Applying for uni in 2021...

[Parsley65]

Thought I'd start the ball rolling on this one...

Dd wants to study psychology and we've been checking out dates of open days.

Her school still does AS levels. She's doing psychology, physics & business.

Please come and join us on the long and bumpy ride past revision and exams and on towards the much anticipated start of uni life in Autumn 2021.

Thanks kitty it’s hard for my other DC too. DD1 has A level mocks end of Jan. Or it could be mid Feb. I’m not sure. Either way it’s a while yet. So hoping her MH is a bit better by then. She asked to be admitted but there’s no beds in paeds and I’m scared to death of her going into an adult psych ward! She’s 17 so it should really be paeds. So I’m helicoptering big time to ensure she stays safe. DD2 has GCSE mocks on 1st day back - 6th Jan. Luckily she’s focused and motivated as I’ve no headspace for her. Bless! Haven’t heard anything about delaying start days at school for my other DC. I don’t have any preference really. None of us are shielding or at risk so in a lot of ways it’d be best if they were all at school in Jan - just for normality.

complexneeds good luck to your DD2 with her mocks. We’ve just had a letter from school - yr 11 & 13 back on 5th A level mocks starting on 6th. Lateral Flow tests should be there for the start of term.

That’s so hard re admissions and yes an adult psych ward would not be the appropriate place for her. Ds had 36 hours in hospital recently following a freak accident (he’s absolutely fine although scarily could have not been so good) - he’s also 17 and was admitted through A&E and put on adult ward. Had several invasive procedures which we neither had to give permission for or be told about. Hope your dd gets the help she needs soon and that you have support also.

Dd has the performance element of GCSE music at the end of January so crossing fingers for that too!

DD1 is in first year uni at Lancaster, and DD2 is in GCSE year. DD2 still has a way to go in some lessons (like biology) as they havent had chance to cover all the coursework. She need to get on with it in order to progress to A'level.
DD1 is studying for her online exams in Jan, and DD2 just finished mocks and has tried really hard, just in case exams do get cancelled.

So sorry to hear about your circumstances @ComplexNeeds. Your poor DD. And poor you too. Have you got friends/support you can scream with/to?

I cannot see the schools reopening at all in January, despite reassurances to the contrary. This new strain seems to have changed EVERYTHING.

Aw bless you kitty hope your DS is fully recovered!! And you too tenpastseven I need to sort out support for me. I know!! We always put ourselves last though don’t we?

Cologne4711. A bit late but something like this happend to dc1. Didn't get the course he wanted but they offered him a related course with lower requirements. We took it as a "you're just not good enough for your first choice but we do like you so here's an offer for this related course instead"....
He ended up putting it as his insurance choice.

I'm feeling pretty sure schools will stay closed in Jan. Could just be too much Mumsnet though!

Just came across this forum, well done to all your children with offers. Good luck to the others still waiting to hear back, it’s such a stressful time.

Dd received 1 unconditional offer from Strathclyde within a week of applying ( Architectural studies) and this week has received 3 More unconditional offers to study engineering there too. So she is delighted.

One more uni to hear from which is Glasgow but they said they wouldn’t they wouldn’t make a decision until after the UCAS deadline in January.

Strathclyde us preferred choice so she has a big decision to make regarding what course to study.

With the schools now going back a week later, I'm wondering if the government will rethink the exams and go with what Scotland and Wales are doing! I hope so, these poor children who are trying their hardest for their A level grades and having the added worry of missing school yet again.

If England cancel exams now, they will have the whole of Y13 shutting their books just like they did in March this year. A whole cohort of young people will be heading off to university hardly covering the A level courses. Scottish and Welsh students still have to sit what amounts to 'controlled assessment' to get their CAGs. These 'Controlled Assessments' will be in March/April. At least with A levels being in June/July English students have more time to cover content than their Scottish/Welsh peers.

That makes sense, I didn't think of it like that. Thanks for virtual kick to my senses.

What a mess. DS was supposed to start his mocks (under exam conditions) on Monday. His school is in one of the borough’s where primary schools are not opening, so it’s anyone’s guess what happens next. Anyway, he’s been working hard as he realises the importance of having coursework and formal assessment available should exams be cancelled.

His brother was in last year’s A level cohort, so we have the benefit of direct comparison. This year’s cohort definitely are having a significantly worse time/treatment, left to their own devices for 5 months, disruption in the Autumn term and the uncertainty of whether exams will happen. Plus competition for uni places due to last year’s cohort already filling places.

DS firmed York last night with Strathclyde as his insurance. It all seems a lot more real now! Just waiting for accommodation choices to open.

Agree that this year's cohort have had a far rougher ride than last year's, and sadly it's nowhere near resolved yet. Whilst I understand it's a nightmare scenario for anyone to deal with, I have absolutely no confidence in the govt to make a decision and stick to it; it's the uncertainty that's the killer.

And from an entirely selfish pov, I am absolutely dreading the start of a new university term tomorrow, and even considering handing in my notice later this year to avoid having to manage Sept 2021's intake. It was appallingly stressful for everyone in HE last term and I can't see it being any better this year

Gosh I was kind of hoping things might be semi back to normal by September. Maybe no large mass gatherings indoors still, but other than that, generally ok and certainly improved enough for students to have a normal student life and not spend the entire term cooped up in one bedroom/flat.

Well I'm hoping it will in terms of student life once they're actually there, but it wouldn't surprise me if admissions is still chaotic August /Sept time, particularly if the govt fanny around like they did last summer.

As I said, it's a purely selfish issue really - I never want to go through another year like the last one. I'm in a healthcare subject though, with placements badly affected etc (and still being affected), huge impact on practical teaching, practical exams etc, so it was particularly awful.

Well done to your DS Hens in choosing and confirming his 2 choices. DD still waiting for a couple of hers. One of them requires a few assessments etc so I’m really surprised they’ve not started that process.

When do they have to give their responses on accepting/declining?

Hi joining this discussion now, instead of cancelling exams which many are requesting why not follow NI? Mr Weir told the assembly that students would have the opportunity to omit up to 60% of their AS or A-level assessments, meaning for a "significant" number of subjects, this would mean taking only one exam. Isn’t this more feasible ?

@AdditionalCharacter

When do they have to give their responses on accepting/declining?

After they have had responses from all five choices (or, if they have the offers they want, withdrawn from those who haven’t responded yet). The deadline varies depending on when you received your offers. And last year the deadlines were extended a few times too. There is no single date for everyone.

Also worth checking how each uni organises its accommodation allocation. At some there is an advantage in applying earlier, but most don’t allocate until after results day. DS1, for example, got his allocation about two weeks before term started.

www.ucas.com/ucas/events/find/scheme/undergraduate/type/key-date

Thu 20 May 2021 - 18:00

If you applied by 15 January and you’re still awaiting a decision from one of your choices,unis/colleges have until today to decide whether they’re making you an offer.Any choices that are still outstanding after this will be made unsuccessful.

Wrt the applicant's decision:

Thu 10 June 2021

If you receive all your uni/college decisions by 20 May,you must reply to any offers by today (except if you are using Extra to find a place), otherwisethey’ll be declined.

These reply deadlines are based on when you get the last decision from your universityor collegechoices. CheckTrack to see your personal deadline.

DS has finally pressed submit and paid for his UCAS to go off. He is a Y14 candidate with his a level grades already achieved. Hopefully school will be able to attach his reference and send. I don't think UCAS is going to be at the top of school's 'to-do list' this week.

I hope they don't scrap A levels this year. My DS was one of those who shut his A level books in March last year only for his CAGs be lower than expected. He needed the exams to prove his ability. Only by doing the Autumn A levels has he got the grades to move on to his chosen university course.

Thanks. DS is trying to decide between 2. One is York, the other is in our home town. Trying to decide if it's worth taking the risk and moving away or staying at home and working from home if the universities are still doing mostly home learning then.

And there we have it, no exams but education minister still to confirm how they will be graded. Hopefully it'll be fair. Both a level DS and GCSE DS relieved about exams, although told them they still need to keep up the work.

I am not sure he said that. "We recognise that this will mean that is not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal."

My guess is there will only be exams in core GCSE subjects- Eng, Maths and Science and A levels will be slimmed down - maybe 2 papers rather than 3.

I think it's unclear re: exams (de Pfeffel unclear, surely not?)

He definitely didn't say that exams would be cancelled, but I can't see how A-levels could be effectively 'slimmed down' really either.

If they are cancelled, I hope to god we avoid the car-crash of last year.