Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 4, UCAS & offers (and thinking about exams)

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread.

DS took his portfolio to uni. full of trepidation, he was pleasantly surprised to see some inferior work, some really not good work being presented. I do wonder if some teachers are not listening to the students when they say what course/career they are aiming for. He was lucky his teachers listened.

At Loughborough for offer day. It’s the probable insurance if DD decides not to take the York UiF. Day going fine. It’s not ruled itself out but hasn’t leapfrogged to 2nd place yet either 😏 Two more offer days over next two weekends and still waiting for elusive Durham and St A’s to show their hand.

Piggy - re the lower offer after going to offers day, I think after talking to DS it was because he was put into a small tutor group and had some lively discussions with the course tutors, so he thinks that they noted names and made the lower offer due to potential rather than bums on seats, but who knows?
He is delighted and it’s cutrently his 1st choice and going from AAB to ABB is really helpful.

I'm sure they recognised his work experience and greater maturity, Dan. That really is good news!

DS completed his English oral yesterday - a requirement for IB.
He said it went well which is a big bonus. It’s not one of his favourite things.
All done - next up is Chinese oral before half term.

Just home from offers day at NTU. I loved it even though it is so far from home. But DS and I are frustrated by the first come first served accommodation situation. His interview for Essex is on 20th and I feel he is being pressured to select NTU as first choice to get decent accommodation. I dont know what to do as he did like it but wants a comparison. They said the best accommodation goes within a week. Harsh

Minesawine - I think you have to not bow to the pressure!
You are only talking about halls accommodation for year 1, surely you should be thinking about the whole, best course, best university etc etc they are going to be there for 3 year minimum, so if they don’t get their first choice accommodation for year 1 it’s not going that bad in the big picture.
I would have thought it’s worth waiting and getting a proper comparison.

One of the most important things in how satisfactory freshers find their accommodation is down to luck - who they get to share with.

That really puts me off NTU.We went to Open Day and DS liked it , but some accommodation was definitely nicer than others. That said, the nice stuff is really expensive at NTU.

Yes they told us it was first come first served at the open day. It's really crap.

Not my DS, NewModelArmyMayhem18 (one's been and gone and graduated, the other not yet taken his GCSEs and the DC we've got 'in the system atm is a DD🙂), it was justasking111's post re their DS I was quoting.

(Hope this comes out comprehensibly - I seem to have lost the use of the Preview button ).

You are right wise people! The course in Essex and NTU are very similar. Essex is much nearer home. So I would be wrong not to go with DS to check out Essex. If we miss out on NTU accommodation then so be it, its only for one year and we will get something, just not his first (and cheapest) choice.

One of the most important things in how satisfactory freshers find their accommodation is down to luck - who they get to share with. So true.

Oops, sorry MarchingFrogs. Probably did too quick a scan of what I'd missed in posts during the day.

Really, really feel uncomfortable with this idea that universities are pressuring young people into making potentially hasty decisions to secure their preferred choice accommodation. Presumably demand for the cheaper options outstrips supply?

I think at NTU , it's demand for the most expensive ones! They are ideally located and are a good deal nicer than the slightly cheaper ones.

There are private halls for NTU.

Maybe the most expensive halls often are 'private', in partnership with the universities?

For anyone who may be interested, waiting on college allocation for Durham, apparently the process starts on 11 February.

Interesting Newmodel, does that mean Durham should have made all its offers/rejections by 11 February, or are the two unconnected? I think I've read that some Durham offers/declines don't come through until March usually?

From what I've read on TSR, you are right to believe that some offers/declines for Durham don't come in until much later, Iwantedthatname19, so I would assume the two aren't necessarily connected come 11 Feb.

DS seems to have applied to a college that few others seem interested in (from what I've read on online forums), so hoping that means he has a greater chance of getting the one he wants!

DD has her offer from Durham quite quickly but I saw a friend’s son at the weekend and he hasn’t heard anything for history yet.

Still waiting on Durham and Warwick here, although, DD is more than happy with her offers from Birmingham, St Andrews and Edinburgh. Apparently St Andrews is slightly edging it over Birmingham now for her first choice, with Edinburgh her only possible insurance. Even though we spent an open day at Birmingham I was hoping she'd do an offer holder day as that might help her decision.

Even if she gets other offers, I suspect her three present ones may be the main ones she considers, although, she doesn't seem in a panic to firm.

still nothing from Bath i suppose no news is good news but it would really motivate her to get an offer!

Which subject is she waiting to hear from at Bath?

DS still waiting for Bath too - Biology/Biological Sciences
He’s getting a bit fed up with waiting ☹️

Just a thought, they might be waiting for students to firm / insure before sending out another batch of offers.