Uni applicants 2022

[NCTDN]

Can we stay a new thread? I'm on a few higher education threads but these seem to have people starting this term and I'd really appreciate support and advice specific to applications for starting next September.

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango just out of interest why did she discount Durham .. it's on DD list but haven't been able to visit x

We discounted Durham too for HSPS alternatives . Almost as difficult to get into, same entry requirements, so would never be an insurance (would be a back up if failed to gain place after interview obviously), very slow to give offers anyway, and quite a lot of the combined soc sci options are constrained by what A Levels you have done. Also, rumblings of things not being great in Durham's sociology department. We just felt other places were actually better for sociology/politics and social policy which is DS's particular interest.

@Piggywaspushed that's very interesting thank you - we couldn't visit so have researched loads .. but I didn't know this . DD also pursuing HSPS elsewhere but you're right . Grades are so high if they get those they could go somewhere else !

[quote doubleshotcappuccino]@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango just out of interest why did she discount Durham .. it's on DD list but haven't been able to visit x[/quote]

Purely that she didn't like Durham itself, not the bustling type of place she wants to go to Uni in. Cambridge and Bath both have a very vibrant life outside of uni alongside the city Unis she has applied for. Not running Durham down at it it's a beautiful place but just not the right fit for dd. Was worth the 8 hour round trip though just to discount it!

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango thanks ! We are looking at the similar unis so that's good to know ..

I think someone mentioned Bangor in relationship to archeology I was under the impression that the course had closed a few years ago.

[quote doubleshotcappuccino]@Piggywaspushed that's very interesting thank you - we couldn't visit so have researched loads .. but I didn't know this . DD also pursuing HSPS elsewhere but you're right . Grades are so high if they get those they could go somewhere else ! [/quote]
Is the 'elsewhere' York?

@Piggywaspushed York is on the list along with London unis but they come with their disadvantages and advantages. York looks great though.

Hello! Mum of an autistic 17 year old who will be applying for popular music. Currently doing the round of open days. We tried online ones but he struggled to engage.

Ds is very clever but struggles massively with writing (Piggy may nor may nor remember my angst over him passing his GCSE English - he ended up with 4 for Lang & 5 for Lit - yay!). So we are looking for very practical courses with good industry links.

So far in order of preference he has 1. Leeds Conservatoire (with foundation year) 2. Salford 3. LIPA (very aspirational a long shot) 4. Huddersfield 5 we could do with a good but safer/fallback option.

He absolutelt loved Sal

I do indeed remember!

DD just submitted UCAS form - having a punt at Oxford hence the early application. Has also applied to St Andrews, Durham, Bath and Warwick. Wants to study physics and predicted AAAA . First time through this process so all a bit nerve racking and wondering how long it will take to hear back? I think that a few of her choices are notoriously slow so could be a long wait….

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango

Can I join too please?! DD my first born applying for 2022.

She is doing A-level Politics, History and English Lit. Predicted A A A she wants to do Politics mainly and is giving Cambridge a punt (HSPS) which is a very long shot but beyond that Bath is top of the list for Politics and IR with a year in industry. We have visited Durham which she discounted and Bath a couple of weeks ago which was just lovely. Also Nottingham, Cardiff (have a lot of family there) & Liverpool. PS now submitted and just waiting offers although not expecting any for a while. Who knew you had to pay to submit a UCAS application?! Its all a bit of a minefield but she is relieved now the application is submitted.

Sounds like we may be university twins as DD is going for Cambridge and Bath at least. I have just bollocked DD as she hadn't even asked her class tutor about the reference which of course the English teacher will have to translate. Gah. She's spent a year researching and doing online open days etc and now we've got 11 days she's faffing. DD looked very hard at "student satisfaction" things, which is really why I'd rather see her tbh elsewhere and not Cambridge. Hence Bath and Lancaster.

Just joining.
Ds1 looking at Accountancy at Queen Mary, Nottingham, Reading, Durham & Southampton.

Was predicted A*AB, but is doing an extra Mock this week, to get the B changed to an A, pre the November mocks.

Can I join too? DS is just doing the final polish of his personal statement as he's submitting early due to applying for Oxford.

He's applying for physics (waves at Alrightupnorth) and is predicted AAAA. As well as Oxford, he's also applying to Durham, Bath, Bristol and Royal Holloway. Oxford is very much a long shot - the past exam papers he's looked at are virtually impossible and just stressing him out!

This is all new to me - I'm sure it wasn't this complicated back in the 80s when I did my UCCA (as it was then) form!

What's hsps?

Human ,Social and Political sciences

@SOLINVICTUS Yes indeed! Are you not keen on Cambridge? I'm not 100% sure it would be the right fit for dd. Although she's very studious she gets tearful under pressure and I don't want her to have 3 years like that. She wants to give it a go though so I'm supporting it but would love her to go to Bath I think it would suit her all round. Good luck to your Dd

Does anyone know what the situation is going to be with when offers go out? In the past some universities sent out offers fairly swiftly (i.e. before christmas) while others waited until after the January deadline to look at all of them. DD seems to think that the latter approach has been adopted by all of the universities this cycle because they are afraid of over offering....so she seems to think that (apart from hearing back about oxbridge interviews etc) she won't be hearing anything until late january at the earliest? Does anyone know if this is true (or if she has just told me this to keep me continually asking "have you heard anything"? )....

I have heard of people with offers already.

I have been doing some reading about that @Alrightupnorth and from what I can gather offers tend to go out early in the following instances :

• exceptional candidates whose predicted grades may be well above entry requirements for course
• historically undersubscribed courses

But as you say it's a v weird year with deferrals and grade inflation etc so who knows!!

Hi all,
Dd looking to do a Music course at Uni rather than conservatoire. She likes reading and writing about music with a bit of performance and not too much pressure. Keen to go on to teaching/coaching but therapy and marketing/promotions also a possibility.
She wants to go not too far from us and seems to have made up her mind for all the S's Southampton as first choice for Music, with Surrey or Sussex as insurance. At the moment at least, RHU and Cardiff also in the mix.

Lovely to hear everyone's plans. I recognise many from other threads! Looking forward to finding out about offers and what on earth will be going on this year (joy!)

[quote TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]@SOLINVICTUS Yes indeed! Are you not keen on Cambridge? I'm not 100% sure it would be the right fit for dd. Although she's very studious she gets tearful under pressure and I don't want her to have 3 years like that. She wants to give it a go though so I'm supporting it but would love her to go to Bath I think it would suit her all round. Good luck to your Dd [/quote]
Good luck to yours too!

I don't know, the idea of Cambridge just seems so big to me! (I did languages at Salford) We were just talking about it and she said "what! You don't want me to go to one of the best universities in the world?" and I was- noooooo, it's not that. I don't want you to be disappointed, or built up and then come crashing down.

She finally got round to asking for the reference at least

Hi all. DD2 y13. A levels in History, Sociology and English Language. Wants to study Sociology at either:
York, Bath, Bristol, Chester or ?
DD1 at Durham (3rd yr) but she knew exactly what she wanted so I didn’t have to do much. This time round DD isn’t really sure if uni is for her. Right now I’m not pushing. Predicted grades are AAB at the moment.

Durham won’t make offers until March, I think. DD1 loves it there. It’s a small city though and shops are not good and only a couple of clubs. They do have fun though and she is a party girl. They sometimes go to Newcastle for proper clubbing. College life is good. She’s at Collingwood which is far less formal.