Applying for uni 2020 :3: Decisions and revision.

[MillicentMartha]

New thread ready for us.

Old thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3721248-Applying-for-Uni-2020-2-Offers-arriving?pg=40

I was just re reading ds offer letter from Liverpool and they said it was ok to defer if you wanted as long as you let them know by October 2020. Seems rather flexible!! Also dd had an email from notts a couple of years ago asking if anyone wanted to defer before a level results came out. Think they'd maybe over offered?

My mother has told me that she's bought DS a mini table top oven for when he goes

As others have pointed out I very much doubt that he will be able to take it.. Electrical items have to be PAT tested. Although things like hair dryers and straighteners seem to escape this rule.

Thanks, I'm just getting used to one avenue and now googling gap year!
I think it's such a huge pressure on everyone!!

DD decided 2 weeks before results to have a surprise gap year. She got excellent A levels but were not convinced about her university city. It has been an excellent decision. DD has had a great time so far and changed her degree choice too after reflecting on what she enjoyed about her Y13 studies.

Olympicfan, sounds like she went with her gut feeling.
I'm not sure if it's time to make any decisions yet, DD is just unsure, and aware she does have a say!
Probably for the first time since reception year!

Thesunwillout here are some ideas:

europa.eu/youth/discovereu_en (free inter-railing tickets)

www.workaway.info/en/hostlist

www.volunteerics.org/

Many private schools take on Gap Year students both in the UK and overseas. www.workaway.info/en/host/612257236521

www.planmygapyear.co.uk/

My DC1 had a gap year. It was the best thing they did. DC2 has no interest in a taking one. They can't wait to get to university. Each young person is different. The experience gained on a Gap Year will never be wasted. I worked in an office and travelled and realised life in an office would never be for me.

Cranmer, thank you for taking the time to give me all those links.
So much out there!

Manchester Met advises that if they’ve not replied within 6 weeks to call them. (From
A post on the Student Room).

Is The Student Room still a thing? Whenever I've looked anything up on there, there haven't been any recent discussions.

There's a wealth of information on the student room such as by university or by degree course.

Is The Student Room still a thing? Whenever I've looked anything up on there, there haven't been any recent discussions.

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forum.php

Which forums did you find inactive?

There have been 1530 posts over the past 24 hours or so.

Has anyone heard from Birmingham recently. DS got an email from before Xmas saying they would try to get back to him within 15 working days and has heard nothing since. Does chasing work or do unis just find it annoying?

I'd be tempted to give them a call. Has it been 15 working days since the Christmas holidays, though? Even so, I'm sure they wouldn't mind, it shows that he's keen.

We were with their maths dept on Saturday at an offer holder day. They were really friendly and approachable. Of course, they may have had a rush of applications just before the deadline and might be working their way through them.

@MillicentMartha you’re right Birmingham is working on their working days not standard working days so - given their long break at Xmas - the three weeks isn’t up.

Ds had his mock results back, all good with 2 subjects, slumped a bit on History and York's offer is A in History, do they give any lea way at all?

They might. Did you check to see if they were in clearing last August? What subject is it for, I assume not history?

Yep, it's history, that's why he's worried

Where do I check what they had in clearing last year?

There might be mention of Clearing places available at York last year in posts either on MN or on TSR, which could be searched for?

Meanwhile, this was in the Telegraph on the morning of A level results day 2019:

12. University of York

Courses available in Clearing this year:188

Courses available in Clearing last year:197

Example course options this year:Archaeology, Business Management, Computer Science, Economics, English, Linguistics, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Policy, Physics with Astrophysics

No mention of History there.

www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/0/which-russell-group-universities-clearing-2019-london-york-exeter-bristol/

Many thanks, think he needs to sort his revision out, admitted he thought he could get away with doing very little, hey ho, not a big slump so he should be able to pull it up again.

Yes, they might take a dropped grade in this low birth rate year but probably not in the degree subject. Time for some targeted revision.

I didn't know if you had checked potential unis last August for clearing. I did for my DS, but only because I realised after DS1 went through the process a few years ago, that it was a good idea.

Thanks both

I looked last year, if DD doesn't get her firm choice grades of AAA, the next tier of universities with spaces in clearing are not really filling her with enthusiasm and neither is her likely insurance. First world problem but her firm made a lower offer than the standard A*AA elsewhere. I had better hope that she stays focused and actually gets her predicted grades.