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?

Riven - what course is that for? Last year DS1 got BBB offer at Bristol, I had no idea that ex-poly's asked such high grades. DS2 won't stand a chance. Actually is it an ex-poly?

I don't know if this is helpful at all regarding Oxbridge rejections, but I thought I'd give some perspective from the other side of the interviewing desk in case you never get feedback -- I've done admissions at Oxbridge for several humanities subject and my (comprehensive-school-educated) husband was successively Admissions Tutor and Senior Tutor at one of the oldest colleges.

The reasons students with good predicted A-Level grades don't make it to interview are usually the following:

• AS UMS marks less than 90-95%
• GCSE results that are weak for their school
• inappropriate choice of A-Level subjects (e.g. no Chemistry for medicine)
• weak school report
• poor BMAT or LNAT results
• any combination of the above

You need to remember that almost all applicants for Oxbridge will have been predicted A*AA, and this will be the offer at least at Cambridge. There are some circumstances in which GCSE results from poorly performing schools will be made allowance for, and under the Cambridge Special Access Scheme those from poor or failing schools, or with particularly problematical life events, will be given a lower offer.

Colleges should provide feedback, so if they don't please do write and ask for it. Believe me, it's not the end of the world if they don't make it into Oxbridge; it's really not always the best place for everybody and it's more important to pick a degree course you're interested in taught in a way you will enjoy.

That's helpful beanlet but for Oxford I'm sure you don't have to declare your UMS.... neither DD nor DS did on their UCAS forms.....

That's one thing they were both fine on! DD is now sure its her ELAT was the problem....

Beanlet, Thank you for the information. May I ask if you have any advice about doing 4 subjects through to A2 level please? If a student is at a very good, academically selective school and would like to try for Oxbridge, would an admissions tutor expect that they have had every opportunity and should be willing and able to achieve 4 strong A level grades, or is it better to do three and have a better chance of achieving very high grades. Most successful applicants seem to me to have a great many points.

antigone, as long as the fourth subject is not going to jeopardise performance in the other three, then there's nothing wrong with doing four, but bear in mind that depending on the subject the college might specify which three A-Levels constitute the offer. In any case, quality not quantity is what they're looking for.

thekidsmom thanks for that -- yes, my experience is Cambridge only; my DH was at Oxford before moving to Cambridge, but a while ago. We see UMS marks at Cambridge.

thekidsmum thats what we were told about Oxford hence DS being advised to change from Cambridge to Oxford. Can only assume he didn't do well in the LNAT (they don't find out until January) which is a worry as his second chioce require LNAT too

Another week of the waiting game....

We are now resigned to hearing nothing from York or Bristol til after Christmas - DD must be in the 'I'll think aobut you' pile rather than the 'yes, we can't live without you and must make you an offer right away!' pile for both places (which is better than the 'you can't be serious?' pile, at least)

I recall we hear aobut the ELAT on 15th Jan but DD's attitude is 'so what, I'm over it now' as she went out this morning.... (a good brave face, at least)

Sorry if not quite the right place ,but a quick,lowly question .
DS resat a Physics AS paper in the summer ,but the school haven't given him the upgraded AS cerificate .
Whe he's entering qualifications on UCAS form does he have to give the
lower grade for which he has the certificate or can he give the higher one ,for which he's still waiting for the certificate ?
( the school say they'll apply for it in January ).

If he's sat the exam & got the results, then I would use the higher grades.

Now you mention it, I don't think DD2 has certificates for either of the AS subjects she is not continuing with - I expect we'll get them from the school eventually.

The school are saying that you don't have to enter AS results at all.
Because he's taking A2 exams in the summer ,he should just put " pending " .
But surely if you've got a B at AS ,this would be a good thing for the uni to know ?
Surely if you put nothing ,they'll assume you got an E or something ?

If he's taking the subject at A2, then you don't include it under AS, but you put the module results in the A2 section.

OK ,thanks seimum .

gingeroots DD2 put pending for all the subjects that she is taking to A2 and put down the grade for the two ASs that she has completed. The universities won't assume that your DS got an E because they have the predicted grades. DD2 has 3 offers so far so it hasn't been a problem. If school want to highlight a good performance in anything they put it in the reference or it can be mentioned in the personal statement.

thekidsmom DD2 is waiting on York as well - I know they have only just starting making offers for her subject so we're not expecting any news yet. One of her friends in waiting on Bristol as well and hasn't heard anything yet.

Some good news at least - DD2 passed her driving theory test this morning. She winged it though as she was nowhere near ready to take it, the stress reminded me of when she used to take flute exams when she only knew half her scales

yay, good news, well done webwhiz's DD

we are facing the fact that we will have a long wait til we hear from Durham. If its this stressful now, god only knows what it will be like in August!

webwiz - congrats on dd passing driving theory exam.

Congrats to webwiz's DD .
Thanks for replies to my query .
I expect DS's application will go in one day .... sigh
I just find it sooooo stressful ,I've got so many lists ,and copies of lists .
My default setting when stressed ,trying to understand something .
But none of it helps .

webwiz, congratulations on DD's theory test!

mos, hope you don't have to wait too long on Durham

DS has an interview (physics) at Manchester on the 14th of this month. We are in Hampshire. I am worried about the weather . . . Does anybody have any experience of this? Manchester is his first choice, he has an offer from Sheffield and does not have to have an interview.

lovemydog I would just carry on booking trains etc and worry about the weather nearer the time. If there are transport problems he won't be the only one affected and I'm sure they would just reschedule the interview. It will probably be 20 degrees in two weeks time knowing how fickle the weather is at the moment .

yes, agree with webwiz - there has been a hint on weather progs that although this will go on until next weekend, after that it should improve.

maybe...

anyway book his trains & cross your fingers

Thanks both. Am sure they will understand but DS (and I!) panicking as Manchester is very much his first choice and he really wants to get the interview sooner rather than later!

no news here
good luck all those with interviews coming up. I'm sure they will be understanding if there are problems with transport due to the weather