Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 3, UCAS & offers

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Wow that last thread filled up quickly. Well done to your DS, Piggy!

DS went into school yesterday with his good news. One teacher we all respect greatly told him not to sit on his hands but carry on working hard up until the exams. He has gone into school this morning to do some extra work, so hopefully he will keep up the effort.

I'd love dd to have got an unconditional - she's another one who under performs in exams & has been really unwell as a result. Actually for all the publicity about them atm I don't know of anyone in her year who's got one (I assume there must be a few).

Mocks are over - & she didn't get ill! - they were okay I think but she's given up trying to predict how she's done & chemistry has eyewateringly high grade boundaries. She's working on her interview presentation this weekend & has a practice interview at school on Wednesday. I'm going down with her on Saturday - as well as the interview they do offer holder stuff & tour of accommodation etc so she wants me to have a look with her. She's one of the few still waiting for interviews/decisions.

Hi. Does anyone have any views of Essex uni. My Ds has been invited to a group interview in Feb. It said he didn't have to go and a decision will be made based on his application only. Anyone have any views of Essex or their application process

My Dd withdrew from Essex after going to the open day. Just didn’t like the vibe, but that’s a personal thing. Some of the accommodation was OK, some ought to be condemned in my view but it was v cheap!

For those asking about unconditional offers. Four so far in DS year. Two girls both doing philosophy. One boy top in the country in his sport so 3 unconditionals and DS. So not a flood yet.

Unconditionals these days present the same issue as ASs did only a few years ago. I found that with several of my DC (and their peers at school) that once they had their first choice offer in for AAA and knew that they only needed 10% - 20% in their Y13 A2 exams to get the A, they did tend to relax. That has some merit of its own I suppose, the being able to relax and coast.

Oh my goodness this is all so stressful (new to this so please bear with me).

DS is a lovely lad, bright but lazy - he will always take the easy option. At the moment he has an unconditional offer for his 3rd choice and a conditional offer for his 1st choice which is doable, but he will have to work for it. And an interview for his 2nd choice next week.

Add to that the fact that we think his 1st choice is probably the worst option in terms of his long term future I am biting my lip quite a lot. Going on Uni visits over the next month which I am hoping will help him decide.

I know I sound like I am being hard on him but he could have got straight As across the board in both GCSEs and A Levels but has just never been determined enough, and you have to accept that at 18 these are his choices now. I do keep reiterating to him that good A level grades are important in the future, not least because if he chooses the wrong Uni course it gives him options.

It's going to be a tough year I think, but exciting too.

I’ve just asked DD and none of her friends have been offered unconditional offers. She goes to a selective independent school & a lot of the girls will be predicted AAA or higher (& achieve them). 3 years ago one of my friend’s daughters was offered an unconditional by Newcastle for law if she formed them but she declined & went to Cambridge (predicted AAA & achieved).

Interestingly the local independent has over inflated, in her own mum’s honest opinion, her daughter’s predicted grades. She thinks it is common of the school to do so. This girl has an unconditional she will likely take. This is very good for the girl who gets nervous at exam time and can under perform but shows how overinflating predicted grades makes it look like unconditionals lead to lower marks.

My daughter has a girl in her class that has lower/similar results to her (girl’s gcse grades were lower, A level coursework and essays similar) but the girl was predicted an A rather than an A in the subject they want to study (we think this was a requirement for a particular uni course the other girl wanted as the school said ‘they don’t predict’ A). Both other A levels are AA predictions for both. This other girl got an unconditional at the uni choice my daughter really wants to go to and my daughter didn’t. To be fair, it was a slightly different course in the same department. The department blurb states they will give unconditionals to ‘exceptionally able candidates’. Also luckily this girl turned that unconditional down to go for another unconditional RG place that she wanted. My daughter is still a bit miffed about the situation though. Tbh my Dd doesn’t think this girl will slack off and both of them have a good chance of getting an A* but this girl has the security and knowledge that if she has an off day it doesn’t matter.

As pps have said, the predicted grades the school puts down are more important than ever, which is open to bias, school policies, parental pressure etc, different ‘peaking’ rates.

And that, indeed, is the bigger probalem : always has been difficult to predict and even more so at the moment with loss of AS and new A Level specs creating a perfect storm. Some exam boards are really unhelpful, too. a lot of schools also don't have coherent policies on this.

I don't think anyone knows the truth of what lies behind unconditional offers. Perhaps they had a better PS? I find it hard to believe that parents know what other teens are predicted

I find it hard to believe that parents know what other teens are predicted

Er... One's DC and his / her friends chat about schoolwork, grades, where they're all applying, offers they've got, etc, etc. And also have conversations with their (showing an interest) parents about how they're all getting on, who's applying where, who's got offers and where from, etc, etc.

And the occasional moan about X being predicted a better grade for French, even though I always beat her in class, Mum. Or I don't understand why Y has a lower predicted in Chemistry, she always gets better msrks than me etc, etc??

Oh ok. Mine couldn't give a monkeys what anyone else is predicted. In fact I don't think we've ever discussed anyone else other than in passing (so and so is going to x uni).

I genuinely didn't think anyone knew or cared!

Knowing other people's predicted grades and offers requires a level of interest that is possibly beyond some DC - mine included. Some poeple aren't naturally curious - end of. He has a vague notion of where some of his classmates and close friendship group have applied but is quite vague.

I suspect this may be a gender thing again! My DS knows nothing about anyone : or certainly won't communicate it to me, of he does. The only reason I know about anyone else is if I ask his friend's mum!

My ds knows sod all, too, Piggy. But I'm friends with his mate's mum and he (the mate - Head Boy) knows all the goss (he is the kindest, most caring 17 year old I've ever known).

Yes Dd and all her friends that are girls know each other’s predicted grades. They all chat about their grades honestly and which uni courses they are looking at. They are all very open with each other. She says the boys on the other hand can’t remember what their own predicted grades are - don’t believe her on that though (!)

Just finished catching up on all this after missing the creation of the new thread.

DS is applying for medicine, so UIF is not an issue and predicted grades are superceded by interview performance, it has been interesting. I don't think schools can know how important the predicted grades have become with the demise of the AS.

On DC sharing plans of their friends, I agree with Piggy that a lot boys will not be aware of their friends' PGs and offers. DS is always bemused when I ask him how his friends' applications are going. He doesn't know and why would I care!

Dd has no idea! I've never even thought to ask! Sorry but honestly why would you care (as a parent)?

I only care because they're a bunch of nice kids that I've known a little for 7 years and it's nice to know if they're getting offers to where they want to go.

I think the sharing thing is just down to personality. DS1 knows bugger all about what any of his mates are doing. Grades/uni/mocks etc any questions are met with ‘don’t know’. DS2 On the other hand, in year 10, knows all about his friends in sixth form , where they applied to, who’s got offers and what for. He also knows those last yr who missed their offers on results day and why. He is just the type that’s interested in that sort of thing and DS1 isn’t.

Yes I think dd3 will be the type who knows everything about everything!

Because they are good kids I’ve known for years, some of which have had a lot to deal with & it is exciting seeing them making moves to adulthood - I like teenagers & enjoy their enthusiasm :)

A group of us have been friends since reception class days, our children have gone to five different schools at secondary level. We have all kept in touch get together often with and without DCs. We all met up last weekend and the DCs are arranging an event after they finish their exams. They talked about the old days the other week which was sweet. They did not discuss their futures. The parents don`t either really. One mum is really curious we just bat it away if she gets too nosy. Some left at the end of 5th form and are doing vocational training, apprenticeships, a couple are AAA* students, the rest womble along getting the best results they can.

We live in the countryside where there is one secondary school that all the villages and our town feed into. So the kids have all grown up together and, as we live near the school, we often have waifs and strays here for snacks/ after school clubs/ to get ready for going out. We chat with her friends and all readily discuss their choices of university courses etc.

Thinking back to my (private) school we were all driven in from all over the place so didn’t know each other’s homes/parents as well. I didn’t know anyone grades and we were much more guarded about telling anyone.