Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Isthiscorrect · 02/11/2013 06:33

Late commer here. Ds is very stressed, he hasn't completed his ps yet. It had been his intention (back in the summer) to send it the day after the Oxbridge entries. However he has been ill since mid September and in hospital for the last 10 days (due out tomorrow, hooray) and is very tired still sleeping 12-15 hours a day. Now he is so stressed about catching up and finishing his ps he doesn't know where to begin.
I've suggested ps first with ref from school including details of his illness. Then he can move on to catching up. All his teachers are confident he will catch up and achieve his predicted grades. He is just sad he isn't hearing about offers like his friends.
Well done to all those with offers, just got to get the grades now. It's going to be a long year isn't it ;-)

Cerisier · 02/11/2013 22:15

It certainly is going to be a long year Isthis! DD has received an offer from York. Nottingham however want her to submit a detailed form to determine home/international status before they will give her an offer. We are not very impressed with this. Getting into uni should be on merit, not on your ability to stump up an extra 30K+ in fees.

Cerisier · 02/11/2013 22:22

PS Isthis so sorry to hear DS is not well. I hope he gets home as planned and is fully recovered soon.

goinggetstough · 02/11/2013 22:50

cerisier I realise it must be a pain for your DC to fill in an extra form but I expect you know what category your DC falls into, but for some reason the university doesn't. They haven't not refused your DC an offer, so hopefully one will come shortly after they have received the form. Universities have different quotas for home and international students. Hence there are always more places left for International students later in the year when the courses are showing full for Home students.

Shootingatpigeons · 03/11/2013 11:21

Cerisier this could just be the start of it. It is a complicated minefield. Expat friends have gone through all sorts of hoops and unis have different policies on this and it seems can be flexible on certain courses and if they really want a student. One friend found themselves with the third child granted home status and then went back and appealed for all the others. And as going has highlighted there is the issue of quotas for home students.

isthis what a rotten start to the year. To be honest I don't think the PS gets that much attention in most cases, lots of admission's officers have posted on here that they are far more concerned with predicted grades. They have so many applications to deal with. Of course it can make a difference so it is worth giving it a good go to make sure it conveys your DS's individuality but not worth losing sleep over. I was a lot more relaxed about DD2's than I was DD1s (who in any case told me to keep my nose out Grin) The admissions Officer at one uni we visited said they like quirky but not wacky and they definitely got quirky from my DD Grin

Cerisier · 03/11/2013 15:32

Thanks going and Shooting, I agree it is a minefield.

Theas18 · 07/11/2013 11:41

Isthis. Gosh your poor DS.

I can't comment on the importance of the PS - depends on course/uni I think.

However he really doesn't need to rush it. We are told a lot on here "all applications must get equal consideration, and some septs don't do a thing till UCAS closes.

Interview at Liverpool for DS (YAAY but EEEP too)

2rebecca · 08/11/2013 21:21

My son's PS is still toing and froing between him and the school teacher who helps them to get it as perfect as possible. It should be sorted within the next fortnight, everything else is ready to go

hattymattie · 09/11/2013 08:08

DD has first offer from Bristol - a really achievable one as well - this is fantastic news as it really makes two of her other choices irrelevant. It has also lifted a huge amount of stress off her - and the rest of the familySmile

Original poster
snowyowl70 · 09/11/2013 10:23

Good news hattiemattie ! My DD has a really achievable offer from her second choice and has interview at her first choice on weds so hoping she might get offers from her top two !!

OP posts:
BeckAndCall · 09/11/2013 13:36

Congrats hattiematties DD - really pleased for you! Likewise, my DD has an achievable offer from Bristol so at the very least, that is where she will be going! It's good to have something that lifts the weight from the shoulders!

hattymattie · 09/11/2013 15:17

Ooh well done Snowy and beck good news all round then. Beck did your DD apply for law as well or can't you say?

BeckAndCall · 09/11/2013 17:57

It wasn't law hattiemattie - it's one of the sciences

Original poster
snowyowl70 · 14/11/2013 06:47

Well that was a long drive to Sourhampton for one night but DD1's interview went really well and she should have an email within a couple of days to let her know her fate !!! This was her top choice so she is relieved it went well !

OP posts:
Original poster
snowyowl70 · 14/11/2013 06:49

Oh and by the way she got the dress code about right !!!! There were a few in jeans and trainers, a few in suits but majority (including DD1) who went middle of the road in dress/cardigan or chinos/jumper

OP posts:
BeckAndCall · 14/11/2013 07:08

Glad that went well, snowy - and top tip on the interview outfit.

My DD loves Southampton ( and has an offer from them) and its less than an hour from us so it's a real contender for her!

Shootingatpigeons · 15/11/2013 14:45

Just had to share that DD got an unconditional offer for Birmingham! Shock We had heard they existed and we had joked about it but in reality I thought that was just for accountancy, and aimed at getting the best candidates to cement their links with industry. She is not doing anything even as remotely useful as accountancy though. Its not her first choice though and if she thinks she can accept it (it is conditional on being made first choice) and do sweet fanny all for the rest of the year she has another thing coming Grin Still these mythical phenomenon do exist apparently, and she is dyslexic and dyspraxic so there are never any guarantees on exam success even if she does work her socks off so we can't dismiss it........

Glad it went well at Southampton snowyowl fingers crossed. I do like to hear of all the benefits of my alma mater being shared by a new generation.

Congratulations to your DD as well Beck and call

Kez100 · 15/11/2013 17:25

Great news coming through - your's DCs must be delighted and you a little bit relieved.

My DD is waiting for her Tutor's response to her PS and is in the final weeks of pulling together her portfolio, so she is ready for interview if a date appears.

hattymattie · 15/11/2013 20:25

shooting that is amazing news and must be a relief for you and your family. I thought unconditionals were only for people who already had their results and were on gap years' and such like.

Well done to Beck and Call's daughter and fingers crossed as well for snowy'sDD.

BeckAndCall · 16/11/2013 07:01

I am confused by the Birmngham unconditional offers - two girls at DDs school got unconditional offers from Birmingham yesterday too. It's great to have them, and so glad for your DD shooting but I wonder if its an administrative mistake? The regulations will require some kind of entry qualifications ( usually 2 A levels or equiv - hence the old two Es offer).

Or maybe I'm just not up to date and its a way of capturing choices early and trying to get students to go 'firm' for them?

But it would play havoc with their student number control limit - and they couldn't predict their position on ABBs ( sorry, university admin mind working overtime)

creamteas · 16/11/2013 10:42

Beck and Call From gossip, I've heard that the way Birmingham manage this is this:

They only make unconditional offers to students whose record and predictions indicate a good possibility of all A/A* results. So even if there was a drop they would still make the ABB margin.

They don't make any/many non ABB offers, so on if an unconditional student did drop below ABB they have not committed to any of their core.

It is a condition that the students take their A levels, so they can't just turn up without them.

Personally I think it smacks of desperation. If the only way they can convince good students to name them as firm is to offer them unconditional, they are doing something wrong!

Shootingatpigeons · 16/11/2013 10:48

beck I find it slightly surreal too but assume it is effectively the old 2Es offer. It is definitely not an administrative mistake though, I had read they were going to start doing this and I googled to check www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/unconditional-offer-scheme-2014.aspx it is conditional on you accepting them as first choice, if you make them the insurance then it reverts to the standard offer so it is the incentive to be made first choice. Anyway she also got an offer last night from one of her preferred unis oop north so very happy and relieved. She is finding the Birmingham offer very attractive though because she has suffered huge problems with exam anxiety as a result of her learning difficulties, panic attacks, passing out, she has had counselling and hypnotherapy. She is a clever girl but it doesn't come easily. We have agreed she will decide after we go to the offers days.

Shootingatpigeons · 16/11/2013 10:53

X posted creamteas I agree but then again listening to the 17 year olds reactions it is going down well. It remains to be seen if it actually affects their final decision.

By the way "sweet fanny all" ? spot the dyslexic parent!

Shootingatpigeons · 16/11/2013 11:08

Also I do know that Birmingham is a uni that students are often surprised by when they visit. Certainly my older DD really liked both the course and the uni, as much as her top choices and would have been very happy to go there. As a result it often is made the insurance by students applying to the most selective unis. Perhaps they feel they have nothing to lose in trying to shift those insurance acceptances into firms.

A bit of me will feel stupidly and irrationally guilty if she doesn't accept as well Blush my wet and emotional side can't help feeling that they have demonstrated a real liking for my DD! Rationality will prevail in my DDs decision making though!

PurplePotato · 16/11/2013 13:37

DS also really loved Birmingham and has an offer (although A*AA, nothing like unconditional!). They have also given details of various scholarships but he would only get these if he makes Birmingham his firm choice. They are definitely trying to pin down these students...