Medicine 2021 - part 2

[Millylovespuddles]

Following on from the first thread:
DD now has UKAT booked for mid-August. She couldn’t get a driving theory test booked until after the UKAT date, but will keep an eye out for cancellations.
Now, her big dilemma is Oxbridge it not....

Everyone does get the form as far as I know, they don't even have UCAT results yet so I'm assuming the rejection was maybe for not having the correct grades for GCSE?

Once you've passed the academic requirements and reached their UCAT cut off they don't filter any further, they use the form exclusively to offer interviews.

UCAT website indicates there's still 200 booked who are yet to sit the test but states that it is unlikely the outcome of those 200 entrants results will affect the current bandings/ratings (presumably because there's over 30,000 who have already sat it for 2021 entry).

Another one here nagging gently suggesting to DD that she needs to get on with the Keele form! Although to be fair she does have her driving test tomorrow so is stressing over that for today.

I looked at the keele form today as ds asked me read his answers. I've got to say, for what they want them to discuss the word limit is excruciatingly tight. Ds said it's worse than doing the personal statement.

Nottingham/ Lincoln have replied to say they've had unprecedented number of applications so expect delays in the process. Ds is now umming and aahing about whether to carry on reading in preparation for any interviews or focus on a levels and mocks in case the interviews aren't until next year.

Isthisname- I would keep encouraging your dd to make a start. Ds said it's not difficult to complete but it is very time consuming deciding on what to write about and then getting it said in 200 words. Ds has been working on his all afternoon and is still not happy with it at all.

@Powergower DD has a friend who has applied to Nottingham. Apparently that’s a standard email that has been sent for the last two years as well as this year... according to the student room anyway!!

Yes that email isn’t anything new from Nottingham. I do think Keele have been overwhelmed with applicants though.

Agree re the word count for the R&R. Hard to do justice when you’re restricted to a few sentences. And we thought the PS was tight.

Good luck for the driving test @IsThisNameTaken

Oh and interviews, DD is just doing her normal day to day reading but isn’t doing any actual interview prep yet. I think we’re in for a long wait and I’m quietly worrying about whether we’ll actually receive interviews. We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.

My Dd got that email from Nottingham when she applied two years ago. I think her invitation for interview came in the last week of November, interview was 17th December

That's reassuring re Nottingham, I'll let ds know. Thanks everyone.

Maddie I agree that it's going to be a long wait this year.

@IsThisNameTaken good luck to DD for her driving test today.

It’s going to be a long haul for them isn’t it? I keep seeing posts on Facebook about offers rolling in for people applying to other courses which must be so nice!

Medicine is always a waiting game. A few would normally get offers before Xmas, but a v v few. A lot won't get offers until March, and a few until June. It's very tough when friends just get them like sweeties.
It's a hoop jump. Cleared one hoop by getting GCSEs. And next one by getting UCAT. Now it's the interviews - I believe some Unis are hoping to run on line MMIs but some reverting to panels. Keep smiling and working at A levels - that final hoop that matters most.

Just heard on the news that medicine applications up by 21% this year! Even more added pressure on our lot.

Keele form in progress- DD has so much to say though (not in a boasting way, just that she waffles!) so fitting it into.the word limit is very challenging. Trying to help her cut it down to the important bits but obviously being 17 she knows much more about it than me .....

Thanks lala and maddie for driving test wishes - 🤞 at lunchtime today!

@IsThisNameTaken That's really not good to hear especially coupled with some deferrals from 2020 to 2021 although it could possibly already be inclusive of those as current year applicants I suppose.

It was also indicated by the large increase in applicants sitting the UCAT this year.

Presumably some applications from students who got better grades than they might ordinarily have done, due to CAG this year, so have now applied with grades in hand.

Possibly some applications deferred from last year as students didn't want to start Uni under current conditions so are re-applying with grades in hand if a deferral wasn't permitted.

Potentially some applications from students who think 2021 results may end up as CAG so, providing their teachers are inclined to predict high enough now, they may get in.

Have decided not to share that statistic with DD, although she may well hear it from elsewhere.

The 200 word count seems tiny for the Keele form. That must be really tough.

@mumsneedwine thank you for the pep talk your input is appreciated as always

So many additional applicants this year. Hard to know what effect this will have in reality. Will the Unis still just interview the same amount of students, pushing up the cut offs for interview, or will they interview more? I guess this could vary from one medical school to the next.

The percentile calculator is on the UCAT website now in case anyone wants to take a look.

Thanks @LaLaFlottes

DD is smack bang sitting on one of the centiles. She'd have been confident of interviews for the last cycle, but who knows what difference this year will make.

@MaddieElla I’m not sure was the percentiles really mean other than giving a more accurate picture than the deciles really! But thought I’d share the news that the calculator was there.

Fingers crossed all of our DC do get interviews. It’s very hard waiting. I keep over analysing things like the extra applicants and how that will affect things.

Just have to be patient I suppose.

@MaddieElla I meant to say, if your DD would have been confident of interviews last cycle then fingers crossed things have not changed much and she will get them no problem this cycle.

Fingers crossed.

Deciles don't mean much for all but one of DDs choices, which is HYMS and they give points based on your UCAT decile. Luckily she was pushed into the next decile which gives her an extra 4 points.

With you on the over analysing and worrying about extra applicants. I'm mentally prepared not to hear anything until around the middle of November but I know DD is checking Track and emails constantly.

Ah I see - well that’s good about the extra 4 points

The percentile calculator seems to give them info on exactly where they are - so I suppose more accurate than the deciles - maybe some Unis use this but I’m not really sure!

I’m the same as you about being prepared for mid Nov at the earliest. It would just be so nice to have an interview confirmed wouldn’t it

While we are hoping to hear from one of ours (Sheffield) in mid November, because they have set out their timetable on their website which says "Successful applicants can expect by 16.11.2020 to receive an email from the Medical School admissions team (not UCAS) inviting them to attend an interview. Unsuccessful applicants can expect to be notified via UCAS by approximately 21.12.2020. "
However, last year Nottingham didn't send out any interview invites until the end of the first week in December (according to TSR) - and goodness knows what they will be like this year under Tier 3, and battling Covid. DS was wondering if half the people who would otherwise interview might need to be working in the hospitals, although I said I thought that unlikely.
And Liverpool apparently for years have not sent out any earlier than between the first and second week of January (so I can't imagine they will be earlier with Covid), while Bristol send out by UCAT score, and only the really top scorers tend to hear before Xmas, and while DS did reasonably well, he is a bit borderline at Bristol, and so cannot realistically expect an interview offer, if he gets one at all, until mid January. For him, it is really Bristol where the increase in applicants might make a huge difference. He would have made interview every year they have been using the UCAT, but sometimes only just, so an increase in applicants might just mean he tips into the non interview pile. Bristol was his risky one, he should (we hope) be reasonably safe to get an interview to the others, having applied strategically, but is (of course) probably the one he really wants at this stage (although not having visited anywhere, it is very hard to be sure)

And then of course it is a long wait until they actually offer, if they are going to offer. Sheffield are saying not before March, and I think Liverpool tend to offer at the end of March, as do Bristol for most people (Bristol sends out a tiny number of offers right away, for the people who completely blew them away, and then a trickle come out during the whole period, but most of the people they offer to, they actually put on hold, and only issue much, much later, sometimes four months after interview). All this is from us trawling the TSR threads from last year.

I feel your pain. The waiting game is horrible. Only advice I can give your kids is to try not to dwell on dates or what is happening to others (much easier said than done). Interview invites and offers arrive when Unis are good and ready. DD had first offer in Jan (love you Sheffield) and last one in late March (Southampton due to postponed interview due to snow). But friends had offers in November and some not until June. It is a brutal process, requiring a lot of resilience. But it makes that offer seem oh so much sweeter.

@bimkom DD has also applied to Sheffield. When they sent the interview invite email in error a week or two ago, they then sent an email letting everyone know that it had been a mistake and they could expect to hear between 12th and 16th so at least we know the window.

I have no idea about her others though.... might have a look on their websites for any updates

Does anyone know if interview invites tend to be sent in any particular order? Would it be from the highest UCAT score to the lowest? Or date of application? Alphabetical? Just wondering!