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).

@LooseAtTheSeams thank you.

Somewhat nervous 😬

Will be glad when next year is over and don't have to deal with August exam results any more.

@unitednations - Good luck to your DS, I can't imagine how stressful it must be waiting for the results this week...I was reading the Telegraph article on Maths and I do feel for all the DC.

I think it’s as bad or worse for EngLit and History students as Ofqual are saying there’s a 48% chance they have been given the wrong grade!
Definitely not looking forward to Thursday as DD has taken both!

There was a f**k up this year with A level Edexcel maths. Results of which DS1 is awaiting

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/feweek.co.uk/2019/08/09/edexcel-maths-a-level-leak-bigger-than-first-thought-admits-pearson/amp/

So far so good in St Andrews. DD seems undeterred by the 9 hour journey. We are sharing a mahoosive room in a hall of residence that looks like a castle. It even comes with its own portal to Narnia .

Love the portal to Narnia! It sounds amazing!

@AChickenCalledDaal

Sounds wonderful, It's a long time since I have been to St Andrew's...in fact last time we saw Sean Connery coming in on the 18th Tee on the Old Course...such a lovely place ...hope your visit goes well.

Not sure DS2 will ever start on his PS, I think his sum total of thinking is "I am very good at maths so I will do maths". I've tried and tried to get him to look at other courses or add ons like maths and economics/maths and finance but he's set on doing maths and maths! PS not helped by the admissions tutor in Bath saying don't get too wound up over it because I don't have time to read them all so the only ones who are looked at are the border line candidates when someone who has had a harder time of it will get the last place over someone who has had a gilded life. But then they get thousands of applications so that makes sense for them. Should have gone for a more niche subject.

Narnia looks awesome, we had wardrobes like that at my old school. Climbing in strictly forbidden. I wonder how many students they lost .

ExCwmbran I think that approach is very typical of maths enthusiasts! It's quite tricky - Warwick made it sound like they look carefully at the PS whereas Birmingham claim they only look if you narrowly miss the offer. But you have to assume they might look at it.
Meanwhile I looked at clearing for philosophy this year and most of the courses DS likes are there. That makes me hope they will want him next year!

Oneteen - we were surprised by how popular the residential were; it was much busier than we'd expected it to be.
It was really good according to Dd and she's glad she did it.
Would definitely recommend for next summer for anyone with teens looking at 2021 entry, even if not planning to go there.

I think DS PS was definitely read by Warwick as they referred to several sports clubs that they thought he would be interested in based on his PS

On our way back from St Andrews now. DD is emphatically not a city girl and really liked the feel of the town. We were shown round by a student who has just finished his fourth year and told us enthusiastically about all their strange traditions. There are many! Then we had an hour's talk from admissions, which covered the same territory as all the open day talks we've been to.

I'd definitely recommend their "talk and tour" as an alternative to an official open day. It was much less manic and feels more like we've been on a little mum-and-daughter mini break. Sunshine today clearly helped.

They have a lot of international students and half the prospective students were from outside the UK. I was impressed by the speaker's ability to stay calm when asked very obscure questions about high school exams in a range of different countries!

Overall impressions - lovely, small town, very close knit university, good on support. Social life based around clubs and societies, although the Student Union has its own bar and night club if you want it.

They are keen on first and second years trying a range of subjects before focussing exclusively on the one they applied for. DD liked the vibe but needs to figure out whether she's happy to do a bit of something else alongside maths in the first year, or whether there are enough maths related options for her to effectively specialise a bit early.

@AChickenCalledDaal - St Andrews is lovely. When I was at Edinburgh I had a boyfriend whose brother was there and we used to see him for for the weekend and snog in the sand dunes. Happy days.

The year 1 and 2 'general' approach is common in Scottish universities. I picked sensible options that fitted with my degree soc sic degree but DH fitted in Scandinavian Studies and Swedish just because he could. I also had a friend who tried an 'outside' subject (as they were called) and ended up switching to it - biology to psychology. It's a good system but might be frustrating for someone wanting to specialise from day 1.

Loose is the Clearing site up? How do I find it?

Google UCAS clearing and it takes you there.

Here you go

www.ucas.com/clearing-launch

DD1 loved St Andrews - was very nearly top choice but in the end she decided she didn't want to be quite so far away.
It's beautiful though, and had a lovely feel. I really enjoyed our visit there.
DD2 immediately ruled out anything more than 3 hours from us before she started looking (which I'm secretly relieved about!)

DD1 is only an hour and a half away, and although so far I haven't needed to, I do find it reassuring that I can feasibly "pop" down to see her if she ever needs me to.
I have once this year driven down after work midweek just to have dinner with her then drive home which is really nice to be able to do.

Ooh some of DD's top course choices are in clearing
I'm surprised but that feels a bit reassuring- I know it changes year on year, but hopefully makes an offer a bit more likely 🤞

St Andrew's is marketed in the US. I was at a meeting with DD's college counselor on Saturday and she had a stack of their brochures on the table in her office.

Wow - Warwick have a lot of courses in Clearing!

How can you find out what the clearing offer is for each course, or would it vary depending on the student?

Lots of press articles have described this (and next ) year Uni applicants as in a buyers market and when I've looked at clearing DD course at both Exeter and Warwick is in clearing, York isn't because there are fewer places.

I'm total with you @HesMyLobster - I want to be able to get in the car and take DD out for dinner if things are tough. I have applied that strategy even in the last few weeks of the Sixth form when she seemed to be very teary and tired. I would love DD to go to Edinburgh or St Andrews but I'm secretly hoping that its Warwick (1:30 mins away) and could live with York.

Good luck to you all on Thursday, I don't have anyone heading off this year for the first time in two years so I'm having a year off.

For anyone on facebook there's a good group for all things relating to university, from results day, clearing, adjustment etc

www.facebook.com/groups/488235648182391/?ref=share

What I wish I knew about university

Just wondering if Warwick has had lower applicants this year due to bad publicity?

They're showing the documentary again on Wednesday night.

The grade requirements are on there too. At this stage they may still be the standard requirements hoping to capture those who failed to meet their Oxbridge grades or other A* X 2 and A offers. Then if they don't get filled or used as insurance then the grades may drop.

Warwick probably has been affected by bad publicity. IMO they handled things incorrectly BUT I also think it's an amazing University. In terms of my DD' s potential course, there is VERY little competition compared to Warwick.