Thread 28 - Corona Cohort Awaiting Offers, Advance Notice, Gap Years and New Jobs

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

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 27 Here

Oh dear decor. How deflating. Manchester rejected me in 1923

What subject is it again?

I had ago at Globle. Love geography quizzes but the map and trying to zoom in was not my thing.

@Piggywaspushed It’s for Economics & Politics. I’m seeing several posts on The Student Room about applicants with very high predictions being rejected by Manc with the reason being given that their PS was not strong enough. I guess they have less places available than usual.

@Decorhate sorry to hear of the strange rejection, but good to hear that he is not bothered about it. I think Manchester was one of the ones which got burnt with over-recruitment last year.

Decorhate Glad your DS isn't that bothered by it, maybe they have a lot of places already taken up with last years' overflow. So hard to know.

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out what courses were in clearing last year?

@Decorhate sorry to hear about rejection from Manchester - know of 2 for physics for girls with AAA* and good PS so I wouldn't worry. Does he have all the rest of his offers?

Thanks all. @Fruitygal Still waiting to hear from Bristol who are notoriously slow. I think he’s fairly decided on Leeds anyway

@Decorhate I liked Leeds a lot but DD wasn't feeling it ?! I've heard Bristol is slow but DDs Maths tutor is doing his PhD there and was also an undergraduate there and loved it. We are hanging on in there for Durham so now the frustration.

Dd went to Leeds so Ds has been there a few times. Like her I think he wants a big city

Bristol is odd because ds1 applied there & got a very quick offer to our surprise but I think his subject is not as popular as others. His department had a lovely library which I was very taken with but the course wasn’t exactly what he wanted.

Sheffield tomorrow and potentially a decision on firm/insurance thereafter.

@Piggywaspushed snap ! Sheffield tomorrow - we are lucky course talk not until 11am so registration at 10am not too crazy a start time. Hope you have a better start time than you feared. Still waiting for answer from Durham either way but hoping tomorrow decides the order between York and Sheffield.

Ds is adamant he had not had anything about a Sheffield (or Leeds!) offer holder day yet

I phoned the dept yesterday who seemed alarmed central admissions hadn't sent info yet. They phoned them up and it appeared today!

Start time 10 am fruity. Ish.

@Wheresthebeach clearing places do change from year to year and this year will be a busy one as lots of last minute movements as it’s back to exams. Best way is looking the year before but that’s not helpful now. Student room have clearing pages. The photo below shows what’s not in clearing from last year. Will add the link to look further

@22Newnames no, I dont think DS' offer is contextual - it doesnt say so anyway. He does need the A in maths but that is the only detail - all his offers are the same!

Re clearing - I think it’s impossible to judge what this year will be like. Already obvious that there are less places available due to all the deferrals. I guess it depends what sort of place you are looking for. I’d predict a lot less available in Russell Group ones.

@Piggywaspushed That’s concerning. As Ds wants to do a joint degree I’m not sure which department he should contact to check. But I would have thought Politics might follow under the same umbrella as your Ds course.

DS is under the SMI so I think politics is separate... Will see what I can suss tomorrow.

Exeter and Warwick had clearing places for DDs chosen degree last year.
At that point in time I was checking for entrance grades to see if 2022 entrants would see a ‘hike in grade requirements’- if that makes sense?
Anyhoo, Exeter’s offer to DD for 2022 entrance was higher than their grade requirement for 2021…

Thanks @Piggywaspushed. I’ll try to get him to email or phone next week.

Nottingham are worrying me tbh - Couldn't log into their portal originally as code wasn't showing on our email attachments (blank), then again when resent, I had to find a fix around. Then today received an email saying DD hadn't attended the open day, did she want to book on another one - when she and DH has scanned in the QR code and registered. Also today received email to say that in original offer letter it may have said start date * when in fact it's ** (a week later).... Not a great start...

@ProggyMat I feel very sorry for this year’s applicants. They’ve never done a proper exam, lost more education in 2020 than other year groups, many courses have upped their entry requirements & who knows how they will fare in their A Levels. I feel more has been done to accommodate the previous two years.

@Decorhate when the ‘rug was pulled out from under our 2020 GCSE Corona Cohorts feet’ I articulated at the time that I’d much prefer DD to be in Yr13 rather than in Yr11- it didn’t go down too well..,
For me, this year, clearing won’t necessarily mean being able to pick up a place if a student slips a grade or two hence my nod to Exeter - if that makes sense?

Yes I agree. I think it’s more important than in previous years to have an insurance choice that they would definitely be happy to go to.