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

@Heifer Sorry you are not feeling any better, that sounds pretty rough. I shall feedback!

Hi all,
Ds received an offer from Leeds yesterday (AAA).
He also heard from Bristol- annoyingly his “application is on hold”. The email stated that Economics & Politics was very over subscribed and whilst he “met the entry requirements for an offer, they were unable to make a final decision” at this point 😬
Ds seems chilled about it (Bristol is his favourite). I think it helped that his friend from school received the same email.
He has another mock today.
Dd still ill with covid & stressing about missing school (she is the opposite about her brother in terms of chill factor when it comes to anything relating to their education).

Bristol did this a lot last year iirc!

Congrats on the Leeds offer though.

Can anyone tell me what the app is that helps with rebooking driving tests? When DS tries to do it through the DVLA it's as if our test centre doesn't even exist. DS found an app but it's £18!

Well done on the offer @scabby1. I understand the frustration of waiting for Bristol, we are still waiting for Bath, Durham and Warwick 😬

Congrats scabby!

Thanks @ Piggwaspushed.
It’s not only annoying, but also a bit off putting.

Thanks @ 22Newnames. How frustrating for you!

I'd find it off putting too. Not sure it's the best recruitment strategy. DS wasn't hugely interested in Bristol, Warwick or Durham but they were on his radar and I must admit I discouraged him a bit . I wouldn't have if he'd been mad keen but as borderline choices they went in part because of this. It comes across as a bit arrogant.

[quote EwwSprouts]@Heifer Sorry you are not feeling any better, that sounds pretty rough. I shall feedback![/quote]
Thanks Eww. DD has now decided she doesn't want to go today afterall! After a long chat I've agreed to ok to miss it - bottom line is that she can't really be bothered, but does feel as though has already visited it's not necessary and that she would be happy to go there as insurance and maybe even firm once she looks at everything online again. I asked what if she had visited and decided she didn't like the Biology unit etc and she said that she didn;t really like Nottingham but knows she would probably feel like that about everywhere :-) She is right, she is the kind of person that finds fault. She also pointed out that we have already done more than most by visiting both during the summer).... It's her choice and at least it's not that she can't be bothered and thats it - she has thought about it at least and reasoned that she doesn't need to go when she doesn't feel like it.. She has instead gone off swimming coaching/helping again so better than lying in bed. DH is relieved he doesn't have to spend the whole day off again when he is already so busy. In fact he is still in bed ;-)

I am just disappointed I don''t get the whole day to myself afterall...

Well done Scabby on the offer, hope you don't have to wait too much longer.

Goods news about the Leeds offer @scabby1.

That makes sense @Heifer, but it does mean making decisions is quite hard. I feel we maybe shot ourselves in the foot by booking a Feb offer day for Southampton. However much you try not to let it, viewing somewhere in the freezing cold and rain impacts your impression of the place! Dd feels Southampton is best on paper, but she's not sure it really jumped out at her, so she definitely wants to keep Nottingham in the mix as well as York.

I think the Bristol policy of sifting through all applications and putting on hold off they meet requirements and rejecting if they don't makes sense. The academics presumably then go through them and offers are made to the candidates with the best for for the course. I think it is helpful to know whether you have made it through the first gate.

Morning all, we've had some UCAS news, York have rejected on the grounds of basically 'we've had millions of applications this year and with higher grades than you'. I know that law is competitive but it seems to me that this cohort are battling against last year's grades for unrealistic targets. Luckily York is last on his preference list but still a bit disappointing.

@Piggywaspushed We have been using the Testi app - it wasn't free but I'm afraid I can't remember what it cost. There was a one off payment and we have it on 3 of our phones and there isn't a charge to use it. Top tip - new tests seem to be released at around 6am every Monday. We managed to change DS's test but you have to really pounce as soon as you get notified that there are slots available at your chosen test centres. Good luck!

Sorry to hear your news Justhere, and the reasons for no offer.

Apologies to all for the absence, but I have been reading all. And take comfort that many of you, like we, are going circular on what to accept/decline. Well done to those pressing firm buttons!

DD did get a Durham offer this week Singing (for next new release of statuses) but we may be holding on till the 11th hour before knowing where she may go. I guess in my head, I am reconciling all this hedging with the fact that UK offers are conditional to most anyway, so there will be others that may change direction in August too, be it clearing/adjustment, deferring etc.

That's true, ealing, the vast majority don't know where they're going until results day, and even after that it's a moveable feast for many.

We are at Nottingham today, weather is gorgeous so we are lucky. DS decided he wanted to do things by himself (fair enough) so I am having coffee in the SU and looking at the lake. Part of me wishes I had brought some work to do and part of me is glad I didn't!

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn sorry to hear about York, a good thing it wasn't his top choice but it still feels rubbish.

The combination of gap year applicants with inflated grades and the fact that universities are worried about over offering because the grades are going to be inflated again this year, so are probably still cutting down offer numbers is squeezing offers from both sides. That is why I advocated making several aspirational choices this year and leaving the lower grade offers for Clearing as there will be opportunities there.

Congrats on the offers for Leeds @scabby1 & Durham @ealingwestmum and very sorry about York @JustHereWithMyPopcorn . Disappointing but at least it wasn’t his top choice, if that’s any consolation. It is rubbish for them 😢
Good to hear from the ones pushing the buttons though & making decisions.
DS has his mocks this week. Still a deafening silence from St Andrews, Edinburgh & Durham for us though. He’s very chilled about it thankfully.
Enjoy your day in Notts @singingstones. At least it’s not raining!
@Piggywaspushed we used dtcuk.co (Driving Test Cancellations UK. Booked a test anywhere on the govt website then used these people to get you in earlier to your preferred centre. Cost £30 only once you’d accepted the new date they offer

Enjoy the time out Singing. I may just be the only one on here that has a DC that has never done a formal uni visit (nor have her parents). I know how ridiculous this reads, and feel pretty low about how this has happened, but there just never seems to be the time nor inclination for her to do so.

@Piggywaspushed we used driving test now. On auto book. Otherwise tests go by the time they message with a slot and you open up to look it's gone. So I selected dates and times, then it auto booked. It was £15 for the app. You need a test booked first though.

Piggy, used Driving test cancellations now. Was good. Worth it.

@ealingwestmum don’t feel bad! She obviously isn’t too bothered herself, and remember how many kids went to unis without visiting last year because of lockdowns.

Thank you for info guys!

Sorry to hear about York just.

I am sulking because DS doesn't want to go on applicant day at Birmingham (although he told me he did, then told DH he didn't , so...) I must admit it's more because I want to go!

@Piggywaspushed - they just don't seem to get that it's all about us ;-)

@ealingwestmum - don't feel bad, DD tells me that she doesn't know that many people that have visited. MN isn't very often (never) a true representation of anything really :-)

@Fruitygal did you manage to speak to your friend about Nottingham accommodation process? don't worry if not