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Original poster

Anyone want to join a year 13 UCAS THREAD?

746 replies

JesusChristOtterStar · 07/11/2009 21:05

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?

OP posts:
Fivesetsofschoolfees · 21/11/2009 16:32

Thanks, soya. I don't think I have had much to do with anything. DS has shut me out of the process!

I am a bit worried about the train. First, it seems to be impossible for an under-18 to book a train ticket. It was in Virgin's terms and conditions. I, therefore, did the booking. However, DS needs the credit card that was used to make the booking in order to pick up his tickets, and he then has to carry it with him! My credit card, and I'm sure it is against the CC t&c to give my card to someone else.

Add to that that our trainline into London has been blocked this week and there is no date for its reopening. I think I am going to have to a) go to our local station to pick up the tickets, and b) drive him into London beyond the blockage, a c) get back in order to do school runs for the others and get into work myself. I am sure none of this will faze DS at all.

Judy1234 · 21/11/2009 16:42

[Relief I have some years off before the youngest do this; our three oldest have all been through the process]

soyabean · 21/11/2009 17:06

Well 5sets he is your ds so anything he can do (if good) is thanks to you...If negative, well that is despite you! My ds sounds not dissimilar to yours. The independence is a good thing though, isn't it?!

Yes, the train is a real pain. I had to give ds my debit card which was a bit inconvenient and as you say, possibly not legal. Only today did I think that maybe we should have gone to the local station to buy the tickets but I must say they are pretty useless and also that would mean ds and I being available at the same time to physically go there.

Meanwhile Manchester in 10 days but we got the tickets far enough in advance that they have been sent in the posy, phew.

lazymumofteenagesons · 21/11/2009 17:13

I hope all these interviews are for medicine or Oxbridge. I was under the impression that universities did not interview for any other courses any more.

soyabean · 21/11/2009 17:15

Music in my ds' case.

Fivesetsofschoolfees · 21/11/2009 17:16

My DS has interviews at Manchester and UCL.

lazymumofteenagesons · 21/11/2009 17:26

5sets, what degree is your son going for?

lazymumofteenagesons · 21/11/2009 17:29

Woops, sorry 5sets just saw earlier on thread its engineering.

RustyBear · 21/11/2009 17:53

Both DS (History & Politics) & DD (Psychology) got all their offers without any interviews at all, lazymum. But DS says a couple of his friends who were applying for Maths & Chemistry had interviews, but he can't remember where (this was in 2005/6)

lazymumofteenagesons · 21/11/2009 18:44

Mine is going for social sciences so hopefully no interviews. I remember looking at the university websites for his courses and I thought they said that they only interviewed if you had been out of education for a while.

Your sons seem very able and organised with their travelling plans to interviews.I could see myself escorting him and then disappearing when we got there, which is what I did for open days

JustGettingByMum · 21/11/2009 19:07

Hi, please can I join in?

DS1 likes the look of Surrey Uni. for an engineering course. Does anyone have any reccomendations or avoids regarding courses and institutions?

BTW - must be honest and admit that he is in Y12 but like lots of the other mums here I am following this thread with great interest - esp the Maths/FM thingy.

Fivesetsofschoolfees · 21/11/2009 19:26

Justgettingby,

I went to an open day at Surrey with DS. It is ourlocal university and the open days fitted in with my work schedule. At that time DS was waivering between chemical and civil engineerings. We did the civil engineering talk and tour.

The CE professor was really passionate about the subject and really inspiring. What put us off was the undergrad lab facilities. I think they could have fitted into my living room! They have a good industrial sponsorship programme (in civil), where it looks like the majority of students can get some kind of scholarship and guaranteed vacation work.

I personally didn't find Surrey Univ very exciting. It was just very small and not what I viewed as university. I'm sure the small size knocks on into a lot of the wider life of the university. They also work on a points system and are concerned about added value, so will favour more mediocre A-level grades. Saying that, the prof we saw was passionate and I am sure that anyone who is under his care will do very well indeed.

What attracts your DS to Surrey?

snorkie · 21/11/2009 19:40

JGBM - I'm also lurking here (mine are currently yrs11 and 9, so even further off than you, but I like to know what's ahead). However, I can confirm that a good friend & her yr13 ds went to Surrey last week (he has an offer for electrical engineering there) and they both really liked it.

JustGettingByMum · 21/11/2009 20:06

Five sets school fees - hi
thanks for that. DS also went to the open day with DH, (just general eng as he hasnt decided yet!). They both liked the the fact it was a cmpus uni, v good on the Times guide and they liked the Aerospace "stuff". We live in a fairly small town so the small size was a plus for us.
Also, DS likes the industrial placement part to Surrey.

He's also been to the Bristol open day (Engineering Maths) - quite local to us (30 miles), again he liked all he saw, partic the tutors, he is going there next month as part of his Eng in Educ course so may change his mind.

Basically, I would just appreciate the views and comments of others. Often someone else will spot something (good or bad) that we've overlooked

Snorkie - hi! Glad to meet another who's lurking!

mumoverseas · 22/11/2009 04:49

soyabean, don't worry, the Maths/Fm thing is right over my head too. I just about struggled through CSE maths (giving my age away now!)

5sets what a nightmare with the train. I don't understand why U18s can't buy tickets themselves or is that just with Virgin?
DS has had a halifax cashcard/debit card since he was 15 and had bought all sorts of things online?

JGBM glad there is another year 12 gatecrasher on here Funnily enough, I started looking at Surrey University a few days ago as I have a lot of happy memories of time spent there when young as my mother worked there so I used to 'hang out' there during the school hols. Had a weird dream last night that I was back in Guildford so wonder if that is a sign that DS should consider Surrey

JustGettingByMum · 22/11/2009 07:42

Hi Mum Overseas

Thank you for you helpful comments - nice to meet another Y12 mum

I re-read your earlier posts re maths/FM. How many AS is you ds taking? In my sons comp most are taking 4, then will carry on with 3 to A2. So if he is taking 5 anyway would it matter if he dropped one? (Dont know the answer but I'm sure some mums will).

DS is taking 5 but we've told him just to see how he gets on so he can drop one if it becomes too much.

Also, just remembered, some A2 students are sitting in on FM but for interest only - they will not be sitting the exams but I guess the knowledge picked up will stand them in good stead at Uni.

mumoverseas · 22/11/2009 08:00

Hi JGBM,
DS is currently doing 5 AS levels. Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Physchology and French. I imagine he will only do 4 of them to A level (assume he will drop the FM)but I must say I'm getting very confused by it all. I left school at 16, didn't do any A levels and when I did my further education I didn't need any as a 'mature' student

JustGettingByMum · 22/11/2009 08:13

I completely sympathise - I did A-levels at the local FE and completely bombed them

I read a book about Oxbridge admissions and they said that it's better to do 3 at A2 and get As than 4 and risk lower grades as all offers are based on 3 A levels only.
This seems potty to me, but what do i know?

DS studying Maths (with Mech), FM, Physics, Chemistry & Geography. School will only allow FM as a 4th or 5th choice as they know its difficult and want students to have 3 good choices to fall back on.

mumoverseas · 22/11/2009 08:23

sadly, where DS wants to go they require 2 x A AND 2 x A. Most of the Cambridge colleges now seem to require (from this year) A AA and some say a 4th A is helpful/desirable!

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 22/11/2009 08:32

Could someone be kind and explain how UCAS works these days? There used to be a cut off date when I applied. A friend was talking about her DD's application. I asked when the closing date was and she said it didn't work like that. She's in the middle of a very nasty divorce and has told her DD she has to get on with it on her own so I just wanted to check that this is correct. Many thanks.

JustGettingByMum · 22/11/2009 08:34

Oops - Surrey is looking better all the time!

mumoverseas · 22/11/2009 08:52

Wynken...
I'm not an expert on this, but as far as I've worked out from these threads, the cut off (assuming starting next September) for Oxford and Cambridge was 15th October this year and the cut off for all other Unis is 15th January 2010. Think thats right
Sorry about your friends divorce but I hope she can find time to give her DD some time/support with her application

selectivememory · 22/11/2009 09:04

Wynken

Your friend's daughter's school should be helping her.

The way the system works is that students apply through UCAS with an online application. The school has to add an academic reference which includes predicted grades for their A levels, and they send the application to UCAS, not the student. The student fills in a form with details of their qualifications and 5 choices of universities. The big thing is their Personal Statement which they have to write and outlines their reasons for wanting to apply for their particular courses and why the universities should offer them a place (over anyone else!!).

There are two deadlines 15 October for anyone applying to Oxford or Cambridge and for anyone applying for medicine, veterinary science or dentistry. Anyone else has until 15th January to apply. (Even after 15th Jan students can apply but are in with a lesser chance of being given a place).

If your friend's daughter is not at a school/sixth form college that administrates the UCAS system for the students, then I think she can make an independent application, but she still will need to obtain a reference from someone.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 22/11/2009 10:29

Thank you both, I guessed there would be cut off dates, didn't think it had changed that much. She's working on her personal statement and I'm sure the school will be supporting. I think she's on her own with decisions about where to go and hasn't been to any open days as her Mum has said she hasn't got time to go , though her grandad has volunteered. She would like a gap year by the sound of it but has been told she can't as it will affect maintenance. I'm going to get her to babysit and have a subtle chat just to check everything is going in the right direction.

Judy1234 · 22/11/2009 10:36

And it's best not to get them in at the last minute although they might say it makes no difference.

They also need to be guided on which universities are regarded as "b etter" than others and not by where their boyfriend is going or the fact everyone else in the class is off to Middlesex polytechnic or something.