Medicine 2021 - Part 4

[MaddieElla]

Fingers crossed for those final offers coming in!

Hope no one minds me starting the new thread...

@wwyd2021medicine how does anyone know ? And lots of students have a good/bad day that is inconsistent with previous tests so not sure why one would be an issue.

This, I guess, sums up the year our kids had ... I knew offers would be lower, but 150 less is just astonishing.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57391623

Thank heavens that your dd was successful at interview this year then @Millylovespuddles. She's done especially well given that data.

It's nice that they've gone public with the quite detailed information as I feel it may help dd's mood. Let's face it, QUB can't be the only Med School who have found themselves in this situation. No doubt various interested parties will be making freedom of information requests in respect of the 2021 admissions data for other Med Schools so it would be nice to see it all in black and white so that casualties like dd can see and possibly take heart from the knowledge that they were up against exceptional odds this year.

I don't know how to copy the actual link - so here is a link to TSR:

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6560734&page=192

About half way down there is a post by someone called Ferris Wise which shows the equivalent figures for LIverpool.

Total applicants 3,707
Total interviews 2,028
Total offers 596 (including deferred offers for 2022)

And GANYFD commented on this:
"Just under 60% of usual numbers of offers made (so far), which is probably about what other places are doing - even Cambridge have allegedly dropped offer numbers by a third!
And we do not know how many of those have been deferred to next year....."

In any other year things would have been a whole lot different for many of our dedicated and hardworking dc. Scant consolation for those with no offers; @SATS especially, I hope things take a turnaround in clearing/reapplication.

Can I ask a totally clueless question: DS has just firmed and UCAS has sent him some UCAS status codes telling he will need these to open a student bank account.

Do you need a new student bank account (eg to receive the loans) or is there any reason his old ones wouldn't do?
If his offer is deferred, as in our case, I was assuming that we would not apply for student finance until next year this time (or maybe slightly earlier). Is that right? Is there any reason we should be doing anything else now for a deferred offer?

DD isn't bothering with a student account and you certainly don't need one.

I think there can be some perks like travel savings and overdrafts but it's definitely not necessary to have one.

I also don't think you need to apply to student finance yet either but someone more wise can clarify.

When can you submit a freedom of information request for the cycle we've just been through?

@MaddieElla - no idea but the link in the Student Room I gave you above is a further link to a freedom of information request relating to Liverpool medicine for the cycle we've just been through, so presumably you can submit already, at least for some universities.

@MaddieElla student finance is open to apply. Need to do it fast to ensure money arrives on time. It's v simple (& if need to contact them Twitter works really well).
And no, you don't need a student account. Mine had bank accounts since 11 & never changed them.

Thanks @mumsneedwine we were done and dusted with finance back in April I think! Think @bimkom was asking about a deferred year applicant. Do they still apply now or wait?

And thanks for the info re FOIs. I'll have a nosey and see if there are any submitted yet for DDs Unis.

@MaddieElla 😂 teach me to read quickly in between lessons. If deferring @bimkom you apply next year for finance.
Hope all your kids are having a well earned rest.

Just checking in to say hope everyone’s ok and the DC are managing to put results out of their minds as much as possible while they enjoy a long summer break!

Hope everyone managed to come to a conclusion over firm and insurance . I think today is the deadline isn’t it?

Those stats posted up thread are quite shocking. Liverpool interviewed a lot of people for a small number of places didn’t they?

@LaLaFlottes, indeed they did, and some of those offers were compulsorily deferred, so really very, very few this year. People were suggesting Liverpool had a lot deferred from last year due to the CAGs U Turn, but it is hard to know.

Just checking in too. Yes LaLaFlottes today is the UCAS deadline. DS submitted his choices yesterday. It is a bit strange that there is no confirmation email from UCAS with confirmation of the firm and insurance. They did get UCAS emails when they had offers didn't they? He's checked the tracker a couple of times just to make double check it's all okay (or rather, to humour his mum).

DS has firmed Nottingham and put Sheffield as his insurance. Did it late Tuesday night. I think in truth he didn't really want to have to choose one and left it almost to the last minute. Maybe it is a good thing he didn't get four offers.

@opoponax All we got from UCAS was an email saying that something had changed, no definitive confirmation. He says he has checked and rechecked, so hopefully all is fine (his mum was also asking him to make sure, but he assures me it is done).

@opoponax don't worry it was the same here and DD just got one of the "track update" e-mails.

It feels like there should be something more doesn't it?

DD was the same @bimkom it was so hard to turn any down!

Thank you @Bimkom and @LaLaFlottes. It did feel like there should be something a bit more concrete in the way of confirmation. Totally agree @bimkom, I think DS found it really hard to turn any of them down. He would have been excited to go to any of them.

The Uni of choice will contact you by email fairly quickly now you've firmed, if that puts your minds at rest. I think DD heard by the next day.

Yes I think DD’s firm contacted her as once she had firmed she could create an account and book accommodation etc

I think he may already have an account, in that they had all applicants given a MyNottingham account. I will have him check it, as we have not heard anything from them since he firmed on Tuesday night.

I'll get him to check about creating the account and booking accommodation. Thanks for the heads up.

Don’t worry though as every Uni seems to be so different in terms of booking accommodation and so on!

If it shows as a firm choice on UCAS track it’s all good!!

Is anyone else really pissed off they don't live in wales??

I made the wrong life choices to give DD the best chance at A Levels 😁