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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:
MiffleTheIntrovert · 01/04/2016 10:12

Is it usual for parents to contact ( or attempt to contact) universities in behalf of their DCs?

It reminds me a little of when staff members got a parent to phone their employer to say they were off sick. It made me Hmm. Surely the DCs should have the contact with a uni - would they even speak to the parents anyway?

I have no experience of this yet and wondered if, in fact, this is normal or if others see it as inappropriate and a sign of lack of independence in the DCs?

MiffleTheIntrovert · 01/04/2016 10:12

On behalf of

JeanneDeMontbaston · 01/04/2016 11:08

It's inappropriate, and generally the university cannot or should not respond to a third party (including parents) about a potential or current student. You can see why - imagine if you reply to a seemingly concerned parent 'oh, no, actually, your DD withdrew her application' or 'no, she discontinued her studies last year/switched to Engineering/whatever'. That's private information between the student and the university.

lljkk · 01/04/2016 11:44

Some info isn't confidential, though. It's fair game for an employer or investigators etc. to confirm, for instance, whether someone received the degree they claimed to have received at a Uni, and at that point the Uni will say the truth (changed course, got a different degree, dropped out, etc).

BoboChic · 01/04/2016 11:47

Except that the university is very happy to collect payment from parents...Smile

JeanneDeMontbaston · 01/04/2016 12:02

I know some of it is not confidential - that's why I say 'generally'. And I do worry about it, too.

bobo - there's no 'except' about it, is there? If you have an issue with the way that particular bit of funding works, take it up with the government. They are the ones who decided this was a good idea.

BitchyComment · 01/04/2016 12:31

I'm really hoping the OPs DD got an offer today. Grin.

lljkk · 01/04/2016 12:38

Evil, BM (but I love ur style).

lljkk · 01/04/2016 12:39

BC i meant, not BM. Lack of edit button on MN.
Sigh. Must be some gardening I should do.

RhodaBull · 01/04/2016 12:49

None of ds's friends are taking a gap year or planning to reapply from their state sixth form.

I just checked on the college website and it says that ex-students can be seen only once if they have left. Not very encouraging! It is a bit of a sausage factory.

BoboChic · 01/04/2016 13:16

I'm not sure that it would be fair to overworked Y12 and Y13 teachers in the state sector to make them work twice for the same student. And if you have already applied once through UCAS you surely don't need much support? Just a reference.

MostIneptThatEverStepped · 01/04/2016 13:28

Universities can only speak to the person who is the named contact on UCAS (though atm I only work with the conservatoire side and can't remember if it's the same on normal UCAS)
Having worked in admissions I can safely say that while there is a tiny bit of eye rolling at the sheer number of phone calls from parents, this has absolutely no bearing on how anyone's application is treated and any enquiry is dealt with politely and helpfully. My own DC have made all their own phone/email enquiries etc but may have benefited from a little well informed advice from me 😀

MostIneptThatEverStepped · 01/04/2016 13:30

And it's highly likely that Exeter admissions are closed till Monday or so, and if not, a lot of the staff may be on annual leave. Everything will fire up again next week.

LittlehamHums · 01/04/2016 14:54

We were told by our state sixth form that there was no coming back after year 13 as they didn't have the time or resources. A two year Ucas application process using school resources is not an option.

Does anyone know if you can apply independently?

quit2dis · 01/04/2016 15:42

Yes, you can apply independently (home schoolers do) but you still need a reference. It would be very unusual for a school/sixth form college to refuse to write that reference.

I don't think a two year application process is sensible for the vast majority of students - they won't get particularly different offers in the second year, unless their grades change significantly. Subjects such as medicine are special cases, not the norm.

Agree that lots of admissions office are closed or only partially open this week - the March 31st "deadline" did not take this into account.

corythatwas · 01/04/2016 15:45

Devilishpyjamas Fri 01-Apr-16 08:15:21

"I think that is exceedingly good advice - to the point I shall be passing it into my children (mind you ds2 wants to go to drama school which is a whole different level of hideousness for applications). "

I overheard dd the other day trying to buoy herself up with the thought that Judi Dench took 6 years to get into drama school. Dd is on her second year, halfway through the audition rounds atm. We have nerves of steel in this house. Grin

LittlehamHums · 01/04/2016 15:54

Thanks. I hadn't thought about home schoolers.

There are some lovely teachers who would happily write references so I know that won't be a problem should it be needed. As you say they would end up applying with the same grade as they wouldn't be able to attend lessons so I can't see that you would gain much by adding a year.

Molio · 01/04/2016 16:10

Eric is talking from a very Westminster-centric perspective re support for Y14s. The real world isn't like that, with the possible exception of students who didn't apply in Y13 for whom it's the first attempt. The resources simply aren't there.

Devilishpyjamas · 01/04/2016 16:42

Oh good luck cory. Fingers crossed for your dd! Ds2 very realistic about chances. Is she interested in uni's as well or still focussing on drama schools?

I'no not saying everyone should take 2 years, but if you are applying for the most competitive courses it is worth realising you can be lucky on second application. Certainly at my oxford college lots had got in on second application which just would not have occurred to me.

corythatwas · 01/04/2016 16:55

Thanks, Devilish. She's had one recall so far; didn't make it through but found the recall audition very useful in pinpointing what she needs to work more on. Still three more auditions to go.

She did get an offer for a more academic-type theatre course from one place but didn't think it was right; she is not really the academic type, though well read and very verbal.

Devilishpyjamas · 01/04/2016 16:59

Oh she sounds like ds2. Bright but not really academic. We're waiting on NYT news (he's only 14, so unlikely to get in). They have to be so tough to keep trying. Have fingers & toes crossed for her!

corythatwas · 01/04/2016 18:04

And the same for your ds' NYT!

Original poster
TalkinPeace · 01/04/2016 22:58

No offer yet.
Dd's ucas track still has the email that says all offers will be in by yesterday

Its a fab course so we will wait
But the glaring silence / rudeness is a pita

Ho hum
I'm eye deep in work tje next three months so its up to her ...

OP posts:
butteredmuffin · 02/04/2016 23:24

It may be that she is on a reserve list. They might be waiting to see how many people accept the offers they have already made before they know how many more they can make. (Apologies if that isn't how it works any more, but that's what seemed to happen when I was applying 10 or so years ago.)

Molio · 03/04/2016 10:11

butteredmuffin she's certain to be a maybe and they're waiting for their first choice offerees to respond. It's better to be in that position than be a definite no, even if it's a bit of a dent to the (maternal) pride. Chances are that several of those offerees will decline their place especially since Exeter seems to be adopting a policy of very high offers, so I'd be hopeful of an offer next week. OP says her DD would only use it as insurance so it's not a massive deal.