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?

A*AB Step 2(2)...

I think Maths suits DD because she knows it is just a question of practice, rather than being left to your own devices with essay based subjects. No fashion to it, I don't think...but perhaps there is which is why the offers are so high!

Congrats on the offer ucasfracas. I think Bath do give out high offers (DS got an offer A*AA for Engineering from them last year)

Look out for webwiz - her DD started a maths degree at Bath in October so I am sure she will have lots of really helpful advice.

Wow ucas - did I read that right? a 2 in STEP 2, not a 2 in any STEP? I thought outside Cambridge STEP offers were usually for STEP 1. Still it should be doable for a keen mathematician, so long as she does the practice. Is it her first choice? I know it's a very well regarded and popular course.

Ds's old maths teacher (retired last year) has suggested he does STEP even though his offer doesn't need it as it's a really good preparation for university maths, so it probably makes sense for universities to get their applicants to do it where they can without frightening too many off.

I agree there do seem to be a disproportionately large number of maths applicants on mumsnet, it is odd. Being nuts for maths is a really good reason to study it, it's a tough subject to do if you don't really love it.

Maybe we could share info on how to prepare for STEP. Past papers are all I know about atm, but I daresay there might be books on "How to pass STEP with flying colours".

gelatinous - you have read it right, but I may have written it wrong, it is all a bit of a mystery to me, I'll double check. Nuts about Maths? hmmmm

I don't think there's a convention about how it's written ucas so you're fine. I worry a bit that ds isn't nutty enough about maths to be honest, but he does have nutty moments, so I hope he'll be OK.

cassiddee The Siklos booklet here is the one everyone talks about for STEP preparation. I think there's another one somewhere for STEP 3. TSR has a maths forum where problems can be discussed too. I really think it's just a question of getting down to the problems and puzzling them out - the more you do the easier they get allegedly. Ds thinks the preparation plan for him & his friend (who has a STEP offer) is to try and do a paper a week, starting after these exams. I'm not sure I can add anything to that, my maths is mostly long forgotten.

Thanks, Gelatinous. We know someone who was interviewed by said Prof S. And got an offer.

Ds is resisting TSR. I may try to convert him now he's got his offer.

DD1s advice for STEP (she's in 1st year at Bath, currently madly revising for tomorrow's algebra exam) is to do lots and lots of past papers, and to start doing them as early as possible. She did both STEP 1 and 2 and got a 2 in both, but had to put in the hours. The biggest problem is that there doesn't seem to be a mark scheme, just a peculiar "hints" page, so it was hard for her to work out what they were actually looking for in the past papers. It's a very good preparation for uni level maths, especially if you carry on doing the questions over the summer.

Thanks very much for that, IShallWear. It's very useful to know all that practice has a longer term benefit as well; so it is worth doing. Can't really see it carrying on over the summer, though...

I've been giving online therapy about tomorrows Algebra exam Ishall DD2 is stressing a bit about it. DH managed to get 16% in a first year uni maths exam so hopefully she'll do better than that!

Congratulations to your DD for her offer ucasfracas and yes there do seem to be a lot of mathematicians around. DD2 just loves Maths and has done since she was about eight, she never really wanted to do anything else.

Apparantly it is 2 in any STEP which is better I think? Thanks for all the congrats and suggestions. Yes it is first choice, if she likes it when she visits. Fingers crossed she can keep up doing all those papers...

Much better, ucas; STEP 1 is a bit easier, or so I'm led to believe. I wonder if she'll take STEP 1 and 2, though, so she gets two bites of the cherry/two stabs at a grade 2.

Bath is such a beautiful city; I love it. You'll have to visit her lots.

I've noticed more Maths hopefuls around in RL and not only on MN. I also detect a healthy attitude of being proud to be a geek!

Could it be that Maths teaching is better these days? DD certainly had excellent Maths teachers.
Or perhaps the National Curriculum really works and the nation is reaping the benefit in the generation that has come through since its introduction.

Congratulations ucasfracas. Parental support has to be a factor too!

Amongst the Oxbridge/Durham worries...

We live in Scotland and DD decided not to try for any English/Welsh universities ('No, Mum, the fees are so horrendous,' She was adamant). Good candidate but not straight As. I have been wobbly ever since she made the application. Yesterday DD heard she had been offered an unconditional place at Aberdeen. Cue great excitement in TT Towers... Waiting to hear from three others but she's in!

Just wondering... Oxbridge comes across as the Holy Grail. Would like to hear how parents and DCs of those who are refused Oxbridge places cope and what others from the past have gone on to do. Is there lasting disappointment? Just interested to know.

ds1 has 2 mates both of whom were rejected following interviews from Oxford. The one who wanted to do PPE was/is distraught and has decided to take a year out even though he got offers from all his other choices, the other is very much oh well not to worry and is more than happy to do Engineering at Southampton. Very much depends on the individual I think.

I'd be interested to know too, as I AM an Oxford admissions tutor and this year had to reject some remarkably good kids. 40 interviews for 8 places - and that was just the ones we shortlisted... it was a Godawful year as virtually everyone interviewed fairly well.

The ONE thing I'm happy about is that we took more Access candidates than usual. Normally because we don't look at anything except very serious contextual stuff till a late stage - we have to keep to academic standards - we look at our final list and sometimes we then say 'oh god'. But this year we didn't. Which is nice.

Only one person applied from our state comp and got an offer. This person had parents who met there I believe, and has Oxbridge written all over them. Last year, the top student with 3A* and 2A failed to get a place. No wonder our kids don't bother applying. Slightly off topic, I know.

adamschic, that's really sad and horrible for them, and for us too, I think. Do you mind if I ask what subject the top student applied for?

"Would like to hear how parents and DCs of those who are refused Oxbridge places cope"
DS was a Cambridge reject but wasn't bothered as he hadn't set his heart on going there (had decided to cruise through A2s as he was pretty confident of getting the 3 As that were then the requirement of better universities without too much effort). Had he made the effort in the 6th Form and then been rejected he might have felt differently!

My DS didn't get an offer after his Oxford interview. He wasn't overly upset. He loves it where he is (London). But school and the other parents treat the Oxbridge offerees like Gods and the rest like shit from January onwards (Its that sort of school) and all the girls drop the Oxford rejects and suck up to the boys who get offers, and its been hard for him hearing how amazing it is from his dear sis mainly because previous to her going all that had come across from his ex mates (yes, the boys who get in drop their mates) was that the Oxford students get 5 times as many essays, which he was perfectly OK without, but now he hears about the amazing social time from his sis and is happy for her but has low self esteem.

So I'm all in favour of there being a balance of students from lots of different schools-I think its bad for a school to have a significant number of the year go to Oxbridge as it makes the rest of the year feel dumb.

That sounds awful, Funnyperson. Ds' school were brilliant, and gave a very rousing speech to everyone about how it's fantastic that so many had a shot at Oxbridge, and not to be deterred for a moment if they didn't get an offer, it's a mad competitive world, etc etc.

As a parent I have to say it all seems a bit random - the more intelligent of my DC didn't get the offer! Am just grateful that both are intelligent and that one is in! And wish I had yellowstone's magic formula!

I also think that the 'every college is the same' 'guidance' should be dropped as I feel it is misleading.

I think it is a great big gamble, tbh. If the child does get an offer, you think, good thing he did try for it after all. If not, tempted to think: wish we'd never psyched him up to have a go. This time last year we were working on ds to persuade him to even consider it. We were very careful to big up the other unis on his list, though.

Cassidee it was awful, and very glad I am he that is out of it, but looking back it was a silly sort of hyped up boys school right from the start, otherwise the sort of speech you mention would have been given to everyone. Maybe if DS had got in I would feel differently. But it was always a bit disorganised and odd there. The boys who get in are actually very subject specific, reflecting the commitment of some teachers.