New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Hopefully this thread will appear on TIO! No need to use it til our old thread is done, but at least we have it for when we are ready.

colleges seem to be hopeless for giving info, or at least dds is.

Colleges give info? I get a letter each reporting point and had one parent's evening last year. I had assumed that this was part of the whole preparation for uni experience, cutting the parental ties and all that. It has to be me that rings in if he is sick but that seems to be the limit of my parental duties. I have to rely on close study of the school calendar to find out anything.

you have a school calendar to look at knitting?

We have been insanely busy with supra-curricular activities the last couple of weeks which will look brilliant on his PS one day. I asked how the UCAS form was going and got "really well, I've nearly finished" I was so chuffed and asked if it would be ok if I read his PS. Apparently 'nearly finished' means everything apart from that bit. His friends have told him they are amazed how laid back he is about the whole process. Our one and only campus visit next week

I was a bit choked up earlier that I'd nearly made an entire adult (congratulations all those recent birthdays, you've done it, got a teeny baby all the way to the grown up stage) but I realise I was being a bit premature now.

Dd has been talking to her friends in other forms and apparently those who have kept their form tutors have fully written references which were done at the end of the summer term. Dd's form don't, because their form tutors from last year left it for this year's tutor, who has met them 4 weeks ago. Although dd's reference is now going to be written by the teacher who takes their form once a week, as she has taught dd for maths since y7, knows her inside out, and is an excellent choice for writing a glowing reference. I'm so much happier now that's been decided.

I wouldn't say nailing it MrSlant, more like plaintively pleading with dd to find out what is actually happening...! I'm not very good at trusting that other people have things i need hand and I'm driving her a bit batty.

DS is supposed to be hitting "send" on his vocational application today. I can't wait to be asked for money because that means that it's done. DH was brought up to speed on what to do if I die in the night (make sure he gets that application in or I will come back and haunt you) but I suppose I ought to leave a list of what needs to happen next just in case I fall under a bus.

DS is the only one in college going down this route and it would have been surprising if anyone there had any experience in what is a niche application. I don't have any experience either but I've had a long time to see it coming, have been to two talks by admission officers and can work a search engine. He'll be up against applicants who have been well supported in school, given practice interviews and input into the PS equivalent. It is not a level playing field.

Knitting I'm intrigued- what course is your ds applying for?

That's a good idea about writing down the general plan just in case - I think I'll email it to DH, he's more likely to read it then!

DS is applying for a niche thing so I don't want to name it out in public (and I'd rather no-one else did please so I'm not turned up with a search engine). I don't really want the faff of a name change, if anyone wants to know what I've just paid for (YES!) I will tell them privately.

It's done. Person A referred him to Person B who told him that as he wasn't applying to Oxbridge he didn't have an immediate deadline so go away. Many other letters of the alphabet were brought into play after that because from there it escalated quickly.

I will write out the timeline for the next few hurdles just in case I fall under a bus because today has shown that whether I like it or not I am the closest thing to an expert he has. Emailing it is a good idea Lobster because then they can find it. Well DH would find it, DS reads his email once in a blue moon. (That is going to be changing...)

DS1 is hoping to resit one unit of his AS (the one in which he got an E) and has filled in the required form.

He is on a full timetable for the first time since the middle of Y10; he is very tired but only 3 weeks till half term. Some homework and essays are being completed, which is positive.

Progress on UCAS application: 0%

For resits, the school is asking for £29 per paper towards costs.

Whoops you'd slipped off my TIO again.

We are in full blown birthday celebrations so not much work seems to be getting done. Dd is off to Manchester Open Day, on her own today.

We have a college calendar and a "Parents & Carers" section on the website too. There is no exams information section though!
Not hearing anything from the college is definitely good news. I had a shock the other week when college left a message on my mobile that dd hadn't turned up for one of her classes. She had definitely left the house of time (by bike) so their call made me quite worried! Turned out there was a mistake on the timetable which listed the wrong room so all the students were in one room and the tutor in another! The students went to report that the tutor hadn't shown up to management so sorted it out themselves.
Sounds as if it's a good thing you were on the ball kitten about your ds "niche" application. I wouldn't mind betting that if he's awarded a place (which I hope he is) the sixth form will be making it one of their headline achievements despite their own lack of knowledge about this specialised area.

catslife I think your knitting is being turned into kitten :)

I’m feeling frustrated with dds college. She’s ready to press go on her ucas form, but they still say they need to check the uni choices before she can. At the same time they aren’t communicating to them about it. She has a hectic few weeks coming up with a couple of big important events and she’s come down with a proper poorly cold. In her state I’d be staying at home, but she’s adamant she’s going in tomorrow.

I'd be frustrated by that too kitten.

Dd isn't anywhere near ready to press go on her form as her ps Is still in "note form" and not proper sentences and paragraphs. That's a half term job apparently.

I see what you mean kitten my post did mean knitting. Guess that now the forms are submitted she is able to relax a bit.
dd has had her careers interview and it has been suggested that she does some volunteering to boost her CV. She is having a trial in a local charity shop next weekend.

I’m hoping she can submit the form by the end of the week. She could submit anyway, but it’s better for her to have college approve things in case they suggest something different and she ends up kicking herself. Deadline is just under two weeks for oxbridge and that includes the college reference. Hurry up college.

I feel your pain Kitten, DD pressed submit nearly 2 weeks ago, and school still haven't finished their bit and sent it.
I suppose we just have to trust them but I'll feel much better once it's actually gone, as will DD.
Like you said, they still might come back with suggestions of changes so can't relax that it's 'done' yet.
Hope your dd feels better soon. I had a phonecall from school to pick dd2 up at lunchtime - she's got a rotten cold too. I think we're all ready for half term now! 6 weeks done, 3 to go - it's such a long term.

Kitten/knitting, it's nearly an anagram.

I'm not feeling that relaxed because although his form has gone off it doesn't include references. They need to be in by the end of the month and of course we're missing a week for half term. The saving grace is that there isn't a huge Oxbridge cohort so there shouldn't be a big workload of references at the moment. His tutor has known DS for three weeks so I suspect that this will be a joint production and possibly pass across the top bod's desk. DS has given the party pack to one referee and will take the other into college tomorrow. He then has to scan all his certificates and upload them and after that I think I'll relax.

What I'm finding stressful is that this is my production, for university admissions college issue a timetable and herd them along to the finish. With this we are paddling our own canoe, he's paddling and I'm steering.

Lobster that is a long term! Just done four weeks here.

for all. Won’t it be good when we can all breathe for a moment when applications are done and dusted.

Ds1 needs one week of work experience in a specific area booked in to add to his ucas form before he can send it. This is for one university, the rest are happy with what he has.
Unfortunately it is proving difficult as he keeps being told its for older/current university students only.
If he can't get it then that uni will be off the list! He will put a reserve choice instead.
Only a couple of weeks then the wait for interviews/offers begins.

anyone?

How frustrating LDR.

Yes please, don’t mind if I do.

LDR that must be really frustrating but if he has other good choices then it will be their loss. It's one thing asking to see some commitment and another to specify something that's not possible in all locations.

DS is chilled, I'm having nightmares at least once a week. Last week I dreamed that I woke up and started pottering about, glanced at the kitchen calendar and had a stomach churning moment where I realised that I'd lost a week and it was the week after the submission deadline. It felt so very, very real. I don't need professional help to interpret that dream or all the other variants on "DS relied on me and I screwed up and let him down". I've got a timeline on the kitchen door, have emailed DS and DH with details of what should happen just in case I fall under a bus, I don't know what else I can do to reassure my subconscious that DS and I have got this process nailed down.

knitting I can so relate to your 'own production...steering own canoe' metaphor! Accept I feel we're capsizing in our one right now! Can't even say the school are doing any bit of it! I was awake until 06.00am the other morning worrying about it all & I normally sleep like a log! Partly compounded by only now receiving DD's predicted grades!! As someone said upthread, if only you were competing on a level playing field too I cannot wait to hit that submit button & exhale again!