Anyone still waiting to hear from Durham?

[PortusCale]

Just wondered if anyone else is waiting to hear from Durham for an offer for 2019 entry?

See that offer holder day bookings are now open and I understand college allocation has begun.

DS still waiting here, DS application went through in November.....does this mean a rejection will likely be on its way?

CBear99 I know a few people whose children are at/are going to Exeter and they all seem to love it there.

PortusCale - our neighbour's DS graduated from Exeter last year (Economics). Loved it, made some great friends and went straight into a very good job. I am concerned that if Durham treat students so poorly in the application stage their pastoral care once there must be pretty dreadful too. Not sure I want DD to risk that. If there was a technical problem with the system surely it wouldn't have been that difficult to send an update email to those still waiting?

Am really sorry for those of you still waiting and it does sound like for a few subjects Durham have had issues and not communicated well at all.

But my experience of Durham staff (DH lectures and consequently many of my friends do to) is that they are incredibly supportive both pastorally and academically. So if your DC get an offer and decide Durham is for them please don't think this experience will be replicated during their degree.

Makes me wonder about my other DT who was rejected a little while ago for English yet had never even received an acknowledgement email since his application last October. I can't help but wonder if they never looked at/considered/processed his application at all....

Did your DS ask for feedback on the rejection? The above and the fact that your DS is predicted A* grades makes me strongly suspect there are gremlins in the works in Durham.

Also PortusCale, I believe your DS has all A at GCSE and A predictions. If your DS is not offered a place, I would be almost certain that gremlins are at play.

I know that there have been posts of this board about mental robustness and I understand the sentiment behind this feeling but most of the students waiting for offers are just 18. Imagine this is your first choice university, your friends have offers and have been to offer holder days and are eagerly planning their future and you are still there, waiting to hear anything at all. In the midst of a highly stressful term anyway with exams looming.

I'm sorry your dc are going through this. Fingers crossed there's news, any news today.

We loved Exeter and it's campus and we're hugely impressed with the open day and it's organisation. Dd ultimately felt the specific course wasn't right, but it would have definitely been on the list if it had been.

The long wait to hear about offers was one of the reasons none of my dcs applied to Durham.

If other much larger universities (including Oxbridge) can complete making their offers by now, so can they. Durham is a highly respected university but the way they go about making offers appears incompetent.

It's about the volume of applications though, not the size of uni. Durham gets more applications than either Oxford or Cambridge.

Jocelyn GCSEs matter since they're achieved. They matter all the more since the demise of AS levels as an admissions tool. Coleoptera has said a number of times that her DT underperformed at GCSE but nevertheless their grades are what they are. I don't think one can assume gremlins on that basis although I would be surprised if an all A* at GCSE applicant didn't get an offer.

Fingers remain firmly crossed for all three.

My DD also has all A* and predicted same at A level. Miles above average performance at her school and also volunteers in 2 local history museums - organised by her and nothing to do with her school - only one her age to bother so they're thrilled to have someone younger helping out. She loves it. All in her PS. Really will be baffling if she's rejected!

CBear99 - we have similar neighbours - their DD did Economics at Exeter and has landed herself a very good job too.

And to add to what myrtleWilson posted, my DD had a great experience at Durham on all levels. The staff across the board were all pretty supportive. I recall on one occasion her having to email her tutor urgently and she received a reply more or less immediately.

I can only think because of the new admissions system they seem to have in place this year, combined with the huge amount of applications they receive, it has resulted in this very long wait. It's going to be over soon and I really hope that we all get good news. As Justanothermile said, it is a tough time for these young people and although some might not show it, I'm sure beneath it all they are feeling the pressure.

as a hopefully lighthearted addition to this thread... have just got off the phone with my DH who is away this week running a field trip for 2nd year students. His pastoral activity yesterday included buying a surprise birthday cake and candles for one of the students to celebrate their birthday in last nights tutorial/work sessions... My DD is nearly 16 and if anyone tried that on her there would be hell to pay I guess by the time you're 20 the embarrassment factor lessens somewhat!

How kind of your DH myrtleWilson - I would imagine it didn't sit around for long and no doubt was demolished pretty quick! By the time you get to 20 I'm sure the embarrassment factor lessens!

CBear99 Wed 27-Mar-19 10:13:08
My DD also has all A and predicted same at A level. Miles above average performance at her school and also volunteers in 2 local history museums - organised by her and nothing to do with her school - only one her age to bother so they're thrilled to have someone younger helping out. She loves it. All in her PS. Really will be baffling if she's rejected!*

If your DD is rejected, it will be more than baffling. I will be convinced something has gone terribly wrong.

Not history.

DD went to the Open Day & really didn’t like her college. The USP was almost the worst thing it could be for her & so I’m pretty sure she’ll be firming elsewhere once she’s got home. I haven’t heard what she thought of the lectures this morning.

USP?

?unique selling point

That's all I could think if too!

Well, I finally have some news - DS has received an offer which to be honest, at this stage, I really wasn't expecting.

I just do hope there is good news for your DD CBear99 and your DS Coleptera - I am thinking of you both.

And to anyone else waiting for offers too.

That's great news Portus :) Will he accept do you think?

Incidentally I really don't think the late offer means he was second tier. It could well mean that his profile suggested he was a likely Oxbridge offeree, so they were holding back to see if he firmed elsewhere.

Fabulous to hear Portus, I'm really pleased for your DS.

Fingers crossed now for further good news.

coleoptera, yes, last year was tricky. DS found the application process straightforward but then was convinced he'd flunked his exams. We were trawling the clearing options for weeks before results day, awful to see him struggle mentally as he felt his chosen subject, Maths, wasn't an option.

As it happened he got his first choice and is actually flying in terms of grades so far!

Your DT's will be successful and happy I'm sure.

hooray for Portus