Uni offers for 2017 start

[Carriemac]

Could we have a handholding thread? I have two DCs going through UCSS at the moment, would love to obsess here so I can appear calm on the outside.
LNAT results go to the UNIs tomorrow I think, so offers could be rolling in soon for DD who has applied for law.

Can't remember when I last updated on here, but DD2 has had offers from the 4 unis she applied to.

She has discounted Exeter as it has the highest grades (she is struggling with her third choice A level) and she prefers the courses at the other 3.

2 have given her unconditional offers if she firms and currently Lancaster is her likely choice but she will go to the offer holders day here and at Newcastle before deciding.

A big part of me would like her to go for Lancaster so the pressure is off, but it is a long way away and I wonder if she will be isolated.

Newcastle is a better choice as DD😄 is at Durham and it is much easier to get to from where we live.

For those of you who's DC found Durham religious that has not been DD1 experience and she is very agnostic but it is full of privately educated children, this is something DD picked up from the start and especially at the offer holders day. However although she was state school educated she has fitted in well.

RE. Durham offering College places - is this done for candidates who have firmed Durham or is it all with offers?

Any of you with DCs with recent experience of MPhys in physics/astrophysics at either Lancaster or Exeter? Just wondering if anyone had any extra information/experience to add to the mix before the firm/insurance choice. Thanks

My second twin now also has a Durham offer - his is AAA (his twins' durham offer is A*AA). he has apparently know for 2 days but did not get round to telling any of us. So that means both have heard from everywhere with offers except they have not heard from Edinburgh which was never very high up the list. So they will both be choosing between Durham and Bristol now for first choice.

Sparkles, my daughter conclusion after a Durham visit a few years ago that it was relivious was a ridiculous conclusion for a sixth former to come to although it is not unusual for them to be swayed by all kinds of things at that age. I am from the NE anyway originally and her grand parents were there so it would have been rather nice ad she gone there (as indeed her cousin did and in his day my father).

I think the issues for my twins will include distance ( we are outer London) which was also a question for their sister (who chose Bristol over Durham); perhaps wanting to go somewhere different however than their sister; status - I don't think it makes a massive difference for jobs but Durham is probably ahead of Bristol; possibly one twin (but not the other) wanting to be at a different university from the other (I would prefer if they don't mind they go to the same as it will help a lot with logistics, driving them there etc but I am happy to go with whatever they choose (assuming they can get the grades). One says if he does put Durham first (AAA), then Bristol (AAB) will be his back up and he is sure he'll get the grades. The other has A*AA from both of them.

Dd has applied for a health related course. She applied to three universities, was rejected by one and had interviews at the other two - the last one was on Friday. So now the nail biting wait to see if she will be offered a place. This bit isn't much fun!

Are your twins applying for different courses Enormous Tiger? (I imagine they probably are)
I went to Bristol and Durham was my second choice but I didn't get an offer from them or an opportunity to visit (probably partly because back then I think the Uni's could see what order you'd put them in)
Although I enjoyed my (ten) years in Bristol I do wonder what Durham would have been like. It strikes me now as maybe the more interesting and romantic choice of the two? But distance is a sensible factor to consider too.

Here the choice for firm looks mainly between Reading and Swansea. Both DD and I feeling very positive about both, both as Uni's/locations and the courses. But we haven't visited yet - applicant days coming up in the next few weeks. USW just outside Cardiff looking very promising, with interesting course, for our insurance (we have visited there)

Juggling, yes, ancient history (the AAA Durham offer) and geography the A*AA offers. They knew when they chose the subjects one was slightly harder to get into than the other but they both like their subjects so that's fine and wherever they end up I am sure they will be fine.

No offers, but now a rejection from St Andrew's. What can I say to my poor dc? Already has grades and on gap year. I don't know what to think.

What grades Waiting? and what universities? is your DC aiming too high?
St Andrew's is notoriously difficult to get into

Waiting - what nationality is your dc? We have been told (by the school's ucas advisor) that Scottish universities are hugely over subscribed this year because of Brexit uncertainty. My dd has been rejected for one course, which she was easily predicted the grades for, with this explanation through ucas; "although you meet our criteria, we have had a huge number of applications and are making our offers to the applicants with the highest grade predictions." Also heard, informally, that they are prioritising- Scotland, rest of UK (high payers) and then EU. Not sure if this is true but feeling pessimistic for dc's chances with her other choice. Interestingly she has received offers from her 2 English unis - both of which wanted higher grades......?

Thanks both, dc has A ( Maths) AA, AAAA at AS level and 10 A at GCSE. We are in England so perhaps this has some bearing. Also applied to Durham, Bath and Edinburgh and now thinking perhaps no offer will be forthcoming. Do you think dc has aimed too high? Thinking about putting a fifth choice on UCAS form.

Those are really good grades. My two got AAAA at AS too but nothingl ike 10 A* GCSE and have offers from Durham, Bristol, Nottingham Exeter. the only one they have not heard from is Edinburgh which I was not keen on anyway as it would cost me an extra £50k if they both went there probably (the extra year - 4 year courses) but if they really want to go there and if they get an offer then that's fine they can go.

It doesn't sound aiming too high at all but it might depend on the subject I suppose.

Waiting - did your DCs application go in quite late? Those grades should get offers from all the unis you have listed.

What subject?

DS had a pretty awful time applying for economics three years ago despite a 4x A* prediction. He was rejected by Cambridge and was still waiting for LSE, Warwick and UCL in mid March. He, luckily, got one of those. Two boys we know of got none, but ended up getting Cambridge on reapplication. The competition was far tougher than we had expected.

All I can say is to hang in there, and consider a late application if nothing comes up. It was awful.

But all you need is one place.

Thanks again. Yes, the application went in at the beginning of December so quite late I would say. It's Economics dc is applying for. Looks as if the competition is really tough. If he put a fifth choice in now do you think that would be obvious to the uni concerned or would they consider it along with the others?

Thanks for the encouragement.

sherlock that sounds really odd so I'd treat it as a Scottish quirk. Those grades are fantastic - easily good enough for all his other choices although I can see that Scotland might well be a funny one this year. Hang on in there.

I think maybe stick another one in there how about Bristol?

Sorry, I intended to say I would probably be inclined to stick another one in there - can't do any harm and might do some good - but I wouldn't aim too low with those grades, or he might well regret it.

I don't see how it can do any harm to add a 5th - they may consider it but even if they don't he wont have lost anything. No news has to be good news at this stage from the other 3, he's got good results in the bag so it seems probable he'll get offers.

I think he should be alright. The A* in maths will help, and he is not trying for the most competitive courses.

But it may be a bit of a wait. Universities often use a 'gathered field' for over subscribed courses. They are also obliged to treat home/EU students equally. At the LSE this seems to mean setting an exam in February for those students whose home educational systems don't differentiate suffiently. So everyone ends up waiting.

I would not rush into an additional choice. You have missed the deadline for equal treatment. Instead I would perhaps contact individual departments at other universities and ask whether they might entertain a late application.

Bristol is likely to be at least as tough as Bath. Its economics department is normally ranked in the top 10. St Andrews economics is also usually ranked at about the same level. So possibly the most competitive of his choices.

I think he has pitched it right. I think he will get something.

In the meantime

I think he will get an offer from at least two of those, Sherlock, but adding a fifth won't hurt.

What about Nottingham, Exeter or even a bash at Warwick?

He's been studying unistats tonight and will talk to someone at school this week I think.

I think he will try and be strategic and decide carefully where to apply if he goes down that route.

Thank you so much all of you for your positivity. We have both been brooding on it all day. Your opinions have really helped.

I would add a 5th (I thought just about everyone applied for 5 anyway) and also is he sure he correctly applied - no error in terms of submission or the other 3 he hasn't heard from?

Mine applied in about October.