Continuing Year 13: January 2016

My DC is doing OCR maths which doesn't have coursework thankfully

Got a few worries here.Firstly DS has ahd flu and missed a lot of the ISA work in physics and now will have to go in on a lunchtime for the remaining 4 days of term to try and finish it.Not ideal because lunchtime is when you are supposed to be resting your brain not doing A level course work.
Second worry is that they have not finished syllabus by Easter! They will be on the last bits but still!
Third thing is that I don't think DS does nearly enough work, and his concentration is often split between the computer and his homework.

Thank you Ellenjanethickerknickers

Appreciate that and if I have no joy I'll do what you suggest and start a new thread

Granny70, you would probably get more advice if you started a thread yourself with your question in the title.

I'd guess phoning your local colleges would be a start. Your grandson could restart the course, or a similar course. Not usually a problem. It can be a problem with funding if you want to restart at the original college, I believe, but usually ok if you move colleges.

Hi all. Just caught up. All these firms and insurances makes me aware of just how our DCs are moving along this path that sometimes feels more like a conveyor belt, to me.

My DP works at Warwick it's weird to see how popular it is among you folks.

DD just had Rada recall which she said went badly. It's hell!!

Need some advice.
My 17 year old grandson is possibly coming to live with us. He left school last year and started studying accountancy at college. Owing to illness he has missed most of his first year and is not going to finish. However, he wants to complete his education so how do I go about getting him a place locally. Who should I approach.

Any hints would be very welcome.

Thanks, Disquit. DS really liked the number of options available for maths at Exeter, so it's now his insurance with Warwick as his 1st choice.

Time to get on to the student loans website...

Thanks Gloria. I had a word with Ds last night and he was very pleased to think it was worth putting them down as an insurance. It was like a weight off him, I think because he likes them and wanted them there as a possibility still, however remote.

Exeter typically sits between 12 and 18 in university league tables for maths. It came 23rd in the 2014 REF assessment of maths departments. Outside the very top few, UK maths departments can't afford to be so selective that they won't accept dropped grades at all. Similar story for many other sciences.

Exeter is perceived by parents and students as stronger than it actually is for sciences, based on reputation for humanities.

Remember STEM subjects are not over-subscribed at universities, so far more highly respected courses are willing to drop a grade or so, and to go into Clearing, than for over-subscribed subjects.

Disquit, how are Exeter viewed for maths? I thought they were quite high up the rankings, so I'm surprised that sciences aren't also ranked higher.

UhtredRagnorsson in that case perfectly understandable!

mygrandchildren Because her offer is 2 Es.

Exeter would take lower grades such as ABB/AAB for certain science subjects - they are not particularly strong in some sciences.

That's true - nothing actually to lose! I will pass it on. Thanks Needmore

I can understand the principle of still putting an insurance, but there's no way Exeter would accept someone who didn't even get AAB (i.e missing the Warwick offer) when the Exeter offer was AAA. Surely.....????? Definitely doesn't want RHL (who gave an unconditional if he firmed, but ABB otherwise). Bristol offer is AAA and Birmingham AAA or AAA + A in EPQ, so they wouldn't accept something lower than AAB, I assume. And he prefers Warwick over Exeter - so surely he has to firm them if that is where he really wants to go, and hope they will accept a dropped grade if necessary?

In practice however the release usually does not take that long.

Of course if you don't want to go to the place at all there's no point in insuring it but for many students not having any insurance is a very dangerous strategy. Remember that universities may take a grade or so lower from a firm/insurance candidate than they would take in Clearing. E.g. if they are in Clearing at AAB they might well accept a firm/insurance student at ABB. (The logic is that the people really want to go there if they have firmed/insured, so tend to do better than people who chose it last minute in Clearing.)

Uhtred's DD has a conservatoire offer that was either unconditional, or just about, I cant remember exactly.

dusquit it makes it v clear on the UCAS website when you are going through the process of firming that if you ultimately turn down the insurance place this will delay the ability to get into the clearing system. Which makes sense- On results day staff at Uni's are going to be dealing with willing applicants rather than the admin required to release students from places! By which time good clearing places might have gone

It is not entirely true to say that you are committed to going to the insurance if not accepted by the firm choice but accepted by insurance. You can request to be released from your insurance and then enter Clearing, and it is rare for such a request to be refused. (Why would universities want you to come if you don't really want to?) Dropping Insurance places and going into Clearing is not uncommon, particularly given the increasing number of places available at highly ranked universities during Clearing.

But of course if you absolutely do not want to go to any of your other choices apart from your firm then there is no point in holding an insurance offer.

Thanks homebythesea (which I actually do have!) that makes sense.