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Higher education

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

Original poster

UCAS forms sent - just the waiting game now !

999 replies

snowyowl70 · 27/09/2013 23:07

My super organised DD1 has had email today to say her forms/reference have been received and should be at her chosen Unis in the next 48 hrs !!!!! So the waiting begins - to those seasoned parents who have done this before can you remember how long they had to wait for their first responses ? At least 2 out of her 5 may call her for interview (MFL) so am guessing these might be fairly on the ball ?

OP posts:
bruffin · 15/02/2014 12:31

i dont think it is, but as i said before there are a lot of questions ds has to ask. Its another option for ds to look at.

Littleham · 15/02/2014 12:35

My dh says it is better if the course is recognised by the IMechE (Institute of Mechanical Engineers). If your ds rings them they should be able to give you a list of courses they recognise.

Whyjustwhy · 15/02/2014 17:41

If your DS is planning on a career in finance or banking after his degree, then professional engineering recognition won't be an issue.

2rebecca · 15/02/2014 23:32

For mech eng Strathclyde, Heriot Watt and Aberdeen in Scotland are very good as well.

bruffin · 15/02/2014 23:55

ds actually applied for

Durham B eng - general engineering
Southampton M eng- mech eng
Leeds M eng nuclear eng
Bristol M eng mech eng
Loughborough B eng Mech eng

offer from Southampton A*AA
reject Leeds
Bristol - rejected mech eng but interview for maths engineering
still waiting to hear from Durham and Loughborough.
For various reasons Durham is his favorite but he also likes Southampton.
He put Bristol as he thought he might get a contextual offer which he could use for insurance.

Littleham · 16/02/2014 14:37

They are all good for engineering - the only one my dh doesn't know about is Durham, but that is because we are in the south and he never get anyone applying from that one.

Lilymaid · 16/02/2014 18:01

Discussed the engineering part of this thread with DH who is an engineer and has association with several universities and two engineering bodies. He reckons that the Maths & Engineering offers are because this is a way of getting round a possible shortage of lab/workshop space. From our DSs' experience in a different subject area, lecture theatres can be crowded beyond capacity but you can't do this in the labs.

Shootingatpigeons · 18/02/2014 14:21

Our road trip starts in an hour, hoping our decision will be clear by the time we finish. Interestingly a friend at the other side of this was laughing at my despair at DD refusing to even go and look at Exeter because " it is full of sloanes who go to lectures in their Jack Wills pyjama bottoms" Hmm As she pointed out since we are finding it hard to decide on any rational factors then perhaps excluding one for a silly reason is as good a reason as any Grin

venturabay · 19/02/2014 00:12

Hmm Shooting that seems quite an unsilly reason to avoid Exeter tbh. Niece is a third year there, the Sloaney thing is definitely right. Still, enjoy tomorrow's high winds and rain :) Where are her other offers? Southampton, is that right? And where else?

Shootingatpigeons · 19/02/2014 11:34

ventura lovely sunny day where we are Grin

It is snowyowl's DD who is following the trail I blazed from oop north to Southampton. My DD wants to go t'other way. I don't want to out DD but currently looking at two oop north, plus Birmingham where she has an unconditional. She has applied for joint honours as well just to make the decision making extra complicated. I just felt that we should give Exeter a look since it is good at emphasising the inter disciplinary aspect of joint honours, and don't the poshos also migrate to certain northern unis too? Grin

To be honest she has had the uni we visit today in her sights for many years and it fulfilled expectations at open day so hopefully today it will make her mind up for her.

Just to add another layer of silliness, my father has thrown in that he will pay her to go to his northern alma mater Grin

Original poster
snowyowl70 · 19/02/2014 22:27

shootingatpigeons it sure is my DD heading "down south" (hopefully!!) to Southampton - offer firmed and accommodation applied for ! Just an over night trip to Bath to make in March for an offer day and then that should be all my long distance driving done until September !

OP posts:
Shootingatpigeons · 19/02/2014 23:53

snowy all still in the air here, I think it was like when you really like a house on the first visit, and then you go back and see it again and notice all the bad points Grin

What it has emphasised for her is how important the modules on offer are, as opposed to where the uni is in the league tables.

And now we are off to see Exeter.... Grin

Shootingatpigeons · 19/02/2014 23:57

By the way snowyowl did Bath with DD1,don't miss the Roman baths and assembly rooms, but do miss the traffic jams between motorway and Claverton Down, allow lots of time.

thecalicocat · 20/02/2014 12:12

DS has got an offer from Kings!! AAA for English. Only Exeter to hear from now.....anyone heard from them for English??
He claims the term starts on 1 September for Kings, does that sound right?? Sounds a bit early to me, have sent him to re-read the stuff he was sent Hmm

Littleham · 20/02/2014 12:20

My dd just went to the Bristol offer holders day (languages) and really liked it, which is really good news as she still hasn't heard from Durham (yawn...) Will be very happy to go to Bristol and particularly liked the way that the Arts faculty allow you to dabble in music, archaeology.... She is going to visit others in next two or three weeks. It is a lot of driving around!

Shootingatpigeons · 20/02/2014 13:07

thecalicocat DDs Exeter offer is for English but joint honours. AAA. It came mid Jan?

thecalicocat · 20/02/2014 13:39

Thanks shootingatpigeons His is for English and Visual Studies I think....wonder why he hasn't been rejected heard yet?? I suspect all the other applicants will have been making films etc whereas his interest in 'visual studies' mainly involves lying round watching tv.Smile He's not that keen on Exeter for the same reasons as your dd and he's had offers from the all the other 4 now so he's happy. I fancy Exeter though because is easy to get there from where we live and is on the way to Cornwall for regular holidays Smile.....

Isthiscorrect · 20/02/2014 15:03

shootingpigeons DS got his offer today for LSE. Very proud. Good luck to your DS if he is still waiting.

yourlittlesecret · 20/02/2014 15:16

DS has been allocated his college at Durham today. He had been under the impression that his offer meant that he had got the college he applied for until I told him mumsnet told me different Wink.
Anyway it's a different college. He can now book the visit day which involves an overnight stay at the college.
Littleham DSs best friend still not heard from Durham. They are very inconsistent.

Littleham · 20/02/2014 15:33

yourlittlesecret - Hope your son is happy with his college allocation. Which college did he want and where did he end up being allocated?

We are kind of presuming that the fact they have done the college allocations probably means that Durham is a rejection. Not to worry, she has been lucky anyway with the others.

venturabay · 20/02/2014 15:51

Well yourlittlesecret since your DS will only insure with Durham, he has a second bite at the cherry!

yourlittlesecret · 20/02/2014 15:55

Littleham Is your DD likely to firm Bristol then? Have you been with her to all the visits?
I don't think I can get to the Durham visit. I really would like to as he went on his own last year so I've never been. I just feel I'd like to get a feel for it myself if he might end up there.
He original college choice was based on the fact that they were all en-suite, Hmm, so highly dubious reasons. He has been allocated St Hilde. I know nothing about Durham but have looked it up and apparently it's very large and it's fully catered.
Do you really think they are going to reject those without offers? DS will be very disappointed if his friend doesn't get an offer, it would be so unfair as they both have similar grades.

Littleham · 20/02/2014 16:06

She thinks that Bristol will be one of her two choices (Grandad took her and they were both impressed) - either firm or insurance, but wants to visit Bath, Warwick and London offer days as well.

We did slog up to Durham for the Open Day last year, and ironically got shown round St Hilde so I can tell you a bit about it if you have any questions. It is big, with single bedrooms (not en suite), shared bathrooms along corridors. It has a cinema, a bar, a large dining hall (fully catered) and is set away from the other colleges by the river - but still easily walkable along the river into town. The college is in several buildings. I think I have the brochure for the college somewhere.

yourlittlesecret · 20/02/2014 16:18

It sounds lovely to me.
DS went to Warwick last week, are you going with her? When he went last year he absolutely loved it but came home a little disappointed this time.

Littleham · 20/02/2014 16:24

Yes - I'm going to Warwick with her next Wednesday!

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