Thread 22 Covid Cohort - Creeping towards the Future - Personal Statements and Interviews

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

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/4370509-Thread-21-Corona-Cohort-Nervous-waiting-so-frustrating
Role Call below
@20newnames / DS / Engineering
@Alsoplayspiccolo / DD / English + Film
@AnneofCleavage / DD / gap year? Primary Education
@BlueMarigold / DD / Biology
@crazycrofter / DD / Child (?) + Mental Health Nursing
@Decorhate / DS / Economics + Politics
@Delphigirl / DS / Oceanography
@DoggerelBank / DS / tbc sciencey
@ealingwestmum / DD / Middle Eastern and European Studies
@EerilyDisembodied / DS / History or Environmental Management
@estherfrewen / DS / History
@EwwSprouts / DS / Biology
@Fiddlersgreen / DS / Journalism
@Fruitygal / DD / Biology
@Hattifatteners / DD / Vet Med
@Heifer / DD / Biology
@Hopeful201 / DS / Medicine
@Horace123 / DS / Classics
@icanbewhatiwant / DS / History + Philosophy
@Isthisjustnormal / DS / Comp Sci
@KingscoteStaff / DD / Medicine
@mummabear74 / DD / Environmental Science
@mummyinbeds / DS / Law + French Law
@Nard75 / DS / Maths
@NCTDN / DD / Liberal Arts
@Oblomov21 / DS / Accountancy
@OrangeCinnamonCocktail / DD / Music (uni)
@PaddingtonPaddington / DD / Music (cons)
@Piggywaspushed / DS / Social sciences combo
@ProggyMat / DD / Classics
@SandyBayley / DD / Medicine
@Seeline / DD / Liberal Arts
@singingstones / DS / Neuroscience
@Wheresthebeach / DD / gap year? Marine Biology
@whoamitojudge / DD / Cabin crew training
@Zebracat / DD / Liberal Arts or Anthropology
@ZittiEBuoni / DD / applying next year

Greetings! Great news. Where is her offer from & what subject?

It's for Child nursing at York. I'm happy because she's autistic and life isn't always smooth. York is an hour by train from us so a good location. She may we'll choose to go somewhere else if she gets other offers!

Gosh, lots happening here! Well done offer holders!

@singingstones and @Alsoplayspiccolo I did not feel criticised, just felt it was worth checking!

Love the list update, thank you singing. And the steady rolling in of offers! I am also mindful that those who have not submitted their UCAS due to reasons including school holding it up must be feeling a little strange, but know it all evens out over the offer period into May , though hopefully we will hear from most well before then!

Loving updated list singing thank you. Well done to all offers.

I have enjoyed the parenting discussions. I still parent mine similarly though, even though Ds2 is a completely different child to Ds1. Hmm. Ponders.

@ealingwestmum yes I find it really annoying that Ds hasn't even started on his PS yet as school aren't sending in until January. It's ds's birthday next weekend. He's invited 9 friends round. So I shall ask then whether any of them have done PS's or whether it's just Ds. They will need collecting from the train station as they are all going to watch a football match. Ds obviously can't fit 10 in his car, so I'll get to chat to some while Ds is in his own car.

Nice opportunistic strategy Icanbe!

thanks for the list update, it's very helpful.

Great news on more offers - give it a few months and hopefully we will all have some to show.

Good plan re chatting to friends, I've learnt a lot over the years from DDs friends :-)

So lovely to see everyone’s offers! Although DS put in his UCAS a week ago the school still has it so nothing to report here I’m afraid.
He has driving test number 3… or 4…. I forget - later this week though so keep your fingers crossed for him please! I’m working away from home all week so I won’t be here for the build-up or triumph/despair

Congratulations on all the offers that came in yesterday afternoon and evening. It really helps confidence once they get an offer or two in DS1's case and for DS2 helped him actually consider working as there was a goal to aim for!

DDs form went into school over 3 weeks ago before school's deadline and they are still sitting on it. DD heard (3rd hand) that they are going to wait and send all together in 2 weeks!? Despite sending oxbridge etc off as and when kids submitted. Given 40-50 of the year group are applying for oxbridge and medicine etc this is hard for DD as they are getting offers from unis that are also her choices. DD attempted to speak to UCAS admin lady at school on Thursday and Friday but no joy so DD requested by text (we were shocked as we normally leave it to her - and she likes it that way) we send in an email asking if there is anything that needs to be done at her end before its sent? - soft prompt - (as officially the info re the 2 week delay could be wrong).Her 2 teachers that looked at the PS said to her 'have you had offers?' as they submitted references on 18th October so they are frustrated for her especially her Bio teacher who has taken a real interest in her as she wants to do Biological sciences. No response from head of sixth form on Friday but will follow up by Monday lunch time if no response. 6th form head is ?!? (a complete contrast to the subject teachers who are focussed, very driven and motivating and interested in the children).

@singingstones Thanks for the updated list!
@cariadambyth well done to your DD on her four offers! What Uni is waiting for an offer from to ‘complete the set’ ?

Oh it must be so frustrating waiting for school to send off your form, I can only sympathise with that but it truly does all even out in the end. I know it sounds rather exciting being one of the first to receive offers but they're all going to get their final results on the same date so it really doesn't matter and all applications will receive equal consideration.

@cariadambyth
I know someone who's in their final yr at Warwick studying History and they're loving it.

@Knickerthief1 Child nursing at York sounds excellent, I have a feeling she's really going to enjoy it there.

@ProggyMat we are now waiting on straight history at Warwick.
I’m trying to be pragmatic about it all, sometimes easier said than done! My nephew is a year older than ours, didn’t get into his first choice last August and was devastated. He ended up somewhere entirely different through Clearing and is having the time of his life there and wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m holding on to this and think they’ll all find ‘ their people ‘ wherever they end up. Remind me of these words in August!!

@cariadambyth That’s the best approach!
DD hasn’t visited any of her choices as yet, we’re planning on doing offer holder days once she has had all decisions, so the list of preferences may well be shuffled once done!
I agree, wherever they go they’ll ‘find their tribe’

If anyone else has been hanging around FE and HE fir a few years, do you feel there are fewer threads started about what certain universities are like? Maybe this is because certain posters always descended, suggesting completely different universities, or slagging off the one the thread is about, based on no evidence. But , once all that was filtered out, they were quite useful!

Congrats on the offers coming in. Exciting times.

We went to Plymouth yesterday (switched Portsmouth to Dec) and had a good time. DD didn't love it, but did like it. I think we expected to love it, so came away a bit flat but for no reason we can put a finger on.

We've had an issue with her UCAS application which went in on Friday. She got a 'thank you for applying to our Masters Course' email from Southampton. The codes for BA and Masters are 103 and 113 and she mixed them up. Southampton is her first choice so she's now in a bit of a state. She can't change it on UCAS, she has to email Southampton and she's afraid it will count against her. She was planning to apply for the Masters after her first year. The requirements for a Masters are a bit higher, but within her predicted grades. We're just worried if she has a mare at exams, and doesn't make the Masters offer, but would have made the BA offer she'll be beyond gutted.

Not sure what to do, I can't imagine it would count against her, but she's not sure. It would be emailing on Monday, when the application went in Friday afternoon.

Oh the stress!

Plymouth told us that they would make offers within a few days of getting the application - just wondering how common it is.

We also had the dyslexia support chat, and it sounds like once you apply for the disabled student allowance the support is amazing. Lots of software for voice activation, mind maps, monthly meetings with a specialist tutor if needed, help with everything seems great.

Didn't pp say all dc had a '2 week grace', to change UCAS once submitted? Or is it only school that can change it? Email to HoY and/or UCAS submitter today to ask for help?

Yes there is a two week grace period I believe, its more that she can't just change it herself that's upsetting her - emailing in feels like waving a big read 'I messed up flag'.

She will talk to HOY on Monday and ask the question about 'will it disadvantage me that I've changed my application'. I can't imagine it would, but you can imagine the emotion around it all.

Wheresthebeach The codes for BA and Masters are 103 and 113 and she mixed them up. Southampton is her first choice so she's now in a bit of a state. She can't change it on UCAS, she has to email Southampton and she's afraid it will count against her.

I've taken DS to two subject talks at other universities and they both said apply for master now, which as your DD's predicted grades cover it she may like to revisit? The university view was if you apply now you're on if you get the grades, if you decide to try to get on (and it usually seems to be at end of year 2) the spaces may already have gone. Also both said if you apply for masters they will give you a dual offer ie AAA for MSc and AAB, so you still get into BSc anyway if you drop a grade.

@Knickerthief1 York seems to be a popular university on here. DS applying there for biology.

@Wheresthebeach if the form went into UCAS in the last 14 days she can just log in and change a choice. There are lots of "do you really mean it" things in case she is worried.

@EwwSprouts oh that's great if she gets a BA offer too. That would solve everything.

@Monkey2001 - she's tried to change it on UCAS and get a message telling her she can't, and she must email Southampton.

@Wheresthebeach my understanding is that if you are thinking of applying for intergrated Masters at some point you should apply now. that way you are already applied for the extra year funding. I've seen a couple of videos from various unis (I think Nottingham & Bath) saying if you don't get an offer on Master you may on Bsc, but if you do get an offer on Masters but don't get the grades, as long as you get the grades for Bsc they will put you on that automatically.

I was too slow @EwwSprouts beat me to it :-)

@Delphigirl good luck to your DS. Has he had lots of cancellations or bad luck in tests? Hope he is not like my numpty and can find his provisional licence and theory test certificate!

@Wheresthebeach 🤞🤞they just offer both courses. You could try asking on TSR whether people with 2021 offers for the MSCi were offered both.