Applying for Uni 2020 :2: Offers arriving

[MillicentMartha]

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

Previous thread

Has she applied to Surrey? Harlequins Women have a great squad with everyone from community up to pro able to try out for their squads.

I think reduced offers are the new ‘unconditional if firmed’ and seem to be coming from a range of universities, not just the usual suspects. There were a lot of places in clearing in August from some surprising universities and courses. This sounds like a way of marketing your courses and encouraging the higher predicted applicants to choose them and maybe to avoid being in clearing. We are lucky to be in the midst of the demographic downturn so our DC could get in to some great universities with slightly lower grades than usual. But it might be a bit like scraping into a grammar school, if the courses prove to be too difficult, fast paced and too different in style from the A levels, they might get a higher drop out rate.

As for knowing what was in clearing, on results day in August I spent a few hours looking at all the universities that DS was interested in and seeing what they had in clearing. Some advertised their clearing grades, some you had to phone them with your clearing number, which I didn’t have, obviously. I was only looking at maths courses, though. 4 out of 5 of DSs UCAS choices were in clearing for maths, and they are all RG!

She didn't in the end, although it was her "number 6" but she just didn't love some aspects of the course.
We're from a midlands city with a very strong team (well, it was until last year anyway ) and having played for their academy team I think she'd feel like a traitor going to quins!

@Hoghgyni... She definitely would not swap places... I'm hoping the shopping disappears to dad's house on return... Looks like she's back in Tokyo next weekend for the England semi... Not sure whether good or bad...

Totally agree with your comments about reduced offers @millicent..I think a little bit of pressure taken off for this year's cohort... But may not be all good news if DC are too stretched on their courses...

England V All Blacks. Hmmm.

Was that Hatfield Poly? I had a friend from school went there. I had no idea where it was!

I applied to Hatfield on the grounds that it was within the 5 hour travelling time radius I could manage & it filled a gap on a PCAS form. I had no idea where it was either. Luckily I never had to find out.

We went to oxford Brookes open day yesterday with DS for him to consider as the back up option if results don’t go as planned and DS really liked it. He’s much prefers it over Loughborough and Reading so now have a quandary as Reading was previous 1st choice.

It’s the same degree from all, OB course seems less intensive than others but ultimately leads to same job on graduation and gives the same qualifications into the charter body.

DS has some thinking to do.

I'm plopping into this thread with a slight derail, apologies, but I really need advice about the next stage because my DD is having a gap year and uni and course confirmed for 2020. (She didn't quite make the grades of her offer but both her first two choices confirmed she still had a place before she went in to get her results whatever is to be made of that. Quite a few of her friends didn't do as well as expected, some got in anyway, like her, one is doing a foundation year, one went through clearing).
But the next thing I'm worrying about is accommodation - perhaps I should start a new thread to ask about that?
With DD1 we put in choices of halls she liked, she was allocated a flat in one, she checked out her new flat mates on Facebook and it all went smoothly, no problem.

This time, DD is going to Nottingham Trent. At the open day they explained they open the accommodation allocation at a certain time on a certain day (I have to check the details) and you choose the room/flat that you want. A bit like choosing your seat for a flight.
I'm really worried about this - what's the point of choosing a particular room if you don't know who's going to be in the flat with you? Maybe it works where groups of friends choose to share together but she hasn't got a group of friends going there. Even then, what if they all go online to book their room and someone else gets there first so one of the group is left out?
Walking around the accommodation blocks, it was clear from the outside that some flats had particular "themes" - some had decorated the kitchen window with piles of beer cans etc, some were quite homey with plants and arty bits and pieces on display.
How do we go about her making contact with others going there in 2020 and make an accommodation choice plan?

Anyone here looking at Nottingham Trent for 2020 or experience of this way of organising accommodation?

Belatedly saying thanks for new thread! Nothing to report but PS will be completed this week!
I think the 5 choices are Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Sussex and UEA.

I'm sure there was a big group going to NTU starting this autumn. Perhaps browse their threads.

My daughter started at NTU this year. She had accepted her offer and on a specific day in Feb the accommodation became available to book. She had decided which block she wanted to live in so I got on line the minute it went live. A floor plan of the flat was available and I chose a room for her. A couple of hours later I saw that all the rooms had been booked.
She has been very fortunate as her room is at the end of a corridor with no one on either side and her flatmates are nice.

Thanks @Danny2894
Two hours! The important thing I have taken from my research today is to make sure DD and I both have the day off from work that day so we can be on line the minute it opens.
Sounds like it's easier to get tickets for Glastonbury!
I'm glad your DD likes her accommodation. Dare I ask where? (DM me if you prefer)
My DD will be city campus. I think I have ruled out Byron - is that the one above the student union?

Nice day out at Exeter yesterday. Hubby and I liked it but didnt cut it for DS. Coming from a big city he wants somewhere with more buzz! Leeds looking favourite atm.

Checking into the new thread!

Things have been a bit quiet here, with not much progress happening, but we've just had a weekend of open days (last ones, thankfully), so it's back at the front of DS's mind.

DS really liked Exeter (he's not a city boy) - and I loved it, but then, I always did. DH & DS were counting how many times I said "in my day" or something similar...

He also liked UEA, so I think he's now got his 5. All he needs to do now is finish filling his form in, write his personal statement, pass an interview or two (I think most of them interview for Physics), and get the grades. Not much, then!

Hello on thread 2! Congratulations to all those who've received offers so far. DS has submitted his UCAS form to school but I'm not sure whether they'll submit it onwards before half term or not. He's applied to do chemistry at York, Durham, Nottingham, Manchester and Sheffield.

I think it's busier on the Oxbridge thread, but may well get a bit busier here in a few weeks!

DS has made his choices and is supposed to be getting his form tutor to have a look at his PS, then we can submit it. Just not quite sure about where to put STEP on the form (maths entry exam for Cambridge, but used by other unis as part of their offer.)

It's going to be Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Southampton and Cardiff with no particular insurance place. He's aiming to use clearing for insurance.

Definitely busier on Oxbridge - they cant half bicker .

Nothing doing here - just enjoying seeing DD's pics from Japan - she's off to Hiroshima tomorrow.

I think you'll find oneteen that there are very firm views on things and lots of historic knowledge! I'm grateful that I only have one, so that this time next year I will never have to worry about admission tests, A level results or similar again.

@oneteen - the bickering is very tiresome. I'm inclined to bow out.

Yes indeed.

Ah, it’s only one or two. I do lurk occasionally for entertainment value.