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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?

OP posts:
Original poster
mumoverseas · 09/10/2010 12:01

well this is it. DS got his first acknowledgement of an application today. Mock Oxbridge interview on Wednesday!

How is everyone else doing?

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ShrinkingViolet · 09/10/2010 13:13

DD1s application won't be going in till week after next at the earliest as she's on a course next week, hasn't finished the PS, nor chosen more than three universities.

Head of 6th form was concerned that she's not selling herself in her PS, but can't put his finger on why he feels that as she's included everything she needs to. She suspects that as he's an english teacher, he just doesn't understand the maths stuff, so she needs to get the head of maths of have a look as well.

webwiz · 10/10/2010 12:30

DD2's Further maths teacher looked over her personal statement and was really helpful ShrinkingViolet.

We have to wait for reference and predicted grade stuff before it can all be sent off. Will be glad when its gone in.

oldmum42 · 15/10/2010 18:36

So, those of us with DC putting in early applications, deadline today, (Med, vetmed, Dentistry, Oxbridge), I don't know about you, but I breathed a sigh of relief that that bit is over and done with! School finally got their bit done and uploaded to UCAS on Wed morning.

DS sits BMAT entrance exam on 3rd Nov, that's the next big thing on his calendar.

Then we just have to sit back and wait for the interview offers to (hopefully) arrive.

webwiz · 15/10/2010 21:20

Lucky you oldmum42Smile DD2's school is aiming for them all to have applied before half term so personal statement is done, reference is done, DD2 has entered everything else in UCAS and we are still waiting for predicted grades (there are only 3 of them taking further maths why is it taking so long!!!). DD2's form teacher said if her subject teachers don't come up with the predictions soon she's just going to put in 3 A*s!

Ponders · 15/10/2010 21:43

DS's app is in already & he received the acknowledgement from UCAS today.

He's actually only applied to 4, which is a bit worrying Confused

Original poster
mumoverseas · 16/10/2010 13:53

hello all
oldmum42 (actually, I'm also an old mum aged 42) Grin, I was also relieved once it was all done and button pressed. Like you say, just waiting for news in interviews hopefully.
DS has LNAT next Thursday so is studying hard for that then thank god we are off on holiday on the Sunday. DC1 and 2 coming with us for 2 weeks and DH and DC3 and 4 will be having a lovely 3 week holiday which we really need.

ponders so far DS has only applied for 2 (on his schools advice) and I understand he will be applying to 3 more after half-term.

we had the acknowledgement from Cardiff the day it went in but nothing from Oxford yet.

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oldmum42 · 18/10/2010 05:01

Mumoverseas.... there's a lot of it about Grin. In my case, about to have DS4 (section booked for Friday!), so sending one out into the world while bringing another one into it, IYKWIM!

Was especially glad to get the applications out of the way before the new baby, so quite handy that Medicine & Oxford both have the early application deadline.

Good luck to your DS for the LNAT on Thursday.

Original poster
mumoverseas · 18/10/2010 10:03

ooh, how exciting! And there was me thinking I had a massive age gap. I felt a bit odd looking at 6th forms for DS1 when I was hugely pregnant with number 4 Grin

good luck and come back and let us know how you are afterwards x

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Ponders · 18/10/2010 10:17

Good luck for Friday, oldmum! I was 42 when I had DS2 - who is my number 4 as well, as it happens Grin - so I am a veryoldmumindeed these days.

mos, the UCAS letter says some universities do acknowledge receipt of application but some don't so not getting one from somewhere doesn't mean anything.

Original poster
mumoverseas · 18/10/2010 10:37

thanks for that ponders. I have visions of DS1 carrying around his damm blackberry all holiday and checking for updates on his UCAS application Grin

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Ponders · 21/10/2010 20:24

YAY, DS2 has had an offer (I was convinced he wouldn't get any Confused so now I can breathe)

webwiz · 21/10/2010 20:33

Well done to him Ponders Grin

I am very very cross at DD2's school we are still waiting for predicted grades and apparently you have to have a one to one meeting with the head of sixth form to check through your application before it is sent. DD2 said you are not allowed to ask for the meeting you have to wait until "called" so her application won't go in until after half term unless she is "called" tomorrow.Hmm

Ponders · 21/10/2010 20:48

Thanks, webwiz!

grrr to DD2's school - that sounds really unhelpful Angry How big is their Y13? Why is it down to Head of 6th form to deal with it? (Surely they should have at least 1 period a week for going over UCAS applications?)

Hope she gets called soon anyway Smile

webwiz · 21/10/2010 21:54

There are about 90 in Year 13 but not everyone is ready to send in their applications yet - DD2's was done and paid for a week ago so she is in the queue to be seen. Not sure if there have been mistakes in applications but they certainly didn't do this two years ago when DD1 was applying.

Original poster
mumoverseas · 22/10/2010 19:17

ponders that is fab news about your DS, good to have at least one offer this early on.

webwhiz that is so annoying of the school and very unfair if DD's application is all ready to go.

DD applied for 3 further Unis this week and so far has had 3 acknowledgements out of 5 and two of his friends have received offers. One of them is the same course at a Uni he has just applied for so we are keeping our fingers crossed that he might also get an offer from them soon.

He had LNAT yesterday and said he thought it went ok. Apparently the Unis get the results pretty much straight away but he doesn't find out to January which seems a bit daft to me.

oldmum hope everything went ok today and look forward to reading update x

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Ponders · 22/10/2010 20:20

Thanks, mos - I am mightily relieved, now I don't care if he doesn't get any other offers!(What is LNAT, please? I know it's been mentioned but it hasn't registered in my tiny brain.)

Oh yes, oldmum, looking forward to seeing you back here soon Smile (how thoroughly weird to dealing with nappies & UCAS at the same time!)

webwiz, has DD2 been seen yet? If not I think she (or you) should have a word after half-term.

JustGettingByMum · 22/10/2010 20:39

Aagh, I've missed sooo much, our internet crashed 2 weeks ago and refused all efforts at resuscitation. So today we finally get a new box and I can finally catch up.

oldmum hope everything went well for you today

ponders wow! congratulations to your DS on his offer, what a great feeling.

webwiz I hope your DD is able to get her form off soon. So unfair to your DD Sad

MOS so pleased your DS felt the LNAT went well, bring on the offers next!

DS FINALLY got his forms submitted yesterday, what a farce though as we had 3 way texts and emails flying between home, school and my office as DH texted exam board details to ds, he did the final updating at school, then he emailed it all to me so I could arrange the payment.

webwiz · 22/10/2010 22:16

DD2's form couldn't be sent because when the chemistry teachers did the list of predicted grades for her class she was missed off. I despair - the main school is fab but the sixth form is another story Hmm

morticiaoverseas · 28/10/2010 00:53

hello all,
ponders LNAT is the National Admissions Test for Law that some universities require applicants to sit.

JGB how frustrating for you. We often go for days at a time with no internet as its pretty rubbish in KSA but I couldn't cope with 2 weeks without it. We are in the States for 3 weeks and between us brought 3 laptops Blush
Glad your DS got his appliction in.

webwhiz how frustrating for DD and of course you. I'm so relieved DS's application is in and now we just have to worry about hearing from the Unis.

He got an acknowledgement from Oxford yesterday saying they are giving his application careful consideration.

oldmum42 · 28/10/2010 04:40

DS1 has had emails from 3 of his 4 choices (Medicine, so only 4 choices )just to acknowledge his application, only the local Medschool hasn't contacted him.

Good to have the reassurance that the application was sent and processed.

DS1 sits the Bmat (for Oxford application)on Tue, and I'm struggling to encourage him to keep at his studying for that when it's the middle of the 2 week October break here,and he's gone into "holiday" mode and the new baby (DS4) is taking up all my energy.
Will be glad when Tue is over and DS1 just needs to sit and wait for interviews....

To MUMOVERSEAS and others, DS4 arrived by elcs on Friday, healthy, amazing thick head of hair on him, adored by DS1-3. BF every hour tonight hence posting at this time of the morning, typing with 1 hand while BF!

peteneras · 28/10/2010 07:18

"Will be glad when Tue is over . . ."

Eh . . not so quick, BMAT is on the next day, Wednesday.

My DS just got a 'Fee Status Assessment Questionnaire' via e-mail from one of the schools. No word from the other 3 yet.

Congratulations on the new arrival! Smile

JustGettingByMum · 28/10/2010 08:24

oldnewmum42 Congratulations Smile

JustGettingByMum · 28/10/2010 08:31

DS has had acknowledgements from 3 of his choices, and an invitation to a departmental open day from the 4th, still waiting to hear from the 5th.

I have also found a thread here and keep checking it trying to see if any students have had offers from the unis/depts that ds has applied to - is that really bad of me? Blush

MOS - hope you are having a wonderful holiday

Ponders · 28/10/2010 10:21

Congratulations, oldmum!!! Smile

webwiz, how incredibly frustrating for DD

jgbmum, I have a tendency to lurk on the student room too - thanks for the link Grin (Do I take it nobody has had an offer from one of yours yet?)

DS2 has now been allocated a college by Oxford (he did an open app) - St Peter's - never heard of it! He will be doing the TSA at 9am on Wed...results are released to students in mid-Jan, it doesn't say when the colleges get them or when to expect to hear from them.