Finishing Year 13 / Exam Results support thread (number 6!)

Yes Decorhate, I suppose so and there are less than 10 universities.

I suspect the reason it's not done the same as Ireland is that the numbers involved are a lot higher here. Irish population is only around 10% of UK population so assuming number of school-leavers is also much lower each year

That does sound a good way to do it eatyourveg. Perhaps we should lobby for the same here?

It does seem like a completely bonkers system - offers made on predictions, and the mad scrum on results day and thereafter if your dc use clearing... University admissions teams must hate it too - surely there must be a better way

There is. The Irish system is so much easier - you choose up to 10 courses and are allocated the highest one on your list for which you have the points. Results come out mid August, term starts in the autumn. Ds had a place at University College Dublin a couple of years ago, the whole process was simple. No personal statement, just done on academic achievement alone. No conditional offers. Simple. Don't understand why we don't adopt it.

Great thanks for the link Hocusucas will check it out in a bit, she wants to go to Liverpool.
Head in sand - oh yes am now well honed in that skill too

Sorry Horsemad if I've inadvertently made you worse - have a and later - I will probably join you when I've read it.

JWIM Friends seems to be on a constant loop in our house, until I can't stand it any longer and shout nooooooooo (and I speak as someone who does like friends but y'know enough is enough!). I can't distract dd1 because she's very rarely here - such a social butterfly that she is but it is keeping her occupied so all's good!

We have had the 'it's less than two weeks to go' comment from DD. She also told us last year that she took ages to open the AS results link from College. Steeled herself after watching a Friends episode and pressed the link at the same time as a friend. They then had a 'chat' about how their results must have been wrong - she thought hers would be very low and did better than she expected.
Am quietly preparing for 13 August with a wide variety of soothing, encouraging, chivvying phrases forming in my mind. Lots of distraction activities planned for the next week or so.
Will take a look at the TSR link later.

I've just read TSR link and am now all jittery!!

Hello Polgara

This might help from the Student Room

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/content.php?r=15437-Guide-to-A-level-results-day

It might answer some of your questions although not , tragically, why there is no hair pulling out emoticon!
Where does she want to go ?
Best of luck anyway - not too much longer. I may start lobbying for a head in sand emoticon.

Hello there. How have I only just found this thread? I've been stressing on my own unnecessarily haha.
Dd1 anxiously awaiting results. She was an A* GCSE student who found her A levels incredibly hard, got bad mocks and consequently lost all confidence in herself. She is convinced she won't get the grades for her firm, which she really, really wants to go to and I'm praying she's pulled it out of the bag on the day so to speak!

So apologies if this has all been said before but what exactly happens on results day if she doesn't? Do they contact her? Do we have to get straight on the phone to them? Why is there not a pulling hair out emoticon?

Was chatting to a teacher friend about this yesterday Basildon. I think the Uni year should start in Jan, so plenty of time from Aug when results are out (could even bring that forward a bit if need be) to apply with grades in hand. No need for predicted grades etc.
Make me Education Minister!!! Not really, I'd hate to be in politics!

This is when I'm very glad ds chose to do the IB (although there've been plenty of times in the last two years when I haven't been..)

I really feel for you all still waiting and having the uncertainty hanging over you.

It does seem like a completely bonkers system - offers made on predictions, and the mad scrum on results day and thereafter if your dc use clearing... University admissions teams must hate it too - surely there must be a better way

He came home and then went to work!! When I took him to work, a girl came flying upto him and threw herself around him! Young love eh?!! I knew there was a girlfriend, but he's kept her under wraps DH said she was at the school to say goodbye to him when they left for the trip. Awww

Thanks Leeds, we haven't heard from him since he left, so am hoping the same!

Hope he has had a good time.

DS due home tomorrow!

decorhate you're probably right with regards to all of us worrying nearer the time.
horsemad DH is the opposite (He's the bad cop!) I too am quite strict but I think if you work hard you can enjoy a small amount of time off. DD on the other hand DD realised that she couldn't rest on her laurels and pushed herself to the max. So, in the end she was harder on herself than we were. Fingers crossed she gets the results to go to Newcastle.
circular not sure in relation to whether the course she has applied to has been competitive as it is a brand new programme within the civil engineering and geosciences department. She has only found one other person who has an offer for it. Hopefully, as it is a new course, they may be a little more flexible with the grades.
However, we (that's the royal we) like everyone else have plan B (insurance uni) and Plan C (swimming instructor) in place if she doesn't gain the grades.
I know she won't stick as she is a hard worker, (currently has 2 jobs to give her extra cash for uni and to take her mind off results day) ...I just think the jump from GCSE to AS threw her off guard and made her pull her socks up! Might be a blessing in disguise.

DDs GCSE results are definitely not included in her offer. I wonder why they have requested them? Oh well she has sent them by email and made copies and posted them too just to be on the safe side. Two weeks and counting...

Just checked with DDs insurance re GCSE Certs - seem to be saying unless included in the offer, they don't need them?

Yes same here so DD has sent a statement of results for her AS grades that shows a breakdown of UMS scores on it.
I'm glad you mentioned that and its not only DD's school that didn't issue certificates.

DD also had email from insurance choice asking for anything not automatically listed from UCAS here.
Bit confusing, but looks like they get A level ones. GCSEs not included, so guess they need to be sent. Also seems that ABRSM Music not included, but TG is, though think they hav been requested separately.
Nothing from firm choice yet.

Sassy surprised they have AS certificates. DD's school have kept hold of them till A2 available.

We had major panic stations here last night. DD casually mentions over dinner that she has had an email from her firm (last Friday!) asking for her to copy and send her GCSE certificates and AS level certificates asap.
Now this would not usually be a problem as I keep all certificates together in a cupboard in the living room. However we redecorated and got new furniture a few months ago and I give them to DD and told her to give me them back when the furniture arrived. She forgot to do that and I forgot to ask.
Anyway DD had put them in 'safe place' and couldn't remember where. I knew they where not in her bedroom as we had done the epic clear out last week, but I had nightmare visions that DD had thrown them out by accident.
Three hours later and sick with worry I found them really far back underneath the sideboard in the hall... apparently that is deemed a 'safe place'

Welcome EscaMac. Similar situation with DD1, did slightly better than expected at GCSE without too much effort. Then a combination of not listening to advice on how big the leap to AS was, a bad subject choice that she refused to drop early on and not taking well to independent learning. Also, has a weak area in her Uni subject which is compulsory at AS only So also ended up with a U for 4th AS, being a grade down in 2 and 2 grades down in the 3rd. Fortunately, with large discrepancies between modules, only resat 2 where she felt she could gain the most marks. Don't think A2 work has been hugely better for her, but she certainly put in more revision than last year. Also had a great PS, predictions 2 grades in total above her AS results, got all 5 offers which were mostly a grade in total above predictions.

So keeping everything crossed that she hits her firm choice, knows they generally allow a drop, but maybe not 2 grades, and maybe not a D in her 3rd subject, being an RG Uni. In her favour is that it's not the most competitive of subjects, and she has been offered a music performance scholarship there which may carry some weight.

It sounds like your DD has been very focussed this year. Good luck - at least only 2 weeks left to go. Is it a very competitive course she has applied for? Does she have a plan B?

Esca - Yes! DS had brilliant GCSEs; very average AS levels, promised faithfully he'd work hard and re-sit them and do A2 at the same time and then just basically sat back and did very little.
His mocks were dreadful. I nearly gave myself a coronary with the stress and shouting and as I felt DH enabled him, (he's way too soft with him, so I'm always the bad guy) that didn't help either.

So, we then spent a small fortune on a Chemistry tutor and now it's fingers crossed that he's got his grades. Amazingly, he got 4 offers from excellent unis - I still can't believe he managed that, tbh.
I really have no idea how he's done I'm not too stressed at the moment, but I'm sure I will be as we get closer to 13th Aug!!!

Where is your DD hoping to go?