Applying for Uni 2020 :2: Offers arriving

[MillicentMartha]

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

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Our anecdata is that gap year takers are decreasing - certainly since 'our day' when it seemed the norm.

Love the phrase 'anecdata' @KingscoteStaff !

There are a few gap years at DS1's school. I don't think many are medical, there are a few who aren't happy with their predictions and think they will exceed them. School are very strict with predictions and won't budge. Personally I think it's a misguided approach as the school seem to predict pretty accurately but each to their own.

The school is very supportive of Post A Level applications and allows pupils to come back and join in with the Year 13 sessions, interview practice etc.

sandy there's a huge gulf between private and state on this one although our school - also historically one of the worst funded in the state sector - is not nearly so tight as Sostenueto's DGD's'. But then our Ho6 has always gone the extra mile (and then some) for his pupils, even though Y14 applications do add a strain. No fee paying school such as yours would dare to turn away Y14s or even Y15s - it would be a massive marketing boo boo to do so.

@goodbyestranger - yes, I know we are very fortunate in the opportunities the school offers. It's a shame the findings not there for all state schools to offer the same support.

Current pupils take priority, but our school will give ex pupils a single 20 minute session to run through their form and give predicted grades (usually 1 grade higher than what they achieved if they are resitting). Apart from that they need to be fairly self sufficient, as the school won't give then further support.

No further progress today ...but I can't help but think it is utter madness every girl having to have "a little chat" with the HT before the UCAS form gets sent. HT is probably up to her eyes with staffing issues and the school has a mock interview evening for both internal and external pupils on Wednesday. I need to find a good book for one of DD's Xmas presents - How to be a Lion instead of a Sheep!

I'm shocked at schools charging leavers for ucas references. Dd has had no mention from hers (independent) and just arranged an appointment to review her reference and send it off.

Can schools not claim EEP hours or is this just for 16-18-year-olds? I do think that UCAS could make it much easier by just attaching the last year's reference.

Actually, in fairness to the pupils taking a GAP year, they have not had a reference written in Yr13 so why should the school be mean about writing a reference for the following Yr...if we are talking about resources they would not have had their pennies worth in Yr13.

The numbers of pupils of applying "post-qualification" (ie after A Levels) is increasing. I am sure that, in time, it will become the norm to apply PQA and schools will have to adapt to a new timetable of university applications.

ofteninaspin My plan for when I am supreme ruler is to move university years to start in Jan. Universities would make their decisions post results during the last 2 weeks of August.

Any student with a place would then be required to do some sort of community service/farm work/volunteering for 4 months until their term began.

That sounds rather like the '7th term' Oxbridge entrance exams of old - see Alan Bennett's The History Boys.

Interesting idea Kingscote. The PQA models I have read about propose a slight shift to university term dates, early November is often cited.

HugoSpritz - I guess students will find ways to support themselves in much the same way as they do currently from June to September/October.

I am only aware of the proposals for a November start. A later start clearly requires a more radical overhaul of the current system.

Hmmmmm. How was National Service funded?

NS was funded from the defence budget, Kingscote. I couldn't afford to support my DSes for that length of time. I'm on barely above min wage, I get child tax credits, maintenance from my exH and child benefit which all stops at the end of August in Y13. It will be tough this year once DS3 leaves as my overheads don't go down, just my food bill. I'll probably be downsizing once DS3 leaves.

It would be another barrier to people who struggle to afford higher education.

The 7th term Oxbridge applicants were generally from well off families.

In most other countries final exams are marked quickly and well in time for applicants to apply to University for an October start. In Germany, Abitur results are available before the15th July deadline for Uni applications.

I think it would be much better to apply after receiving the results!

In other words, there is no need for a longer summer holiday period. Exam boards just need to mark A level papers quicker! Pupils can then apply well before the October start of University term.

I used to makr some A level papers and it was a huge rush with loads to do. In fact I was usually early so tended to get extra ones when other markers were late or dropped out. I am not sure there is much time to mark them earlier. I do remember 7th term Oxbridge - my youngest siblng did it and the next one above that didn't which was early 80s ish.

How long children should depend on parents financially has always been difficult. In some families packing girls off for jobs in service with food and board provided at age 13 was a norm due to the cost of feeding extra mouths. My granny went to Indian in 1921 to work for a family there as a nanny - leaving her mother to cope with the other younger siblings. The minimum grant system in place when I was at university and today's £4k minimum loan v £8kish full loan means a lot of children then and now where their parents earn too much to get the full grant/full loan are left havig to hope parents who may well not be able to afford it due to other siblings, high rent to pay do not receive anything like as much as those students from families then and now with very very low income. My youngest sons have decided to do 2 years post grad which I will probably fund after they graudate next summer so that will be 5 years each of tertiary education I will have funded to age 23. It is one reason our divorce order says I fund that stage (I earn more than their father who pays nothing), not just fund up to age 18. Just as well I work full time.

The European countries finish school a lot earlier so the teachers are available to mark exams earlier. as ours don't finish until nearly the end of July

A level Exams could easily be scheduled to finish by the middle of June, giving about 4 weeks to mark exams, so students could apply by the end of July, with actual grades! Perhaps employ more exam markers?

If most other countries manage, why can't the UK?