Another Path - part IV

[321zyx]

Apologies if I've done this wrong! I seemed to have filled up the last thread, hopefully the abbreviated title is ok!

My bad! I must be a bit brain dead this morning. I misread your post and thought results were being posted...not emailed! Doh!

Fingers crossed for everyone waiting.

We have UCAT stress going on in MidLife Towers right now. DD is sitting it on 31st July. Thank god the results for that are immediate!

It’s a huge shame not to be able to say goodbye and thank you to staff. DD had this experience after GCSEs, a surprise late offer meant she went elsewhere for A-levels but it was after the GCSEs so she hadn’t been too concerned about thanking all her teachers as she expected to see them a couple of week later at the start of term. It does leave a sense of something unfinished.

Thanks @MidLifeCrisis007 and fingers crossed for your DD for UCAT! 🤞

@AvocadoPlant exactly, that is my feeling on it.

In Ireland our results are not out until 3 Sept so no Irish students will be getting placed through clearing in the U.K. this year!
DD will already have started in Brown so will be logging on quietly in the early hours to get her results.

Clearing doesn't end until October 19th, so still a few weeks for Irish students to look for places if they want.
www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-confirmation-and-clearing/what-clearing

Ds's sixth form are allowing the students into college to collect their results and the parents can wait in the car park. Usually parents are encouraged to attend and go inside as they recognise that there may well have been parental input and support to get a child through their A levels. Nice they have that recognition. I am pleased it isn't just being emailed out.

College is opening at 8am! Access to clearing if needed in the computer suites and staff on hand to help. Feels weirdly far away and yet close. We are going to start buying stuff next week for uni, small doses as Ds is just like Dh and finds it hard if there is too much choice.

Just checking in!

Hope your lovely dc are managing to have some fun. Dd is currently in Margate with friends having a great time then we have a family holiday to Norfolk next week.

This last leg towards results day is really dragging!

Checking in also.

DS1 is having great fun on his gap year. He's currently in Mexico with his girlfriend and loving it, despite having been laid low with Covid a while back.

His Durham place (History & MFL) is secure thankfully, so no nervous wait there.

Meanwhile DD has her UCAT test next Saturday, and I've been going to great lengths to hide the latest news flow from Exeter Med School from her today...... Exeter was her first choice uni, but it looks like there won't be many spaces for 2022 applicants given all the deferrals. Grrrrr!

DD1 is off in Greece with friends.
DT1 who has 2 years left in school wants to go to the US too and did her ACT last week to get it done and did really well. She got results which will allow her to apply to really good schools when the time comes.
DT2 wants to go to drama school and has a summer job teaching tots classes in a stage school summer camp.
So live is moving on here.

** life

I didn't realise that Mexico was open to us @MidLifeCrisis007 . Glad your Ds1 has recovered from Covid.

Good luck to your DD with the UCAT- I saw that info about Exeter too! Interesting stats that more people than expected put them as no 1. Does it matter how many times you attempt UCAT?

@chopc you can only do UCAT once an academic year ! It's a v important 3 hours.

Hey everyone. Summer rolling on, DD been to a few UK staycations with boyfriend, and generally having a good time. Volunteering at the local cattery too, though they originally promised to pay her, and now can't, which is a shame, but she is still happy to be doing some work.

For results day, unless we hear otherwise, we are still on for going in to school, DC's and parents, for a brunch. They will get results emailed first thing, then we all go in for a final hurrah! Infections not too bad round here, so fingers crossed it will still go ahead.

Very unglamorous 9am email for my son. Fingers very crossed

Most of the schools round here have emailed both GCSEs and A level/PreU results for a few years now so it is no different but like @MidLifeCrisis007 DS has an unconditional (deferred from last year). He has finished a shift and gone off to Latitude but also was lucky enough to get away to CR, Guatemala and Mexico for 5 months earlier this year and had the time of his life. Indeed he is at Latitude with people he met whilst travelling and has visted some in other UK cities he met too as well as having his holiday "romance" visit us here.

He is very much looking forward to uni though and has had his room allocation (others will get theirs on results day) but assume randomly drawn as he has his 3rd choice. He is so busy I can't get him to commit to a time for a conversation about what he needs to take let alone any form of shopping trip!

Oh wow I didn't know that @mumsneedwine . Really hope it goes well 🤞🏽

Hi gang,

Hope you are all doing OK as the 10th approaches?

Now time has passed I'm also wondering how everyone is doing around the Oxbridge rejections/redirections. I was reflecting to another MN-etter (who I've struck up a virtual friendship with following our shared experiences on here) how time really does 'heal'. I can remember how crushed I felt on DS's behalf (despite promising myself I would 'be chill' before hand). Really in hindsight, if I'm honest I was quite optimistic about his chances and possibly felt a little humiliated about the whole experience.

Anyway, DS has decided to take a gap year and has exciting travel plans. He's departing imminently (cue a whole other bag of emotions chez moi). Interestingly, when he made the decision to take the year out a few months back, I asked him if he was thinking about reapplying to Cambridge and he looked at me like I was mad.

I wish that I could go back in time and have a word with myself back on Cambridge decision day and tell her how I feel now. Rather wonderfully, I can't even remember what month that was now.

Anyway, just musing. Lots of time on our hands as we are self isolating, bc our youngest has contracted covid.

Hi @Tenpastseven

I recall your ds being a fellow Cambridge re-directee (dd was also re-directed from C) although I can't recall what subject your ds was applying for (DD was medicine).

Has your ds withdrawn from all other UCAS applications ? Not sure how it all works as dd is in the unfortunate position of no medicine offers at all and obliged to take a gap year rather than choosing too. Well, she could take the 5th choice but decided after post med interview rejections that she didn't want to do that alternative course anyway.

Hi @SATSmadness. He was a MML applicant. He’s deferred his Bristol offer so all being well on 10th, he’ll start there in 2022. The pro is it seems that deferred offer holders at Bristol get allocated their accommodation earlier than results day.

So sorry your DD is in that position of having a forced gap year. It does sound like medicine has been an absolute shit show this year. DS has a couple of friends who you would imagine were dead certs, and also have no offers. Has she made any plans?

It's all been a drawn out emotional car crash of a process really @Tenpastseven.

Getting pooled at Cambridge was so encouraging (gave hope that she might get offers elsewhere) but then getting 3 post interview rejections after such long waits to hear outcomes was a steady steam of blows to her confidence.

Confidence is now very low and there's a niggling concern that her school haven't operated a level playing field as far as subject assessments are concerned between some students holding Oxbridge / medicine etc offers and those not in such a fortunate position.

I'm dreading "results" day, but trying to hide it.

We're away for a week from tomorrow which may do us all some good despite the predicted stormy weather !

Oh that must be so hard for her and hard for you to watch @SATSmadness. And that concern re not level playing fields is a worry too. Has she decided to apply to different Unis next time?

My heart sinks a little when I read that and I realise I’ve perhaps been too complacent around DS’s grades. I haven’t really engaged in understanding the process of TAGs. I have no idea if the school have handled it well/fairly/robustly. Mainly their communication was around dissuading pointy elbows. DS is at a good state school.

I am reminded of when my eldest got a shock result in his A levels a few years ago. It was so stressful! I’m not sure I could cope with that again.
.

@SATSmadness - my heart bleeds for your DD and I so hope she aces her A levels and finds a clearing spot or is successful with a reapplication for 2022 entry. Meanwhile DD (year 12) has her UCAT tomorrow morning and I'm a bag of nerves on her behalf. She's gone to Wagamammas for supper..... and seems totally unphased!

DS1 arrived back from his GAP year travels to Central America this afternoon. He was originally planning to stay another month but his girl friend is doing the Fastnet Race so needed to be back for that and he didn't want to travel without her... bless! He is SO over his double Oxford rejection and happy about starting at Durham in September (History & Russian).

This thread has given me 2 new Facebook friends.... and one regular contributor here has become a great RL friend in recent weeks. We meet and row together each week. Every cloud.....

@Tenpastseven lovely update from you. What are your DC's plans for their gap year? I am pleased they are already travelling

@SATSmadness I remember you saying about the unfair treatment of students from your DD school - did you ever have a conversation with someone or just leave it? I sincerely hope she gets the grades she deserves and is successful in clearing. I read that St.George's is already in clearing this year

@MidLifeCrisis007 nice to hear your news too. Hope more friendships grow out of this thread. I thought your DD was sitting the exam last Sat. Good luck to her for tomorrow and I hope she aces it!

Hi all,
@SATSmadness - so tough on your Dd - I really feel for her. Is she hoping to use clearing ? - or is she resigned to gap year?
@Tenpastseven- good luck your ds on his travels!! V. Exciting!

It’s a strange time isn’t it. I am really pleased that Dd got a summer job and has had less time to dwell on impending results these last few weeks.

@MidLifeCrisis007 good luck for the UCAT. I’m not actually sure what it is? Is it for application to Uni in America? Laughed at expression ‘so over’ imagining it like ‘so oh-va’ with expressive hands movements.

@ chopc, DS is travelling with an international youth movement, volunteering and studying! He’s far braver than I was at his age. Or possibly even now.

Good to be back on this thread as the next countdown to another sort of ‘results day’ begins…