Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 2, UCAS & offers

[Decorhate]

Here we go!

madmum no need to be so worried! The deadline is 15th January. Lots leave it right up until then. Your DS still has most of November and December to make a move before the Christmas holidays, which still puts him in the ‘earlier’ camp.

DD has applied on a gap year with very limited school support and she’s been totally fine - once he’s sorted his personal statement he’s just got to keep pushing teachers for references. They won’t want him to miss the deadline, even if they are disorganised!

Schools do assume parents know a lot more than many do!

I'd suggest getting logged on to the actual UCAS website , getting the application form filled in as far as possible and ready to go . he does have til Jan 15th so don't panic!

Then contact school and say 'we have done all this so what are you going to do next and when?'

What is this sick teacher's actual role? No school would leave UCAS unmanned. It will have been delegated.

@hanahsaunt

That sounds very complicated.

What are your DC's predicted grades at A level? I seem to recall that Scots students taking A levels aren't given any grade concessions for some reason (maybe they assume the applicant is privately educated) I think Edinburgh may have got confused as I'm sure you have to be resident in Scotland to qualify for free fees.

Good you're checking.....

Let me know when any offers arise.

Good luck!

He needs references, from whom please???

His school will sort references - he just needs to get PS and the form done and someone at the school will know how to do the next stage. In DD’s case the reference was written by her form tutor with input from three of her A level teachers. They put it on the form - he doesn’t have to coordinate that.

@aurea - it's a bit bonkers. Northern Irish students are RUK for fees purposes which we have pointed out. He's predicted a comfortable AAAA (history, chemisty, German and Spanish). Lots of his friends are receiving unconditionals from English universities (albeit for very different degree courses) which is making him twitchy. He could really do with not being at the back of any queue (correction - I could do with that if it means not dealing with the enormous levels of stress emanating from him over the next six months).

madmum5811 - there is still plenty of time - 15 January deadline, but I think I'd get your DC to check with school for their deadline. Also, perhaps, start drafting a ps. My friend's son has submitted his own application ahead of school deadline (and he has 2/5 offers), he just had to make sure his school's reference was ready to add when he was ready!

He was told to do personal statement over the summer, which he did and e-mailed back to the teacher. Unfortunately she went off sick and only came back last week. He has handed a form to one teacher to do a reference for him, needs to get references from all A level teachers then?

Are you sure the teacher off sick is actually in charge? Might she just be his form tutor?

It's not normal for students to chase references. As pancake says that bit is the school's job and teachers probably did references ages ago (at my school they are lifted from summer reports )

madmum he doesn’t need to collect them individually - the form tutor will probably be coordinating/have coordinated that. It’s all compiled into one big reference, but he doesn’t need to worry about that. Can he speak to his form tutor about who he needs to see about submitting the UCAS form? It sounds like most of it is ready to go.

I would have thought the Head of Sixth Form would have overall responsibility for making sure references are done and UCAS forms are completed/sent madmum5811? At DS's school the form tutor does the reference but I'm sure writing them would be allocated to someone else should she be off sick long-term.

The teacher in charge is head of English, the woman before her who sadly left was very good. This new teacher responsible who has been off sick. I have just learnt told son off for not coming to see her. But he did send her his ps early September which was acknowledged. The form tutor is going to help the students out now hopefully

The teacher responsible has been there a few years but off mostly to have three children a years maternity each time so has had limited time with students perhaps. Maybe the school shouldnt have dumped this responsibility in her lap.

madmum, is there a naned sixth form administrator at the school? S/he might be a good person to speak to about what is going on, applications-wise.

Another thing to check is how the application is paid for. When DS1 applied, his school wanted each student to pay UCAS direct at the point of sending the application to the school for the reference to be added, but DD's school got us to pay the fee to the school via ParentPay and they will sort out the payment when they add the reference and send off the application. Apparently.

Your DS does have to initiate the application himself, though.
There are 'Help' videos on all parts of the process.
www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/

madmum get your DS to sort the form and pay, then you can send it off and the next part is where school add references etc. Chances are they don’t even know he’s ready because if he’s not actually sent anything off they’ll assume he’s still stalling! Once he’s done his bit school have a whole two months to deal with their end - they’re not going to let him miss the deadline and I’m sure they know what they’re doing

I'm a bit confused about the references thing myself, must admit. I get that the school does it but I on the actual UCAS apply there are sections which you can tick as completed and it says you cannot do the pay/send bit until references are attached but doesn't explain how that is done. This whole payment and sending bit is the bit that hasn't been explained at all by my DS's school.

There is a common theme on this thread that some schools are really bad at communicating and explaining the processes, notably (I think) large state comprehensives, probaby with reasonably high numbers of students with parents who nothing about the process themselves. I think my DS's school is now ignoring me!

Anyway, tonight's job will be to fill in all the main sections. I am not waiting for feedback from the school to copy in his personal statement for too much longer!

Thsi si the bit that is confusing me:

Before arranging the reference the school, college or centre will let you know when and how to pay your application fee.

Ummm... no, they haven't.

Piggy, once ds had filled in all the sections, added his PS, we had to fill in the payment section before we pressed whatever button submitted it to the school.

Ds had asked a HOD to do his (main?) reference as his form tutor said he had too many (and doesn't teach any of ds' subjects anyway).

Ds finished his bit on a Sunday, the reference was done by Tuesday, the 6th form administrator did whatever else had to be done & submitted it by Friday.

I think it does depend on the school as to how organised & quick they are.

I'm guessing (didn't actually look closely) that if you have ticked the "applying through school" box earlier, that you don't have a reference page to mark as completed? Ds paid his and submitted it, but it only went to his college. Then he had to get them to release it back to him so he could add a couple of minor things (his AS results!) and then submitted it again and his tutor sorted the references.

At our school (State comp) they tell the kids everything and parents gets various bits which the kids think we need to know and remember to tell us!

We went through the form and paid when we got to the payment page.

This thread is great for when we are unsure about the process.

Ah OK OP and Atia that does make more sense now. I know they are gathering references so I am not too concerned. DS's school is odd as they don't really have assemblies or form tutors so they get told things sporadically (and at sessions it is very easy not to attend!) . I think schools might also rely on sixth formers communicating clearly with parents and , with the best will in the world, many of the don't!

You'd like the think the school have explained the whole process to them even if we haven't got a clue. If the school are submitting the applications there should be a clear deadline, otherwise students need to know who to contact for references and keep on top of that. As long as they've got their references, they can apply individually ahead of the school deadline.

DD's school were brilliant, students knew what they had to do, PSs and forms were checked by them, reference added and they've paid and submitted application. The only thing is we didn't have a clue what was happening and when. It's now down to her now to keep it ticking along with extra PSs and essays requested and St Andrews have sent a form to her.

Spoke to two uni`s this morning regarding form re: the fact that DS as well as doing 3 A levels is doing City and Guilds, Auto Cad, stage 1-3. One uni. said it was relevant, the 2nd uni. did not think so but I could put it on the form if I liked. I asked about admissions in the past, they said they had received 1100 applications for 175 places. I dare not tell DS that because I think it will make him feel that it is a bit hopeless.

The good news is that the school is going to get the organiser of UCAS to call me back, hopefully with some info.

It is all a bit depressing to be honest.

1100 applications for 175 places is fine! Remember most applicants will have put down 5 choices.

We went through all this last year, it was the worst year I have had in terms of being a parent. Everything seems insurmountable! And getting the student to communicate with parents (apart from incoherent snarling) is the worst part.

au79 thanks for that. This particular uni. was a bit snotty to be honest, I felt they were doing me a favour actually talking to me. What is a Russell Group uni. anyway?