Applying for Uni 2020 :2: Offers arriving

[MillicentMartha]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3655914-Applying-for-Uni-2020?pg=40

Previous thread

So what's coming up for everyone this week?

DS1 is waiting to hear back from Imperial following his interview last week. His history coursework is in (hurray) and (OMG) he has pre-season cricket nets on Friday. He's in a pretty good mood.

Sports stuff and an important 18th.

Sorry Millicent. It started with queries about whether DD's friend could possibly have received a Durham offer at such an early stage along with reduced offers & promises of cash from other big names without having some kind of special status mark against her name. No context, just a very talented young lady in a buyer's market who universities wish to attract. I'm sure those without similar offers will soon start to receive them once admissions teams have time to tackle their inboxes. It's not really such a surprise to get early offers when some forms were submitted 2 months ago.

DS has a parents evening on Thursday. Unfortunately it’s his father’s turn. He’s been doing well on end of topic tests but the school seem to be quite pessimistic with their ‘currently performing at’ grades, so I may need to email his main FM teacher to find out what’s going on.

Good luck hearing from Imperial! Is he expecting a standard offer or do they give reduced ones, sandy?

Is that the friend's/ boyfriend's party your DD was planning Goodbye?

Hoghgyni there shouldn't really be a need to apologise for a brief mention of either Oxford or Cambridge on a MN HE thread about 2020 entry. It's a bit silly really. I don't think it's great on either side to make Oxford or Cambridge a great big other thing. One of them is one of DD's choices, end of. Not a big deal.

Fortunately Y13 is a good year for big parties! It works very well that Y11 is good for 16th and Y13 for 18th. Perfect timing.

In terms of offers, DD had another one a few days ago which was four grades below the usual offer if firmed. I'm really not a fan of these offers - it demeans the offering uni as far as I'm concerned.

My dgd predicted 3 A* has not had a contextual offer even after interview at Manchester ( and getting offer there and then) and ticking all boxes for contextual. I put it down to the fact that her predicted are higher than uni asks for course.

Same for Nottingham

Yes, DS’s offers have all been AAA or AAB. The advantage of applying for maths! No reduced offers. TBH, anything less than an A in maths/FM and they might struggle with the course.

DD is also predicted 3A* Sostenueto and couldn't expect a contextual offer since her school is a grammar. She's nevertheless been asked for ridiculously low grades by a well respected RG uni. I'm just saying it's a bit of a turn off rather than an inducement but maybe I'm out on a limb.

Dgds courses have few places but many applicants. Over a 1000 I believe ( according to interviewer) for 30 places at Manchester. Nottingham only 34 places but not sure how many applicants.

AAA comfortable and AAB great here too Millicent!

I didn't think universities discriminated between state grammars & ordinary state schools, as you can still be on free school meals, be in the right/wrong POLAR & ACORN categories, be in care etc, but happen to be fortunate enough to have a super selective state school on your doorstep. Obviously if your postcode is for a gated community in Surrey or local manor house that's a different story.

Millicent is your DS having to take STEP as well as he's doing maths? Is it a bit like having an EPQ in other subjects, where you get one offer with STEP and another without?

Being at a high performing grammar will inevitably affect context Hoghgyni. It's absolutely fair too, since this is about educational advantage and disadvantage. That's why I always find it puzzling when people on MN say 'but DC is on a bursary at his private school'. Multiple measures are being used this year in any event, but in terms of a score based on school banding, I'm told all indies are in Cat1, high achieving schools whether grammar or comp in Cat 2, middle ranking Cat 3, poor performing Cat 4 etc.

As it happens, the super selective grammar school I work in is in a POLAR4 quintile 1 postcode. There are precisely no pupils from the local area attending the school. Some commute 50 miles each day. Where a super selective grammar school is situated has little bearing on the demographic of its pupils.

I have breakfast with DD tomorrow ...Starbucks...then off to IOW/Portsmouth. Dearly hoping by the end of the week she has an acknowledgment from some Unis! It's a bit unnerving at DD's school because Head Teacher, Director of 6th form and HOS form are all leaving or retiring at the end of this year and she has a new Form Tutor.

Hoghgyni exactly, he’s choosing to take STEP instead of doing an EPQ. Better suits his abilities and has the same result in getting a lowered grade, but only for his third subject. He’ll still need As in maths/FM.

oneteen hopefully they’ll want to go out on a high?

The Headteacher doesn't care for league tables and refuses to submit results or succumb to the media hype (although the school does do very well) ...in her own words it's more important about what the DC have achieved by the time they are 80 (TBF she's incredibly lovely and knows the strengths and weaknesses of most girls in the school she was away with DD in Japan and wrote a lovely personal message to DD which was spot on). The DOS is off to South Africa so probably won't be around come results day - can't remember where the HOS is off too! DD's new Form Teacher is an absolute Gem and also the head of Chemistry so a good fit! All change very unsettlingly so glad DD leaving....

Agreed Millicent. DD met all sorts of high flying grammar school pupils on UNIQ who happened to have other background issues or the wrong postcode. If Oxford doesn't discriminate for UNIQ, and the website is clear that it is open to all state school pupils, I'm surprised that other universities would.

Oneteen she isn't hoping to need references next year!

Going to, not hoping to.

@Hoghgyni - I should have added the teacher who wrote DD's reference retired in July last year ...

DS’s form tutor left last year. He wrote a draft reference for all his tutees before he left that their new FT finalised.