Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other (new thread from y12)

Wow that is fantastic news @Ventress well done to your DN! Is he yr13? I know nothing about American universities, what will he be studying?

Popping back to share some wonderful news - my nephew has had an unconditional offer from Harvard. He has spent so long working towards this, basically since year 9. I’m so proud of him 🤩

They sound fascinating @MeadowfinchI guess the armed services would be offering degree apprenticeships too? Best of luck to your son.

DS said exactly the same @bluefineliner- huge relief to get the early app out of the way. He has been a little less stressed knowing it’s not lurking in the corner of his mind. I’m sure your daughter will reap the rewards of her efforts when the offers start to arrive.

So DD went to have her PS checked today and apparently it is ready to go. Her teacher also let her have a read of their reference for her and it made her cry! Happy tears thank goodness.

So we are all set to send off the application on Monday. Seems so quick and I'm not sure I'm ready for the long wait to see if she gets any interviews now. DD is feeling lighter for the time being just getting it out of the way so she can focus back on her A levels fully.

Good luck to the other early entry students working hard to get their applications finished.

@Tebheag i’ve seen some degree apprenticeships advertised already. It’s a good idea to have a basic CV ready as they often close applications early if they receive huge numbers of applicants.

Trauma clinic yesterday went well, he’s in a lighter, slimmer (purple) cast until half term!

Wow your kids all sound so organised need to start nagging my DS again ! Got a feeling he is way behind only seems interested in finding time to see his gf.
Anyone know when they are meant to start applying for apprenticeships ?
@scandinavianyellow thanks for starting the thread.
@Muchtoomuchtodo wishing your DS a speedy recovery

@Ventress My ds is looking at environmental engineering, coastal & civil,
renewable energy engineering and straight mech eng.

He's trying for a degree apprenticeship in nuclear engineering too.

Signing up after a five year gap since I last had an interest in this.
DS is doing more exams this week so have laid off the pressure to find some lower tariff options as Cambridge, if he gets an offer, and LSE are going to be a much of a muchness.
Different sixth form from DD and it feels that things have changed a bit but DS is worryingly laid back and has only visited those choices. I schlepped across the country for DD and we had endless discussions with wider family as well.

@Muchtoomuchtodo ouchee! Poor son - so many bones in the wrist - hopefully healing well🫰
Well done to all the prospective medics on ucats.
@bluefineliner - the 'Pool is such a great city -great choice by your DD.

@ComingInByAnsible and @Ventress DD is not choosing a non medical 5th option. She says she doesn't want to do anything else and would rather take a year out and try again if unsuccessful. I am leaving it up to her, there is always clearing if all else fails 😄.

@Muchtoomuchtodo Oh dear poor DS, young bones heal quickly though if it's any comfort.

Hello! Rejoining you on the new thread as deadlines start to loom. PS started but still in bullet point format. Not doing any more open days, one spare uni still to be decided but think we'll choose without visiting for the final one.

DS has submitted his UCAS application with five choices. Phew. His sponsor and teachers will now complete his reference which he will get to see before submission.

Coastal engineering sounds fascinating @Meadowfinch. It sounds like your son is really switched on. Enjoy Plymouth. What other courses is he looking at?

@GirlsInGreen- DS was told to ignore the questions and just write the ps then just break it into three with the second answer of shortest possible length as this is all covered in other parts of the UCAS application.

Thank you for the feedback on Durham open day. DS has included Durham as one of his five, despite not having visited. If he gets an offer he can go to the offer holder day. The course does seem excellent; it’s just so very far away (but that’s my problem not his and I would never let that sway his decision).

I’m glad Liverpool open day went well @bluefinelinerand that your daughter is now fairly sure of her four choices. What will she apply for as her fifth, non-medical choice?

I hope your son’s wrist heals soon @Muchtoomuchtodo.

Oh no @Muchtoomuchtodo, your poor boy! Hope it heals well and quickly, and that he stays pain free. Very lucky that it’s not his dominant hand!

@GirlsInGreen, well done to DD on PS. That’s the advice we got from school too - that it doesn’t matter what you put in which box as long as everything you need to say is in the PS somewhere.

Enjoy Plymouth, @Meadowfinch. Coastal engineering sounds interesting and like something that will continue being relevant with the climate change.

@AuntyBulgariasounds like a good open day despite the rain.

@bluefineliner, congratulations on the list of four! Does she know what her non-med choice will be?

Regarding early responses, more hoping than expecting some. With the risk of the Oxford application, which statistically is far more likely to be a no, it would take some pressure off to hear positively from Exeter, which is DS’ second favourite.

Sounds like a good weekend of open days.

DS broke his wrist yesterday playing his favourite sport. Luckily his non dominant hand and he doesn’t seem to be in too much pain but something he could do without tbh.

@AuntyBulgaria we too got very wet at Liverpool today! Like walking through a monsoon back to the car 😂. A family member of mine went to Durham recently and your reflections on it are fairly accurate.

We loved Liverpool, in fact it may be DDs favourite so she has now confirmed her final 4 choices for med as Newcastle, Leeds, Lancaster and Liverpool. I am relieved she has finally decided. We had a very positive experience at Liverpool, their students were a joy to talk to and the facilities were fantastic. Once UCAS is submitted we will wait to see if any interviews are forthcoming and DD can try and focus back on her A levels again.

@ComingInByAnsible do you expect any early responses from your Ds's choices?

Just on the way back from a very wet Durham. My son was quite taken. Personally too many formal dinners and balls for my liking but he seemed think that sounded fun!
The other potential students all had a certain look and they weren't very diverse.
But it's not me that has to go there and it looks like it's being added to the list.

We're still visiting unis. Off to Plymouth on Friday as the only place in the U.K. that does Coastal engineering.

DS has finished his epq and presented it thank goodness. Now working on his nea for his design tech A'level.

I'm quite impressed. He's gone from leaving work until the last minute to being a mini workaholic.😁

@scandinavianyellow thank you for the new thread!
PS all sorted & handed in for checks and reference to be added. DD has found the new format tricksy, my advice was to write the PS you want to, take advice & go from there.

On meeting with her head of 6th & explaining she hadn't really followed the format & was preparing to get dragged, nix it & start again - the head of 6th had a very frank convo with her, that went along the lines of; "we can see how this new format may be very helpful for some students & give them somewhere concrete to start, we recognise for others it may be restrictive, not every Uni will pay detailed attention to PS, but gor those that do - we think its important to write the PS as you would've before the re- format, much like years ago advice was extra-curriculars now everyone knows it supra-curriculars, we feel its a similar situation & we hope advisors elsewhere don't hamper students by strict adherence" interesting food for thought!

Glad to hear all your DC are chugging on!😃 its such a lot & I'm full of admiration - this generation get a hard press at times, but I think the kids are great.

Also to add @bluefineliner that your DD is clearly absolutely brilliant to be in the top 20% of UCAT. How crazy is this system so that talented YP like yours end up doubting themselves, seems very cruel!

Thanks @bluefineliner and @Muchtoomuchtodo! Yes it feels like a relief to stop discussing and second-guessing the choices and we aren’t even facing the complexity of medical applications (yet - watching and learning for DD who is just starting to figure out A-level choices for medicine).

Best of luck with the trip to Liverpool @bluefineliner, hope it proves a good 4th option.

@@Muchtoomuchtodo the next focus is definitely TSA practice, DS has tons of work to do on that. Plus he is still in the shadow of two NEAs although one is very nearly done.

That’s very exciting @ComingInByAnsible and a huge job done.

what’s next to focus on?!

@ComingInByAnsible Ooooh exciting, gosh I don't think I'm ready for this. Then again I actually can't wait to get DDs UCAS off to try and stop the circular conversations we are having over which unis to apply for. DD has until the end of Sept to decide on her 4 choices and we are going to Liverpool on Saturday to see if this will be her 4th choice. If not, back to the endless research on a replacement.

Since the interim UCAT deciles were released yesterday DD has been a bit down on where to apply safely as the deciles were much higher than anticipated. So although DD has a decent score, it now doesn't look quite so good. They will adjust down slightly at the final deciles in early Oct but she will still be in the top 20% rather than top 10%. Although this won't make any difference to where she can apply to, she is convinced everyone else has now done so much better than her.

She is wavering on whether to risk applying to Newcastle as she may well be very near their cut off. Problem is she won't know and will just have to give it a go I think. Her other choices are reasonably 'safer' so hoping she's done enough to get some interviews. I wish I could distance myself from it and not feel so involved, but I can't!

Well, a milestone here - the school have submitted the UCAS application!

DS got an email to say that it’s been sent to his chosen universities, which is both exciting and scary! The email also said that he has 14 days to change his choices, which is a nice safety cushion to have.

We went to the last one, it was my favourite , no 2 for dd