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.

Can I join with my DS as well?

Accounting and management
Reading
Exeter

International business management
Bristol
Cardiff
Royal Holloway/Southampton/Bournemouth?

Great to read about other people's journeys and that personal statements are not all written yet. He's started but nowhere near finished

@DrunkenUnicorn the comparison with Rootes at Warwick had struck me, as well. I have to say that DS2 doesn't have an issue with the bed size in the Ziggurats- he is the tallest in the family, but not 6ft and his bed at home is an antique one with a 6ft mattress. The thing he does have a bit of a problem with at UEA is the fact that the mattress keeps slipping down on the base, possibly trying to hide under the desk.

Good luck for those DCs doing the BMAT and Oxbridge tests today! DDs friends are hoping to do Natural sciences or medicine. Know how much they have all put in. So pleased she decided Oxbridge was not for her at undergraduate … she is thinking perhaps a MSc later on 😂

Can I join the thread please? DS has applied for Physics at Oxford, St Andrews, Durham, Warwick and Bath. Wasn’t happy with how the Oxford PAT went so thinks he won’t even get an interview but was pleased to receive an early offer from Warwick this weekend. They want 38 points at IB with 6s in HL Physics and HL Math which was lower than what he expected so that was a nice surprise.

@leonardo1972 congratulations for DS for physics at Warwick! Lots if DDs friends says admissions tests were not stellar so don’t worry yet

Following

@TAGB14 really? We've a thread about uni applications and you're flogging food Hello fresh isn't student budget food either!

DD2 is yr12 starting 2023, but knows her uni open day choices for Zoology:
Lancaster
Chester
Bangor
Aberystwyth
Reading.

DD1 is 2nd year at Lancaster and her younger sister also loves the uni.

Nice to see some students liking Lancaster. Its such a good uni, my eldest who is in second year loves it. Considering covid and all the restrictions, Lancaster did a very clever freshers week without breaking the rules, and their covid rates were much less than other unis. And they allowed students back in January if you had no study space at home, which was so beneficial for DD1. Now covid restrictions are gone, she is loving Lancaster even more :) lots of societies, lots more new friends, and learning is top notch :)

My DD had Lancaster as one of her choices and we were both really impressed with the communication from them. All the communication was informative without being needy, some universities communication was relentless! Lancaster's offer made several references to my daughter's personal statement, no other uni did this, and my DD got such a good vibe for the place.

My DD discounted Lancaster in the end due to distance and length of travelling time, 6+ hours by road.

May I join please? DD will be the first in both mine and DH’s family to go down the uni route, so we are all completely clueless Just working on 2nd draft of personal statement after getting feedback from mentor. Only done two uni visits and has already decided on her preferred choice.

Hi @MrsWicket - don’t worry about not being to uni - the process has changed so much in 30years most of us were clueless the first time a DC applied. My third DC is applying this year snd the process has changed again so even we are learning new things this time round. What course is your DD looking at studying and what unis has she seen? Once they have applied if they get offers then they are invited to offer days so any she hasn’t seen she will be able to. (Fingers crossed - if covid snd strikes don’t disrupt this) you might find she changes which uni she’s like best after these days or it might strength her preference gir the one she prefers now.

@Fruitygal what strikes?

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/04/uk-university-staff-to-strike-over-cuts-to-pension-benefits

Also here for the list of institutions to be affected:

thetab.com/uk/2021/11/08/lecturers-at-more-than-50-uk-universities-have-voted-to-go-on-strike-this-winter-227984

The pensions for most lecturers are under threat as there is a significant shortfall - the plans for managing this issue mean most lecturers (many of whom are 40-60) losing a 1/3 of their annual pension. So a pension of £18k per year will drop to £12k and one of £21k will drop to £14k. There are other issues as well as the pensions. There are other issues around job security as many staff on 12 month contracts and research funding has been hit by the pandemic too. I am not a lecturer but many friends are and this is so hard. I am also a mum who does not want disruption to education. Conflicted.

I’m quite miffed about my son’s school and the predicted grades. I don’t think there is anything to be done but am primarily venting and if anyone has any words of wisdom, please share!

Situation is his predicted grades are A*, A, B.

At parents evening, the A teacher said he is currently working at a high A, or low A level and should aim / hope, go for A. His NEA is A* level.

However, the school will not consider revising predicted grades, they say they don’t consider pupil’s appeals.

His first choice Uni needs AAA. I feel he would have a better chance of an offer with A, A B or even A, A, A predicted and I am miffed school suggest this realistic but won’t consider including the higher grades.

@Chewbecca been here with DS2 a few years ago. So what’s the course he’s looking at and the unis in his top two?

Economics, St Andrews being his top choice. An unforgiving Uni it sounds like! He’d love an AAA offer from them and would work his socks off to make sure he did his best to get them.

That’s his favourite, the rest of the apps he would be equally happy with - Nottingham, Birmingham, Loughborough and Strathclyde.

What makes me more miffed is a friend whose DS is at a different school (private, don’t know if relevant), said after discussing it, the school agreed to significantly increase his predicted grades (beyond what he is likely to get) to give him the best chance of an offer, and they are keeping fingers crossed for an unconditional.

@Chewbecca predicted grades are meant to be aspirational but achievable so I think you have a case for the A to move to an A*. NEA is strong and he’s borderline the grade.

Are the school aware of his aspirational uni and the fact that he needs grades that reflect his potential to be in with a shot? I would speak to the school and explain this rationale.

Is he able to get a contextual offer for school or home postcode? Or EPQ ?

Yes, we have pointed out the A (& possibly the B, but definitely the A) doesn’t seem ‘aspirational but achievable’ and that AAA is his first choice requirement. They simply say they don’t consider changing based on student appeals.

No contextual or EPQ - canned due to covid. He doesn’t even want a contextual, he wants the AAA offer and to aim to achieve that!

@Chewbecca it’s very frustrating but I would go back and ask again. The grades for economics are AAA but what do kids get who are successful?

For example my DD has applied for Durham Biological science - standard offer AAA but in previous years 90% of successful students got higher.

We have friends who had a son at private school who pressed for AAA* should have been ABB and due to no exams he got them - last year he managed 2 terms at a great uni and couldn’t keep up so dropped out. Went back this year to a great uni but more appropriate and is loving it. Ignore them - unconditionals are not really a thing. Some unis like Birmingham on certain courses last year offered dropped grades of BBB or CCC if students firmed them ( dropped from AAB or AAA) but most top unis give few grade drops unless a contextual student. I doubt many will do considerable grade drops this year as they won’t want to get burnt like in 2021.