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.

[lazymum99]

DS2s UCAS went in on the 6 nov and by yesterday he had 4 out of 5 offers! He wants to do politics and has offers for Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham and Sussex. He is waiting for Leeds where he applied for the course with the year at Westminster and they interview and the acknowledgment letter said he won't hear Til jan/ feb.
Does anyone remember the mumsnetter from last year whose son was choosing between Leeds and Sheffield for politics?

[Tressy]

Yes, I think I remember. The thread should still be here somewhere, sorry I cannot remember her username.

[mumeeee]

Well DD3 has finally finished her personal statement she has emailed it to DD1 who is a teacher and offered to look at it for her, She's put all her unis in and just about finished doing the rest of her application. She said her tutor would like to have them by the end of next week.

[socharlotte]

Finished PS tonight, after the million squillionth draft. It's been round all his teachers and friends , just got to finalise where he is applying to.
Doing Meng in Mechanical engineering chosen Sheffield, Leeds and Nottingham so far, just need an aspirational and an insurance choice then good to go!!

[socharlotte]

DS and I were wondering whether admissions tutors play PS cliché bingo! 'from an early age' 'I am fascinated by' etc etc

[Cahooots]

My DS very clearly wrote his own PS, he gave it to his form teacher to check over (very quickly and poorly) and then I managed a quick 15min read over just before we clicked the send button. My English is terrible and even I spotted a few typo's . Once it was sent I spotted another one and I daren't look anymore in case I find more. His PS was good in that he has lots of experience in what he wants to do and is clearly very motivated etc, etc but I would have worded things a little differently?
Fortunately, it must have been ok as he has got four offers so far, I like to think he would have got credit for his PS being clearly his own work.

[mumblechum1]

Cahoots

DS's was also all his own work but he's definitely put one of socharlottes cliche's in (fascinated by).

He didn't show it to anyone other than one teacher and the careers adviser though, don't think it occurred to him to show it to his friends - getting worried now that there hasn't been enough feedback from other pple

[lazymum99]

Ds2refused to show me his PS before it was sent. Said he didn't need my approval! He had various grammar mistakes corrected by his tutor who is an English teacher. He then emailed it to his politics teacher ( he applying for politics) who never replied. He sent it off and then found out the teacher had been off sick for weeks!
I was not happy.but as I posted above he got 4 out of 5 offers in 3 weeks???
He also started it with the old ' I have been interested in blah blah from an early age'

Do they read them???

[mumblechum1]

at do they read them?

I hope so, purely because I'm hoping that DS's PS will make up for his woeful AS results.

[mumblechum1]

lazy, does your ds have really good AS grades and high predictions?

[minsmum]

My DD has done her ps chosen the places and is waiting for her tutor to okay everything, that was supposed to be friday so now maybe it will be monday. Just want it done now

[lazymum99]

mumblechum1 not particularly high grades but predictions match entry requirements. He got AACC at AS and is predicted AAB for A2. He is retaking the dreaded history source paper to improve that C grade. The other stupid thing he's done ( and he wouldn't listen to teacher or me on this) is that he has applied for 5 AAB courses with no insurance. He says he doesn't want to go anywhere else and will reapply/retake if he doesn't get the grades.
His As are not very high and he is not exactly knocking himself out work wise.

[mumblechum1]

I'm sure he'll be fine, lazy, I keep hearing about offers being made below the standard entry requirements, maybe they're anticipating a lowish number of applications as apparently happened last year.

Hope your ds gets what he wants

[lazymum99]

I get the feeling that they never predict lower grades than the AS ones. But it is easy to slip a grade if you don't put the work in. He does do all the work set as far as I know but absolutely nothing extra.

[RedGreenRouge]

After two weeks of wrangling with the school to get a predicted grade changed, dsd has finally sent her application to the school. 4 RGs and 1 with a low offer (that she really doesn't want to go to).

She's really nervous about getting offers now because three of the RGs have a higher offer than her ASs, although they match her new predicated grades. We haven't heard anything other than UCAS since she sent it.

[MABS]

Well done for all the offers, silence here

[mumblechum1]

mabs when did yr dc sent their appln off?

[Cahooots]

You just have to keep reminding yourself that it is up to them to take responsibility for their applications. If they don't want to make the most of the help on offer then it is up to them. even if they are being daft

[NewFerry]

I have to keep reminding myself DS that different departments even within the same uni have different approaches to when they make offers. For 2 courses DS has applied for, the uni have sent back an email indicating he is unlikely to hear anything until after the Jan deadline.
....but it's difficult when his friends are getting offers, and he's still waiting.

[Milliways]

One Uni doesn't read them as DSs friend applied for economics. He has NOT taken economics Alevel and his PS says this clearly. His first offer was AAB including an A in economics!!!!!

[MABS]

sent off 7 Nov Mumblechum.

[creamteas]

I am an admissions tutor for social sciences. In my dept, all the PS on applications are read, but not necessarily in the way that some people imagine!

The applications are read by the admissions admin team, and they do the first sorting. They are looking for:

1. A mention of a disability where they have not declared a disability on that space on the form - so we can ensure reasonable adjustments are made.
   
   
2. Any comments on previous exam results, especially if they are explaining lower grades than expected.
   
   
3. Non-standard applications -this could be anything from overseas to an application that does not seem to lead on from their qualifications or experience (eg someone doing science A levels applying for social science degree).
   
   If they are standard applications then the admin team offer or reject depending on grades/predictions and our numbers.
   
   If it is a non-standard application or there are comments about previous results or anything else which the admin team are not happy about, they send the application to me to consider.
   
   So although I am responsible for admissions, I only see about 10-15% of applications. So unless you are in this small section, all of the carefully crafted sentences about being 'fascinated' are pretty much ignored!
   
   Oh and don't fret too much about typos in the PS, they are usually much better than the school references !!!! But that is another story........

[MABS]

thanks Creamteas, very interesting :)

[greyvix]

Sorry to hijack. Which uni wanted an A in economics? DS has applied to Bath, where entry requirements are ambiguous, and he isn't taking economics.