Support thread for anyone applying through UCAS this year

[Lorelai]

Following on from a thread in chat I thought I would start this so that we can hold each others' hands through the UCAS process with all its challenges.

Who's with me?

Unless your DCs have spent the summer holidays agonising about their PS don't be surprised if it is thrown back in their face,at some stage, before the deadline. This will come as a complete shock to them! As they are used to being the best.

Bear in mind that the internal school deadline may well be mid September.

My DDs changed schools after GCSEs as no local provision. The new teachers won't have a clue what they are doing as extracurricular-get them to tell them.

Arghh, ds just announced he's seriously considering applying for a different course somewhere else. Will have to start again on his ps. And it leaves me thinking that he doesn't really have a clue what he wants to do either.

Yellowstone he ought to do well on the UKCAT given what you have said about his results but it is a bit unpredictable. Has he tried the online sample tests? There are books of questions you can try but the main one (600 UKCAT questions) is said to be harder than the exam. He doesn't know how well he'll do in the BMAT until he takes it, he might do better on UKCAT. Birmingham might be a good choice for him if his online tests aren't good, they like a lot of good GSCEs.

His school should be telling him this.

link for UKCAT practise www.ukcat.ac.uk/pages/details.aspx?page=practiceQuestions

I'll definitely get him to try a test tonight, in the garden shed, where it's quiet (the only place where it's quiet!). Thanks very much for the link. He's been rattled by two people with the same sort of GCSE's coming off badly, it's been a big surprise (and very big disappointment for them).

Birmingham is one of two constants on his list, an early offer would be great.

Re the UKCAT, DS1 assures me that he does not have to put his score on the UCAS form, but that the universities that he is applying to will contact the UKCAT people themselves and get the score. Is this accurate? It sounds very haphazard to me?
Yellowstone - he found the 600 questions book very helpful for working for the UKCAT and did quite well in it too. Completely credits the book with helping him there.

Well term started today and the first email came through within 3 hours telling me that they were worried ds had not given much thought to his PS or in fact anything to do with his UCAS application and attached some suggestions for open days. Ds returned home to say they were too in his face so he just kept saying dunno dunno dunno. Aaagh!

Have replied to the email saying that he has thought about various courses and has attended open days but just hates talking about the whole thing. Don't know if he's scared stiff at leaving home, doesn't want to go or just pissed off with people going on so is digging his heels in and being obstinate. Doesn't bode well

Marking my place and watching with interest. DD is preparing her PS atm, school want the applications off by October half term.

Hi, all. I'm an Oxbridge admissions tutor so am happy to help. Not in medicine, though :) I have a DS who will be doing all this next year so am also keen to hear how you all fare.

Yellowstone, re Bristol - in my subject (Humanities) they reduced their teaching hours a LOT. There were complaints in the press about history, despite an ostensibly stellar lineup. My niece applied there to do medicine year before last. She had 10 A* GCSE from a selective Glos state school, predicted 3 As, and didn't even get an interview. Again in my subject, they did quite a lot of upgrading of underperforming schools. If your dc is at a low-ranking state school s/he would have more chance, perhaps.

Thanks sieglinde, that chimes. Not great then, despite the gloss. No, the school isn't low-ranking either :(

Low ranking, think ours will qualify for this status. Any tips on which RG's will favour us .

Most RGs should take account of low-ranking schools, adamschic. No promises, though.

PS is nearly done and looking good imo, school is checking them over first and giving feedback. Has anyone's DC lodged theirs on the 'student room'?

DD had a look at this last night and is considering sending her final draft, just to compare it to schools recommendations. Not sure if it is secure though.

PS done and when copied into UCAS come out as too many lines, so there was some hasty editing. Be aware that UCAS lines may not match your word processing package. Don't think it's brilliantly written but they have a lot of good things to write about, it's how to phrase it that is the problem. Tried to get some help at school but couldn't find anyone.

The student room claims to have a specially secure arrangement. Haven't tried it though, time is short.

Count me in. DD has first draft of ps (just). Hoping to read History but although she got 4 A's at AS level some of her module grades were a B so she thinks her future is wrecked and no uni will have her.

She had wanted Durham, Exeter, Southampton, Nottingham, and ? but now realises she will have to put in a few insurance choices and is completely stuck as to where to go from here...............it is going to be a long time till halfterm!

Any advice would be gratefully received

mimimu, I don't understand why she is worried, she has A's overall so the B's won't matter. My DD did much worse than that and was pleased with her B's although she knows she will need one A.

Is she wanting to do medicine. What grades does she need for her course?

Also we haven't heard for definite whether AS levels will need to be reported for this year. It might not come in that quick, but am happy to be corrected on this. So it will go on predicted grades as usual.

Noooooooooooooo minimu, it's not all over!

DD's 1, 2 and 3 have all had B's in some modules, though like your DD, A's overall. They all got offers from Durham (one History, two Law). Suggest to her that she omits the module grades on the UCAS form. For Durham the declaration of module scores isn't mandatory yet. If any of her scores are spectacular, then the school reference will flag those up. Then try not to pick other unis where they demand the scores!

Durham is certainly keen on large numbers of A's at GCSE and one in History is vital (and now an A in History at A2, which is scary....).

DD2 got a B in one of her two History modules at AS but still got five out of five offers; don't worry, just sort the PS!

Thank you both for your experiences - we will crack on with the ps with more enthusiasm.

Anyone know if qualifications are entered in any particular order? UCAS Apply doesn't seem to tell you, it just tells you to pull down the menu. Should you start with GCSE or most recent, alphabetical or highest grades first?

You can put them in any order, it won't matter. DS put the ones he had already done first, in the order they were on the certificate, just because it was easy to transfer them. And then the ones he was currently sitting. But they won't mind what order you put them in.

UCAS sorts them automatically within each group (A2/ AS/ GCSE) chronologically (most recent first), then alphabetically. No choice!

thanks

DS has done his A2s. Does he need to put in his AS results in those sunjects. He has already included the one he dropped.

I think it depends on whether or not the ASs were certificated or not lazy. If he actually has got proper certificates for his ASs then I think they need to be entered separately even though they have now been superceeded. But it would be nice if someone who really knows can confirm this. Ds has not entered his AS levels (except the one he is not taking forward) as his school hasn't certificated them. He's just put the A2s on as 'pending'.

Re UCAS forms, is there anywhere on the form to communicate that the applicant is the first in their family to go to uni. I've heard that this info can be interesting in the admissions process. If not is it something to mention on the PS?