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Higher education

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

Original poster

A level Results - 18 days - anxiety rising....anyone else??

999 replies

Poppledopple · 31/07/2016 13:31

Maybe because it is August tomorrow - but seems to have come round quickly. Had a nice break not thinking about anything since last exam and after full on year choosing, applying, getting rejected, getting offers etc....

Might as well switch off and try and get distracted for the next 18 days....as either way it will be v busy few days/weeks after results to get started on next phase of his life.

PFB -- any old hands out there want to give me a slap?

OP posts:
jaxxyj · 21/08/2016 10:02

Aargh! As suspected DS offered Kingston University, yesterday evening got an email with accomodation option which is in the most expensive halls at 12,500 pa ! This obviously is more than his grant ( even with the London upgrade so not a viable option. We now have to wait until Monday to speak to the accomodation team. I've looked at all the private halls near by but they are pretty much the same. Any ideas, you resourceful lot??

jaxxyj · 21/08/2016 10:09

Cocole pew- when did they last ring for an update? It took quite a lot of chasing up and then even when they got back us with a decision it was almost a whole day before it changed on track. Didn't change until 18.00 on Friday. I had to hassle my DS to keep phoning because he didn't want to but it is worth doing. good luck, I am keeping everything crossed for you! I really feelI still feel up a height without accomodation in place!

hellsbells99 · 21/08/2016 10:10

Gosh that's an awful lot!
I was a bit naffed off that DD got offered accommodation yesterday for a Northern uni that was £1,000 more than we had hoped (didn't get her preference).

Cocolepew · 21/08/2016 10:19

She phoned yesterday and they said to phone again on monday.
Can track change at anytime? DD has been checking at 9 and 2.
£12,500 Shock

NapoleonsNose · 21/08/2016 10:20

Bloody hell, that's steep! I'm baulking at DD having to pay £5700 for her halls, but £12.5K is ridiculous. I'd be expecting a gold plated bed with a mattress made from luxury goose down for that. My neice went to KU last year, but she ended up sharing a house miles away (bf was already there at a different London uni). Is there perhaps a waiting list he can go on for cheaper halls? There may be drop outs even before term starts.

MirabelleTree · 21/08/2016 10:30

Cococlepew it took a lot of pushing Thursday and Friday to get Nephew sorted and I took over a call on Friday when it was becoming obvious that he was going to be told he had to wait and see, he only had a couple of hours at that point before his clearing offer expired. He had done really well but just needed someone to help him get onto a supervisor.

Once I'd done that things moved very fast and the supervisor was lovely. They had to get UCAS to reverse the rejection, decide if they could accept the email from school as proof of the correct grade,plus the Head of Department to approve as he was one grade off his offer.

Less than 2 hours later that had happened and he had an email from the faculty confirming he has a space and that it will take a bit of time for it to show on UCAS not to worry and that he's in.

A friend's DD had the correct grades on Thursday for her offer but it showed as conditional still whilst her insurance had gone firm. That took a lot of phone calls and took until late yesterday afternoon until it was sorted on UCAS.

Hang in there, and chase it as soon as possible. Get her to explain it has now become time sensitive due to having. A significant financial outlay for local college if she doesn't get the placeI know all the advice is it has to be the student and it does really but if it comes to it don't be afraid to jump in for a bit. I took a deep breath taking over in SIL's absence but could see it was going to go pear shaped if I didn't . Once I was satisfied that we were getting somewhere I backed off again and he did the talking again when they rang back a couple of times.

Hang in there and good luck.

ReadyToSignOff · 21/08/2016 10:33

Thanks janjanmama and coconutty... Paperwork for the remark didn't go in till Friday as on Thursday morning head of sixth form seemed to think it was a really bad idea to delay and 'risk losing' his offer of insurance choice whilst considering whether he could be awarded the 2 UMS Sad points in Physics which prevented him from being offered his firm choice. Apparently Leeds has a blanket policy of not accepting less than a B grade in any subject, which I can understand, but seems a bit harsh when DS is SO CLOSE. There was a girl at school on Thurs who was 1UMS off the mark she needed in Maths, so it could be worse! Anyways... like you in an earlier post coconutty we thought that there was a magic 'accept' button to press, so DS spent several hours unsure of what to do. Eventually we had another look on tracking to find out what the acceptance deadline was, only to find out that it had all been done automatically! After a bit of MN advice we rushed back into school - only person left was same head of sixth form who now seemed to think it was a really good idea to get a remark done as he had 'nothing to lose' and whatever happened we didn't want to always be wondering 'what if?' Confused sigh. Of course admin lady was long gone by then, consequently he has lost a day on the turnaround time. Not crucial but annoying. I can't moan too much - his insurance offer is a really good one, but he seemed so disappointed when he didn't get his firm (this is from someone who doesn't normally show any emotion!) but I suspect that even if he gets upgraded, he won't want to go through the rigmarole of changing through clearance. DH and I go camping on Tuesday, so I won't be able to help him sort it out for a while. Good luck with the remark jan and I'm glad everything went according to Plan A coconutty - much simpler! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for cocolepew - it's horrible not knowing what's happening.

Cocolepew · 21/08/2016 11:07

Thanks Mirabelle.
DD told them yesterday she needed to know by tuesday before we paid money out.
That's why he said if she hadn't heard today to phone on Monday .
I think I'll listen in tomorrow and see what is going on.
Pretty cheesed off now tbh.

Coconutty · 21/08/2016 11:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Headofthehive55 · 21/08/2016 11:10

Id suggest going for the remark anyway. You don't know how things pan out and he might need the better grade if he needed to re apply. My DD was so close to a grade boundary, she ended up at her insurance, for the same course so went there, but has never been happy. At the time she wanted to put it behind her, and forget it but I think now a remark would have been a good thing to do as it would have allowed further choices down the line. As it is she just doesn't want to go back each year but has little option.

blinkowl · 21/08/2016 11:41

jaxxyj his best bet is probably to join with other students and rent somewhere.

The accommodation team at my uni have days at the uni next week to help new get into students into groups to go househunting together, they also have a private facebook where new students can meet each other - again to form groups to go househunting together - and they have a list of approved landlords and other housing providers who don't charge the usual rip-off agency fees.

I have no idea if your uni does the same but their accommodation people should be able to help you.

Also it could be a good idea to encourage your DS to join The Student Room website, go on the chat forums and ask other students from the same uni for tips and what other students usually do.

blinkowl · 21/08/2016 11:53

even when they got back us with a decision it was almost a whole day before it changed on track

If it's the same as at my uni, it's not an automatic process to get onto Track, it's a manual admin job, so someone has a stack of all the offers made to put onto Track. With so many coming in at once (we took nearly 4000 calls on the first day of clearing alone!) you can understand it can take a while to get through these! How long exactly depends on how many people the uni has employed to do the job of course.

Hassling them may or may not get you somewhere, depends on their set up. At my uni, it wouldn't make any difference as the people you speak to on the phones have no ability to speed the admin team up - once the offer is sent through that's the last we see of it (and we do that part of the process while the potential student is still on the phone, so no backlog there).

Although having said that, when I'm on the other side when the DC are older, I'll certainly hassle if it takes ages, it doesn't hurt to ask!

Also there's always the possibility a mistake has been made. e.g. it's conceivable that the incorrect deadline could be sent to Track and the offer could close before the student got to it. This doesn't happen often as far as I know, but because it's a manual process it's a risk I suppose.

Cocolepew · 21/08/2016 12:00

The phone lines are closed today.

Coconutty · 21/08/2016 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lovelybangers · 21/08/2016 13:25

Crikey £12500! That's crazy.

DS did well. A*AAB He had an unconditional place - got the grades anyway so gets a small financial bonus of £1000.

He is very happy and i am relieved.

Hope all those Dc who didn't quite make it get a good alternative sorted out. Tricky times for all.

Cocolepew · 21/08/2016 13:50

Well done to your DS lovely, great grades Star

eatyourveg · 21/08/2016 19:20

jaxxyj Look here there are a fair few in Kingston near the university and all cheaper than 12.5K

jaxxyj · 21/08/2016 21:03

Thank you all for your help! We have a plan- will be contacting accommodation at 8.30 to see if there is a waiting list for the cheaper halls as that is DS preference. Then hopefully we will get some support from the accommodation team re any other options, apparently there will be other people in the same boat. I am going to try to "work from home" in the morning to see if we can make some progress.

ReadyToSignOff · 22/08/2016 11:04

Quick update for those awaiting remarks... Edexcel have found an extra 5UMS on one Physics paper and we are waiting for the other paper to come back. I am really cross, but happy at the same time. DS will have to decide what he wants to do all over again.

Dunlurking · 22/08/2016 11:43

Good news on the extra 5UMS Readytosignoff Is he contacting Leeds today then?

Coconutty · 22/08/2016 11:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cocolepew · 22/08/2016 12:01

Thats good news ready.
Still no news here, Im just pissed off now.

Janjanmama · 22/08/2016 12:35

Ready that's good news! We are still waiting...

Million2One · 22/08/2016 12:36

Readytosignof

That's great news news. How does it work with his accommodation?

ReadyToSignOff · 22/08/2016 12:39

Thanks everyone Smile unfortunately he is phone phobic! He wants to wait until the other paper comes back too before deciding. My concern is that he has got his head around going to Sheffield (which is a good choice) and will just 'go with the flow' and leave it as it is. It is his choice, but DS and DH are telling me off for telling him to ring 'just in case'. I am the sort of person who just likes to get everything sorted out NOW! Why wouldn't he want to secure his first choice if he can have it now? Not helped by the fact that DH and myself are going camping without DS tomorrow. Don't want it dragging on... However, it does prove that it is worth trying for a remark if you think you should have got a higher grade. I feel for you and your DD cocolepew hope you hear soon xx