Applying for Uni 2019 entry, parents support thread

[Decorhate]

Now that they are back at school, working on Personal Statements, doing the final Open Day visits, I thought we could do with a new thread...

Hi Piggy! Good luck with getting your DS to Derby! As a complete novice to all this could someone briefly explain the procedure. I.e., view unis, complete PS, when are the deadlines? How many do you apply for? What then? When do you sort out finance or find out what you/they can get? Presumably places are allocated straight after results, do they then choose accommodation or is that done before on the hope of getting in? Sorry if this has been done before and apologies for lack of paras!!

Also how much 'topping up' do most parents have to do to keep their DCs afloat?

Sandy, the key deadline for UCAS is January, unless they are applying for medicine, Oxbridge, vet science et al. Some creative subjects have a later deadline (March?) and often these interview and want an audition or portfolio. They can list up to 5, order does not matter. Offers can come quickly or not, but at beginning of May they choose a firm and insurance. Some unis open accommodation applications at that point for firm or unconditional offers, others only after results day. They can also apply for Student Finance at that stage - maintenance loans are based on household income.

Thanks Liz that's very helpful. I might have you confused with someone else but I seem to recall you helping me a few years ago with secondary school questions 😊

Maybe Try looking at https://www.ucas.com/file/185091/download?token=4Pf51fWt too. Some unis still have upcoming open days, but if you miss them they may also run applicant and offer holder days later on.

@BigSandyBalls2015, which school year is your DC in? If year 12, s/he has got plenty of time to sort out which course(s) at which universities they are interested in and plan which to visit. Ask them to check what the school / college policy is on taking days off for open days, though - DD's school limits them to three days off during the summer term of year 12, but she was lucky that a couple of the universities had open days during exams fortnight but after all her own exams had finished. Most open days are on Saturdays, but Wednesday and Friday are also popular days for universities to hold them, plus you have to factor in possible overnight stays. Although the deadline UCAS sets for non-Oxbridge/ medicine etc applications is January 15th, be prepared for the school / college to want the application to be ready to go from the applicant's side well in advance, as the school has to add the reference. It is fine to leave some 'slots' blank when the application is made and add other universities (up to the maximum of five) later, so long as it is before the 15th January deadline. You pay the same fee (£24 this year) for any number from two to five, less if only applying to one university

Thanks Marching. They're year 13, so we have still got time, but not that long.

As regards finance - when you have to submit parent's yearly income, what do you do if you're self employed and therefore income is variable?

that's a very useful doc LizS - will have a proper read late.

BigSandyBalls2015 - there is also an increasing number of universities using Clearing as part of the process, so if your DC have no idea what they want to do, they should not feel under pressure to rush into anything.

Has your school not given them any guidance? We are in Bristol and the schools all send kids along to a couple of information fairs with lots of universities and FE/apprenticeship info so that they can start to narrow down their options.

These are the HE events - may be too late for you, but if there are any near you, it would be worth considering if they don't know what they want to do.

www.ucas.com/ucas/events/find/type/exhibition

Thanks, we're in London. They did go to a couple of things that school organised but it didn't seem to inspire them. We've got tickets to the 'What Next' exhibition at Olympia in October, so that may help.

I’ve had a look at that Facebook group and am currently gathering my jaw up from the floor. Seriously creepy posts about stalking their kids in pictures from Freshers parties and phone calls about sticking to the menu plan.....Don’t be that parent I beg of you 😉

DS submitted his today - thank god! The personal statement was causing stress. He had an early deadline as he is applying to Cambridge (which he is only visiting for the first time tomorrow!). I am very glad it is done, but we now start the rounds of applications for degree apprenticeships which is a whole other ball game to contend with!

If it's the same Facebook group, I left it. I was getting frustrated with the continual 'feeling devastated', 'feeling broken' 'utterly bereft' posts. Not that these feelings aren't real and valid, but I'm trying to see this as the next stage. DS needs this and it will be an opportunity for us all. I'll of course miss him and might even shed a tear driving away but blimey, there's some emotion going on there! Certainly won't be stalking him. What's going on there?

I sound awful don't I? I'm not a huge sharer on Facebook about such things, 'tis all

Our local uni is very low in the league tables. DS went there for an information fair but came back with not even a free pen, and with sunburn and uninspired. That was June. There has been nothing organised by the school in year 13. To my knowledge. Who knows with DS, tbh...

I know what you mean about Facebook, but if you all had my DS , you might stalk him , just a little bit...

piggy.

DD has had her application acknowledged from Oxford, even though it only went in yesterday. So at least it's there!

Yes not diminishing the feelings but the sharing with complete strangers including pictures of full car boots, DC’s uni bedrooms and screen shots of private texts is just too much.

My dad lived at home in London and went to Queen Mary's. He went to a party one night and realised his dad had followed him on the bus!

I am definitely not crying my eyes out over my kids going to uni. I'm very much "exciting next stage!" When the eldest went, a friend suggested that the reason I wasn't bereft was because I had 4 of them - I wasn't sure whether the implication was that I was glad to have a quieter house, or I just wouldn't notice, or what, but I did let her know she'd pissed me off!

(My dad is an only child though ... )

Ds has handed over his UCAS form today. Hopefully college will do their bit soon.

at the story about your Dad Atiao.

DD has an offer too, from Liverpool! ABB. She liked Liverpool too, the course is strong there and the department was impressive on the open day.

This will suit DD to get an earlier offer, she far less 'seat of her pants' than DS and likes to be organised and know what's what.

Justanothermile Impressed!! Is she applying to Oxbridge or just organised? Mine aiming for week of 8th Oct just to get rid of it. She's neither Oxbridge or vet/med.

Thank you!

Both is the answer. She's going to have a shot at Oxford. We are realistic obviously, but she's less of a chance if she doesn't try at all

However, the early deadline suits her nature anyway, as she likes to be organised and have things out of the way.

Just to provide balance, it was like pulling teeth at times with DS just last year. I'm like DD, so this drove me to distraction at times.

Sounds like your DD is similar though?

Exactly... my DD is scarily organised with work stuff (not so much with her bedroom).

I'm amazed at how organised some of your DC are. DD needs to rewrite her personal statement for biomedical science instead of medicine. She is in the middle of applying for voluntary work and a job, and would like to be able to add them to her PS so is waiting until she knows what she is doing. All 3 universities we have visited this month have told her that they will give her an offer as she already has the required A level grades.