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Higher education

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

Original poster

Results Day and UCAS

370 replies

MotherOfGirls · 06/08/2013 12:03

Eldest DD is expecting A level results on 15th so this is my first experience of UCAS. She seems to think her results will go to UCAS before they are emailed to her by her school, and so she will find out if she has made her offer by checking her UCAS account. She also thinks this happens at midnight. Can anyone confirm any of this, please?

OP posts:
BabyDubsEverywhere · 16/08/2013 22:50

Is clearing still going then? I know Birmingham finished this afternoon with all places gone... I am dreading it when my dc are in this position, I love the mumsnet spirit with things like this though, true support shines through :)

murasaki · 16/08/2013 23:02

Dalmation - it's because they can take as many as they like with AAB (it might be ABB, can't remember off hand as I dea with post grads) so are hoping that some who did better than they thought will go into clearing to find a better institution than their original offer.

We've apparently picked up quite a lot of them this year. Sadly they don't count towards your quota that you have to hit, but are seen as extra. Still, they'll benefit the weaker students and be great.

ICBINEG · 17/08/2013 00:22

weird year for admission all round I think....we had many many extra applications but not as high a conversion rate as usual....

there is a stigma attached to taking students from clearing...although there really shouldn't be because of new rules allowing students to trade up due to higher than predicted grades.

We wanted to take trade up students but had to fill our places with near misses for preference....which on the face of it doesn't make a lot of sense..the trade ups have better grades!

Original poster
MotherOfGirls · 17/08/2013 08:31

As the OP I would like to thank everyone for contributing. We have been a very lucky and DD is off to her first choice! (Sport and exercise science at Birmingham.) It has been great to have such a wealth of experience and knowledge available and, of course, such fantastic support. I am very grateful.

OP posts:
ISingSoprano · 17/08/2013 10:51

Me too MotherOfGirls. The list writing has begun and ds and I are off to Ikea on Monday.

fallon8 · 17/08/2013 11:22

Chop etc....helicopter parents springs to mind...hope you all enjoy your time in further education,
I 'll leave you all to get on with your lists etc etc..poor kids...

MissMarplesBloomers · 17/08/2013 11:24

Ising apparently most freshers halls/flats look like Ikeas outlets!

Might be worth looking at the student forum on your DD's Uni website before you go,lots of top tips on what not to take.

Am just going to start a thread about it! Grin

mother yes this thread has been invaluable, thanks for starting it!

Moominmammacat · 17/08/2013 11:51

Yes, I was interested to see so much of Durham in Clearing. Did they under-offer? Are they just taking extra top grade students? Or is Durham loosing its appeal?

ISingSoprano · 17/08/2013 12:02

fallon8 you make your assumptions about me and I'll make mine about you.

noddyholder · 17/08/2013 12:08

fallon8 I can't help thinking to be so critical and bitter there must be something wrong in your own life Sad

thegreylady · 17/08/2013 12:13

Why on earth is it helicoptering to help your newly fledged student to put together a package to start them off? It is 21 yrs now since my youngest went off but I remember the sheer joy we both had in buying kettle,toaster,crocks and cutlery,towels and bedding plus all the other stuff that helps them.My dd still uses her uni cutlery now!

ExcuseTypos · 17/08/2013 12:15

We did the Ikea trip yesterday. We spotted quite a few uni students 'no, I don't want a pan, there's a microwave'Grin

And my dd- 'These napkins are cheap' Me- 'you're a student now, you can use kitchen roll'Wink

noddyholder · 17/08/2013 12:16

I would have loved a mum who had done all that. My mother let me 'get on with it' because she was totally self absorbed. i was hugely envious of everyone whose parents gave a shit.

ExcuseTypos · 17/08/2013 12:18

Ah NoddyFlowers I bet you're a brilliant mum.

creamteas · 17/08/2013 12:23

Virtually all universities will be in clearing now, and clearing, even at RG universities, will go on for days if not weeks.

Because although the name hasn't changed, clearing is a whole different ballgame now! Clearing was intended to be just a process to fill unfilled places, but now it is a way to make first applications and change your firm or insurance place.

If you are have achieved ABB or above, and are aiming for a non-lab based subject, it is highly likely that if you phoned round the top universities at the beginning of September you would still find lots of offers for clearing places Grin

MissMarplesBloomers · 17/08/2013 12:27

creamteas do you think there are less applicants overall this year too becasue of the fees issue, amongst others?

RustyBear · 17/08/2013 12:48

I see you've found the thread I started when DS was about to go MissMarple! It has lots of useful tips -it gets revived regularly and is now approaching both its 7th birthday and 1000 posts!

MissMarplesBloomers · 17/08/2013 13:53

I know.....very useful RB!!! Must be weird seeing it come round again! Grin

noddyholder · 17/08/2013 13:54

I hope so excuse Smile I give it my best shot from my helicopter

MissMarplesBloomers · 17/08/2013 14:10

Noddy Grin

TGL Absolutely, my DD & I are having great fun planning lists and sourcing stuff from various relatives who are kindly helping to keep costs down as I'm skint!

creamteas · 17/08/2013 15:21

MissMarple to be honest it is too early to tell.

The last year of the old fees was a high application year, and last year dipped nationally. Until clearing is sorted, I wouldn't like to predict what this year will end up as. There are also less school leavers at the minute, so it is really the proportion of DC going to uni rather than the absolute numbers which will be the real test.

funnyperson · 17/08/2013 17:02

The minute results came out, we started a 'uni box' for each child (large clear storage box on wheels): twas lovely for everyone to put things in it over the rest of the hols, including some stuff which had been bought in the sales or put by previously, and felt very special, not helicopterish at all
Our home kettle is still the kettle my mother bought me when I went to university.

duchesse · 17/08/2013 17:12

DD1's maths result came in on Thursday- A, which is happy with. She ended up having to do the IB + 1 maths A level because her college didn't offer higher level maths at the IB. (a bit complicated but the higher papers are broadly equivalent to A2s but more difficult in some subjects, and the standard levels are more equivalent to AS/A2 level) She got 38 (out of 45 points) at the IB and an A at her A level, which is all good and broadly equivalent to 4 As in total. She's taking a year out and working as a healthcare assistant before reapplying to university in October (having been turned down by all her choices).

ICBINEG · 17/08/2013 22:56

I think some RG did under offer this year...because they had extra applications...but an unexpectedly low conversion rate...

So we made the same numbers of offers per place available...hence refused more people than usual...but then ended up with too few conversions....

ICBINEG · 17/08/2013 22:58

It is ironic to end up looking like you have 'lost your appeal' when in reality we had to reject a record number of qualified candidates...