University offers for 2017 start (Part 2)

[EnormousTiger]

Continuation of the original thread which is now on to 40 page maximum.
Original thread (part 1) here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2759621-Uni-offers-for-2017-start?

Most offers now received. My twins have had offers from their 4 and are currently deciding which will be firm and which insurance. One twin
( possibly two of them) is going to an offer holders' day coming up at Bristol next month with his friends from school.

That all sounds good GetAHaircut.
I think sometimes our young people do need help and support with decision making
after all we know that it's not easy to weigh up everything especially for important decisions.
At the same time it has to be their decision,
and in reality there are probably many paths that could work out well, certainly between one Uni and another.
I'm trying to keep that sense of many good offers and exciting possibilities.
Best of luck to any of you still to choose.

I think mine will push the bottom tomorrow or the day after. Progress today - one who was laways saying Bristol over Durham seems to have decided that more firmly (no matter what his twin's choice) and Nottingham back up. The other still hasn't picked between Durham and Bristol but has picked his back up - Edinburgh (despite that being 4 years) but hopefully he would get his first choice grades anyway (he doesn't need an A* unlike his twin). So that means just one choice of the 4 left to be made, in the sense that each twin as 2. I have made it clear I am happy if they are at the same university or different. It really does not matter to me at all and they don't mind either (although it certainly be easier for driving their stuff if they were at the same one and probably at Bristol that is not the reason to make that choice of course).

Need, hiring a lorry sounds a nice plan. My sister years and years ago (or rather our parents) had to send her stuff to Oxford in a very large trunk on the back of a lorry in advance of term starting. I had it in my garage until last year actually as I took it after our parents died as no one wanted it, but it wasn't used so it's gone now.

If most possessions these days are stored in the cloud in theory that is not much kit and I don't think the one who cycles will take his bike to start with at least nor will they take my second car at least at first, but I'll keep it for the holidays for them.

Well done to those who have firmed their choices.

I suggested tossing a coin for my one who still cannot pick between Durham and Bristol. Either choice will be fine for him.

Button has been pushed!

In the end I just said why not just have another look through what the course entails, in detail, for each of your favourite two to firm. He did, going back to what he'd done originally, way back when. He realised one was more flexible than the other. So, sorted. Well that bit anyway.......

Good luck to everyone expecting DCs to commit this week... big steps!!

Don't have one of mine going through this year but very interested in all of this so couldn't help but read through.

Just to partially defend teachers, I can see why they're not keen on unconditional offers. UCAS published some research on this last year which showed applicants are 23% more likely to miss their predicted grades by two or more grades of they accept an unconditional offer. If one of the keys things you're judged on is your students' grades this would be pretty terrifying.

There's also a bit of mileage in the "bums on seats" thing. Birmingham isn't the only RG place to do this (if you take RG as a quality measure) and it seems that where unconditional offers are made there are often clearing places too. Being a great Uni doesn't mean that recruitment isn't hard work. I'm developing a test in my own mind to decide what unconditional offers are really all about - does it only apply if someone accepts as firm? To me, if it does, then it feels like the equivalent of the double glazing salesman who can do you an amazing deal but only if you sign today.

That said, if you really want double glazing then a pushy salesman desperate to do a deal can work in your advantage. In the case of Chip's daughter the Unconditional offer sounds like just what she needed. Shame the teacher couldn't acknowledge that side of it too!

Button pushed - hoorah!

Both DC now firmed and insured. Now just those damn grades to get.

Oh and RADA...

I appreciated your interesting post cheap but can be frustrating when schools don't appear to have individual students best interests uppermost on their agenda. For example if they have an interest and talent in music or drama and opportunities to pursue this aren't fully recognised, facilitated and supported. Or in Y6 when the school was overly focused on Sats tests rather than the musical audition which might have been more important to my DS - where they somewhat reluctantly allowed him the time off to go to it but didn't really have it on their radar. As it happens he would have had a sibling place anyway. But disappointing to me that school wasn't really aware of these interesting local opportunities for their students. Has been quite hard work asking for time out of school for DS to take part in a couple of concerts at end of summer term, whereas this is just the sort of excellent opportunity that they should be supporting in my opinion. Similarly with unconditional offers they could be ideal for many students, especially for any experiencing significant stress at this stage.

cheap, good advice. My son with a Nottingham unconditional offer was not tempted by it and the probably a bit better universities he may go to did not make unconditional offers. I am not saying Nottingham is a bad university of course.

I think one of mine had a fairly high offer from Exeter (AAA) which is why it won't be his back up) because Exeter probably want people to make them its first choice not the back up. It's all fairly tactical.

juggling that's a shame for your DS.

I guess schools and teachers feel under tremendous pressure to get the grades out of their students ( for the league tables and their pay which is often performance related) so they're not supportive of things which might jeopardise those grades.

I can't really fault DD's school in this regard. For such an academic school they've been extremely calm and pragmatic about missed school. Me on the other hand ...

Thanks Bobo. My hijack not yours!

DD had a lowish offer, three grades below her predictions, and unsurprisingly missed her predictions by a couple of grades. It did though, allow her to continue with her volunteering, school and club sport, prefect responsibilities, go on a school Easter ski trip, and continue her social life. She was disappointed not least as she missed the grade above by a single UMS in three subjects, but a useful lesson in how to calibrate her efforts.

She had made a deliberate decision to duck an Oxbridge application in order to be able to continue with that balance. This ought to enable her to make the most of her time at University. I think the risk would be if someone takes an easier path simply to have more time to hang out or party.

Same school as Carl, and same experience. No pressure at all to apply to Oxbridge, and if anything they seemed more disappointed that a couple of girls, under real pressure from tough offers, chose to skip a key sports match than DD not securing stellar grades.

Bribing didn't get the ucas buttons clicked yesterday. Today she sent a text to ask if I can do it. I said I can do the button clicking, but she needs to make the choices.

HSM tell her that you're going to leave the decision to the MN massive.

DD pushed the button last night, after lots of talk with friends over the weekend.

As soon as she did it, she stepped away from the laptop and said, 'I hope I'm not going to regret it.' Poor thing. She wanted some flash of inspiration or feeling of enthusiasm, but it didn't happen that way for her.

I'm sure she will be fine, more than fine, but re-assurance from mum isn't enough. I hope she feels more optimistic after speaking to her friends at college today.

Where did she decide on, aging?

I think my DD viewed her choice as still leaving her fate in the element of luck of A*s so was sort of relaxed about it. I honestly don't know whether she made the 'best' choice for her. The truth is that a lot of how uni works out is down to imponderables such as who you befriend.(I met DH in week one in the physics subsid lab)

HSM - you can't decide for her, because if you do that anything which might turn out suboptimal will be your fault. The MN collective, OTOH...

It's the system that puts teachers and schools under those pressures that annoys me GetAHaircut, schools should not be judged only on exam results. We all need a more holistic approach for all the students and their families. Being able to take advantage of wider opportunities and also to have some life/work balance and develop social and emotional skills is all so important too.
Sorry for the tangent, but that's sometimes what makes things interesting!

She went for Bristol in the end.

Very true about the imponderables. Also, to a certain extent, it will be a good experience for her because she will make it so. That would be true wherever she went.

It's easy for me to say all that from my perspective as an old fart a middle aged woman. For her, making such a big, adult decision herself is still a bit overwhelming.

Do you live in London? If so another taker for Janet's lorry?

Getahaircut and Errol I am tempted to tell her I'm putting it to the vote

And I will definitely not be choosing for her. I don't want the blame for any of this.

Can the lorry go via bath spa? You can drop dd off on the way (if she picks it).

I spoke too soon. One forgot to firm as was so busy at school and the other thinks it makes no difference if you do it on the deadline date (and anyway if he fell under a bus tomorrow he could still apply for an extension he says). I hope they firm up tomorrow though.

Ah my lorry, yes. I hired a quite large one - much bigger than a transit when my older son bought a house in November and ended up driving myself to the council tip absolutely full to the brim with all kinds of rubbish, very heavy stuff. I was pleased I could drive it. I've never driven such a big van in my life. Big by my standards anyway. i would not want to repeat that mind you... Hopefully they can all travel light in this digital cloud age. I remember moving my daughter into Bristol - so many trips from car to room, box after box.

Hopefully they can all travel light in this digital cloud age

But they need to take all the hardware to make that possible, and personally I'd rather DD wasn't merely virtually dressed.

HSM tell her breezily that you pulled the trigger as suggested by her.

When she goes. Say that a random screen writer from London was adamant that Exeter looked nice .

The MN massive is morphing into the MN caravanserai.

We're like the Peace Convoy but with deodorant .

Ds firmed his offer weeks ago....as soon as he got the 2 offers he was really wanting....he's now applying for accommodation and student finance ( with minimal input from us- dd1 went to same uni so he's been asking her for advice re which halls and as he'll only get minimum finance it's actually fairly straightforward)....now all he needs to do is get the grades ( he's already submitted his EPQ and Welsh Bac so at least they're out of the way and he can concentrate on the rest)