link must differ greatly by subject because the ones I looked at contain all the trite phrases that they tell them not to use. "Ever since I was a child I have wanted..", "My life's dream has always to be...".

Lashings she sticks it on the form having made her decision based on the prospectus, the nitty gritty course details and the sites that compare similar courses. Visiting is not compulsory and some students I know are only planning on going on offer days.

Another one coming on to say thank you for the brilliant link, Drummer! Have sent it to DS as he's planning to work on his PS this weekend.

I'm glad to hear all your DC have returned safely from their DoE expeditions after the weather!

Well, we have good news! Had one of DD's AS' remarked and she got regraded!! I didn't hold out much hope but she went up a few marks, so worth it in the end!

Drummer excellent PS link! DD's is done now, but good info on there for anyone still doing theirs. Exeter wasn't for my DD after tour & got 3 more to do, one right up to the school's UCAS deadline so do we stick it on before seeing it to get UCAS school deadline done before, or wait until we see it? What to do??