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

Original poster

University offers for 2018? (Part 1)

868 replies

OnlyTeaForMe · 02/08/2017 17:56

OK, I know I'm a bit early, but let the hand-holding begin...

Come and join us if you (and your DC) are about to start the UCAS process in September - applying for a place in 2018.

I've got DS1, who wants to do Computer Science in 2018. Looking at various Russell Group unis and maybe Oxbridge.

OP posts:
GnomeDePlume · 24/08/2017 22:51

DD knew hers at the end of last academic year with the exception of maths which was dependent on the A level result.

raspberryrippleicecream · 24/08/2017 23:46

Assuming we have the same format as DS1 2 years ago, we will have a parents evening the second week of term. DS had been given predictions by then and they were confirmed on at the meeting. Also given the chance to say if it was a problem.

Lucysky2017 · 25/08/2017 07:39

We had a parents' evening too, early in the term when parents were told predicted grades going to UCAS. My boys did 4 AS in lower sixth so they were good markers of what they might get in 3 A levels the next year. Their school did the Oxbridge applicants first (none got offers by the way) and then after that the others and I certainly remember nagging my sons about it at various times. There is all the A level work plus checking drafts of the personal statement.

The twins were luck to get AAAA in AS. I think their predicted grades shoudl hav been AAA which is what I expected them to get and what they just about did get but the school put AAA. I just feel that my older children's schools never over predicted and I don't like a system that over predicts. Luckily they got into their university so it was all fine. The only one who needed one A was allowed in with AAA although he might get marked up to an A - there is a paper being remarked anyway but I don't think AAA was ever likely so I think the over predictions are pointless and can just lead to the school not being trusted by universities and to offers being made at higher grades than they are likely to get.

goodbyestranger · 25/08/2017 10:20

Although DS4 who has just finished Y13 so same year as Lucy's DT was predicted the same ie all A and only ever got standard offers, so had he not got the As it wouldn't have mattered.

I'm sure the unis know which schools are bad at inflated predictions.

goodbyestranger · 25/08/2017 10:21

And over flattering references too. Especially interviewing unis.

Gannet123 · 25/08/2017 13:50

For the record, the volume of applications most universities are dealing with and the huge number of schools represented means I'd be surprised if any university can form a view on a particular school's reliability with prediction. I'm in a big department in a big university, and the number of schools we get 10+ applications from a year would be in single figures, so you just don't have enough data to make a judgment, and no time to track.

What we know is what's on the form and what usually happens. Under the old system, we know that it's quite common to almost automatically predict a grade higher than the AS level and we know that those predictions are rarely achieved across the board. Under the reformed A levels, we have less information so have less to go on.

To be honest, the only fair thing to do, particularly with the reformed system, is to make offers to students whose schools think they have the potential to meet our grades, and then see how it all pans out with results - outside the most selective institutions we make many more offers than we have places, because the majority of offer holders don't achieve the terms of their offers.
The people who lose out from over-prediction are the applicants who put all their faith in a prediction which is too generous, and are not given an honest assessment of what they are likely to achieve. Universities also struggle from the unpredictability, but we have ways of factoring it in and coping.

goodbyestranger · 25/08/2017 14:14

I'm thinking of big name schools at collegiate universities Gannet so possibly a bit niche.

indulgentberries · 25/08/2017 15:24

I'd recommend choosing a lower grade for insurance rather than the same or very similar grades too.

Here we had a firm of AAB (contextual offer reduced from AAA) and an insurance of BBC. As it happens the results were AAA (predicted AAA, same as AS levels) and so the firm wasn't an issue but avoiding an unwanted gap year was important.

GnomeDePlume · 25/08/2017 16:34

Bristol indulgentberries? DD is considering Bristol and will quite likely end up with a contextual offer.

indulgentberries · 25/08/2017 16:39

Gnome - Cardiff.

Lucysky2017 · 25/08/2017 17:22

We have two non contextual offers for Bristol here ( my struggling single mother status counts as naught in the complex Alice in Wonderland system of contextual offers......) Anyway they got in and that's all fine and their sister went there and it's lovely. All good and such a relief.

voilets · 26/08/2017 09:08

How are the festivals going? I had been worried but DD is having a lovely time. So good to have chill time.

She had begun to do new term essays and is still pruning her PS.

SomersetS · 26/08/2017 15:58

Lonicera - have you entered for BMAT? Imperial uses BMAT not UKCAT
DD just sat UKCAT (what an awful test!) & we are now searching the entry stats to choose the best fit in conjunction with GCSE grades. It's very difficult. We've been to open days where we now know DD won't get an interview Confused

Pulled out of our BMAT test so crossing those Unis off the list too.

Also - there is a specific Medicine thread on here too.

Good luck!

knittingwithnettles · 28/08/2017 18:50

Ds1 has written his PS draft. He is interested in doing BA in Music at Cardiff so far. He hasn't visited any universities or colleges except for Bristol with the school. We are off to Glasgow Open Day tomorrow - it will be a very "aspirational" visit, as his predicted grades don't come anywhere near what it says on their website. Meanwhile Cardiff say your 3rd A level if you do a BMus doesn't have to be quite so strong (ie could be a C or below) as long as Music A level and Grade 8 predictions are good.

Ds1 is not doing much work at the moment, he is C in his strong subjects and starting a replacement Btec in sports science to fill in for the doomed A level he bombed last year in the internal exams.

He has mentioned Derby for Music and someone has told me Hull is good too. We are just putting feelers out atm; I think Ds will definitely be taking a Gap year even if he gets any offers. He is probably better off getting grades before he applies. But HE wants to apply this year and go in 2018, so we will see.

Lucysky2017 · 28/08/2017 19:05

Has he considered a music college instead if music is his thing? Music BA (and A level) is pretty academic and can be essay based which does not always suit brilliant performers who are not that keen on the academic side of music.

IdaBiscuit · 28/08/2017 19:33

DS is not as keen on discussing possible unis as I am, he's got one or two ideas and wants a campus one, but is "enjoying the summer" at the moment.

There's a brilliant facebook group with parents whose DCs are just about to head off. I'm going to be picking their brains about offers/predicted grades/ accepted grades etc.

I know it changes from year to year but I think that with the amount of clearing vacancies (some were still advertising on Friday) it'll be interesting next August.

m.facebook.com/groups/488235648182391

(What I wish I knew about uni)

bevelino · 28/08/2017 19:43

This willl be me next year with triplet girls off to uni, although one has said she wants to do a gap year to work and save money. All 3 go to different schools and have exactly the same exam results. Am so proud of them.

knittingwithnettles · 28/08/2017 22:02

he's not such a brilliant performer either - it is more that music is the thing he is best "academically" at if he is going to uni at all (which I am beginning to doubt) - I think he is considering doing joint subject like English and Music or Film Studies and Music. Cardiff has music college which is more "practical" so we will look there too when we go to the Cardiff uni open day in Sept. I think this year is going to be a bit of eye opener for him and as you say he might start thinking he never wants to write an essay again, and tailor his next step accordingly.

knittingwithnettles · 28/08/2017 22:09

bevelino I have twins doing gsces next year, it is a very funny thought that they will be making these choices about uni at exactly the same time, when they are so different suited academically. I just met someone whose identical twin girls have chosen to do English at completely different unis and one is taking a gap year and the other isn't, both got the same grades at A level though (very good ones)

It is incredibly, today ds has finally shown a bit of energy and vitality, rushing off to buy his 16-25 railcard. He has been a complete couch potato all holidays although he appears much fitter than he did at the beginning oddly enough...could it be that he is looking forward to going back to school?

bevelino · 28/08/2017 22:19

Knitting thank you for your post. I have dd1 off to uni this year and at least two dds next year and one the following year. I have my work cut out!

goodbyestranger · 28/08/2017 22:19

bevelino and knitting that's really interesting. By contrast my eight DC have all gone to the same school with the eldest six have gone to the same university and the eldest five (the only ones to have finished their degrees so far) have emerged with results within two and a bit percentage points of each other, despite reading different subject and despite having extremely different temperaments and approaches to exams.

goodbyestranger · 28/08/2017 22:21

I don't know what happened to my tenses there! (I typed having and having.

HesMyLobster · 28/08/2017 23:33

Wow Bev and Knitting I don't envy you with multiples! It's difficult enough with just one at a time!

I'm a twin, but we were never competitive about things like exam results so I don't remember any extra angst (although our parents may say different!) I think we did end up with similar results though, despite completely different subjects and interests.

I have the joy of A levels for dd1 and GCSEs for dd2. 2 years seemed like such a great age gap until this year! Confused

Trippy4 · 29/08/2017 07:43

I have triplets , two starting university this year , one taking a more practical route from home + an older child already at university .All chose the same university town , no pressure from us .Mine are all so different though .

Lucysky2017 · 29/08/2017 08:31

Most of us with multiples probably try very hard to make sure we don't compare them, no one else does and they don't with each other. Mine twins (going to university next month) seem to have it just right, get on well, different personalities and not too competitive with each other. They got identical AS results last year and almost identical A levels this year. In fact this year's might end up identical as there is some remarking going on but we shall wait to see on that.

If one were less academic that would be fine too - in fact m mother gave us a bit of money before results came out not after because rightly the reward was for the hours of effort not the result (from a moral stand point although life sadly isn't always like that).

I would have been happy with any university choices. They applied to similar ones, had the same firmed first choice (they both chose Bristol over Durham but had one firmed on Durham that was fine by me too) and different back ups. They have specifically chosen different halls in the same geographical area which is probably wise. Sometimes people want to be very different at university and your family and siblings can stop that, not actively but just because they are around.