Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 2, UCAS & offers

[Decorhate]

Here we go!

I just can't believe that he didn't already have his predicted grades, though. I mean at ds's school and all the schools I've worked in, sixth form pupils get half termly progress reports with predicted grades on them (which, yes, you might want to argue upwards at around the same a time of year, but you know your ball park grades all along).

Neither can I, but apparently their next official data point is Christmas. It seems they don't have control oevr their own data (this si the same in my school in some subjects) so the computer says C : a C it is!

Piggy it sounds like a nightmare. Your DS is so lucky to have you - I really feel for the kids whose parents who aren’t as clued up and involved. Sounds like changes need to be made - please make sure you push for them for younger years!

Bigtilly thanks for the Durham offer - DD knows plenty there so has managed to get views from all of them. It seems it really varies by college - the 2 at Hatfield are JCR exec and have to go to so many formals/balls/events. They struggled a bit with the ‘rah’ crowd to begin with but both eventually found a more average crowd to hang with, who DD has met and really likes. The two at St Cuth’s will back it to their graves (clearly a very strong college spirit) and seem to have met plenty of normal kids, the one at Hild Bede has also met a good crowd but doesn’t rate the location and wishes she’d done more research into colleges. The one at St Mary’s and one at Chad’s both struggled a bit with ‘rah’ and balls/formals too but again settled nicely within a few weeks. The one at Aidan’s hates the location, loves the people. She reckons en-suite location massively increases the number of private/grammar pupils in your flat, and thinks Bailey colleges are generally considered a bit ‘posher’. DD likes most of their friends who she’s met so she feels quite confident that she’d be happy there - but she feels the same about Newcastle and rates the nightlife a lot more! She generally finds her Durham friends go out more but their nights end at 1/2 at the latest, while in Newcastle they’ll just do one or two nights a week once term gets started but they’ll go big.

I will pancake ! I have a stake in it as I have a DS2 in year 10!!

He is lucky to have me.As I tell him. Would he realised it.

This is for my younger DD (she’s in year 12 - can’t wait to go through all of this again next year...) but has anyone got any experience of the Sutton Trust summer schools?

Piggy it sounds like an absolute nightmare. Will your younger ds have to go there for 6th form too?

And Pancake, not Sutton Trust but Dd did the Oxford UNIQ summer school a few years ago which is similar I believe

Almost certainly decor unless we move. Up til now , I was quite happy with it (wel, content). DS1 tried a week at the sicth form college in town but hated it. Other than that, transport is so limited round here that it's the local school or nothing.

DS2 is a very different child, much more communicative and diligent, so heopefully we'd know earlier if things weren't happening!

Can anyone advise please?

Dd is applying for English Lit + Lang. Her first choice is Birmingham and she is applying to Swansea (lower entry grades) and Nottingham Trent (safe option). For the other two, it is between Manchester, Nottingham and Newcastle. She loved Newcastle at the open day but is now worrying that it's too far from home (we live in London). She quite liked Nottingham and hasn't seen Manchester. Which one should she drop??

I've heard very good things about the Manchester English courses (DN is applying to do the same as your DD twosoups1972), although someone did remind us not so long ago that it's very rainy up there. DS didn't like Newcastle Uni for some reason, although he's not averse to going 'up north' (as two of his other options are NE universities). Sorry, not sure if that's helpful or not?

Newcastle is a long way, but there's a good rail service from London, so it doesn't have to be a terrible journey. Does she have a campus vs city preference?

atia she definitely wants campus.

Pancake Also have a look at Villiers Park www.villierspark.org.uk/ My daughter did a Shakespeare week there and loved it. She only paid £125 I think for the week, with a bursary.
Twosoups A long time ago, but I loved Manchester (Drama and French) It is not a campus though, but near the centre and has accommodation nearby and on site.

The attrition rate for some of those achieving degrees is chilling. Just seen a post from an ex solicitor which tells you something.

I studied Law and it was extremely difficult to enter the legal profession. I worked my absolute socks off working for law firms and barrister chambers every summer, easter break etc. I managed to get a training contact and qualify as a solicitor and my salary was tiny! I would have earned more studying a trade! After my first child I gave it up and started my own business. I now work less than half the hours for double the pay. Such a waste but you are fed the line that education is everything and it's not. I have two boys and would be very happy if they decided to learn a trade.

I thought it was always difficult to get into any decent paying job in the legal profession unless you buy into a firm and wait for dead 'persons' shoes. Its always been that way, then you can earn big money. Surely someone is advising students of their job prospects at the outset, if they aren't then they should be.

Well no they do not advise students of their job prospects. My DC wanted to study a particular degree, I caught an admin person in the department who admitted it was a degree which was a hobby and they would find it hard to be employed. Marine biology. So we switched to Ocean Sciences which the industry are interested in.

If she wants campus twosoups then I’d say Manchester probably isn’t ideal - it’s so huge! Newcastle’s first year accommodation is mostly in one big block very near all the university buildings and DD always says the city feels so small + studenty (they’re also not far from Northumbria students). Manchester by comparison feels very big she thinks, which is why it seems to suit a lot of people coming from London. However - I know it’s a great English course!

Thank you Lililili. Struggling to navigate the website but we’ll have a good look later.

Because UNIQ is limited to Oxford we’re looking more at the Sutton Trust options - DD gets to visit Oxford overnight with school anyway so she may as well explore a different option for a summer school. The Sutton Trust seems to have a good variety but we just don’t know how beneficial the course would really be.

You need to choose the ‘inspiring excellence’ courses.

Thank you both lililili and pancake I will pass that onto dd.

Progress at last. DS's PS has been reviewed, he's done a second draft which I'm going to check over later on today with a view to completing his UCAS applicaton today/tomorrow.

However, apparently the Head of Sxith is taking about a week to do the reference/final check so we're heading for the Christmas break....great timing (not)

Dd received an offer yesterday, unconditional from her first choice. Dd over the moon. Just impatient as she can’t accept it until all her offers are in but very happy.

If it's her first choice and unconditional don't understand why she can't just accept now?

she can withdraw from the others if she's sure she wants this one.

Still nothing form Southampton - 20 days, not that I'm counting

Various drama at school as usual their crazy solution to loss of most of the chemistry dept is giving me nightmares.

Piggy - much sympathy - the school sounds like a nightmare.

NewModel, at least things are moving forward. My DD redrafted her PS three times so it's worth getting on with it. I'm sure they'll want to get it in as early as possible as it'll be busy on the approach to xmas.

Elizabeth, congratulations to your DD. As said she can firm now, but she may want time just to review her offers and ensure she's making the right decision.

Laniakea, DD's application went in four weeks ago and we've heard from one. DD will have to wait for St Andrews until Feb/Mar and Birmingham will offer/reject within four weeks of an essay being submitted. Warwick were March last year. It's such a waiting game.

the waiting is painful.

DD has her exam timetable now - two exams (both physics) before study leave starts, one on leavers' day ... she's a bit cross about it!

She's also got a rescheduled biology field trip (to complete the PAG) on the Friday-Sunday before her first exam which on Monday. Potential for disaster.

Elizabeth what a wonderful position to be in. Dd has her exam timetable for A levels next summer and her 2 subjects she will be studying at Uni (essay based) have the most difficult parts both on the same day so 6 hours of exams . An unconditional would help if she’s under the weather that day!
She’s only put down 2 uni slots. Got one offer 10 days ago but we have been waiting 20 days for the one she wants. Much less stressful in my day when you got them in the post. Only had to gear yourself up once a day for the postman rather than constantly check ucas track or email. Fingers crossed she gets an offer before Christmas then she can decide whether to use her other three spaces or not.