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’m sorry for your loss @GirlsInGreen. In time I’m sure your DD can appreciate her Oxford offer. It doesn’t have to be now or soon though. 💐

I hope your DS’s gf gets over her disappointment soon @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. It’s a great offer for your son though. I stupidly already thought he had the Bath offer. Apologies. I hope he can share it with his gf soon and she is happy for him. Where else is she looking?

We have heard nothing from DS so I’m assuming it’s a “no”.

Thats a great offer @wonderstuff. If she firms Liverpool what will she insure? An apprenticeship would be amazing but I know that they are very hard to get. As you say, if you don’t try, you don’t get.

@Ventress i think Reading, although we’ve not visited the campus yet, it’s not too far from where we live and I think she likes the idea of being able to come home and see the cats. She likes Brighton town, but I worry it won’t be the best fit as a university.

@Ventress no problem, its very hard to follow everybody's choices and offers and I certainly don't expect anyone to remember (I know I can't keep up with it all for sure!). She has two other offers in hand from good RGs but her heart is with Oxford.
Is your DS home now? I'm hoping you're all celebrating but if not then I hope it isn't upsetting him too much.

Aw @GirlsInGreen what a day for you all, I'm sorry about your mum. Hope DD can celebrate eventually when you have got through this sad time.

@wonderstuff congrats on the Liverpool offer, my DD has an interview there for med soon and really liked it at the open day.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn hope DS's gf puts it behind her as soon as she's ready. Congrats on the Bath offer for DS too.

@Ventress hope your DS is ok either way, he sounds very grounded.

DC had mocks last week - he was pretty happy with them, so hopefully they'll be encouraging.

Visiting Manchester Uni some point soon, I think - MIL is desperate for him to go there and not Goldsmiths, DH would much rather he went there, I'd slightly rather he went there, but it's his choice at the end of the day. He'd love Goldsmiths, I'm sire but he'll meet lots of people who are very like him but I think he'll meet a wider variety of people at Manchester and get a picture of life outside London, and he'd love that too.

No Oxford offer for DS. He isn’t surprised. He has muttered about maybe applying with grades in hand if the produces the three A Stars at a level. I don’t think he will though. I think he’s happy with Durham (which arrived very much on time) and , hopefully UCL.

I’m sorry about your son’s girlfriend @JustHereWithMyPopcornso hard when she has put all of her energy into the one route. I hope she is feeling better soon and can help your son celebrate his Bath offer. Hopefully she can enjoy the offers she has now too.

Best of luck for the Manchester visit @Echobelly. It sound like a great university, as does Reading @wonderstuff

That’s a shame @Ventress but glad he’s taken it in his stride. I was just discussing Oxford offers with DS, his school sends quite a lot to Oxbridge (state grammar) and it sounds like today was quite fraught with people finding out whether they had an offer or not, all on the same day. At least with most unis the offers come in dribs and drabs and are not quite so known to everyone else. Hope your DS’s girlfriend can bounce back quickly @JustHereWithMyPopcorn.

No offers yet for DS (a week since application was submitted) but hopefully after the deadline tomorrow things will start to move. You really just have to forget about it and become quite fatalistic, don’t you?!

@GirlsInGreen I’m very sorry to hear about your mum. Difficult time all round. Hope the funeral brought some comfort. And big congratulations to your DD, I hope she’s been able to feel quietly proud despite your sad day.

Thanks @MiniMidiMaxi. I spoke to DS this morning and apparently the school had 11 Oxford offers, which is far lower than usual. They have Cambridge still to come. It does seem to be quite haphazard as you say. No English/history offers at all, some economics and business/finance, maths and physics (though more have applied to Cambridge) and a few classics, RE and MFL.

I’m sure those offers will come through thick and fast for your son now that applications are closed.

Ah I'm sorry your DS didn't the the offer from Oxford @Ventress but as you say, he has excellent offers in hand and such a positive attitude that he will thrive anywhere I think.

@MiniMidiMaxi I think your DS will get a flurry of offers over the next week or two (unless its the usual late straggler universities who like to keep everyone hanging!) it is frustrating waiting though.

@Echobelly DS has an offer from Manchester, he really liked the city when he went but I think it's actually just a bit too far for him after all. He is so reluctant to go more than a certain travelling time distance from home. Can you remind me what your DC wants to study at Uni again?

And just as we were talking - his first offer is in - from Bristol. Good to have one on the table!

And a few hours later, another! He’s got his offer for Bath, his top choice - and although the main offer is the same as Bristol, AAA, they’ve said they’ll also accept AstarAB if the B is FMaths, which gives him some wriggle room. He’s chuffed!

Good to see the offers coming in for everyone! DS is waiting for two still. Other than Oxbridge I've not heard of any rejections either - though the chances increase now the deadline has passed.

Went to my last ever parents evening last night! I've never liked parents evening they always seem a bit of a waste of time to be honest, so I'm glad to see the back of them.

Each teacher said the same thing - has the potential to do well, but now needs to actually focus and do the work! It's been the same story throughout his schooling. For GCSEs he did minimal work and peaked at the right time. Let's hope he can do that again!

@AuntyBulgaria sounds like my youngest, I’ve potentially got my last parents evening tonight, as they are invite only at the 6th form college and I’ve not been invited to any for dd. I’ve a feeling DS (currently in y11) may be different though.

Thank you @JustHereWithMyPopcornI think ds only applied to Oxbridge because it was what friends were doing . He always said he hasn’t going to set his heart on it. Probably wise. How is your son’s gf doing? I hope your son is still excited about his Bath offer. Will he firm this?

Bristol and Bath offers already @MiniMidiMaxiand having that “wiggle room” with grades is helpful. I’m glad he is chuffed 😊

DS has heard from Durham asking for his college preferences. We had a look at them yesterday evening. I might hop over to the Durham freshers thread to try and find out more about how the college system works.

Last parents evening ! What an end of an era @AuntyBulgaria

Awful grammar sorry!

I’m ex Durham, @Ventress, as a student then I went back there to work in the business school for a while - although not recent, happy to chip in as best I can!

@Ventress GF is doing OK now I think but has decided to try again next year. I'm not sure that's the wisest thing but it's not my business so I will keep that myself. DS is very happy with his Bath offer but weirdly he still wants to hear from Imperial! 🙄 I think if Imperial were interested they'd have asked for an interview by now but again, I shall say nothing!

Haha, that's fab @MiniMidiMaxi two fantastic offers!

Ooh thanks @MiniMidiMaxi😊 the offer holder days are available now too so I have booked us hotel rooms for this. I’m looking forward to it and DS is too. He doesn’t need to submit the college preferences until after offer holder day which is handy.

Hmm, DS muttered about reapplying with grades in hand @JustHereWithMyPopcornbut I suspect that (like DS) once your DS’s gf has decided on her firm university she will get behind it -I do hope so. Is his gf waiting for Imperial too? She’ll be swept up by her friends and bf going to uni and won’t want to wait I expect. Biting our tongues is our way forward 😊

Oh no, not your DS too! I just worry about the disappointment if they don't get in the second time. 😔 GF didn't apply to Imperial, DS told me this afternoon he didn't want to there so I said well just ditch it and firm Bath but he said no, he'll wait to hear from them. Very odd.

DS got his Chemistry mock back, just missed an A* but he's still happy because he was top 5 in the year. Physics it'll probably be the other end of the scale!😂

I think it’s wise to wait to hear and not firm yet. There’s no rush and feelings may change when all the offers come in. Better to wait and see, it’s only January and no benefit to firming early.

I think it might be school/college giving these ideas about apply again with grades in hand if grades are maxed @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. I think perhaps it’s a platitude. I have brushed it off for DS. I think that they have given it their best shot . It’s not them , it’s the system. There are just more students than places and some are unfortunate. They will find their fit and their group and it’s not necessarily Oxbridge.

@pinkdelight- how is your dc doing?

well done to your son on his chemistry. That’s an excellent result @JustHereWithMyPopcorn
physics will be fine I’m sure 😊

I have booked three days for us at a hotel in Durham. DS can go to the holder day and DH and I can mooch about and maybe visit accommodation and things that he can’t fit it. It will be a long drive. About 6-7 hours I think but cheaper for three to drive in one car than get the train.

When is the offer day @Ventress? I don’t blame you for driving, DS and DH took the train to Manchester open day and even with DS’s railcard the cost was eye watering.

Yes, train travel seems to be super expensive.

The offer day is mid March @JustHereWithMyPopcorn. I was hoping it might be half term and we could go for the whole week but it was not to be. DS gets out of school at 2pm so we’ll head up straight from school and hopefully be there by late evening. I am feeling better but I still need regular rest so I’m using this as my excuse to tag on some additional time 😊 I do hope he likes Durham (fingers crossed). DS can try the train another time (apparently there is a rail replacement service for part of the offer holder weekend too which isn’t ideal).

There’s no rest in year 13 is there! It’s great to hear about offers coming in and plans coming together.

DS has got offers from Bath, Warwick and Manchester, waiting to hear from LSE and didn’t get an interview with Oxford.

He’s booked offer holder days at Warwick (he’s not been there at all yet) and Bath, but does need to hear when Manchester’s are as he didn’t get to their open days either. So far they’re both on a weekend or in the Easter holiday. The accommodation thing is a concern for us, it would be a shame for that to have too much influence over his final choices but there’s such a variation in costs at different places that it’s certainly something to consider carefully.

Mocks are done, awaiting results and before we know it it’ll be the real thing!

@Ventress several of DS's friends did the Durham open day and all loved it, I'm sure your DS will too. Taking the extra time seems very sensible to me, both to make the most of the visit and also to not over exert yourself. We have booked the Bath offer holders day so far which is at the end of the Feb. half term. I think he should go and have a look at Sheffield and Notts again (even though he knows Notts as a place due to big brother) just to see who he might want as insurance. Saying that, the offers from those three are the same (unless he firms Notts) so might be a case of trying to figure out which uni might be more lenient if he doesn't make his offer grades. 😬

@Muchtoomuchtodo good to hear about your DS's offers, fingers crossed for LSE although you're right about the costs being a deciding factor - I feel like university owned student accommodation should be equally priced across the country, DC shouldn't have to miss out on good universities because of rent. Good luck for the mock results.