Year 13 -2025/26 - Support, discussion and looking after each other (new thread from y12)

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Hello
I have started a new thread following on from this one
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/5340007-year-12-202425-support-discussion-and-looking-after-each-other-thread-2?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

I am a bit confused about offer holder days and how that all works. DD is lucky to have four offers so far but I don't think she has any info on offer days (unless she just hasn't mentioned it!). Do you think offer holder days generally fall on the same weekends for most unis (as a lot of uni open days did)? It's just she's stuck between two and it would be good to go both if possible.

@MamOfTwo some universities already have information about offer holder days on their websites.

@MamOfTwo The Edinburgh offer-holder day DD had an email about today isn’t on a weekend - 22 April is a Wednesday. I think for some unis you get offered a choice of days for your subject.

7 weeks @ArchitectureMum ?! 😮 I'm more antsy about if they want him to change his personal statement as I'd rather get that sorted ASAP if it needs doing.

Now that DS has his predictions and has submitted his UCAS I think he started to feel like that was it and he could relax. Far from it!

He has to now get offers - which is not a given, considering some of the aspirational choices he has put down. Then actually achieve the required grades which are high. He is in the middle of his mocks and is taking a relatively relaxed approach to revision but at least these cannot affect his predictions!

So much could still go wrong!

Just a little update from us, after what has seemed like an eternity of waiting DD got an interview for med at Newcastle today. It is in December so not too long to prepare but she is delighted to actually hear something at last. Newcastle is her favourite too so hoping it goes ok. Still 3 more to hear from but they may not contact for another few weeks. Urgh the waiting is painful!

Great that others have those offers coming through now.

Oh that’s great, @bluefineliner, especially as it’s her favourite! Congratulations to her and fingers crossed for the interview!

That’s wonderful news @bluefineliner! Having only a few weeks to prepare does mean only a few short weeks to worry 😊 I’m sure she will do well though.

I hope mocks are going well @AuntyBulgaria🤞 Personally I think these mocks are so the teachers can stand in front of the students and tell them they must do more work! I remember my entire class getting E’s in our literature mock and the teacher standing in front of us crying. We all did fine in the real thing but it did give us a collective boot up the behind.

Great news @bluefineliner . What do interviews for med school look like? Does she need to go in person or is it online?

When are everyone else’s mocks? Ds’s are straight after Christmas.

Fantastic news @bluefinelinermust be a great feeling to have one confirmed and before Christmas.

That’s great news @bluefineliner has her school done practice interviews with her?

Oh great news @bluefineliner ! I dont thonk any of DD medic friends have invites yet. Nerves are shot, poor things.

Well done to all those interviews, and fingers crossed xx DD has now also got an interview at her third choice, an email from her first choice saying her application was being processed and they would be in contact about an interview soon...

Oh very exciting for those getting offers. Still waiting for UCAS completion here.
We are meant to be going to Sheffield Hallam open day tomorrow but DS is trying to duck out. He says its his last choice and he has no intention of going. Blooming kids!
I have said he may not have the luxury of choice. My bff daughter was a straight A student all her school life, ended up with 3 Cs and is at Hallam, her last choice.

@Muchtoomuchtodo All 4 choices do MMI (multiple mini interviews) stations, 3 are in person, one would be online. So we have trip to Newcastle now but it is a lovely city so we can enjoy whilst DD has the interview stress. DD has her mocks second week in Jan so a busy revision period over xmas.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn her school have been great so far. She did one day of MMI mocks when they partnered with another school and interviewed the other's students. That was very helpful. Then she has some one to one zoom interviews lined up with previous med students and a doctor who has volunteered.

Any other interviews would be in Jan/Feb so she can just focus on this one for now.

@GirlsInGreen it has definitely been as stressful as we were warned before applying! Hope your DDs friends get their interviews soon.

@gingercat02 same here. 😕

@bluefineliner thats great news, hopefully she’ll be well prepared.

@hels71 great news for your DD too!

On our way home, everyone agrees that was a useful day out, despite the grim weather

DS' mocks are straight after the Christmas break too @Muchtoomuchtodo although he's been having mini tests in all subjects since half term.

DS text earlier as he got the best score in his Econ class in the mini-macro test. I'm thrilled for him as it's his weakest subject so he's always nervous ahead of Econ tests so this will be a confidence builder.

Good news @hels71!

I'm glad that the Sheffield Hallam open day was good, despite the weather!

Any more open days on the horizon for anyone?

DS is tired today. He and DH went to see Radiohead last night and didn't get home until nearly 1am. DS is glad there are no mini-tests for him today!

As offers start to trickle in, I am just wondering about offer holder days. I was only intending on DS going to the couple he didn't visit to determine which he puts down as an insurance.

(That is of course if he gets enough offers to allow him to be picky!)

Congratulations to all that have received offers.
DS has started getting results back C In Geography just missed a B still it finished his NEA not convinced on what he is doing but got to leave him to it. Business has said most of them dropped a grade oh dear.

DS got rejected from Oxford PPE today. Was always a very long shot but he is disappointed, bless him.

Not sure about offer holder days @AuntyBulgaria . I’d quite like DS to attend them but only if they don’t impact his A levels.

@Tebheagi think they tend to drop a grade on mocks to keep them working and give something to aim for. I’m sure your son will bounce back from this.

I’m sorry @ComingInByAnsible. How is your son taking it? It’s always such a lottery with Oxbridge interviews. DS hasn’t heard yet. Or hasn’t told us perhaps. I hope your son isn’t too disappointed. There is way more to life than Oxbridge after all. Where else has he applied to ? sorry I know you’ve said already but I’m on phone and finding it difficult to scroll).

DD has an interview at her first choice on December 9th! She is very excited, although it is the day after she returns from a 4 day trip to France!!

DD also has Oxford interviews.

does anyone here know about EPQs? DD is behind on it and is insistent she has to hand in first draft by end of term as school deadline is then, but she also has to prepare for these Oxford interviews which are spread out over a week - and she could get more the last week of term so that basically eats up most of her time left. I can’t see how she can meet the epq deadline as she has to prioritise interview prep now. She says if she misses deadline for a completed first draft she will be docked marks for lack of time management? This seems like madness to me - she could easily finish it over the hols? anyone else in this situation? I’ve told her to speak to her school as she can’t be the first … (I thought she was mad to do an epq in the first place but then I’m not as ambitious as her!)

Me and ds are both a bit astounded by this crazy nerdy hardworking girl in our house atm!! And we’re having to wait to xmas to watch stranger things as a result too 😡