Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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

Exeter offers : incompetent or arrogant?

620 replies

TalkinPeace · 25/03/2016 22:42

DD submitted her form last October
Exeter have still not had the courtesy to send an offer (the other four Unis all have)
when phoned they said

  • no offers have been issued (bollocks as DDs friends have theirs)
  • offers will be made by end of December (bollocks as its now late march)
  • offers will be made right after the UCAS cut off date (bollocks as it was in January)
  • offers will be made by the end of March ........

Exeter are arrogant liars
the word needs to go round

OP posts:
Molio · 04/04/2016 15:46

Oops sorry OP just realised that's the second derail.

Any news?

EricNorthmanSucks · 04/04/2016 15:46

molio how an I judging applicants in a 'non academic way' Confused.

Their shoe size? The dazzle if their smile? Grin.

HocusCrocus · 04/04/2016 16:18

Oh, right. I forgot that I'm on Mumsnet, where "university" and "Oxbridge" are synonyms! grin*

Grin - you don't really think that do you ? IIRC and I am not going to check - your eldest is at a very good university - sorry if I have it wrong.

That said, I agree in that my Ds's subject was pretty much grades / interview / aptitude test.Indeed on a similar course the admissions tutor said something along the lines of - if you are very good at DoE (Duke of Edinburgh) that's great. We don't do a degree in DoE - tell us how good you are at this subject .

HocusCrocus · 04/04/2016 16:22

Ah twit - that last post was to Bertrand

Molio · 04/04/2016 18:23

Bertrand the point made to me was about the disparity between the school reference and the reality of the applicant who simply bore no resemblance to what had been said. By definition that requires an interview so to that extent this was about Oxbridge applications though no doubt the same excessive flattery is applied to medical applications too. UCL interviews for various subjects but I'm not sure who else does as a matter of course. Anyhow, the interview and the inability of the applicant to articulate thoughts or deal with questions was central to the point about the reference.

Eric I simply meant that you're not an academic so don't have that particular expertise.

UhtredRagnorsson · 04/04/2016 19:24

Bert And any university using extra curricular activities as a selection criterion should be ashamed of itself.

Depends what degree it's for. DD1 applied for music this year to conservatoires and universities and got an EEE offer from one of the top RG universities for her subject basically based on her musical attainments (this offer was made with no interview and no audition - she was invited to a scholarship audition which could have resulted in a financial inducement but she had rejected the offer before the date of the audition came around, due to getting offers from all the conservatoires to which she applied). I don't think that Uni should be ashamed of itself at all.

HocusCrocus · 04/04/2016 19:45

here's a thing - Ds's school did not give them predicted grades pre UCAS ( as DS guessed - it was so pupils / sharp elbowed parents couldn't make a difference. ) He did not know his predicted grades until long after his UCAS application.

(I am taking Molios post re references to also to refer to predicted grades. )

BoboChic · 04/04/2016 19:49

If your school won't let you see them, you can find out your grade predictions and see your reference by requesting a copy of your UCAS file after submission from UCAS.

lljkk · 04/04/2016 21:39

My dad used to be on interview panel for alumni scholarships to a Big American University. He said the candidates they interviewed were all outstanding in multiple ways (academically & ExCs). The question that most flummoxed them was "Tell me about a time you failed at something."

Personally I'd be suspicious of a candidate who couldn't think of anything they failed at.

senua · 04/04/2016 21:49

Ds's school did not give them predicted grades pre UCAS

How does that work?Confused How do you know where to apply if you don't know your level. Or was it the sort of school where everyone excels and it's just a matter of whether you are getting A* grades or only(!) A.

hellsbells99 · 04/04/2016 22:32

As Senua says, how can they select universities without knowing their predicted grades?

Original poster
TalkinPeace · 04/04/2016 23:00

trust me : as soon as that offer / rejection comes in, I'll post
but the little arrogant toe rags are still sitting on their hands
NB
the course is NOT a medics reject one : the spec is quite different
still cannot think of a "gentlemanlike" reason for the 5 month silence

OP posts:
HocusCrocus · 04/04/2016 23:03

Senua
To answer your question,

In fairness it was the kind of school where the upper end of the band of marks was not unusual, actually quite common, ( not exclusively or universal). Also , they would tell a pupil, if necessary (and they sometimes did ) if (they thought) that a DC was punching above their weight in certain applications. DS (who asked) was told that, had he applied beyond what they could support , someone would have hoiked him to one side and told him. Not an approach for everyone, it would not suit some people, and it is obviously is not sustainable in every school, but its how it seemed to work in his.

Hope that answers. Wouldn't suit everyone, I know.

senua · 05/04/2016 09:56

Thanks Hocus. It seems a strange way to carry on. I hope that they did the equal and opposite, too - that diffident children got told to aim higher.

I suppose the DC must have some idea of their ability from assessments etc but I'm having silly thoughts about homework grades - instead of being A, B, C - being Oxbridge, Russell Group, ex-Poly.Grin

BertrandRussell · 05/04/2016 10:03

Hocus- whst an incredibly infantilising system!

BoboChic · 05/04/2016 10:10

I also disagree in principle with schools withholding grade predictions. Schools shouldn't take ownership of the university application process.

Kaddy · 05/04/2016 10:15

Withholding predicted grades seems very dodgy. I don't get the logic at all.

BertrandRussell · 05/04/2016 10:22

Senua- I think we ought to invent a more nuanced system than that. "Baliol, St Cats, That Place in the Fens, Durham, St Andrews, Reading, Greenwich.........Grin

senua · 05/04/2016 10:29

Bertrand I was carefully trying not to name names for fear of starting WW3.Grin.

I presume this is a private school so you can't do a FOI request.

HocusCrocus · 05/04/2016 10:48

Gosh - the reaction has rather made me doubt myself - I'll check with DS. If I'm wrong it wouldn't be the first time Grin .

Kaddy · 05/04/2016 10:52

Hocus Maybe it's your DS not wanting to tell you. They might be higher or lower than he thinks they should be.

quit2dis · 05/04/2016 11:39

the little arrogant toe rags are still sitting on their hands

Alternatively: those poor, underpaid, over-worked admissions staff are working flat out to process applications, taking into account refusals of offers made earlier to stronger candidates.

stonecircle · 05/04/2016 11:42

"Arrogant" toe rags. Oh the irony.

Lessstressy · 05/04/2016 12:18

Is anyone on here involved with the nuts and bolts of admissions?
Slightly off topic but how long does it physically take an admissions officer to actually enter an offer on to the UCAS track system per offeree?

DD is desperate to firm/ insure but one of her unis has e-mailed with an offer but say they won't be able to put it on track until four weeks later. This means she can't firm/ insure or apply for accommodation.

Lessstressy · 05/04/2016 12:25

And strangely the rejections have been sent out on track unlike the offers. Is this fairly common?
I can imagine that admissions staff must be extremely busy but wonder if they realise that applicants can't get any further with arrangements until the offer is on UCAS track.