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Original poster

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

815 replies

mumoverseas · 21/08/2010 14:53

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 Hmm

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?

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webwiz · 04/02/2011 14:26

MOS it does seem unfair that the LNAT results aren't available early enough to use in university choices as you say a candidate could potentially waste a lot of choices.

We're off to Nottingham next week for a visit and then York in half term. Then we have to fit Bath in as well. At the moment its Bath first and either Nottingham or York second.

webwiz · 04/02/2011 14:28

thekidsmom I hope your DD hears something soon. It is hard having to wait so long.

thekidsmom · 04/02/2011 14:54

Thanks webwiz!

Still nothing more - I did here a horror story from Bristol/English last year of someone waiting to hear til May and then getting a rejection....!

webwiz · 04/02/2011 15:04

Nooo that's so cruel!

FrumpyintheFrost · 05/02/2011 09:33

MOS & thekidsmom - sorry that tests didnt go as well as you had hoped. I guess it does meantthat you have an answer as to why DCs weren't accepted by particular Unis. Rather than just a blanket No - iyswim?

webwiz - not sure how well you know Bath, but if you are planning to stay over with your dd, it might be worth looking at some of the b&bs in Bradford as they are on the uni side of Bath (about a 15 min drive), and are probably a bit cheaper (and nicer) than staying in the city.
The campus is out of town, so you can park at the Uni, and use the bus service into the town centre.

Regarding the waiting to hear from Unis, I was thinking that if DS still hasnt heard by the time the module results come out in March, it may be worth just basing his decision on the 4 choices he has, as I dont want him to miss out on accomodation etc, by leaving it much later. What do you think?

sparklyjewlz · 05/02/2011 10:49

DS has received an unconditional offer to study medicine at Sheffield. Grin So it was worth taking a gap year and reapplying (He got all rejections last year).
Big thanks for all the interview advice I was given up-thread. I think it really helped. Smile
Good luck to everyone waiting to hear!

thekidsmom · 05/02/2011 13:25

Well done to your DS sparkly!

on accommodation frumpy it depends - some have opended already on a first come first served basis (eg Nottingham - on our list) but some do it all in one batch (eg Bristol - also on our list).

I can see it certainly could be an influencing factor - we are wating for Nottingham, for example, and knowing that others have had offers since October, and accommodation booking opended at the end of January, there is a chance of missing out....

webwiz · 05/02/2011 13:46

Frumpy your DS certainly won't miss out on accommodation if he waits for all his choices to be in as all first years are normally guaranteed a place. He just might miss more popular accommodation if choices are allocated on a first come first served basis (not sure what would be classes as most popular it would depend on the individual university). You could check the accommodation sections of university websites to see how they allocate accommodation as a lot just take in choices and wait for august for a mass allocation. For me it would depend on how much he would prefer the choice being waited for.

I think we might be just going to Bath for the day - if DD2 can actually decide on which of the visit days doesn't clash with her social lifeHmm.

sparkly well done to your DS!

thekidsmom accommodation booking doesn't open till march 1st for Nottingham.

thekidsmom · 05/02/2011 19:14

Oh, that's good to know. Where did I get January from? Must be remembering DS's year....

webwiz · 10/02/2011 12:29

Had a very nice day at Nottingham yesterday the only negative was that DD2 would have it as an insurance choice which means if she went there she would be at the back of the queue for accommodation. They couldn't even guarantee accommodation if you didn't put them as your first choice but they did say that in the last few years its been ok Hmm.

I checked York (the other possible insurance choice) and they don't let anyone apply for accommodation until they have an unconditional offer ie usually after results so that might end up being the tie breaker as DD2 currently agonising over choices!

IShallWearMidnight · 10/02/2011 12:50

Lancaster has moved up DDs list a bit (even though she's not visiting till next week) as they've offered a £1000 scholarship if she puts them as her firm choice and gets 3 As - naturally all she's looked at is the money and is ignoring the 3 As part Wink

Lilymaid · 10/02/2011 12:51

Webwiz, I think you'll find that at most universities you won't be guaranteed accommodation if it is your insurance choice. Obviously, she's less likely to get what she'd want if she did eventually take up a place at her insurance offer, but Nottingham has loads of accommodation, so is likely to be able to find her room.

webwiz · 10/02/2011 13:12

I know that Lilymaid but all universities have a different way of allocating accommodation. Nottingham open their accommodation website on the 1st of March get everyone to put in their choices and then allocate in august on a first come first served basis. By the time DD2 chose somewhere she'd be number 20,000 (or something like that!) on the list and so may end up in something in a completely different budgetary range than we are hoping for.

As she has a very high offer for her first choice she may end up at her insurance choice. York guarantee accommodation to all first years who have applied for accommodation before 26th August ie their application period is after A level results and so the first choice/insurance aspect is irrelevant.

I am hoping which choice to make will become obvious when we've been to York and Bath in the next couple of weeks.

Original poster
mumoverseas · 13/02/2011 07:57

oh blimey, hadn't even thought about accommodation, just another thing to worry about.
Will be glad when we've seen the two Unis later this week and DS can make his choices

OP posts:
ajandjjmum · 15/02/2011 19:26

Sparkly
DS is in his first year at Sheffield. Most of them took a little time to settle in, but he's really at home there now. Got a good group of friends and is really enjoying the area.
Congrats to your DS.

RealLife · 16/02/2011 13:46

Has anyone had an offer from Bristol - Languages French or French/Spanish?

ajandjjmum · 16/02/2011 13:59

I know someone who's had a Bristol offer for Physics, but I think they do tend to be slow with offers.

FrumpyintheFrost · 16/02/2011 18:16

Bristol - Aeronautical Engineering

.....still waiting

thekidsmom · 17/02/2011 09:06

And still waiting for Bristol English!

sparklyjewlz · 17/02/2011 17:42

ajandjjmum : thanks for your positive comments about Sheffield. It's a bit daunting for 18/19 yo to start life in a different part of the country- especially since we live way down south. Part of the excitement I suppose!

webwiz · 17/02/2011 18:52

sparkly a couple of DD2's friends have applied to Dundee which is about 450 miles away from us!

sparklyjewlz · 17/02/2011 19:17

I guess in reality it's more daunting for us than our DC. Glad DS is sorted but not looking forward to the autumn. Sad

webwiz · 17/02/2011 19:23

It will be strange in our house in the autumn as well as there will only be DS at home. It will be quiet when he has no older sisters to argue with! DD1 is going to America for the year in August and I'm not sure what that is going to feel like.

sparklyjewlz · 17/02/2011 21:48

Blimey: that's a lot further than Dundee!

Original poster
mumoverseas · 20/02/2011 09:31

hello all, back from the Uni visit roadtrip. Both DS and I impressed by Exeter so that is looking like his firm choice with Cardiff as insurance.
Exeter apparently guarantee accommodation to everyone making it their firm and Cardiff guarantee to even insurance so all good hopefully.
Now he just needs to get the grades Grin

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