College application for DS - who applies?

[BadLittleBunny]

Son has had all the details through for the college he wants to apply to after he's done his gcses but it's not clear who actually applies?

Do I do it for him as the parent of a minor, or is it expected that he does it in his own name (meaning I'm not privy to any administrative emails etc unless he shares them with me? He's a bit scatty, so this scares me!)

What's the usual process please?

Yes I also found this a bit confusing whilst applying for colleges.

I did the application but used ds email address and phone number which in hindsight was a bit of a mistake as we missed several important emails and I had to constantly remind him to check his inbox!

If I had to do it again, I think I'd put my own contact details down!

Most of the parents of the children that I teach help them with college applications (same for uni applications). Some of the sixth forms and colleges around our area are very popular and quite selective so I think it is a bit unwise to leave it to a 15yr old without any support. I am often asked by adult colleagues for help with job applications and they are completely independent grown ups.

I think I just sat beside him whilst he filled out the application form online to just have a second set of eyes on it. Then he was interviewed by the college just to double check he had chosen wisely and talk through his thoughts and aspirations plus look over his potential GCSE grades.

This was a state sixth form, not attached to his school but they came into his school to interview all the children attending there who had applied.

If you have a DC who doesn't use / check personal emails much, one method would be to use DC's email address but set up an automatic forward to you. My DD and I have done that, as she was missing important emails.

DS did his own. He has an EHCP though so I helped him as he needed to indicate that on the form. College sent communications to both of us.

I would do it together with him but stress how important it is that he checks for emails etc - this is the stage where they will start to get things from various places that they should be reading and actioning themselves if possible. Students at college who aren’t in the habit of checking messages do get themselves into problems that were easily avoided (eg don’t have a leg to stand on re missing UCAS deadlines and support if they’ve never read any of the copious messages sent to them outlining the process and who to go to for help…).

At enrolment or guidance interviews, it’s common both for parents to come and for students to attend alone. As a member of staff doing these interviews the perfect set up is parent brings student and then lets them do the interview alone! However in some situations it’s clear parents are needed which is of course fine. As a PP said, overbearing parents who take over and don’t allow the student to speak for themselves are not good. Some students come completely alone. These tend to be split between young people who know exactly what they want to do and are confident and happy (these interviews are a dream!) and those who have been left to flounder and aren’t entirely sure why they’re even there (nightmare).

Applying after he's done his GCSE's is way too late. He needs to apply now to get the course and college of his choice. He'll have an interview and then be given a conditional offer (based on achieving predicted grades).

Students coming in after GCSE results day with no previous offer are very likely to go in a waiting list and in some instances not get the course they want.

I think the OP meant where he wants to go after GCSE’s not apply after he’s taken them.

But yeah we applied the November before GCSE’s for a number of colleges and spaces.

Sounds good. Sit with him and help him work through the forms. I think all the 6th form colleges we applied to wanted both the student contact and the parent contact - yes it should be responsibility of the student but this may be the first time they’re doing something like this, and it helps to steer them when needed.

Mine’s just started college. Between first looking round, then making applications and finally enrolling, there can be a lot of emails and info and deadlines. Where we are, and this may be common across England, I don’t know, they can apply to, and accept, as many as they like, and then only have to choose for definite when they have their gcse results and need to turn up to one to actually enrol.

He does it - but make sure he uses a personal email as his contact, not his school one, as that's likely to be deactivated by August. And then he adds a parent name, mobile phone number and email address separately.

They're going to be 16 - the exam results are theirs, they make the applications, they give consent for appeals and remarks - and the college/6th form needs their personal contact details as well as yours for emergencies.

We found it better to get DD into the habit to check emails more often. It's about learning to be independent and the earlier they get into the habit the better.
She has her email account set up on her phone and laptop.

I think we started it when she volunteered at the Beaver scout group when she was 13 and was always copied into the leader's plan distribution to know what was going on each week. Painless if she missed one but a very good excerise in learning to keep track on it.

DD is now in Y13 and lots of uni open day registration only want the student email address. She knows to forward me everything she gets so we are aware of it. She has ASD and ADHD and needs some help to not get overwhelmed with information.

@reluctantbrit I agree better to get DC into the habit. However in my case DD was overwhelmed by life and so has needed support for a bit longer than ideal.

My DC did their UCAS applications completely independent of me - I never even saw them - but I was involved a bit more for post 16 applications. If I recall rightly the school had a meeting which both pupil and parent/s were expected to attend as part of the 6th form application process. We also completed the paperwork together though it was ultimately DC's responsibility to submit it. I think a bit of parental oversight is reasonable at this age though the young person should be heavily involved in the process too.

She means college age 16-18 not university.

This! It’s mad how over involved parents are these days. They’re adults now, they sort themselves out

University is a different kettle of fish. Anyone applying for university should have a fair degree of ability.

With college age, for all the aspiring medics and layers there will be a significant number who are struggling to pass GCSE English, for whom negotiating details of forms and emails etc may be a challenge. These kids should not be left unsupported, nor their parents accused of helicoptering for helping them.

The OP is about applying for college. People applying for college are only 15 in the main, just 16 at most.

Maybe read the thread fully....

We attended two college interview days...every kid there waiting for their interview was with a parent.

My two applied themselves but involved me in the application, lots of mum what do I put for this or what do you think of that course. That felt the most natural way of doing it.

Exactly. It’s great to have them apply themselves and understand the process but why as a parent would you not advise and keep an eye that the application is ticking along as it should?

DS is 16 and his college has just held a parents evening a few weeks into the course so clearly they are expecting some parent involvement at this stage.

It's amazing that so many of these parents who advocate full administrative independence for teens, can't read the OP properly isn't it?

My first had 5 out of 5 offers
My second got the uni they had set their heart on
Both science based subjects with lots of competition)

Are you suggesting the only reason they got those offers was because you infantilised them filled in their UCAS forms?

I know someone who did that. Desperate to go to uni of Exeter and thought she got in but she’d applied to some agricultural college near Exeter by mistake 😬.

I actually remember filling in my sixth form application because I spelt “psychology” incorrectly 🤦‍♀️ And the admissions tutor said, “don’t worry, we’ll still let you take it” 😂.