Thread 21 Corona Cohort - Nervous waiting, so frustrating

[Monkey2001]

Continuation of OrangeCinnamonCocktail's threads

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/a4354626-Corona-Cohort-Statements-Scripted-Grades-Predicted?msgid=111487286#111487286

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but I got an email from our school today saying next years A level results will be issued on 18th August. GCSEs will be 25th and the contingency date for exams is June 29th, has anyone else had the same dates?

The results dates are correct & have been published. Didn't take notice of the contingency.

Back again. And very relieved. The TSA information person got back to me having tracked down my DS’s registration for the test. Feel a bit of an arse for having doubts but I DO like to see evidence with my own eyes. So now I’ve got the proof in writing.

@Heifer we are in a similar position. Predicted AAB with B in Biology. (As in Psychology and Art). I did phone her top two choices and they both said the same thing. To apply anyway and they give dual offers. One for the MSci course and one for BSc course which is a lower offer. If she misses out on the MSci course, she can still get on the BSc course with those grades.

Thanks @BlueMarigold that is useful information, although I'm guessing could complicate things? Say someone applied for Firm for Msci where needed AAA but the Bsci needed AAB, but back up pick Masters was ok for AAB (like Nottingham) If they got AAB they could end up missing out on the Msci at Nottingham if their firm accepted them for the Bsci?

Just want to say a massive thanks to you on here. I was relunctant to email school to ask for an upgrade of Prediction as I know how much they hate it. They know the child and know their capabilities etc etc. But you made me realise it was worth a try.

I did and the grade has been upgraded to an A :-)

Iam sure it was because I explained that although we believed DD is capable of an A that wasn't the issue, it was to assist in applying for courses that actually needed a B, to give her the advantage of an offer and worse case scenario if she doesn't get the A she won't be without a place as most of the courses she wants to go to are asking for AAB but she will now be applying with A*AA which hopefully will give her an edge.

I also used some of the information @Monkey2001 posted re grade inflation for Biology and how things look for 2022 so thanks so much, I am sure it helped. Thank you for the push I needed. DD is very happy. It's now up to her to go and get that A.

@DeadlineLooming I don't blame you for wanting hard evidence - it's important. Glad it's now sorted and you can relax :-)

Sorry to hog (again) but I do have another question.

Would you expect to have a prediction for Core Maths? I've only just clocked it isn't listed. Does it go onto the Ucas form?

@Heifer

Thanks *@BlueMarigold* that is useful information, although I'm guessing could complicate things? Say someone applied for Firm for Msci where needed AAA but the Bsci needed AAB, but back up pick Masters was ok for AAB (like Nottingham) If they got AAB they could end up missing out on the Msci at Nottingham if their firm accepted them for the Bsci?

I see what you mean. I didn’t think of that scenario. They implied if you put them as your first choice they would take you anyway if you hit the grades for the BSc course. Once there, they can upgrade back to MSci if their grades are good enough.

It sounds like you don’t need to worry though! Well done for asking to change it to an A! My DD doesn’t want to change hers. The unis said to apply to MSci anyway even though they knew she had the B prediction.

Well done @Heifer always great to get a victory for your child!

On results day you can juggle, you would call the insurance which still offers the MSci and ask them to confirm the offer was still open, then call first choice and ask to be released from the accepted offer if they can't offer MSci. But hey, she may get AAA!

I don't think we have a prediction for EPQ, maybe Core Maths is the same.

Is anyone else going to Sussex on Saturday? We haven't had any joining info yet, when we booked we messed something up (email address) and asked for it to be changed, they emailed back on the 1st and said it was changed and that we would receive info in a week or so, which we haven't yet.

@Heifer that great news. Your DD will always remember this.

Great news on the Biology result Heifer!

Heifer Well done!

Well done, Heifer. You made an excellent point about it being about getting offers.

DD summoned up the courage to ask her teachers what her predicted grades are yesterday. In year 12, they were BBB and now they are AAB, with A in her degree subject, which has changed potential uni choices.
She looked at Birmingham for the first time yesterday and thinks it might knock Exeter out of the running. The next difficulty is finding courses with lower grades as her safer choices - English with film isn’t hugely common.

Piccolo lucky you have resident expert, Piggy, in Film/English to hand!

@Heifer

Sorry to hog (again) but I do have another question.

Would you expect to have a prediction for Core Maths? I've only just clocked it isn't listed. Does it go onto the Ucas form?

Heifer Good to see someone else is doing Core maths. DS is doing this as a private candidate. He got a prediction for his Core maths from the tutor and with agreement from school, it has gone on his UCAS form. Also it was listed, it's definitely on ds's UCAS form unless I've misunderstood what you meant.

Thanks @Shimy that was exactly what I meant. I've just emailed the school to check it will be listed (and what is the grade predicted).

Core Maths was the 1 subject I insisted that DD took, as I thought she may need to prove she was better than the grade 6 she was given in her GCSEs.

She has really enjoyed it - there were 4 on the course originally but each dropped out so just her and they have tailored it to suit her subjects apparently so all good.

It's another Mumsnet plus that I even knew about Core Maths and how useful it can be - the school kept it very quiet, but did agree to let her take it - the other original student were put on the course as they were taking pyschology and grade 5 and below in Maths but they only took it for a while. DD feelsl ike she has a free tutor. Good luck to your DS.

@Heifer ds1 (biology at university) did core maths alongside A levels. He has never been a greet mathematician, he was only allowed to do the foundation paper for gcse which he did find quite easy. His grade was a 5 which was as high as he could get. He said the core maths definitely helped him with the maths he's needed for biology degree. I think he may have dropped out of the core maths course had they been allowed. Most wanted to drop out. But the teacher wouldn't let them.

@heifer that’s great news that you’ve got her prediction changed. Always worth asking!

@Heifer Core maths is a great qualification. I also found out about yrs ago on MN. they don't offer it at ds's school, so he has been self studying for it with the help of a tutor and has really been enjoying it. Maths was always his weak point and so didn't choose it for A'Levels but he felt Core maths would be perfect. Wishing your ds all the very best too. Some universities also give some concessionary offers if you do Core maths e.g Bath.

That's great news Heifer

Eerily I ended up phoning Sussex to ask for the info in the end as hadn't heard - was told 2 weeks before the open day and I phoned up with 5 days to go. They said they were late sending out info and then I got it later that day. Worth a ring.

Eerily sorry meant to add that was re the 2nd Oct. Hope the weather is a lot better than it was when we went 🤞🤞We loved the Uni though.

Ugh, dd has just texted me from work experience to say that her OT's morning appointment was cancelled so she went out with a mental health nurse - and she's sure now that that's what she wants to do! Then she did a search and found that it opened up loads of other uni possibilities... So we need to check out Nottingham, Leicester, Leeds, Manchester! She definitely wants to apply to York as she knows the city well - and Southampton. I'm a bit concerned this is a sudden decision.. although to be fair I did feel like OT was my idea and she was never quite on board with it.

@crazycrofter that made me laugh! Frustrating to be back to the drawing board, but great that she has seen something to inspire her. Mental health is (sadly) a growing field and there are LOADS of courses available, which is good, but confusing.

@Heifer I misread your Core Maths question. I think it is normal for the DC to enter all qualifications as part of their bit. Then when they have done all their bits and pressed "pay and send" the school puts in the predictions and reference, then releases it from the centre account to UCAS. I meant that we didn't have a prediction for the EPQ, but DS put it in pending qualifications. Agree there is a lot of maths in Biology and Core maths is useful practical maths. Very lucky to have a class of 1, as long as she likes teacher!