Anyone want to join a year 13 UCAS THREAD?

[JesusChristOtterStar]

We can join in stressing about ucas forms interviews etc?

I am finding it all a very steep learning curve - we could support one another - celebrate and commiserate?

Rusty - Oh please don't be embarrassed.

The Travelodge is a good idea, swedes. I will ask DS tomorrow. I know he is really conscious about the cost (not that I have said anything, nor am I overly bothered about an extra £50).

DH is going to check his calendar to see if he can take the day off to go too, but it is more likely that DS will have to go on his own.

He takes a lot of local trains here, but has only been intercity a few times. I am trying to think if I have done enough to show him how to check into a hotel (rather than having everyone sit in the car while I do all the work). I really shouldn't worry about it, but he is my PFB, lol.

Can I join? I'm doing UCAS at the moment, but for myself!

of course lowrib!!! how are you doing?

ds has been called to interview at Cambridge today ( yikes) so i personally will not sleep for a month - ds pleased and a bit hyper about getting the form returned in tonights post (!) but calm otherwise

re the suit - ds wore one with an informal shirt to ucl and although he is not used to wearing a suit said it felt 'right' - he said most people were in a suit - although another biy he went with was not and got an offer!

lowrib - welcome. Where are you applying and for what.

Hiya, I'm applying to do Digital Media at Brighton. I'm very excited!

Can I ask, the official deadline is January, but I think I remember the schools actually send their pupil's applications off way before this - when do / did your DCs send their applications off for the non-Oxbridge ones?

DS's Sixth Form College asked for the students to finish their part of the application by half term. The college has since submitted the form and DS has had confirmation back from UCAS.
October half term seems fairly common for non-Oxbridge/Medic applications as the schools then can concentrate on the academic work in preparation for January modules.

Fivesetsofschoolfees - if you haven't already booked something in Manchester, the Days Hotel is very convenient (actually on campus - the old UMIST part) so it is only a few minutes from everywhere in the university and very close to Piccadilly Station. DH stays there when he is visiting the university and I've stayed there for a conference.

Hi all
Ds got interview letter for Cambridge today! It's all happening! It clearly states 'please note it is not necessary to be formally dressed for your interviews. For example, you do not need to wear a suit.' That is reassuring and helpful.
Now to start saving up for all these train fares - expensive business. At least he has people to stay with in York and Manchester and should be able to get to and from Cambrideg in a day, altho the college also offers free overnight accommodation, which is also impressive.

Swedes he is in 6th form at his school (comprehensive) They had uniform for years 7-11 but anything goes in 6th form.

oooh soya how exciting!!
which college /course has he applied for?

Music at Caius... The whole Oxbridge thing is a mystery to me really - am a redbrick person myself (Leeds, long long ago)

soyabean ds immediately said 'he must be super -good!'

well thanks! He thinks he won't get the A2 grades they require but worth a try anyway. As they look at the scores not just overall grades and he spends more time on muic stuff than other subjects - which makes sense but does mean he probably is not doing as well in other subjects as he is capable of.

Cambridge is not his first choice in fact but he wanted to try anyway.

i was against ds applying - fear of failure! Anyway he has got this far so worth a try

when is your sons interview ? i am wondering if they give them all this 'three week wait'

JCOS what course is your ds applying for - I just looked back through the posts but couldn't see?

My Ds was not going to apply to Cambridge and I must admit I couldn't picture him there (although I may have an outdated and stereotyped view of the place). However over the past few months he has really matured a lot and seems to be thinking things through really well, so I trust his judgement. He is being v responsible for the whole process actually, I am impressed and not a little surprised. he has done all the applications etc by himself, all I had to do was pay the fees .

The main decision for him is going to be between music college or univ course - balance between practical/performance and academic study. Dh and I are totally non musical so not much help But he has lots of friends a year older who can advise.

8 December btw, so yes, three weeks notice

Lilymaid,

Thanks for the hotel info. He is going to the Umist campus, just five minutes walk from the station.

I asked him if he wanted to stay overnight and it was something he hadn't even thought of so he is mulling it over. I am trying really hard to let him do this by himself, but it is hard.

He is so frustratingly laid back. He doesn't really say very much or show emotion either way. I convinced him to get a railcard for cheaper fares and then went on to apply for it myself, even pulling a photo that someone had posted of him of Facebook. If I had waited for him to do it, it wouldn't have happened (good news is that I did all this about 11pm on Thursday night and it arrived in the post this morning).

It is probably all in the genes because neither DH nor I told our parents very much at this age. Payback time!

Good luck on the interviews.

DD has a job for that week with the college helping out in interview week (But as yours are boys, they won't be going to her college!)

oooh soyabean - the same day!!!

is your ds staying the night? DS1 interview is at 9 am so he is staying the night before

( sorry will read rest of thread now!)

milliways shame she could have looked after them!

soyabean ds has applied to do natural sciences

he is also a very self sufficient person (so easy!) and i have bowed to his better judgement on this..his life etc

i was fearful a knock back may set him back so early in life but he is quite ebullient about it

re the music college - ds best friend has also had this debate but opted for just universities - he has offers and has also applied oxbridge - forgotten now which - and waiting to hear...

i was keen for ds to apply for Caius but in my shallow world it was because the library looked heavenly

Otter - I think natural sciences is one of the easier (I use that very loosely )subjects to get into at Cambridge. According to the college stats your son has a 1 in 2 chance of an offer. Perhaps greater now he actually has an interview as presumably some candidates are rejected without interview?

I'm off to look now at stats for music at Caius.

not what we have read Swedes but i wish!! I wanted him to do chemistry on that premise but will look again at stats to get my hopes up

I have 13 of my kids going through this - am a 6th form tutor lol. But my heart is in my mouth for all of them

i dont know how one would do it year on year 2 shoots but it's so lovely to hear teaching staff who really care

actually i care about all ds yeargroup and i am not a teacher - he regales me with stories of offers and rejections and i find myself upset/pleased etc! odd

maybe it is because no one gave 'one' when i was going through it...

education is so important and this time is the culmination of a lot of hard work - it feels a wee bit 'lottery' stylie but then maybe that is the nature of the 'beast'