Year 13 2026/2027: Support Thread 1

[QueenMabby]

Sorry - I was not on it on getting new thread open. I hope you all find this one! I’ve updated the
year as we’re basically at the end of year 12 now. Scary!

@waitingquietly are there any other assessments coming up that might help to convince teachers on his predicted grades?

I agree too on the admissions tests, I hadn’t realised until speaking to the mum of DS’s friend applying for medicine that they did it earlier and knew the score. Though I guess it is much more fundamental for medicine whereas ESAT only influences one of DS’s choices.

For LNAT there are two parts to the test, one multiple choice where they could give the candidates the scores straight away and another being a 40 minute essay. Apparently different unis value different parts of the test more than others. DD has friends who got into Oxford but not Durham which I suspect (some assumptions) means Oxford look at the essay more closely.
But at the end of the day, most top law firms want graduates from top unis and the top unis want to take their pick and for as many kids to apply as possible. And by not telling their score they still apply and possibly waste an application.

Medicine is even more competitve and DDs friends have adjusted their choices following UCAT to realistic options.
Unis are somewhat screwing law students over as many won’t get a job in law (far too many applicants) and they should give them their LNAT scores. That would be the right thing to do.

Just joining the thread for some moral support. DD has high expectations of herself and its causing her a huge amount of anxiety and stress and no amount of talking or support seems to be helping at the moment. College are being very helpful though which is a bonus.

She is currently v.v. stressed about her NEA for her english lit/lang but has finished her personal statement.

Sorry to hear that @TravellingSpoon - maybe because there are 2 pressures in quick succession with no recovery time? Can she take some proper time off doing something completely different at half term to gain some perspective? It is good to hear that her College are being helpful though.
My DD has several friends experiencing difficulties and stresses and the anxiety/mental health issues peak at 17-19 so it can be a difficult time period for many. I hope your DD feels better soon.

The other thing I would say is that it can be helpful talking to College as a parent too just so all adults are on the same page, giving the same reassuring message to the YP so it eventually sinks in that no amount of achievement is worth your mental health/overall peace of mind - there is a cost to everything and as long as you put in a reasonable amount of effort that should always be enough.

Mine is finding year 13 a bit overwhelming- they are on/ off with their girlfriend and is very emotional . I’m not sure how much they’re focusing on their work to be honest. This is a new one for me and I just want to support them but at the same time encourage them to be do their best 😔

We couldn’t go to Durham open day as dh and I were away much to ds’s fury. It wasn’t on his radar when we booked our trip. So we are going to Birmingham open day this coming Saturday. Warwick open day 2 weeks later, then the day after Warwick we will drive to Durham on the Sunday, on the Monday we are doing the discover Durham tour then home again, it’s too far in a day, about 5.5-6 hours drive. I also emailed the physics department to ask if we can look round that. They said we can. So that will be 3 universities viewed. I don’t think he has any other preferences. He’s not even started on his personal statement stuff. He went to a physics thing at Oxford university on Friday. I still wish he’d considered Oxbridge again. But he won’t change his mind, it’s too late now anyway. I think Durham is a good choice, but he may not get an offer. I have read they don’t always send offers until April. So it could be a long wait.

Dd is also a bit wobbly albeit with workload and other commitments rather than relationship stuff. It’s a tricky time. Year 13 is so hard and goes so fast with a massive life transition on the horizon for them. I’m sure there will be lots of ups and downs. I hope your dc is ok.

dd has four tests, the senior maths challenge and two music concerts this week along with her little job (just an hour or two a week) and play rehearsals. She’s spent all today so far on revision including about four hours of maths. It’s a lot.

DD really liked Leeds Uni yesterday and the fact there is a Westminster programme as part of the Politics degree so it would be 4 years with a third year working with an MP. Going back to Sheffield again and also looking at Glasgow and Manchester (would be the local option). We are getting a few emotional outbursts that I’m putting down to stress and hormones.

DD also prone to outbursts and arguments at the moment, not helped by being put ‘on hold’ by Bristol Uni today. She got her UCAS application in last week and one other girl at school has already had offer from Bristol so it’s a disappointment for her (the other girl is stellar though and she can accept that). There isn’t much you can say, it’s a horrible feeling and we just have to sit with it, as it will take a while to change I expect. Very disruptive!

She’s gone for a shower now and then needs to work on more ESAT practice - not the most motivating start to the evening.

Hope everyone else is having a good day.

I think it's a pressure cooker right now for them. DD hasn't even got her ucas in yet and it's due fo the 15th.

Lots of stress - boarding not helping. Yesterday she was very jumpy on the phone. It's still far longer than I would like til half term.

Agree there’s lots going on for them at the moment and lots of pressure.

@BreakfastClub80 is that for engineering? I’m expecting DS to end up with the same, I’m wondering if it’s even worth him putting it as his 5th choice as it’s the one he is least bothered about anyway. Hope she gets an offer from somewhere else soon.

DS has another meeting on Thursday about his UCAS, I ‘m hoping it will just get submitted then.

@Eccle80 yes, mech eng. someone on another thread said Bristol only offer straight off to the absolute top grades so we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s so hard to trust the process as so many have great grades. But I’m trying to!

Where is your DS applying?

@cashquestions totally agree, half term can’t come soon enough. Hope your DD gets a good break at home then.

@BreakfastClub80 he’s applying to Cambridge, Southampton, Nottingham, Sheffield and Bristol, for aerospace engineering at the non Cambridge ones. We think his GCSEs will probably mean he gets the on hold from Bristol.

@Eccle80 my DS is going to have a very similar set to your DS - also aerospace eng. DIdn't want Cambridge because it's not aerospace from the start and has ruled out Imperial because he doesn't fancy sharing a room in halls or commuting on the tube. So, we'll have the same list except he might put Bath or possibly Newcastle if the school insist on a lower grade 'back up'. His first choice at the moment is Sheffield, but we are off to look at Bristol, Bath and Southampton this weekend.

@otherthoughtssareavailable hope the open days go well at the weekend. He didn’t want London so didn’t look at Imperial, and had considered Bath but we couldn’t make the open day and a friend of his who went wasn’t that keen. He looked at and really liked Swansea, but thought he could probably get that through clearing if necessary, and had some reservations about the location of the campus. We both thought Southampton had the best course.

@Eccle80 I'm hoping he doesn't like Southampton too much as it is a 5+ hour drive from us!

Ah, yes that could be a downside to it! Hopefully his favourite will be one a bit closer!

Dd has had her first uni offer. York. It’s offering AAB but ABB apparently if she completes a MOOC (whatever that is!). They say there’s a letter about it to follow.

Excited to hear about offers coming through. So far I’ve seen York, Sheffield and Bristol. Any others? My child only submitted yesterday so I’m trying to stay calm and not annoy them by asking!

a MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course @QueenMabby - like some online webinars and questionnaires. My older one did one on diabetes in children for her nursing UCAS. They're usually free...

Excellent. Thank you. Probably worth dd doing that for a lower offer level then.
Senior maths challenge is today. Good luck to all DCs doing it.

Presumably the universities know that those applying now are Oxbridge applicants. Does anyone not applying to Oxbridge submit this early? Ds hasn’t even started on his PS yet. I feel relieved now that he isn’t applying to Oxbridge, I’ve read so much on Facebook about dc’s with all 9’s at gcse and all A* predictions for A level still not getting an interview. So I don’t think Ds would have had an offer.

Good to hear some offers are coming through, it feel a bit stressful nowadays, completely different to my day. Maybe I’ve blocked it out!

I think our school is trying to get all the applications in before Christmas but I’m sure there will be some who aren’t ready. I’m sure all unis hold places back for the “all equal offer day” (or whatever it’s called), and in the end there are only so many applying to Oxbridge etc. It seems to work out for almost all….