UCAS applications

[mumblechum1]

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.

[FrankensteinWippery]

And, yes, she did put her grades in.

[TessCowDirect]

DS2 hopes to get into Film Production.

He is a budding Steven Spielberg

[ISingSoprano]

Ds just told me they have the choice of putting either AS module scores or overall grades. Disclaimer - the information source may not be entirely reliable....

[Chopchopbusybusy]

DDs college recommends that they submit their forms this Friday. DD was dreading doing her personal statement but it is now complete. She is still considering her five choices.
I'll be pleased once it's done then she can forget about it for the moment.

[senua]

so do you mean he's decided not to bother going to Uni as he doesnt think the salary difference will be worth the cost of going?

Pretty much. He was going to do a second-tier subject at a second-tier University, with no idea of what he would do for a living after that.
He is now going to do a Gap Year, to give himself time to think. I've told him that there is no hurry - he can go/not-go for several years yet. It will be better to get some RL experience under his belt to find what floats his boat.

I was discussing it with DS today and he sort-of agrees but he realises that it's very difficult to go back to studying once you've tasted paid employment.

[mumblechum1]

A lot of DS's friends are taking Gap years, even though they're at GS so are aiming pretty high in terms of RG Unis and high-ranking courses. Not really sure why.

DS messed up his ASs so will be looking at 2nd tier Unis, plus one RG, but he doesn't want to do a Gap Year, he knows he wants to go in the Army as an officer after Uni so just wants to get on with it.

[3boys1cat]

DS1's UCAS form was completed by him on Friday. Not sure if the school have done their bit yet, but he's put Cambridge as one of his choices so they know it has to be done by tomorrow. Just have to sit back and wait for the offers to roll in.....

Can't believe they haven't come up with a way to modernise the system so that you can apply once you have your results rather than spend Year 13 biting your fingernails and making decisions based on what MIGHT happen rather than what actually HAS happened. UCAS applications might be online now, but they aren't making use of the power of the internet to speed up the process at all IYKWIM.

[Ponders]

It used to be done like that in the bad old days, didn't it? Or just sometimes, maybe...I was at grammar school in the 1960s & there was a 3rd year of 6th form when they did Oxford entry exams & university interviews, after A levels.

[OneHandFlapping]

Ponders, it was only Oxbrodge that did the 7th term in the 6th form when I was that age (ie mid seventies), in order to study for the entrance exam. Even then, there was beginning to be a move to do the entrance exam in the 4th term, especially for sciences for some reason.

[OneHandFlapping]

Oxbrodge!!!

[Ponders]

at Oxbrodge

I was reading Gyles Brandreth's diaries recently - he went to Bedales, did Oxford exams & interview & had an interview at Reading in Nov/Dec of his 7th term (1966). He thought he'd done disastrously at the Oxford exams & interview & would have to go to Reading. What luck that he was wrong, eh?

It's a marvellous book btw - \link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0719520622/ref=ox_ya_os_product\Something?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 Sensational to read in the train} - masses of intriguing revelations about household names, he knows everybody & got some of them exactly right on first meeting (Not J Savile though - "He's weird, but I think he means well" )

[noddyholder]

My ds has only chosen one which we will visit next month. Not many of his friends are going a lot have opted to have a gap year and try and find work/apprenticeships.About 4 yrs ago they all planned to go! Ds is already quite proficient at film has had a few films in shows etc and his teachers think the first year of a degree will bore him so we are prepared for him to leave.

[noddyholder]

The personal statement will cause huge rows here as ds is the king of putting off

[jessabell]

Daughter sent hers off last week. Her personal statement was done over the summer holidays. College read it a said it was fine. some of her friends were stuggling what to say. Now got a uni asking for art portfolio with a deadline in a fortnights time. She still going to open days for some of her choices. Was able to narrow them down to 5 in the end.

[JustGettingByMum]

Form finally completed, and unis chosen. Exciting times!

DS has put in his AS grades (thanks for the reassurance)

[mumblechum1]

justgettingby did you actually see the physical form? I thought the students filled it all online and the teachers attached the reference? Also did you see your ds's reference before it went off?

[mumblechum1]

noddy I feel your pain. DS has just finally re-drafted his and sent it to his tutor.

[JustGettingByMum]

DS accessed it from home to show me. Once we hit the send button, it goes to the school to attach their ref. school have said they will show the ref to students, DS will ask tomorrow

He is not sending it off for a couple of days, partly, in case he changes his mind again and partly because he wants it to be recorded as being sent after the Oxbridge deadline

[Milliways]

DS gets to review his references this week and to check the factual information is correct. He is hoping to do Philosophy with Maths.

[Milliways]

Well, everything is now marked as complete and I have just paid the £23 for him.

[eatyourveg]

mumblechum we printed off ds1's application - one of the tabs shows you your application in full (minus the reference but school gave everyone a copy of what they had sent) From memory I think its under track which you won't be able to access until the application has gone in.

[Milliways]

DS has been invited for an interview (Manchester), and begun to receive acknowledgements from the others. Some of his friends have had some offers already!

[cinnamonnut]

I got an offer today

[Pleaseandthankyou]

Congratulations

[ISingSoprano]

We have one more open day to go to this weekend and then ds's application goes off. Congratulations on the offers coming through - exciting!