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).

The acceptance rates were on Edinburgh's own stats...@Millicent..some Unis have better stats than others.

Thanks, PBLR. Interesting about predicted grades...DD ended up fighting for her A predicted grade in Biology (her teacher prefers the DC to overachieve rather than underachieve although the school will predict A for Oxbridge applicants - DD was scoring the same or higher than the Oxbridge applicants). School won't even predict ANYONE an A* in Chemistry because of the Medic factor even though some of the girls are applying for Medicine (the school would rather play safe)...In stating the above they will give some consideration to reviewing predicted grades if feasible and achieveable but NOT Chemistry!

Thanks oneteen

A bit bizarre that they won’t predict an A* in chemistry, though? Even if you are fantastic at it?

So - this might be worth a whirl in time - put your aspirational Uni in your UCAS form anyway. If you are only one short in your predicted it might not matter and you could still get an offer. If not, don't panic yet. Hold somewhere you like, but hit the phone early on results day for your aspirational course even if you still don't have the A s. They can only say no, if they do, stick with your choice, if they have conceded to your achieved grades and there are still places you should be in with a shout. Wait until you have a definite decision from your aspirational choice before releasing yourself from the definite place tho.

Thanks, PBLR - DD is applying to Unis within their offer range (she is predicted A*AA and most of the Unis offer AAB and ABB).

@MillicentMartha Not last year but the year before apparently "the school" got the Chemistry predictions wrong...they were fortunate that most girls ended up with accepted places with a B (predicted A/A) Last year's results were OK with no surprises. In fairness, they are an experienced teaching team ( both DD's teachers are doctorates). None of the medicine applicants have been predicted A in Chemistry.

DD is predicted A* in chemistry. I didn't think she was only one.

Does UCAS track the grades predicted & publish, name & shame schools maybe, that get it wrong? Else, what good are predicted grades? How can they be reliable... What motivates schools to predict correctly?

Agree with @HugoSpritz

I don't know what happened with DD's school Chemistry predictions in what would have been 2017. I know the HG managed to keep her medicine place with a B in Chemistry which I would have thought was unusual. There are a couple of incredibly bright girls in the Chemistry class this year one looking to do Medicine (outstanding Ukcat score) and the other hoping to do Dentistry but right at the start of Yr12, all the girls were informed that no A*s would be predicted in Chemistry and they have kept to that... (although the main teacher seems to give the impression she is anti-Oxbridge and anti Medicine - she gave a lecture at the start of Yr12 stating that she was disappointed that no one wanted to pursue just Chemistry).

It's tough sometimes on the girls - DD recently got 73% in the AS Biology paper (2019) against a grade boundary of 54% for an A...but still had to fight for the A* prediction. I have some understanding that it's nice to overachieve than underachieve but sometimes girls need that confidence boost.

Seems like an astonishing policy to me, OneTeen. Surely the school recognises they could be prejudicing university applications for students targeting courses where an A is required. Of course predicted grades shouldn't be over-inflated, but refusing to predict A as a matter of principle is just weird.

DS got 89% on his end year 12 Economics 'mock' and was predicted an A because 'this school never predicts A* in Economics'.
DS queried it and they did actually change it so not sure what that was all about!

First acknowledgment email in from Imperial - it's real!

Acknowledgements from 4 here just the 5th one to respond! agree Hau it’s exciting!

Oh that is fab news Hugo! Well done to him. Not holding my breath here for quick offers most of her choices are notoriously slow and after the 15th Jan.

Dd hasn't been given any predicted grades yet. Will be interesting to see if they give any at A*
She got As in all three at AS and 9s in the two of those subjects she did at GCSE so I would like to think she should have high predictions.
On another note she passed her driving test today!

Hugo that’s excellent news. Can I ask which unis or would you rather not say?

We still have one open day to go to, Manchester, on the 12th. PS is 4/5 done. No hurry here as we’re not early entry. I am slightly jealous of the offers and acknowledgments but I must sit on my hands a bit.

He’s only done 6 driving lessons, and I don’t think he’s a natural! So jealous of Snozzlemaid too!

@oneteen - another one shocked by the school's refusal to predict an A star in chemistry. Surely it does able students a disservice and limits their options? DS1 is applying for Chemistry and without his A star prediction it would have been pointless to apply to 3 of his choices.

His school says predictions are non-negotiable but they are fair and will predict A stars if they see the evidence in any chemistry and any other subject.

Congratulations to your DS HugoSpritz

We are going to visit Warwick on Saturday. Hopefully this will be the last open day! Although he might want to go to offer holder days too.

Ironoaks, if DS3 needs/wants to go on offer holder days I’m going to encourage him to travel solo. Except for Birmingham, I’d like to see Birmingham. His dad took him to that one.

MillicentMartha
Yes, I think he should attend those on his own. I think offer-holder days are mostly aimed at the applicant, rather than for parents too. He has demonstrated that he can travel by train independently, so this would be an extra opportunity to practise those skills.

And if he’s been there before on an open day, it’ll be familiar territory. Good for those slightly less confident (in my DS’s case certainly) to get a bit of independent travel in.

I feel a little left out in that DD went to all her open days in her own. Her choice..

Well done to DC with offers :-) and well done Snozzlemaid with your DD passing her driving test.

Not quite sure at what stage DD's application is - she saw HOS on Monday but I'm sure whether her PS has been given the OK yet.

Anyone's DC looking at Camp America...we are hopefully going to the recruitment day in Bristol in November ...

It's exciting to see the offers come through - hopefully we will see a few more this week...

Please can I join this thread!

Son completed his UCAS form last week and school sent it off on Friday.

He has had acknowledgements of his application having been received by

Edinburgh
Exeter
Birmingham

Which I think is jolly quick!

He has also applied to

Bangor
Durham

Any ideas as to when offers might start arriving?

His predictions are A* A A

He achieved an A* in his EPQ is the summer.

Thanks and good luck to all in the same boat, didn't anticipate it being quite as stressful as this!