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

DC1 has got two Oxford interviews as well! One in her applied college and one at a second one that hasn't really been on her radar but looks super. It only admits a tiny cohort from her program though. However, I suppose if they weren't truly potentially interested they wouldn't be interviewing her, right?

DC2 had a interview with a lovely family in Paris about a gap year as an au pair, and they seem to want to match with her, which is au pair speak for getting a job offer. But they have invited her to visit them before the formal match goes in. So we will do a weekend in France in December and she can see the living space and meet the children and also get to know the city a bit. She also has an interview next week through a different au pair agency with a family in Montreal, so we'll see if anything comes of that.

So both DC making progress towards the next steps. Exciting times!

Wow @temperedolivethat sounds amazing all round.

@hels71that’s great news is that all 5 in now?

@Countrylife2002congrats too. DD and I have caved with Stranger things leaving DS to catch up once mocks are over.

@ComingInByAnsibleI’m sorry to hear that it’s tough when they are used to being very high achievers.

DS UCAS form has gone in. AAB so that should get him a conditional offer from Leeds if not Newcastle.
PS isn't how I would have written it but he and his teachers are happy so it's fine.
Who knew you have to pay for it (not me obviously)

@gingercat02 I've not been allowed to read my DCs personal statement so goodness knows what it says. It was checked through by a teacher so can't be total tosh!

When you say pay do you mean pay for applying? I didn't know you had to pay - I haven't, so I am presuming his school has paid. How much was it?

1st set of mocks are done here. He thinks they went ok. But there was minimal revision done so I'm hoping the work ethic improves a bit. But now we're starting to get to the pointy end as it's TMUA revision now for Jan.

It has to be paid for when the student submits it to their school or college unless you get fee relief for various reasons
Can't see schools paying, I think it was 28.50! Debit card required at time of submission..

@SilverBlue56 I certainly haven't paid and my son has had an offer already so school must have done! (We're not FSM or anything similar) I'll have to ask DS.

£28.95 apparently

Ds paid it on his card and we refunded him.

Well done to those getting offers and interviews! DS’s gf has an interview at Oxford and we’re all very excited for her. In the meantime we’re three weeks past submission and school hasn’t looked at it. His friend who is applying for the same course as DS at the same universities has had his done and submitted properly by the school. 😑

@AuntyBulgaria we paid for DS’s application when he submitted it.

Have (online) parents evening tonight - keen to ask teachers why they feel there has been a wobble this first half term and what they feel DC needs to do next. He did say he'd had much better feedback on his project essay draft, so hopefully things are moving in right direction.

He's actually got a 3C offer from his favourite uni. MIL commented that she hoped this wouldn't demotivate DC to do well in A levels, which is ridiculous as DC will definitely want to do as well as he can regardless!

College haven’t submitted it yet but DD has completed her UCAS form, they need to attach results confirmation or something, dd impatient now, but they probably have about 2000 to submit so it will take a few days!

She seems to be ticking along okay, out with her friends today because college closed to U6 while they target set for L6.

She still hasn’t decided what she’s doing next year, apart from wanting to go to Reading Festival. I’m not allowed to mention next year, the state of her room or how far behind she is on her maths homework (not too far I think as we haven’t been asked to parents eve, which is invite only at her college).

Wow @wonderstuff - your dd must be at a massive college / school! Good job they’re giving themselves plenty of time to get through them all.

we’ve got parents evening next week - not invite only, it’s very much expected that we attend!

@bluefineliner how’s your dd feeling about her driving test?

Ds’s isn’t far away now and his instructor thinks he’s ready to sit it. We’ve been doing plenty of practice with him too and he really has come on over the last couple of weeks so we’ll keep everything crossed!

@Muchtoomuchtodo Good luck to your DS.

DD has her test a week today 😬. She is desperate to pass has had enough lessons and we've taken her out a lot. She can drive, I am comfortable next to her but it really will be down to luck on the day and her holding her nerve I think. She's done mock tests and failed them for things people do daily once they have their licence but you have to be perfect for that 30 mins. I keep telling her there is an element of luck that nothing bad happens on the day but that even if she fails, she will pass soon enough.

DD got a med interview at Leeds, her second one, which was lovely! It is early Jan and she has her first one at Newcastle next week (two days after her driving test urgh!) so will hopefully be a bit less nervous for Leeds.

Lots of offers coming through for DDs friends, very quickly after submitting UCAS. I feel like we are all running on adrenaline in our house for the foreseeable, Y13 is horrible for them!

Glad to see everyone else getting offers.

Did you get the answers you were looking for from parent’s evening @Echobelly? Great news on the 3 C offer!

Good luck to your DD @wonderstuff. I guess the staff must be good at reviewing PSs having so many to do!

Good luck for the driving test @bluefineliner! Fingers crossed for your DD.

DS has his test in February. He is not ready. We are going to get him a few driving lessons for Christmas. He just doesn’t give it any priority. He has also been laid up in bed with flu for a week. He has gone into school today, against my better judgement, but he is worried about how much he has missed. It’s been hard because I have had to stay away from him as I am immunocompromised and can’t afford to get an infection. He did get a priority doctor appointment as a result of my status, so there are some benefits (joke).

Like the pp we paid DS back for his UCAS fee.

Good luck to the DCs with up coming driving tests, it is usually the nerves that get to them. On DS's second test I stressed the importance of not letting the small mistakes get to them during the test and making sure to focus on getting the big things right. They can obsess over small errors which just makes them panic and make worse mistakes.

@wonderstuff, that sounds like a huge college - those poor staff having to wade through thousands of PSs!

@bluefineliner great news about the second interview!

@ventress I hope your DS feels better soon and that you manage to avoid catching it and all the other viruses going around at the moment.

Thanks @Ventress - teachers all seem very happy and think DC is back on track, but have some tips for staying there. History teacher has stopped setting quite so much work, so evidently complaints worked.

Lovely to hear all the progress on driving tests, UCAS applications & interviews.

@Muchtoomuchtodo good luck on the driving test same for @bluefineliner @JustHereWithMyPopcorn 🤞

Congrats on the interview @temperedolive exciting times!
@Echobelly wonderful news about the offer - & lovely parents evening comments😁

We're bobbling along here - DD has got Oxford interviews next week & to her utter delight an offer from UCL🥳. I'm still off work - will see my consultant in January, very tired which is rotten - but still managing to spend too much online Christmas😅

Two of DD'S medic pals both have one interview each one at Birmingham, one at Manchester which is a relief. Her dentistry friend not a peep yet - so fingers crossed soon🤞

Good luck to your DD as well, @GirlsInGreen! And congrats to her on the UCL offer!

First interview today!

Good luck to her @hels71

Congrats to all the others on more offers, interviews, driving tests and getting UCAS submitted. It sure is a busy time!

DS and DH both have flu and have been floored by it but hopefully on the mend now.

Good luck to your DD today @hels71

@GirlsInGreen Thank you, DS passed his test in May but he was super nervous on his first test and failed, I was just offering a bit of advice that helped him calm down for his second test. Well done to your DD on getting that Oxford interview and the offer from UCL. I have clearly missed a past post regarding you being off work, I hope you are OK?

So finally DS had his application reviewed yesterday, the only thing he needed to do was add his local authority on the form which we had both somehow missed. He has added this and it's back with the school to submit - hopefully today.

@Lalux hope you feel better soon, everyone seems laid up with it at the moment round here.

That's great @JustHereWithMyPopcorn - glad your son's form will finally be submitted and he can start collecting those offers!

Get well soon to your DH and DS @Lalux . DS has has flu and went back into school again yesterday. It has been horrible. DH and I both (fortunately) had flu jabs but DS had to miss his as it clashed with the orthodontist. We won't make that mistake again next year.

I would actually like it if DS was more worried about his driving test @JustHereWithMyPopcorn He's so laid back about it he's practically horizontal. I have told him that if he fails he will be arranging, and paying, for the next one.

Good luck to your DD today @hels71 !

That's great @Echobelly hopefully it sets your mind, and your sons, at rest.

Well done to all of those with interviews and offers recently! Coming in thick and fast now