Uni application for 1st time parent

[ColePorter]

So DH and I are ancient (O levels and days of polys). We went to uni when it was free, thankfully otherwise I wouldn't have been able to go.

I'm now a super anxious parent with academically able DC just finishing yr 10, but they have no idea about what degree they'd like to do - that's ok, they think they'd like to do Maths + 3 sciences at A level.

What's the process like the days please? Somebody talk a fogey like me through the process please! We're not Oxbridge, but DC has academic potential and I know nothing about the application process or how to choose colleges etc. Schools (state) sends a few to Oxbridge each year I think.

Would it be too early to visit a couple of towns this summer? DC not ready for full blown Open Days though and think I'm already overthinking the whole thing. But DC not blessed with planning skills and could do with some guidance

I'm sure people will be along to offer advice, but you really need to do some of your own research on ucas.com and other useful websites too as these will spell out the process.
university.which.co.uk/ will also help - has a course finder based on different A level results.
What type of school is your DC at? The school (or 6th Form College) should offer lots of advice too.
Year 11 is a year for concentrating on getting the best GCSEs possible and most of the planning for Uni starts in Year 12.
Good Luck!

We sent for loads of prospectuses and DD went through them all and picked out the courses that she thought she liked the look of. Then she looked up the universities online to see which ones she liked the look of the city/town and I weeded out the ones that were too far away - as we have a tiny round town car it needed to be somewhere not to far; not the far north of Scotland for example!

Obviously if she'd wanted to do a degree that was specialist and was only done at a handful of universities then it'd have been different but every university in the country offers her degree.

She then looked online at stats about each university and came up with a list of 5 that she wanted to visit first and a second list of ones that she might visit. Of the 5, she really liked the look of one, hated another, thought another would be good and then picked another because it was in the town she decided she could see herself living in.

We hadn't done it before either.

A brilliant mnetter suggested www.etrust.org.uk/inspirecourse and their headstart courses for later on- brilliant insights into uni and subjects.
Have a look at the Sutton trust too who run excellent courses. Unis often do taster days for yr11/12 and I would also suggest looking at the Big Bang science fairs held across the country. Great for inspiring and informing- and for uni applications.

Also, down the line, have a read at (and download the guide):

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/ucas-undergraduate-advice-parents-and-guardians

and consider signing-up for their Parents' newsletter, which can be very helpful.

Would it be too early to visit a couple of towns this summer? DC not ready for full blown Open Days though and think I'm already overthinking the whole thing.

I did that with my older two from about that age. Often swinging past en route to or from somewhere else (weddings, holidays, trips). It’s quite a useful bit of reconnoitring I’d you keep it low key and relaxed.

Campus v city centre is (often) a major decision to make once they are in sixth form and narrowing it down and just having seen both types is a good start.

But don’t get anxious. Just start researching and you’ll be fine.

Keep your eye on this Higher Education board and you will find all sorts of questions come up. I feel like an old hand now with my youngest in second year at uni but MN was hugely helpful to me.

I second the taster days. Most unis do them, sometimes the detail is hidden in their website and I think tey are generally aimed at year 12s.

A rough timeline would be that during year 12 they start to decide which subject they might want to study at uni. In the summer of Y12 they do open days then in the autumn of Y13 they apply through UCAS to five choices. Offers come in over the next few months and they will be invited to offer days. These are probably more useful than open days. They then accept their first choice and a back up insurance choice. Over the summer after A levels they apply for finance and accommodation.

An awful lot of DC go to University these days so the system can be a bit of a sausage machine. They don't have time to carefully consider all applications so you need (a) pass or, hopefully, exceed the minimum requirement at A Level and (b) have something in the personal statement to make you stand out. A few relevant extracurricular things - eg Headstart, Smallpeice, etc at the end of Y12 - will fit the bill so a bit of early planning on that wouldn't go amiss.

Be certain science A levels are right for the child (and maths) - they can be quite hard although those brilliant at maths actually get more A* in maths A level than people get in other subjects - so people seem to get Ds or brilliant As. If not sure about the sciences and future career and better at some other subjects do consider those as the A level grades are often the key thing.

Secondly work back from possible careers so nothing is closed off from poor A level subject choice.

Then decide if they need 4 not 3. Much much better to get 3 very good grades in 3 subjects than less good in 4. There is need at all to do 4. My two (in first year now) were the last year to do 4 AS levels in lower sixth I think and then the 3 A2s in upper sixth.

Pick the A levels with the potential degree course in mind. Get a realistic feel for the likely places and subjects that are possible based on that person's academics. Ideally pick at top 5 or 10 university as that tends to help with careers.

If considering Oxbridge read up on the process as it has changed.

All good universities want someone who loves their subject which should be the focus of the personal statement on the form. Oxbridge will interview but many other places won't and will be picking based mostly on your GCSE and predicted A level grades.

1. Please encourage your DC to do a writing heavy subject at school. It is essential that they ate able to write properly if they want to go to university. Re choosing a university if you DC goes to a state school they will most likely be told not to apply to oxbrodge/top universities. It has happened to everyone I know who got in from a state school, they still got in. The careers advisors are just lazy I think. Generally it is sensible to pick one dream university, two universities they are likely to get into and one safe back up option. Work experience is also very helpful especially if they are applying for a popular degree.

I'd say it's too early. He's still got a year before GCSEs! You have two years and your ds will change a lot in that time. Anything or anywhere you or your ds aim for now will be viewed differently after a year or two of A level study. Mine (who sound similar to yours in terms of interests, subject choice and planning ability) were totally vague until they were at the stage of actually doing the applications and then the school did an excellent programme of preparation, Open Days, parents' info sessions and subject related talks.

If the school sends a few to Oxbridge every year it will have a well-oiled uni preparation machine and your little sausage will be pushed along the conveyor belt to the big UCAS sausage machine whether or not you are a lovely involved parent.

Don't peak too soon!

Thank you everyone! I'm trying to keep my anxiety under wraps by doing some legwork research and asking here!

DC at a state grammar school, they all start off doing 4 A levels and then possibly dropping a fourth depending on yr 12 (internal?) exam results? Or how the student is coping with four subjects? I think they do have the choice to finish either 3 or 4 A levels.

I'll take a look through those websites, thanks so much. A taster day or course would be helpful, hopefully DC would find it interesting.

A grammar school will be proactive and energetic about all this. So that’s something. Try not to worry

@Haffdonga thank you . Ideally I'd hope my little sausage would be savvy enough to sort it all out themselves, but they have a tendency to worry (I wonder where they get that from?! ) and are not very proactive. I'd like to leave it all to school, but my kid isn't their sole priority, they're stretched and my anxiety doesn't let me be a totally relaxed and hands off parent.

This pre-planning overthinking is my version of "slowly but surely", to avoid peaking early

Thank you all, you're so kind

Starting with 4 and dropping for 3 actually I think is still fairly common. Mine were very helped by having good AS grades in all subjects at end of lower sixth which is now I think gone from most schools but doing 4 in lower sixth is probably a good idea. It also gives you the chance to decide which you really do like.

I am sure the school will be on to this but Oxbridge requires earlier application in the upper sixth term. Make sure when you get to that stage (as I am sure the school will do) that they do a draft UCAS personal statement by the end of the summer term before upper sixth.

A grammar school will be proactive and energetic about all this. So that’s something. Try not to worry

Hmm. A Grammar will want your pfb to go Somewhere Good, to make them look good. Be careful that they don't push DC into something that doesn't suit them.
Don't forget that there are alternatives to University eg higher or degree apprenticeships which mean you don't end up with staggering amounts of debt. They are very sought-after so they usually ask for high grades.

Honestly, school will guide them though it and your dc should be in control.
It's too soon to worry about the actual process right now- it could all change again!
Start saving and encourage your dc to volunteer so they have something to write about on their applications.

This is another useful site for the mechanics of application, different universities and subject options www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/universities/applying-to-university-and-ucas-deadlines/
It should treasure you that there is plenty of time but if possible they should be making the most of any subject related opportunities from the start of year 12. These will help decisions and provide material for the personal statement.

Agree that Headstart can help for STEM subject choice by taster weeks. Students have to apply for these early in year 12 and they happen in the summer of year 12.
Also www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk.

Not all schools seem to be clued up about notifying students about these.

If they are capable of doing well in Maths A level they should take it. It is accepted for virtually all degree courses and there are few other subjects so widely valued.

Apart from that - get them into work if you can as it focuses their mind and can help them choose a degree course. The money will also come in handy. Universities staff who interview will tell you they can recognise those who have worked because they are more mature.

Yes, do at Smallpeice now ( it really is spelled that way!) if your DC are likely to be interested in STEM subjects.

DD went to a couple of open days the summer after GCSEs, that can be useful to help make it more 'real' and give more idea about courses and possible subsequent careers. Could be a good idea if your DC isn't 100% sure about which A levels to do by then. Uni websites also have lots of info on course requirements which may be useful in guiding this. E.g. my DD was thinking in terms of maths and 3 sciences,to keep options open when she was in yr 10, but as her interests then tended towards engineering it became apparent that 2x maths, physics and maybe one other would be preferable.