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Higher education

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

Original poster

Ucas form sent off!

184 replies

Peaceandl0ve · 12/10/2015 14:51

Seems that my DD has done all she can for now, except for work exp diaries, questionnaires, bmat and the rest. Is is Christmas yet?

OP posts:
dottygamekeeper · 17/10/2015 23:10

Atia - those are my DDs sentiments entirely: she is very frustrated that having submitted her personal statement, school have said they may not do their bit until after halfterm, she is very keen to get it all sent off and hopefully start getting some offers. She did admit today that she is a control freak!

raspberryrippleicecream · 18/10/2015 00:18

dotty what did your DD decide? My DS opted for theoretical physics where he had a choice.

He submitted on Monday, received first interview invitation yesterday

superbaghag · 18/10/2015 17:16

Atia - yes not his first choice but his 3rd so he was really pleased.

Waiting for information to come through is really stressful. He seems totaly chilled out. Irritatingly so!

Fingers crossed for all those waiting to submit.

mateysmum · 18/10/2015 18:30

Thanks Molio. I know that's true but trying to stop DS stressing is hard. He really wants Oxford and has gone for Christchurch. I'm an Oxford grad so I know what's involved but though "everyone" says A levels are easier than when I did them 35 years ago I don't remember this level of stress.

newstart15 · 18/10/2015 19:35

wow, congrats on those with early offers, it must be a relief.

Dd is also planning to study for MAT at half term but I hope she also gets some downtime.

TalkinPeece · 18/10/2015 19:41

sent earlier this evening ....

superbaghag · 18/10/2015 21:42

and breathe!

Molio · 18/10/2015 22:45

I'm guessing he's at a good school mateysmum, if you're an Oxford grad and he's gone for Christchurch/ History, so he's probably got buckets of seasoned advice. It is a stressful time this bit between the form going in and getting an interview invite and far worse if he's set his heart on getting a place. I hope it works out. I think stress seems even worse when you're a parent watching it, rather than living it, or at least as bad, so good luck to you too :)

homebythesea · 19/10/2015 07:39

Another one here with a v early offer, barely 24hrs after the forms were sent. Does makes you think how closely they actually read the PS! 5th choice, and (theoretically) a v achievable offer but as DS said its good to know he will be going SOMEWHERE! I'm just so pleased his school encourage them to get the application in early (even non Oxbridge like my DS) so they can just forget about it and concentrate on their "proper" work.

RhodaBull · 19/10/2015 11:03

All and sundry have banged on to ds that Oxbridge is for most students a lottery. There are thousands of applicants, especially for popular subjects, and by the time it gets to interviews everyone is an able and deserving candidate and admissions tutors themselves say that there's little to choose between most students.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 19/10/2015 11:07

Warwick have also been making early offers - at DDs school there have been offers already for maths and psychology, both day after the applications went in.

SquirrelledAway · 19/10/2015 12:01

homebythesea I think in a lot of cases they don't read the PS, it's all determined by existing grades / predicted grades, and possibly more so in Scotland because you're likely to get an unconditional offer based on your Highers results. Having said that, there was still much stressing and several iterations of DS's PS before it went in.

homebythesea · 19/10/2015 12:06

Exactly squirelledaway which makes me cross about the amount of stress, time and grey hairs (mine) devoted to the bloody thing!

Molio · 19/10/2015 12:06

Rhoda of course it's not a lottery. That doesn't mean that interviewing candidates at Oxford and Cambridge aren't all pretty clever but there's got to be a little more rigour behind the process than that or the universities wouldn't invest the huge amounts of money and time that they do trying to select which students should get the offers. The tutors are trying to be nice to those who don't succeed, that's all. At the borderline the choice will be hard, but not at the upper or lower end of interviewees.

Molio · 19/10/2015 12:10

homebythesea you could easily read it the other way - that there are far fewer applications going in before the early deadline so the tutors have more time to read the PS, and shot out an early offer because they really liked your DS's!

SquirrelledAway · 19/10/2015 12:18

And if 4 out of 5 of the universities don't read the PS, you still have to give it your best shot for the one that does because Sod's law is that it will be the one that the DC really wants to go to.

homebythesea · 19/10/2015 12:18

True enough molio Grin

hellsbells99 · 19/10/2015 16:08

DD2's form went in a week ago. She has only put down 3 universities initially. Of those 2 have sent acknowledgements - and 1 of those has offered her an interview/applicant day. The 3rd one, manchester, has not even acknowledged her application. She initially applied to the 3 that were her favourites - the remaining 2 places she needs to select from the 4 left on her list. If she has offers reasonably quickly from 2 out of her initial 3, then she may not add any more. DD1 wasted a lot of time (and my money) last year preparing & going to interviews when she had made up her mind very early on which was her favourite (and had an early offer from them).

iwantgin · 19/10/2015 16:17

DS application was in on 14th.

No news yet. Hmm

I haven't had too much input actually, as school are very hands on with helping students complete their PS and get everything in on time.

DS seems to be quite happy with things to date.

Fingers crossed for him, and all the other students on here.

Molio · 19/10/2015 21:21

I have to say it's absolutely lovely not to be a parent of an applicant this year - five have gone through in the past six years. Good luck to all, I feel for you!

hellsbells99 · 19/10/2015 22:44

DD has now received an acknowledgement from Manchester saying her application is being forwarded to the relevant department.
Hello Molio - I'm back on here again with DD2 this time.

NapoleonsNose · 22/10/2015 22:06

DD submitted her's this evening after I'd paid. Hopefully the school already have her reference ready to go and she'll hear something soon. A couple of her friends have already got offers, one from the same course at the same uni that DD is keen on.

hattymattie · 25/10/2015 09:47

We've done it - the button has been pressed.

TalkinPeece · 25/10/2015 16:29

5 acknowledgements in the box
but as the course is highly competitive, I'm assuming no offers till Christmas
so anything before then is good news
and as we've not actually visited two of the Unis, delay is good

hennipenni · 27/10/2015 15:46

Can we join please? Dd2 submitted, hoping her referee is on the ball and has done the reference for her.