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?

Did your dd ever come across Colin Macfarlane? He teaches lots of creative writing courses, my DS took several courses with him over the years

Not that I know of, frumpy. But if she gets more into it, maybe she will!

The only creative writing course she's done so far was an introductory OU course....

bump!

Anyone's DCs started their exams? DS starts next week, and at the mo, he is working on improving his time, partic in Chem as he was unable to finish his last mock paper in class, so he's really been focussing on this.

Webwiz - hope your dd is now fully recovered?

MOS - has your ds got his LNAT results yet?

DD2 had two exams last week and has two this week - she's a lot better than she was Frumpy, she didn't finish the Monday M2 paper as just wasn't well enough but Fridays S2 was ok. She's only going into sixth form for the afternoon or for exams and is starting to look less pale and ill.

Bump - bump - bumpity - bump

Good luck to thise who's DC (inc mine) have exams this week)!

hello all,
frumpy apparently he gets LNAT results next week. I'm guessing he didn't do very well as the two rejections were both Unis that required LNAT.
Got an email an hour ago saying he had a rejection from the last Uni he was waiting to hear from

Oh well, 3 good offers and I'm very pleased that I made the decision to fly back to the UK next month for a few days to take him to visit two of the Unis that made offers. Will be good fun, a nice (almost) adult road trip with no babies/toddlers. Will be a lot of driving for me but lovely to not have to stop the car every 10 minutes to get the potty out. (am assuming DC1 can last longer than that!)

He had 2 exams last week (apparently core 3 maths was 'evil' and a lot struggled) and he has two this coming week.

Good luck to everyone else

one down last week, three this week, and one the following week, then DD1 is done. She got 5 offers, but can't manage all the open days annoyingly, as they clash with work and each other.

(I was ShrinkingViolet back down the thread btw)

very of the 5 offers

Sorry about the Durham rejection Mumoverseas. The uni road trip sounds good though .

Thanks webwhiz

Am likewise jealous of the families who have all 5 decisions in!

We have one rejection (dreaming spires) one offer (Bham) and are waiting for 3 other russell group. I'm so jealous every time someone on the Student Room reports an offer (for her subject) from one of DD's choices - but I do know that one place hasnt given any offers yet, only rejections so DH keeps saying 'better to wait and get offers than to hear now and be rejected'... he's right of course, but the nerves!

(That's just me - DD seems calm!?!)

and then we'll have all the stress of the little darlings getting the bloody grades. Am tempted to go and live on a desert island for the whole summer, or put myself into a self-induced coma until its all over

Not liking the thought that I might have to go through this 3 more times!

I thought that this time would be really easy. DD1 was a nightmare, she didn't know what she wanted to do, her approach to schoolwork was erratic and she had a serious boyfriend who thought staying on for A levels was a waste of time never mind going to university.

I was certainly feeling a bit smug about how it was going to go with DD2 who always seemed to make sure she got the results she needed. She has now had two sets of exams affected by illness so that serves me right for taking things for granted.

Oh well maybe things will be easy with DS.

Sorry to hear about the Durham rejection, MOS.

We are on a road trip too, in March, to go & look at Lancaster & Keele (in one weekend!).

I hope DD2 likes Lancaster, as I don't think she'll make the grades for her current favourite (UEA).

MOS - sorry about Durham, but liking the sound of the road trip, I would love to spend a couple of days with DS1 just on his own.

DS decided all his choices had to be south of the M4, and excluded London so no road trips for me.

We are still waiting on Brizzle, but 2 of DS friends have had offers for Soton so that seems to be his top choice.

Ishallwear midnight - loved the book - congrats on 5 offers!!!

Webwiz - I keep thinking of your DD - specially when my DD (9) came home with tummy bug last week, 2 days before DS2 started his GCSE exams.

The Kidsmom - I think we should start our own mumsnet thread non the TSR - honestly, those teenagers think they have a hard time....

Interestingly, (for me), I've "spotted" my Godson TSR, but I haven't said anything, I wonder what the etiquette is for that?

Seimum - hope you have a great road trip too.

I dont know what the etiquette would be frumpy - whenver I see anything on facebook by my nephews I'm accused by my DDs of stalking. So I've actually 'defriended' myself so I cant see what they wouldnt want me to know. But you cant do that on TSR....

I'm hoping DD gets enough offers to make a road trip viable for us! although we have pretty comprehensively covered the country already on coming up with the shortlist....

And I feel for you too, webwiz. The best laid plans of mums and men... when my DS did his Spanish A2 oral a couple of years back I actually sat outside with a bucket.....all that effort and it all fell apart (but not so much that he didnt get the grades he needed, so no harm done - so hopefully it'll be enough for your DD too)

Congratulations on the DS offers mumoverseas- the road trip sounds pleasant. How was your birthday? Fingers crossed for other DC/parents on here.

DS has 4 offers (awaiting one) for physics. He does not know (or will not tell me!) what happens next. Anyone? I went to Uni more than 30 years ago so don't remember . . .

funnyperson am looking forward to road trip although a bit nervous about all the driving as not driven for a long time (being a mere female am not allowed to drive out here!)
Birthday was lovely thanks

lovemydog I think what happens now is that (once all offers are in) they have to make a decision on firm and insurance choices, think by sometime in March.
Then, its the loooooooooooooooooooong wait until result day in August when we find out if the little darlings get their grades. I can't bear to think about what might happen if not

lovemydog - over 40 years in my case - others may disagree ,but from what I can glean they don't have to confirm any acceptances until the deadline .Which UCAS mysteriously says varies and will be stated on track .
But the point I'd like to make is that Unis do allocate accomodation on a first come first served basis ,so if DC can confirm early and get accomodation request in ,it will help .
Also we were told at a Uni talk to get financial application in early - even if not 100% sure of uni that would be going to .
They said that easy to switch name of Uni and means all processing is done .
Better than leaving until last minute .
But other younger ,more in touch parents ( with Dc who talk to them ) may have other advice .

I think it varies with each university. My DD had friends who could apply for accommodation as soon as they had firmed an offer whereas other universities such as Bristol you applied by a specific date in June/July and no decisions were made until after the A2 results were out.

you get a date to apply for accommodation at Bath - there's a5 mintue window apparently if you wnat the good accomodation, but DD1 knows she's in the bargain basement places anyway, so thats' not so much of a problem .
Quite worrying about what date they need to confirm places by, as DD is hoping ot get these exam results back before deciding on her firm choice (she's resitting a Maths module, and if that's an A*, then she'll resit the other on in May and go for Bath as her firm choice. But if it's "only" an A, then she needs to look at what her current second choice will be and bump that up to firm). So if she has to make a decision earlier than the results come out, becasue her offers came early, then that's going ot be stressful.

I think if my reading of the UCAS website is correct, then if they have all their offers by 31st March, they have to confirm their decision by 5th May. If they are still waiting for offers after 31st March, then they get longer to reply.
In any case, they don't have to decide until after the results of January modules/resits (thank goodness).

On track - the individual UCAS response to the candidate - it refers to a closing date which it says varies according to the individual.