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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

UCAS applications

468 replies

mumblechum1 · 12/10/2012 09:24

When are people's DCs planning on finalising their personal statements, with a view to getting the UCAS applns sent off?

DS's school have done the grade predictions but as far as I know haven't done the reference bit yet.

DS has done the first draft of his PS, has feedback from his tutor and is aiming to polish it up this weekend.

OP posts:
melodyangel · 26/03/2013 12:11

greyvix - I think the deadline is 8th May

www.ucas.com/students/importantdates

DS1 has accepted an unconditional offer from Queen Mary to do a masters in Chemistry. All very delighted and relieved. It has been a worrying time since he missed his grades last August but all go now. Got the news while at a school thing on Friday - they may have been a spontaneous outburst of dancing Blush

MABS - How is your DS doing? I do hope he is on the mend. Thoughts are with you all. Has your DD's college been supportive? I hope she receives special consideration for the Jan exams, sounds like you have all had a torrid time.

minsmum - Well done to your DD for getting the highest grade in her year!

Good luck to all you DC's.

minsmum · 31/03/2013 13:14

Melodyangel- Thank you and well done to your DS I think I would still be dancing, how absolutely fabulous

Milliways · 08/05/2013 16:27

How is the revision going? DS has his first exam next week.

ISingSoprano · 08/05/2013 20:27

Ds has his first exam next week too. Revision is going quite well - he seems very motivated and has a good balance of work and relaxation. How 'bout you Milliways?

greyvix · 08/05/2013 20:48

Well, it's 8th May and DS has finally decided: it's Nottingham first choice and Exeter second. He is set on Nottingham, so hopefully, it will give him the incentive to work to get there.
So onto the next hurdle. I hope everyone else's DCs are now settled with choices and happy!

NewFerry · 08/05/2013 21:07

Popping in to say good luck to all.
DS doesn't have an exam until after half term, so carrying on with revision here. However, it's his 18th birthday on Friday, so he's having friends over for a BBQ. I suspect he won't get much revision done on Saturday!

Milliways · 08/05/2013 21:18

Thanks IsingSoprano - DS is very motivated and has stayed home alone the last 2 weekends when we have been camping. He is taking a break to watch The Apprentice though :)

Happy 18th to NewFerry DS, Milliboy turns 18 the same week the results come out. Manchester is his firm, with Southampton as Insurance.

RustyBear · 08/05/2013 21:29

My first post on Mumsnet was congratulating your DS on getting in to the grammar school, Milliways! Hope I'll be congratulating him on getting into Manchester come August!

Milliways · 08/05/2013 21:49

Thanks Rusty! :)

How are your 2 getting on now? Have they completely flown the nest?

RustyBear · 08/05/2013 22:12

Yes, DS did History & Politics at Warwick and is now working for a major publisher in London and DD did psychology at Exeter and is now a recruitment consultant in Reading. They both moved out last autumn, both living in shared houses with friends, though they both come to visit every so often - in fact DD is here this evening. What's your DD doing now?

Milliways · 08/05/2013 22:39

She is married and half way through the Teach First Training programme at a school in outer London. I am a MIL! Shock

mumeeee · 09/05/2013 20:42

DD3 finally decided on Bolton as her first choice, the uni furthest away and Glamorgan which is a few miles away from us as her insurance, She doesn't have exams as she is doing a BTECH extended diploma but has a load of assignments to finish.
I'll be glad when she's finally finished college as it's very stressful in this house at the moment. It also looks like she'll get DSA which is good.

MariscallRoad · 09/05/2013 21:31

NewFerry happy birthday to DS for tomorrow! Good luck to his exams Smile.

NewFerry · 11/05/2013 08:24

Thankyou!

Party went off well, and oldest DS home for the weekend too. Sadly the BBQ part was DH stood under the sun awning, cooking burgers while sheltering from the torrential rain.
The 18 year olds were much more sensible and stayed indoors waiting to eat the food as it was cooked Grin
Maris, will pm u later x

MABS · 13/05/2013 07:54

Hi all - can anyone talk me thru results day? if she doesn't get firm choice grades and gets higher that insurance grades, is there a way to consider anywhere else? thanks

Eeeeeowwwfftz · 13/05/2013 08:13

From the UCAS FAQ

I didn't meet the grades for my firm choice but I don't want to go to my insurance choice - can I apply elsewhere?

You have made a commitment to your insurance choice so if you no longer want to attend you should contact the university or college to discuss your situation. If they agree to withdraw your offer, you can then apply for another course in Clearing.

Accepting a UCAS offer is a bilateral commitment. The Uni has to admit you if you get the grades, and you have to go if you get them. However there is some flexibility but you have to get the Uni to agree to a withdrawal before you can go through clearing (the process by which under filled courses are filled). If you outperform your first choice grades there is a new process called Adjustment that might allow you to trade up but I have no experience of this.

Eeeeeowwwfftz · 13/05/2013 08:15

A different strategy might be to accept the insurance place and then try to transfer to a different institution at the end of first year. This is in principle possible - I know people who have done this - but it requires quite a lot of hard graft.

MABS · 13/05/2013 08:25

thanks so much for the info. We feel she may miss her first choice by just one grade, but her insurance grades needed are pretty low so she 'should' outperform that. Do you think we stand any chance of first choice taking her if she is just one grade down? sure that is a stupid question, but please humour me!!

NewFerry · 13/05/2013 12:17

Hi Mabs, I think a lot will depend on the Uni, how popular the course is, and how many students meet the grades that the Uni have already offered, and students accepted, places on.
In other words, the proverbial how long is a piece of string.......

2 years ago, so the last year of lower fees, DS was initially rejected from his first choice becuase he was 0.5% away from his grade, so had AABC with an AAA offer.
BUT it was a particularly busy year, and applications were very high, and it was/is a popular course at a well regarded Uni.

This year, DS2's first choice have said that if you narrowly miss the offer they will look at their "firm" applicants ahead of other students for any places as these are the students who have committed to the Uni, and who the Uni has comitted time to with post-offer days, countless emails etc. plus there are comparatively fewer students compared to 2 years ago.

It's all such a worry though isnt it?

MABS · 13/05/2013 16:45

thanks Newferry, had heard similar so time will tell....

MABS · 02/06/2013 13:08

how are you all? dd starts properly Tues pm...

Needmoresleep · 02/06/2013 18:56

MABS, it depends. We went to see some Unis over half term and met an admissions tutor who said they have much more freedom now to take additional students as long as they met the Government requirement of is it ABB or ABB. So missing a point within these constraints should be OK.

I think he was trying to encourage my son to consider this University as his insurance offer. Trouble was my son hated it from the car park in. A small sixties campus perched on top of a hill. Lesson from half term is DS probably wants to be in a City.

ISingSoprano · 02/06/2013 19:40

Good luck everyone! ds starts properly tomorrow with two exams and 'exam jail' in the middle. He is quite wound up this evening. Hey ho - three weeks and it will all be over bar the shouting!

NewFerry · 02/06/2013 20:47

Yes, good luck everyone.

DS starts Tuesday morning, and chose this weekend to get a part time job! Hmm

MABS · 03/06/2013 09:12

great timing newferry! :)

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