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?

AFAIK school haven't given her confirmation of predictions. Maybe AAB.

She has mentioned waiting for results and reviewing it then. UCAS form hasn't gone in yet. Might be worth doing some more research and phoning up. Thanks.

Adamschic, i think it is cardiff that has a medical track for biomed students. If you do well enough in year 1 and 2 you take extra modules and get sort of fasttracked into graduate medicine. Sussex also gives the opportunity to move form biomed to medicine once in.

Agree strongly that the science course unis will assume that this is a med applicant using her fifth choice sensibly. This doesn't seem to prejudice them. They must be used to it.

Apart from the UCAS fee, I can't see any point in not testing the ground this year. I'd pay the fee out of curiosity and because it's very useful groundwork for the following year.

adamschic a good friend of DD3 had less good GCSE's than your DD but from a better school as well as the same predictions at A2 and got an offer for Medicine for 2011. It was from one of the med schools that funnyperson recommended.

I've read what you've said on a number of threads and it doesn't sound like your DD didn't make the grade so much as her school. We happen to live next door to a very good school without which my DS wouldn't have his grades. It's a lottery which should be ironed out as far as possible at this tertiary stage.

Thank you to everyone for your support. You have no idea how valuable it's been. I will report back but the next couple of weeks are going to be very busy with a few changes to be made .

adamschic I'm so glad you are re-thinking. This is far from being a basket case!
It's far too soon to write off her chances. DD was in precisely the same situation at this stage with AAB. She pulled up that B and, as of this week, she's a 2nd year medic.

I too think your DD should test the water this year and re-do that PS.

Keep us updated.

Anyone know anything about Hull Uni? Scarborough campus in particular?

Ds1 applying for English Lit which needs BBB-BBC but doing the same course at the Scarborough campus minus the American literature bit (although you can still choose Am Lit modules) requires only CCC. Would have thought being by the seaside at Scarborough would be nicer than inner city Hull for the same degree. Can't imagine it so bad that no-one wants to go there so they have to drop the requirements to fill the spaces? Or is it?

I've heard good things about Scarborough .
Brainy peer of DS had it as an insurance choice ,but went to Manchester .
It'll be the geographical location ,bit out on a limb ,that lowers the offer I think .

Invitation to interview which is very exciting! (even if they interview most). But I don't think he's ready for one yet, barely started his EP, let's hope they skim read his PS.

Well, my DS has submitted his UCAS with 4 choices - he is visiting St Andrews in a couple of weeks, so will make his final choice (between that and Edinburgh) and add it later.

Getting the PS to fit was a complete PITA - he tweaked it in word so that it was exactly 4000 characters, but when he pasted it into the UCAS form it was still too long, and some of the paras merged together, which didn't really read right. We tweaked a bit more yesterday (him in the library at school; me offering advice and shorted words on the phone at work!)

He wants to study Maths; good grade predictions but he is putting down a couple of Scottish unis (we are in England) and I am just a bit concerned that Edinburgh in particular may discriminate against English students...oh, that and the 4 YEARS of £9K tuition fees!

I think the 2012 application process will be a great unknown....logic says that the tuition fees will deter many, but I heard on the radio that universities were saying that recent open days had been better attended than ever before. Interesting to see how this will pan out for our DCs.

Just wanted to drop by to wish all of you and your DCs the best of luck with the application/interview/offer process. Dunno if there are any parents whose DCs want to go to Newcastle and/or study politics, but if so my DD might be able to answer the odd question as she's just started her course.

Is that B'ham, yellowstone?
His PS is probably still burned into his memory but it's still worth re-reading it the night before because they are likely to ask him about something in it.
Best of luck to him.

I'm just home from delivering DD for 2nd year. Somehow it was harder this time!

Yes it is unitarian. I'm really pleased but I think he'll be unprepared, it's much earlier than we thought it might be, and coming up fast!

Thanks.

I'm off on Sunday with DD2 and DD3 and I'll be very glad to shift the boxes out of the way so that I can exit the front door without vaulting (and re-gain the bathroom).

eatyourveg
Scarborough campus is small and quite a number of students are doing the foundation year of courses and may then move onto Hull.
Hull University is on the outskirts of the town and the campus is quite pleasant. The 1st year accommodation is further out in Cottingham, a suburban village.
DS2 is at Hull and only goes into town to catch trains home!

Yellowstone, already? Wow. I'm still lurking but DD is having a bit of a nightmare (and me) with all this UCAS stuff. She is aiming to make a decision by end of next week. I will be happy if she gets one offer from anywhere to do anything .

I expect his is the only one on their desk atm adamschic. Come the 15th, they'll be swamped. It's too early actually, I think he'll mess up.

I really hope your DD finds a way through, takes a chance and lands an offer - I think she's got a lot of people rooting for her on here!

Follyfoot yes my ds is applying to Newcastle for politics.Is your daughter in her first year ?

Hi Mrs W - yes she's just started, coming to the end of a long and tiring Fresher's week

Ds really liked Newcastle when he went to the open day ,can I ask what your dd's offer was ,they seem to vary it quite a lot.He's also keen on Sheffield and is going to see Leeds next week.

Had to text her to find out, it seems so long ago now! She tells me they offered her ABB, or if she got at least a B in the extended project (EPQ) she did, they would drop to BBB. From what she could tell, some students also had AAB offers.

She is loving being in Newcastle, she was torn between choosing there and Birmingham (they also offered ABB), but is really happy she chose Newcastle. Oh and the accommodation is cheap, very cheap (and you can pay for it monthly if you prefer). Plus you are right near the heart of Newcastle - very important from a social point of view...

Think we are going to Leeds next weekend.

Thanks for that Lilymaid - useful to know. I think he wants Aberystwyth first and already has English & American Lit at the main Hull campus down as 3rd but school are advising everyone to have at least one other choice with a lower grade requirement.

Having read other posts here I think I will tell him to leave a blank and see what comes in in terms of offers before looking for anything else. Some of his friends have already sent the form off but he hates making decisions and the pressure is on to get it all sorted with references attached by half term.

Politics seems to be AAB everywhere nearly ,that's slightly worrying about some people getting AAB from Newcastle as he was really going for ABB ,current prediction is higher but he is a worrier and was hoping to have Newcastle as a lower one .Although the other night he was worrying that if he got a lower offer from Mewcastle but managed to get offer from Sheffield he would feel forced to take the place with the higher offertalk about stress city

Aw, its so stressful isnt it - for all of you. In the end my DD lived dangerously and of her 5 offers, just accepted Newcastle with no insurance as she said she didnt want to go anywhere else. Dont think I'd recommend that approach if he's a worrier!! It was awful waiting for the results knowing it was one place or bust.

There's lots of good student to student advice in The Student Room, has he had a nosey on there?

Hi ,yes he's on the studentroom ,and I have had a nosey too Theres almost too much info now I think IYSWIM,the blissful ignorance of my day seems almost preferable .There just seems so much pressure to have the "perfect" application.
He seems to be narrowing it down now to

Sheffield
Newcastle
Nottingham
Leeds
York

He is worrying now about political activity on the personal statement ,although he has some good work experience with our MP

DD looked round 4 of those 5 too! Leicester tends to make lower offers for politics apparently if that might help reassure him? DD didnt have any political activity either, and certainly no work experience with an MP so tell him to stop worrying about that