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?

Yes I think that would be fairer .
But then I think the whole application process needs to change - seems madness to apply so early in the A level course when so much is unknown .

The universities have to have a few days to work out numbers and make their own judgments on who they're inclined to accept in the 'mised offer' category, before the phones start ringing with students and schools putting forward their case. It would be a nightmare for the tutors if the phones started up before they'd had a chance to take an overview and would be much more likely to lead to a lack of fairness to those who couldn't get through until late.

I like the system as it is (been through the system three times and about to start again with DC4). The proposals for reform sound dire.

hmm, I see that people calling early might be an issue. You would think they could just leave an answer message to call back on Thursday though.

but if you knew you hadn't got the grades you'd be in agony from Monday to Thursday wondering what would happen

At least it would put the students on a more fair footing with Scottish and EU students who do already have their results. And tbh the system favours those who have their results early - see the thread started by a mumsnetter trying to find out when Clearing opened so that her EC student could contact Bristol and Imperial as he already had his results but they were not quite what he needed for his offer - see here

DS has finally decided he is going to check online on school portal at 7am. He has been mulling this decision over for week!

DD says she's not going into school without knowing if she's in or out. At least then she can arrive with the correct look on her face.

jgbmum I think that was a singular case. He'd applied to Bristol originally and rejected their offer but then did far better than the offer so asked if they'd take him if Imperial said no. The Bristol course must have had spare places to fill. Imperial on the other hand (whose offer grades he'd just missed) told him they wouldn't be able to discuss his place until the 18th, precisely so that the A Level students weren't prejudiced. He then produced a formal letter of mitigation for the exam and Imperial accepted that/ him.

I don't think many departments are likely to engage with students who've missed their grades until the 18th. The universities want to fill their courses with the best students available for a particular course which for them means waiting until the A Level results are in.

By engage I mean actually confirm a missed offer or formally offer a place.

Yellowstone the point is both Bristol and Imperial DID engage with him as he had his results so has been able to negotiate with both universities (1 of which wasn't even his backup) and secure his place despite not achieving the grades ahead of English students who may have a similar predicament but cannot engage with the universities until Thursday.

Imperial told him explicitly that he'd have to wait until the 18th. Genuine mitigating circumstances were then produced, which makes a difference. Mitigation isn't negotiation.

I think almost all departments say the same as Imperial where an early results student has missed a place.

I'm sure the advantage is negligible. If anything, IB students who miss their grades just have extra weeks of uncertainty and worry. Horrible. My niece was in that position. No reputable university would confirm anything until the A Levels were out and they could properly consider their field. A department with spare places might make an offer if a student exceeded their normal entry requirements as this student had done but that's not the standard situation.

Just very glad mine have done A Levels and flash to bang is fast.

flash to bang is fast

Yellowstone, I have been sitting here for quite a long time working out what that means

(got it now. duh)

JGBMUM, as the mother of a Scottish applicant to an English university, I can reassure you that Scottish applicants are not in any sort of advantageous position at any point during the application process!
Although our results are out at the start of Aug, this confers no advantage to a Scottish applicant to an English university. If the offer has been achieved, as it will be in most cases, it makes no difference to anybody if the Scottish student knows two weeks early as the place is guaranteed.
English clearance doesn't open until the A-level results are out. So, a Scottish applicant who misses his/her offer would not be able to plead their case to still be accepted any earlier than an English applicant.

Scottish applicants (and indeed EU, OS applicants) to the English system have to abide by the same process, rules and dates as the English applicants.

In what way do you think this is unfair?

Clearance opens in July, although it is more limited until 18 August.

Having your results ahead of everyone else gives you the luxury of time

• time to absorb the news that you didn't get the grades you need
• time to go away and properly research what courses might be available with the grades you have
• time to plan what to say to the universities - whether it's mitigating circumstances, negotiating or plain old fashioned pleading

The Student Room actually advises that you do contact universities ahead of time if you know your results.

"If you know you will be in Clearing

Have a look to see what courses were still on offer in Extra at the end of June.
Check out the entry requirements
Check out the uni websites for those courses to make sure that the course content is what you are looking for.
Contact unis to state your interest before Results Day
Add courses you like to your list of courses to look out for when the Clearing lists are published on Results Day."
(TSR)

BTW my original point was that all students should get their results a few days before Clearing starts for the reasons outlined above. It is well documented that places in Clearing go very quickly so those who can hit the phones at 9am having had several days or weeks to absorb their results will be better placed to snaffle a place.

very best of luck all

pssst - mos!!!

why don't you come back \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/1280034-A-Level-Anxiety/AllOnOnePage#26941967\here} as mumoverseas? she'll never spot you

hello Ponders good to see a friendly face
Felt the need to step away from the loon last night and name change. Didn't feel comfortable in 'new' name, it didn't fit right and made my bum look too big. Also, a bit too identifiable and worried about loons stalking me [winnk]
Really wanted the name 'MOS' but apparently I can't have it as it must be taken didn't think there were any other mos's around? So, am temporarily back to old name but that doens't feel right now as I'm not overseas. Any suggestions for new name? mumofstudent?

oh it is frustrating when you can't have the name you want even though there are no posts under that name - before picking another you could email MN & ask if you could have MOS as it isn't being used?

Mumoverseas could you not be MOS1 ? Good luck to your DS 2morrow. We are waiting for AS results arghhhhhhhhh

of course if all goes tits up tomorrow I could name change to mumofaupair

Ponders good idea, I might try tha Ponders, at the end of the day, most people who know me on here refer to me by MOS anyway.

how about MOSSEX eh?

I used to mis-read mum of sussex, as mum of sucessful sex anyway

Please go with mos1,

well I have got 4 DC so must have been somewhat successful! Always a bit of an over-achiever me Oh christ, 12 hours!

15 hours for me as I'll have to wait till he gets there, gets his envelope, opens it, reads it, thinks about it & then rings me

just one more sleep (or not-sleep)