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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Another Path to Greatness - Part II

999 replies

BigWoollyJumpers · 11/02/2021 12:52

Here we are.

OP posts:
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9
chopc · 13/02/2021 21:51

I don't understand why the schools have said to hold off firming? Surely by now everyone should have an idea if they can meet the grade requirements? Plus for some subjects Durham has same grade requirements as Oxbridge . I know for some Durham has higher than Oxford

Beetlesand · 14/02/2021 00:17

No @chopc ..I don’t fully understand it. I’m hoping it’s just school being over cautious and waiting to see how the assessments are being done and not that they are overly worried that the students have aspired too high based on predicted grades compared to what they are likely to get with TAGs.

SeasonFinale · 14/02/2021 04:44

Surely the only reason a school would be suggesting that though is if they know they seriously over predicted their predicted grades for people. I appreciate that only 17% of predicted grades are accurate in a exam year but a school has got to be pretty daft after what happened last year and was always going to be a possibility this year ie. exam cancellation to be wildly out. Also I suspect whereas this might be the case generally within a school the same advice might not apply to students who were of the calibre to submit Oxbridge applications - the reality being that even where Oxford offers for some subjects may be lower than offers else here the candidate woukd bot be applying with the bare minimum Oxford standard offer usually.

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 14/02/2021 08:32

I think in the case of Ds's sixth form some of them didn't do as well as they possibly should have done on their mocks. Ds and another student are near the top of their maths classes. Ds got A* on FM mock paper the other student got a D which was a massive shock. So whilst Ds still achieved his usual top grades some of them were several grades down. However, Ds feels they were rushing content in class before the mocks, trying to plough through as much as they could. Some students were self isolating in December and sat the mock at the end of January.

As a result of this they have been told that their mocks will hold no more weight than their usual tests. Across the sixth form there may well be students performing lower than their grade requirements for their uni preference. We are to be given a progress report after half term which will provide more detail.

We didn't have a parents' evening in year 12, you only saw a teacher if there was an issue. It may well have been different for year 13.

WarmAndco3y · 14/02/2021 10:19

Not posted on a while, I found the previous thread had gone off track, but glad to see it settled and to have found you all.

DS still waiting on Durham for PPE, he only put 3 colleges down on the preference list. He was initially excited about his offer from KCL but now not sure again. He is also not sure about Durham. He is thinking he may reapply next year, to different universities. For now we’ve asked him to focus on his school work. He has a few assessment deadlines and hopefully should know next week if his exams will go ahead or not.

Original poster
BigWoollyJumpers · 14/02/2021 11:07

DD got an excellent half term report. In contrast to others, her grades have now increased from a previously predicted A AA to now 3 A, and the comments were fabulous. I am now a bit grumpy that those were not her original predicted, and a little worry worm wonders whether it would have made a difference to her Oxford entry, but I know that is probably not the case, as she exceeded their entry requirements anyway, and her GCSE's weren't top class...... But we have now moved on, and are exceptionally proud of her continuing to improve. It's interesting, she was always a late starter in comparison to her sister, who was always ahead of the game in terms of academics. DD2 has been a slow burner, and a late bloomer. Again, her less than perfect GCSE's probably didn't help her Oxford application, but it just goes to show how many DC's just mature at different stages.

OP posts:
OnTheBenchOfDoom · 14/02/2021 11:30

@BigWoollyJumpers well done to your DD! I think there will always be the question of why not my child for Oxbridge. Grin

Ds is definitely going to uni this year. He worries that having 4 offers on the table now could turn into no offers next year. He is already doing an online Computer Science course now so he is itching start uni.

chopc · 14/02/2021 11:58

Well done to your daughter @BigWoollyJumpers

chopc · 14/02/2021 12:00

@WarmAndco3y it's such an uncertain time for our year 13's :(

But I think you are right - all they can do is keep focusing on the here and now as all else is uncertain.

Your DS can still firm and insure by June 10th and make a decision after he gets his results. Keep his options open for as long as possible

Vargas · 14/02/2021 12:45

Hi @quest1on, my ds is BA Geog. His friend is BSc and had Durham offer ages ago so ds thinks BA offers are coming out later. No idea if true. Also his friend had college allocation of Collingwood, not his first choice, but it is my ds' first choice. So confusing! Not 100% sure I would choose for ds to go to same college as this friend of his, he's not my favourite of his friends for various reasons...anyway might be a moot point.

I think ds will choose Durham if he gets offer as he considers it more 'prestigious' than the others even though we have never been there and know little about it. I personally think Exeter ticks all his boxes and he has a nice AAB offer from them due to his EPQ, so I guess if Durham offer their standard offer he will put them first and Exeter as insurance.

WarmAndco3y · 14/02/2021 13:27

@chopc yes this is what he’ll do. I guess once all his offers are in, he’ll be in a much better position. He can look at all the universities and details of their courses again.
It seems a number of people have heard back from Durham Re PPE.

Xenia · 14/02/2021 19:38

I would put Durham over Exeter (although I am from NE England so might be biased!). Durham is a lovely place and you can go to Newcastle if you need night life.

chopc · 15/02/2021 08:58

@Vargas I wouldn't worry about the friend unless your DS has issues eg history of bullying. They will soon make other friends ...........

There was a chap whom I thought was rather obnoxious last year and his mum was no better. However, my DS said he has changed and is a much better person this year........ and he is "alright"

Vargas · 15/02/2021 09:23

@chopc no, there's no bullying or anything like that. The boy is just spoilt, big-headed and entitled and not my cup of tea. Plus I'm massively jumping the gun as ds hasn't even had an offer let alone a college allocation!

chopc · 15/02/2021 11:17

That was the exact reasons I didn't like this particular boy (and after meeting the mum, I could understand why he was like that)- but as per DS he has changed . Hopefully your DS will get an offer soon @Vargas

WarmAndco3y · 15/02/2021 17:08

DS just got an offer from St. Andrews. I wasn’t expecting that quite yet. Quite achievable, all things being equal.

And he received confirmation from his school today that the IB exams won’t be going ahead in the UK. So that’s one less thing to fret about. Although he was hoping to do them

bendmeoverbackwards · 15/02/2021 17:13

Well done to your ds @WarmAndco3y great news! What subject? Is St Andrews his first choice?

Beetlesand · 15/02/2021 17:27

Great news @WarmAndco3y

chopc · 15/02/2021 17:34

Fab @WarmAndco3y ! Congratulations!

SeasonFinale · 15/02/2021 17:41

Was it Economics?

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 15/02/2021 17:43

Fantastic news @WarmAndco3y

SATSmadness · 15/02/2021 17:44

Well done your ds WarmAndco3y !

Crikeyblimey · 15/02/2021 18:20

Yey. Well done @WarmAndco3y’s ds.

WarmAndco3y · 15/02/2021 19:18

Thank you all. It’s for international relations and philosophy. The closest to PPE, which they don’t do, in terms of course content.
With his redirection ( no apologies to those who don’t like that term, I’m still using it for now Smile ), St. Andrews will be his second choice now.

Jan069 · 15/02/2021 19:38

Many congrats @WarmAndco3y - so KCL is his first choice? St Andrews is such a lovely Uni.

DD is still waiting to hear from St Andrews for History, although I'm almost certain she'll be firming Durham, particularly as she's been allocated her first choice college.