Applying for Uni 2019 Part 7: IB and A Levels are but a memory, we're relaxing and let's not even think about the 15 August yet!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Carrying on from the previous thread which filled up very quickly.

, and for everyone

I imagine we are driving DS to school, being ordered to sit in the car park, where we will remain for up to half an hour with complete radio silence being observed from DS who may eventually send a taciturn text.
This is so familiar. DS1 even stopped to chat within sight on his way back to the car after GCSEs

@Danglingmod, yes that's a point (about saying thank you and goodbye to the teachers). Not sure that DS will want me to though! We shall see.

I've never been in with any of mine, it's just not the "done" thing. He will be driving in while I hang on for the text. Hopefully I will know if he's in after he's checked track.

Last year, when DD collected her results I expected to stay in the car park and await a text (as I did for GCSEs).

However, as we arrived we saw students going in with their parents, and DD was feeling very nervous, so I went in with her.

Nearly everyone had at least one parent with them. Luckily DD had done very well, and I had the opportunity to thank one of her teachers in person.

Fingers crossed for all of you and your DC.

New model, I read recently that approx 54% get their firm. Obviously don't know how that relates to what they're predicted though. 4% get insurance, with others in clearing/taking a gap year.

DD hasn't even looked at clearing and says she'll take a gap year, as there's only one course that's an option and requires the same as her firm

Ifonly4, that 54% statistic does not help with the wait.
Can anyone help with information about pre results clearing research? My DS wants to do Geography but the courses we see in clearing still have their original grade requirements posted. Is that what we work on? How would we know if any of them are prepared to drop the requirements at all?
Thank you

@Sluj that's DS's subject too. I did see that Exeter (Penryn Campus) had dropped AAA requirement to BBB in Clearing but that's the only one I have noticed that has dropped grades - although I haven't really scrutinised Clearing courses closely yet.

54% is higher than I'd thought @ifonly4 - thanks for the stat.

It's difficult to access clearing grades online because they want them to phone up for the hard sell/ free laptop/ hoodie etc. My DS would be a nightmare in clearing. He has never made a phone call to a stranger in his life!

@Piggywaspushed neither has mine...I have told him he will need to be making the phone calls on Thursday. Only time will tell.

Same here, I can't imagine DS making that sort of phone call. His insurance option did say at the open day to call & discuss the offer if they weren't happy with it. I nagged for weeks & eventually he agreed to email. He didn't get round to it & in the meantime they gave him a lower offer because he did an EPQ, so he didn't have to do anything! In spite of previously saying they didn't take the EPQ into account. I think he gained from not immediately accepting.

Re clearing grades - possibly up to two grades below typical offer may be a guide - a friend of my DD's got into uni with 3 Bs for an AAB course and a neighbour's DD has been told informally by her firm that they will likely still take her with 2 grades down overall.

One of DD's friends dropped a grade in two subjects last year and was rejected from his firm and insurance. He ended up in a Scottish university. All of his friends and most of the English students in his block of flats are ended up there through clearing.

I understand that Scottish universities have a cap on home students as they don't pay tuition fees, so this releases a lot of places into clearing. It is my understanding that a fair few English students there got in with lower grades than the home students, and I get the impression that this is done to get bums on seats (and receive the tuition fees). I am happy to be corrected on this though.

Ds will wait to see track updating before going to school, as he has retaken his A levels this year he doesn’t know anyone in the school anymore, so will not want to be part of the whole result collecting event.
We will only go in early if thing have gone badly and he need to go into clearing as the school is very helpful and supportive when this happens.

What do you think about getting A, A and D if your offer was ABC? If the A was in the degree subject. Blooming Edexcel maths.
Anyone ever got accepted with a D?

Article in The Times today about student being able to decline firm offers online for the first time. Apparently, many have already done so, including 300 with UC offers.

The article emphasises that the power is with students this year....

Ds would be another one that will hate making phone calls. However, looking at a few uni websites, they say applying online will be treated the same as phoning.

Friends DS is hoping for Loughborough, if she does not get the grades has refused to go anywhere else. What the heck do you do then.

The 4% getting their insurance is a lot lower than I would have thought...

Do 42% really go into clearing or take a gap year? I find the 4% a bit low too. DD used to reckon most people at her uni were at their insurance (she was). It's actually a reasonably good uni but not usually people's first choice

Does anyone else have absolutely no idea how their dc may fare next week? I really have no idea how ds did in his exams - his offer is AAA. I’m not convinced he is A material & I don’t think his firm would usually be too lenient for his course but keeping my fingers crossed that this year may be different.

Sluj - maybe a gap year plus re- sit the rotten maths? Altho' a re-sit year is bad, DD's friend who is doing that is now in a much better position than he would have been in clearing and has offers from some really good unis. As the months passed he was glad he had done this even tho' at the time it appears a grim option. If we get hit by that edexcel maths, that's probably what we'll do, bad as it seems. Somehow, I wasn't remotely reassured by the videos - I feel they are just trying to slither out of appeals. There was no actual info about what they actually did. How about you?

I read recently that approx 54% get their firm

UCAS reports a very different figure at 88%

In England, a record 27.9 per cent of the 18 year old population have been accepted through UCAS. In Wales 26.3 per cent of young people will be starting an undergraduate course, also a record. In Northern Ireland, the entry rate is 28.1 per cent. Scottish students received their exam results last week, and 25.9 per cent of all 18 year olds have now been accepted.

In total, more than 353,960 people from across the UK have been accepted so far this year – a 2 per cent decrease compared to A level results day 2017.

A total of 411,860 have been placed on an undergraduate course, so far. This is a 1 per cent decrease on A level results day last year, although comes alongside a 2.5% drop in the number of 18 year olds in the UK population. Of those accepted, 88% will be studying their first choice course.

not quite sure why the number placed figures differs in the 2nd and 3rd paras

www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/record-percentage-young-people-are-university

I'm presuming these stats relate to A level student applications as opposed to all, as the end of cycle report www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-analysis-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports shows a slightly different set of totals. However even then based on all applicants (so incl overseas, mature students etc) the acceptance for first choice course is still over 70%

Basically the very positive message is that a large percentage are successful in getting into their firmed choice Uni. Hopefully that will continue on Thursday.

The full end of cycle figures total 533,355, with the breakdown being:

Firm choice 376900 70.67%
Clearing (mainscheme apps) 49250 9.23%
Insurance choice 35185 6.60%
RPA 34295 6.43%
Clearing (direct apps) 17520 3.28%
Other mainscheme 14300 2.68%
Extra 5025 0.94%
Adjustment 880 0.16%

Baytreemum
I think resitting is a valid plan C but I'm not so sure DS would agree. It's a hard path to choose but well worth it for most.
I was also not convinced by Edexcel's actions. What happened to the two that were arrested? There were no details of how they would ensure no one was disadvantaged so I have to conclude that those who cheated will have won

and if anyone is really geeky or wants a distraction ahead of results UCAS have a wide range of institution level (plus course group) stats

www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources/applicants-and-acceptances-universities-and-colleges-2018

@decorhate - no idea too!

Dd is ‘quietly confident’ of at least getting into her insurance - she sold her car as she won’t need it at uni, rather than waiting until after results day. She needs A*AA for her firm or AAA for insurance.

For me it’s just hitting home that I’m going to be alone in the house mon- fri for a year. Middle son graduates summer 2020 and already has a job in London lined up, so is talking about living at home and commuting for a year while he finds his feet and saves up a deposit