support thread for those of us who have DC submitting UCAS applications in the next few months

[mumoverseas]

Thought we should all get together and calm each other down/mop fevered brows/hand around glasses of wine etc. We've seen other go through it over the past few months and it will be our turn soon.

DS has just got his AS results which were not too bad. AAAB. The B suprised him as it was for maths and we'd expected a B for french which he had not studied for a few years as sat his GCSE early. He says he will re-sit one of the maths modules and one of French ones to get a higher A

He (we!) has been considering various Unis over recent months and has visited 4.
PS is all in hand as is extended project (whatever all that is about) but time is creeping by and not long now til his mid Oct deadline (one of his choices is Oxbridge)

There has been so much in the papers over recent days about the lack of places at University at the moment and stories of how so many good students did not get places as they didn't put 'insurance' choices.

How is everyone else coping and how do we get our children to make realistic choices?

Hey Mumoverseas

Sorry haven't read thread, (350 posts!), but from memory is it right that your ds is applying to med school?

If so, then I'd feel more optimistic about ds who also wants to go but currently yr11.

MOS - DS passed his driving test last week so has been driving to school all week.
Today, he and one of his friends turned up unexpectedly at lunchtime. They have demolished tonight's dinner and gone back to school!

How much longer till they go to college?

at medically induced coma, but think I will need it in June as DS1 takes A2s, DS2 takes GCSEs and DH has a big (3 year) work project that completes in July.
Perhaps I should take dd and just disappear for a few weeks.......

JGBMum your June sounds awful! DD1 and DD2 did A2's and GCSEs together and it was every bit as stressful as I thought it was going to (and then they both had months and months of lounging around the house being annoying).

I have already started some low level nagging on DD2 about January modules and how a good performance will take away some of the stress in the summer. I am of course thinking of myself not her.

Well done to your DS Mumoverseas a good backup offer takes some of the stress out the whole process.

Yay - DS3 has an offer from Liverpool (his 1st choice)!

oooh, lots of good news - well done everybody

DD2 has an offer from Nottingham - ABB/AAC. That's three now

Congrats to your DS mumof3teens and to yours for passing his driving test JGBMum

yay! happy news.

mumblechum not medicine, he (foolishly?) wants to follow me into law nearly as competitive as medicine I think. Good luck with that.

JGB well done on the driving test. DS has sort of given up on his lessons as a bit difficult whilst he is at boarding school. I know what you mean about them eating. DS certainly got our moneys worth at the eat all you can buffets in the states! I'd definitely think about a remote island somewhere for June. [wink[

mumof3teens and webwhiz well done on DS and DD's offers, what a fab offer webwhiz

I must stop looking a TSR. I saw yesterday pm that a few had received inteviews for Oxford and spent a few hours constantly refreshing my emails in case anything from DS. Resisted (just) the urge to email him and tell him that interview emails were going out. Up early today just in case

Thanks very much Ponders, webwiz and mumoverseas. We are really pleased. We have had an awful year and DS3 has had a great month - passed his driving test, got his black belt in Karate and now his 1st choice offer. Good luck to all who are waiting to hear. Such a relief (although I know he now has to get his grades). DS1 and DS2 both had to be interviewed for their courses and we had an anxious wait for interviews and offers, so this is great.

mumoverseas the oxford interviews are mainly being given out this Friday as far as I know. I have started an oxbridge thread for parents because the chances of rejection are so high I reckon I need one.

I am getting a bit annoyed with the school now. DD needs her original predicted grade of A in English as explained in my post on page 14.

On Monday I rang the nice lady in the office who does the UCAS forms. She says she has DD down as an A, anyway. She told me it would be most unusual for her to be told to lower this, its usually other way round.

DD's Teacher had told me last week she would have to lower it to B because of 'USAS rules' which is nonsense. Since Monday night I have been trying to contact the English teacher and left her 2 messages but she has not deigned to contact me. I KNOW teachers are busy (DH is one) but this would only be a few minutes chat, and needs sorting ASAP.

Office lady also told me DD's form is all ready to go, but she is still waiting the reference from form tutor. They have, I think its called 'vertical grouping' for forms so he only has a few year 13s in his class to do references for.

I am thinking of going down to the school tomorrow if I don't get a return phone call. AIBU? (whoops, wrong forum!)

thanks funnyperson, will go and look for your thread.
I've been lurking (against common sense) on TSR threads and I saw that a few people who applied for law received emails yesterday and some received requests for passport photos a few days ago.

Yay - another offer for DS3 (and his 2nd choice) - Leeds!

yay! well done mumof3teensteen!

OMG! TSR is down for maintenance.... What will I do for the next 10 mins! No chance to obsess, not chance to look at other people's offers and feel jealous, no way to look at others choices and think I WISH DD had put them down....

Heading over to find funnyperson's oxford thread...

A friend applying for history got an interview offer from Oriel (I think) today... which is where DD has applied for English

Oh my word, what a busy 24 hours!

mumof3teens how wondeful to get offers from both 1st and 2nd choice unis, especially when he's had a difficult time.

webwiz congrats on the 3rd offer. DD must be so pleased, hope she is managing more revision than my DS
He has brought his exam timetable home today so hopefully that will focus his mind a bit.

nadiawadia sorry that you are still having problems with the school. Hopefully you can get it resolved tomorrow - and no, yadnbu!

mos read your post and wondered about starting a new thread in the TSR just for Mums - do you think they would let us?

funnyperson saw your oxbridge thread, I think it's a great idea, good luck to all of you waiting to hear about oxbridge.

DS has had a letter today from Bristol, saying they are holding his application, I had read on the TSR threads that Bristol often do this, so I guess we just continue to wait.......

OMG! do you think we broke TSR with all our lurking

DS had me in a panic last night when he sent an email saying some of his friends had received Oxford interviews. Just got an email to clarify it was in fact Cambridge [sigh of relief emotcion] Seems that Cambridge send out their interview letters much earlier than Oxford who seem to leave it rather late particularly when a lot of applicants are having to travel from abroad.

Thanks all. A friend of DS3 got an Oxford interview on Wednesday for sociology. Think it is for Hertford college?

well done Mumof3 and peteneras DC although I'm very a the Oxbridge interviews.

Apparently interview letters for DCs course go out tomorrow

Have now left THREE messages for DDs teacher to call me back re DDs predicted grade. Was told by the departmental admin asst this morning that she would 'make it a priority' but obviously this teacher is far too important and busy to speak to the likes of me.

It is becoming rude now. I am off to the school tomorrow and will insist on speaking to someone senior or refuse to leave.

Oh, and spoke to the uni DD wants who say it would certainly help if she was predicted AAB rather than ABB.

About a year ago I had occasion to speak to my MP - that was a lot easier!

DS got his first rejection.
Going to cry/eat contents of fridge.
I hate being 3,000 miles away and want to fly home and give him a hug

MOS - sorry to hear about DS rejection?

Was it Durham or Oxford?

MOS - so sorry for your DS, and for you
It's not a reflection on your DS or his abilities, otherwise why would 3 RG Unis have offered him a place already!

I'm sure his school, and his friends, will rally round and support him, but I do appreciate how you must be feeling. Is it too long till he breaks up for xmas?

Sending hugs, and virtual wine and sausage rolls (from Greggs) x

So I've now permanently vacated the oxbridge interview thread, never to return and will act like we never cared about Oriel anyway... DD will be just fine without them....

Sorry to hear the bad news MOS and thekidsmom