Applying for Uni 2020

[daydreamornot]

Thought it may be nice to have a 2020 support thread, everyone welcome! (maybe Oxbridge posts could be kept to the Oxbridge thread).

Bham is a very good University.

It is difficult - TBH I don't think we need to visit any other Uni's but that would be tempting fate (DD is incredibly laid back and a bit black and white - Warwick ticks all her boxes). I'm more than happy for her to go to Warwick too - I think its the right Uni for her BUT I think it's wise to have looked around a few other possibilities too.

Thank you Millicent that is reassuring.
DS emailed all the universities on his shortlist to ask specific queries about adjustments for students with ASD, and Warwick provided the most helpful response.

Millicent DH is currently battling Caledonian Sleeper for compensation after a terrible trip in June. Their cabins were double booked, they were reallocated to a double bed for DH & DD (no!), no working toilets in their carriage and then the single DD was finally allocated didn't have a locking door.

Hello there, could I join the thread? Have DS looking to go to university 2020, wants to do Ancient History. We've looked at Warwick, Birmingham, Reading so far and will look at Nottingham in two weeks time. He absolutely loves Birmingham.

Both ds and I liked Warwick a lot too Ironoaks. We have finished open days now apart from Nottingham on 13th and Bath which I don't think we will fit in. I liked Birmingham a lot too but ds prefers to Bath course so I think it's off the list.

Just checking in! My daughter wishes to study speech and language therapy. UEA is the clear favorite after visits in June and she has Essex, Reading and City coming up.

DS and I both really liked Brum! But I think the course at Southampton is the favourite and I've booked him in for an open day in October. I think after that we will just see if he gets offers and then he'll go to offer holder days.

Well, we have movement on the PS front! It has been started (whoop whoop!)

PS well underway here. I was really surprised that it's being prepped in Unifrog though. Surely it makes them all very formulaic?

Are any of your DCs NOT doing it this way?

DS not doing Unifrog - don’t think they use it at his school.

He broke it down into sections with possible numbers of sentences and then tackled each section in turn before doing a final word/character count and then editing. He has to submit his latest draft on Friday and I think plans to hand it in 50/80 words over and then take advice on what could go/be compressed.

DS doesn't use Unifrog and didn't use the UCAS personal statement tool either. He just wrote his personal statement from scratch. It has a structure that makes sense and it contains all the usual elements one would expect.

I think those scaffolding tools are useful for applicants who don't know where to start, or who aren't sure how to structure it. They're not compulsory though.

DS's form tutor has seen his personal statement and only had a couple of minor tweaks to suggest.

DS has taken one suggestion on board but isn't sure he agrees with the other suggested amendment.

DS has written about the importance of communicating scientific concepts in a way that's understandable. His examples are volunteering as a learning support assistant in science lessons, and contributing an answer to New Scientist's Q&A page (which was published).

His form tutor suggests DS should cut out the latter example as it's too trivial.

Back from our holiday, so it's time to join if I may! DS is planning on applying for maths. He's just done the first draft of his PS. He just wrote it didn't use unifrog. The last paragraph definitely needs some work, but it's a good start!

I have 2 DC applying for university entry 2020. Both have chosen niche degrees that are only offered at 1-2 universities.

DC2 only wants to put one choice on the UCAS form. This course is always in clearing. On the open day, the admissions tutor said they have 100 applicants per year, all are offered places. They would like to have 25-30 undergraduates a year, but most years they get 15 and then pick up a couple through clearing. This is a non-RG but the only department of its kind in the UK.

DC1 has grades in hand and exceeded their offer by three grades. They are holding a place at Manchester University, but people are suggesting reapplying to a higher ranked university. They had offers from Warwick, Edinburgh and Bristol, but the courses there (straight politics) just did not inspired DC1.

Does anyone else have a child applying for a niche course. Did they fill their UCAS with courses they did not want or apply to the one choice?

Hi Pepermintea to both threads & to MrsP. Aren't there only about 6 places which offer speech & language therapy making it incredibly competitive? A friend's DD also has Cardiff on her list.

DD just back from Reading Festival (smelly and in need of a shower and some sleep).

Hi to the newbies...@Mrsp - We had a browse around UEA (not on the open day)and both DD really loved the Uni...If all things go wrong on results day when there is a strong possibility that it will be a fallback for DD.

@Bowbridge - I know someone whose DD is looking at a specialist course (plant science) where there are only 10-12 places each year. It makes it so difficult almost like applying to Oxbridge given the very limited places available.

DD has made a start on her PS but wanted to complete the work experience this week before she looks at it again.

@Ironoaks - I would have thought the Q& A example would be very relevant.

Quite looking forward to DD getting back into school mode, she has an 18th Birthday party this weekend so not expecting any school work to be touched.

From a parent with older kids can I suggest you encourage your kids to look beyond shiny new buildings and fancy expensive halls. Whatever schools are saying look at a range of places not just Russell group as they aren't always the bed for the individual course or student. Being happy at university trumps everything else.

@stuckoue - I totally agree with your comments about being happy at Uni. I'm pretty much sure that this has been the advice of most of DD's teachers who have had their own DC going through Uni. I'm of the belief that if a child is happy then they will do well in their studies. I do however think that it's important that they are happy with accommodation too - in terms of it will work for them and not add extra stress.

@stucknoue, DS1 liked Warwick accommodation mainly because some options were really cheap! He could put 10 preferences in order and started with the cheapest and worked up. He liked the look of the modern campus because he considered some of the more ‘traditional’ universities he’d seen to be stuffy.

Ironoaks I can't claim to be an expert on personal statements, but I definitely don't see the second example as trivial. It sounds like a very neat way of demonstrating (a) that he actually read the publication (b) that he was interested enough to engage with it and (c) that his contribution was high enough quality to publish. Frankly, that seems like a much more tangible way of demonstrating academic interest and commitment than many things our DCs will write!

...as a PS is personal!

Anyone else's DC just itching to get back to school? DS2s been home for months and months and as his school catchment is massive (Welsh language medium school so all across the county) he doesn't see some of his friends at all outside school. I think he wants his routine back too.

My DS1 applied for a niche course Bowbridge, there were only two places that offered it so he applied to both and then a third that was similar-ish but he discounted after getting an offer. It seemed a bit odd seeing spaces on the form but as the universities don't see that it didn't seem to matter.

Thank you to those who have commented on DS's personal statement issue. He's going to trust his instincts and leave that example in.