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Higher education

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

Original poster

Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 2, UCAS & offers

943 replies

Decorhate · 06/11/2018 19:54

Here we go!

OP posts:
MarchingFrogs · 10/12/2018 23:17

DD's application went off last Wednesday morning (or perhaps Tuesday evening). Pre-empting a mobbing of the Head of 6th Form by her and a sizeable group of fellow year 13s, some if not all of whom had (like her) had previously decided to ignore the internal deadline the school had set.

(Not a great deal of sympathy for her on that score from this quarter, you may gatherGrin).

LoniceraJaponica · 10/12/2018 23:27

DD, who already has her A levels, received 2 offers pretty much straight away. She still hasn't heard from Manchester. Are they particularly slow at replying?

She only applied to 3 universities this time.

FrameyMcFrame · 10/12/2018 23:36

Dd got a letter from Sheffield today inviting her to an offer open day with a free night's stay and social activities in the evening. I think she's swinging towards putting Sheffield as first choice already, amazing what a nice letter in the post can do Grin

LoniceraJaponica · 11/12/2018 00:03

Wow. That offer day sounds great fun.

ElizabethBennetismybestfriend · 11/12/2018 06:45

LoniceraJaponica Dd in a similar position to your Dd in that she already has her A levels. She has also applied to Manchester and has not heard from them (although she has offers from everywhere else) so maybe they are slow in replying.

LoniceraJaponica · 11/12/2018 06:48

Thank you Elizabeth. DD wants to do biomedical sciences, so I wonder if it is the university or the course that makes a difference.

Piggywaspushed · 11/12/2018 07:04

Apparently DS is meeting with his mentor for 'final checks' this afternoon, so, who knows? Maybe the application will actually go off later! I'll have to catch him in a responsive mood ( a rarity!)

I have no idea what these 'final checks' are.

Spoke to the father of another student from the same school yesterday and his DD's application went off weeks ago and she has had 2 offers so it does look like students are getting very different experiences ( I think entirely dependent on exactly how assertive/self confident they are and ,more woefully, what subjects they study)

Piggywaspushed · 11/12/2018 07:06

I did look further into Southampton. Their politics course sounds a little 'dull' but that may be their marketing. Student satisfaction scores aren't all that high (although sometimes it seems like the better the uni, the more students criticise!) and it is TEF silver. Not sure how much any of this matters.

AtiaoftheJulii · 11/12/2018 07:06

Do Manchester interview for biomedical sci? I know they often do for other STEM subjects. Ds went a couple of weeks ago - it was an informal pre-offer visit, rather than a rigorous selection process.

Hope she hears soon, or decides she doesn't need to!

LoniceraJaponica · 11/12/2018 07:28

Yes they do Atia

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 11/12/2018 07:51

Piggy progress though. Not sure about you but it feels as if it had been looming over us for months.

Think the final checks are to ensure that the application has been completed properly with no gaps or incorrect info. I guess the teachers need to check exam grades etc... to make sure they've not been inflated. It can't be a very rigorous process though because DS's Head of Sixth told us on Friday that his wouldn't be reviewed until this week but five minutes later emailed back to say he'd sent it

It will be interesting to see if DS does hear anything from any of the unis before 2019 - his teachers indicated not at this stage in the year.

Piggywaspushed · 11/12/2018 08:01

DS told me they input the exam grades and stuff in June (and indeed they have been on there for ages!) in a lesson, and they were checked, so I don't know... I think they are just procrastinating!

twosoups1972 · 11/12/2018 15:37

I am pleased to report that dd has finally submitted her application:

English Lit + Lang at

Birmingham (first choice)
Newcastle
Manchester
Nottingham Trent
Swansea

She's been under enormous pressure, hasn't been eating or sleeping properly. Still not sure if she wants to go to uni or not. But I have told her that now the application in, she should sit back and see what happens - she has months to decide if she wants to go, if she wants to defer or not go at all. I don't mind at all, I just want her to be happy. Think she's scared of becoming an adult.

Anyone know when she might get offers?

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 11/12/2018 18:16

DS has his first offer in four days after submitting his application. Exeter.

"twosoups1972* well done to your DD for submitting her application. It's a big leap for them. She may find that once she's got offers under her belt she starts to be confident and positive as it all starts to feel more real...

Danglingmod · 11/12/2018 19:11

Ds's offers were within 24 hours of submitting. But he's applied to BBC courses with AAB predictions.

LoniceraJaponica · 11/12/2018 19:12

Hasn't he got any aspirational chouces?

Danglingmod · 11/12/2018 20:03

He has Aspergers and massive anxiety so planning to live at home. Hopefully a masters at a higher ranked institution.

LoniceraJaponica · 11/12/2018 23:01

Fair enough

Piggywaspushed · 12/12/2018 07:02

So naughty DS avoided his meeting yesterday. Therefore, we have not sent off the application. Grrr.

He seems to think she feels she needs to meet with him to tell him to add another extra curricular activity to his PS (and we all know what the MN view is on that!). The trouble with his school is he is shuttle bused there, so be told something in about two minutes of his free period means he has to spend another hour at school and he has no desire to do that. I am furious with him but , at the same time, I can see his point of view. I really can't understand why she can't locate him at the beginning or end of a lesson (she doesn't teach) or send him an email.

I have emailed her so will see what gets done today but I have no time today and could do without his shenanigans, tbh. I am sure some would say leave him to it, but the bloody thing will never get sent off if I do.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 12/12/2018 08:56

Piggy why can't she just advise him by email? Or couldn't your DS say that he's happy with his PS without adding anything else? Can totally understand why he doesn't want to be hanging around for a two minute conversation which might not happen if the teacher gets caught up with something else... However, I can totally understand your frustration and the desire to get the whole thing done and dusted before Christmas.

Danglingmod have been advised that because DS's application only went in a few days ago, it would be unlikely that he would receive any offers before 2019. Clearly not quite true, given the Exeter one, but it's interesting to see that only one of the remaining four is considering his application as yet.

Danglingmod · 12/12/2018 09:14

I guess it is close to Christmas now, but there's a few days... I bet he gets some more before January. They are a smaller cohort... There will be very few courses not offering to anyone who applies with relevant grades.

Danglingmod · 12/12/2018 09:16

Yeah, I agree. Piggy's ds should just press go (having checked for errors of course). I doubt very much that tweaking ecs will make any difference!

MarchingFrogs · 12/12/2018 09:51

Piggy's ds should just press go.

The trouble is, if he is applying through his school / college, his 'pressing go' just transfers 'ownership' of the application to his referee. Only once the referee has done their bit and the institution is happy for it to go to UCAS, will it actually go there. Both parties have to confirm that the application is true and complete

Piggywaspushed · 12/12/2018 10:01

Yes, that is indeed the exact problem marching. I know someone who pressed ' go' three weeks ago and the application hasn't gone off to the unis yet...

ifonly4 · 12/12/2018 10:32

Piggy I hope you haven't drunk all your xmas Wine with all this going on! You must be so infuriated. Fair enough the school giving advice, but it's his application and if he wants it sent off, surely the school should be willing to send it off as it is or add his reference/whatever it needs for him to do a personal application.