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).

@oneteen

No probs, lots of factors and all trying to negotiate this new phase.
I'm learning terminology and trying to process what to factor in or out, seemingly without dd's full attention which is a little concerning.

I'm not sure if her mental health plays a part in this.

Tricky to know how much to 'interfere!' it's a bit of a balancing act, but have to pressure she's not the only 17 yr old being just indecisive despite her rocky path to get to this juncture.

I feel a bit thick actually, not knowing about offers, insurance, and the general process, so have been panicking a little inwardly thinking we're at the back of a race.
The realisation oh god she's got to make a second and third choice, being the reason I'm awake here at 3.37am 😆.

*presume, not pressure!

Although that also sort of makes sense.

thesunwillout oh don't worry about being behind - DS1 is so laid back it's ridiculous. He does know what he wants to study but he's only just registered on UCAS and certainly hasn't done his PS or a draft of it yet! Or put in his uni options.

DS1 loved Warwick oneteen! I’m sure all our DC will love and become loyal to wherever they end up.

sun they’ll only need 2 choices eventually, a firm and an insurance. DS3 is needing lots of prompting. DS1 was much more self motivated.

DD text to say ps and ucas application to be done by October 15th.
We won't have visited anywhere by then!
I do feel that her college could have encouraged visits in yr 12.
I don't know how that compares to other schools/colleges and when they might have started preparing for this.

Thanks for input too, especially those who also have reluctant DC's!

thesunwillout
DS's school did the UCAS information evening nice and early (March) and suggested they should start researching courses and universites and possibly booking open days. Other than that, they have been very hands-off compared to a lot of the schools I read about on here. He was expected to draft the personal statement independently and filled in the UCAS form at home.

DS was lucky in that he has known for a long time what he wants to study, so he made a shortlist early and visited a couple's this time last year.

Oh that's good that he knows what he wants to do, and that his school gave him a good margin to do some research.
Has he found the hands off approach ok?
Trying not to despair here, stupid college.

Staff will help DD if she wanted them to by giving feedback on her PS. They suggest only letting 2 trusted adults see it and DH & I didn't fit in that category until a final proof read, when I had to pay.

Iirc you can submit UCAS form with less than 5 choices and add them later, which might help anyone yet to visit some.

Has he found the hands off approach ok?
He doesn't know any different, so doesn't feel that he is missing out. The school's approach was "Here's where to find the information, these are the deadlines, go and do this in your own time." So he did. He emailed a couple of teachers asking if they would be willing to read his personal statement and offer feedback, and they were happy to do this.

Apparently some schools offer personal statement workshops, timetabled sessions to work on the UCAS form and/or 1:1 sessions to talk through the application. The amount of support offered seems to vary a lot.

thesunwillout
I don't think it's vital that she visits everywhere before submitting the UCAS form.

• A lot of info is available on their websites and some have youtube videos of campus and virtual tours.
• Most of them have offer-holder days which is another opportunity to visit.
• As mentioned upthread, she can leave one of the choices blank and add it in later.

Ironoaks, thankyou, I'd read that once you have your welcome letter from UCAS, you only had 7 days to change anything?
Possibly read it wrong or something.

I think that adding a final choice is a separate thing and doesn't count as making changes to the details on the form. Hopefully there will be someone on here who can confirm.

You can add things later, you just can't take them away after the 7 day slot.

DS’s school have a weekly timetabled session in Y13 called ‘Futures’ where they get time to work on UCAS form and PS etc with some guidance. I get most of my information from MN posters.

DD's school is very much in the "hands off" category.
They had a UCAS day in July where they were told dates and deadlines and given their UCAS online login details, but then very much left to just get on with it.
She wrote her draft PS over the summer and her wonderful subject teacher has been brilliant at checking it and giving feedback, but I don't think that's standard throughout the school - it sounds like most just send straight to head of 6th form when they think they're ready to send it off.

DD also had UCAS day in July, since September all form time is spent on UCAS/PS...

I think DD will submit UCAS with just the three initial choices - what she hopes to be her firm choice (Warwick), insurance (UEA), and York which she liked but only 65 places available on the course...then it will be a lottery as to whether she considers adding Edinburgh/St Andrews if we manage to get up their during HT or opts for Bham and Exeter.

Am I correct in thinking that if she submits 3 options, those Uni's can make offers even with 2 blank spaces on the application? It would be quite nice to have a couple of offers in the bag before deciding on the other two Unis.

Yes, as soon as a university receives her application they can make an offer.
They have no way of knowing how many others she's applied to.
DD1 had 3 offers within a week when she applied 2 years ago (the first in less than 12 hours!) She had all 5 back by mid-January.

DS is doing his UCAS stuff during timetabled Welsh Bac lessons this year (I think they did the bulk of the actual Welsh Bac stuff last year), so I think college are reasonably hands-on about things - it's just not getting through to parents. That said, I don't think he's even started on PS yet!

Interesting to see how different everyone's experience is.

Achickencalleddaal when DD1 was considering StAndrews and needed a second look they were amazing at accommodating her. The admissions tutor spent over two hours with her chatting and walking her round the department. She loved the department but decided the vibe of the rest of the uni wasn’t for her. I would suggest contacting the department directly if dates don’t work. We visited in the school holidays.

DS finally got his predicted grades today. A A A. Really pleased. I’ve been trying to persuade him to include Warwick on his UCAS form but he’s having none of it. DS1 went there and DS3 wants to be his own person. Fair enough, except it means he’s being a bit conservative in his choices. He hasn’t finished his PS yet and we still have Manchester to visit in two week’s time, but his 5 choices are pretty much set to Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton, Nottingham and Cardiff. Only issue is they’re all likely to give him AAA offers.

I’m thinking that will probably be fine, they’re all achievable and he should get his first choice if things go to plan. And he can use clearing if they don’t. We can’t find a slightly lower insurance choice that’s in his budget and meets his preferences. Ditto aspirational choice. Is this madness?

Only issue is they’re all likely to give him AAA offers
Were any of them in Clearing this year with less than AAA? That might be a potential insurance choice.

DS could only think of one aspirational choice. Any other potential contenders didn't meet his parameters.

Three of his choices give A*AA offers. He managed to find one choice which gives an AAA offer, but couldn't find anything lower that he was happy to apply to.

Got distracted halfway through typing and took so long to post that I cross-posted with Hugo

Four of them were in clearing on results day, two with AAB grades, the other two didn’t say unless you actually rang them, but I assume Cardiff went to AAB or lower as their offer if you firm them is AAB, AAA if insurance. Nottingham was the only one which wasn’t in clearing. Cardiff is DS’s least favourite so far, though, typical!

I’m guessing he’ll firm one of Nottingham or Birmingham and insure Southampton (they have lots of accommodation so good as insurance.) If he has a disaster, he can see if Cardiff are in clearing again, or try elsewhere. Some unis are still in clearing for maths!