OR 2022 - We are no longer rejects. We are parents of fabulous offspring who will do wonderful things

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Wonderful tongue in cheek title thread by he words of @ eightytwenty.

Soooooo our thread started out back in March 2022 when our dc were Oxbridge wannabes. After thousands of posts by their nervous Mums, nail biting, discussing applications, grades, will they get to interview won't they, debates such as private vrs state, the Scottish system, then some got rejected and some had interviews and entrance assessments then much more nail biting and eating and drinking a lot and a loooong wait over Xmas 2021 the remainders were then rejected. Then more nail biting for offers to come in from the competitive Unis they had applied to with some ending up with only one or two options - our Covid Kids had it tough.

Finally May came and their actual A-levels then the brutal wait for results. I don't think I can recall any of our DC not getting their first choice?

Lots of DC off to top Unis and achieving the best grades in the land. My DD is off to Bath to do Politics and IR and I am incredibly proud of her, she is a grafter not naturally super clever but loves to learn and god I am going to miss her but she is ready and so I happy for her 😥

So please carry on our lovely supportive thread so we can see where their journeys take them.

TWAT x

So lovely to hear everyone’s news. Friend that lives in the computer made me laugh. Do you remember the days when we used to go tell them information we’d gleaned from each other.

Flat share pressure (speed of decision making, financial cost and in terms of availability) feels another load of pain to come. A friends daughter had found and signed on a flat after a month of being away. Crazy. DS has a group but apparently 5 people flats are rare so rethinking might be required. They don’t start till January but it feels like it will be an expensive bun fight.

DD has two friends she wants to room with.

I keep worrying that she will miss dome deadline for university housing…but I don’t have visibility, so I can’t interfere!

Hey all,

Great to hear everyone's news. Lovely that you're getting them all home for Christmas.

DS continues to thrive- he's been very, very social, so I don't see him much at all! He met his gf in week 1 and he's at her halls all the time (she's from Newcastle), but she does come here too, and she's just great. He's got a great core group and loads of other folk too.

Work wise it's exams starting on the 5th, so he'd better start studying! I don't think he'll have much bother, but he has form for resting on his laurels (and still coming out on top, but that'll be harder in uni).

In other news he has a job with Camp America in summer, so will be away for 4 months working then travelling. I reckon he'll live out next year, but at least he's on my doorstep.

That does sound like thriving! I hope he has a great time over the summer.

Nice to see activity on this board. I haven't heard much from my St A student. Last communication was that they were knuckling down to revise for exams.They've been really enjoying their academic, work and social life in St As. I'm sure they'll probably miss it when they're home for Christmas.

Great news on Camp America Puffalicious. I'd love my DS to do something like that and suggested it a while back. It would require getting accommodation sorted for 2nd Year and in place before departing. I'm not sure what's going to happen on that front. If he could stay another year in his current accommodation he'd be happy although he has said that there's 4 or 5 of them that would be happy to flat share - but as Eighty said they might have to rethink as I believe larger shares aren't easy to find in St As? Are there many upfront costs for Camp America?

Like Eighty and Stockpot I'm mentally preparing myself for this next stage. I'm trying to leave it up to him to sort but will gently remind him (every 5 minutes 😁) I know we'll have to stump up some enormous deposit/advance if he goes the private rental route. Not looking forward to that.

It's great to hear how everyone is doing - sorry not to name check you all but glad that the deferral plan is sorted Volterra. And good to hear about the successful change of course Piggywaspushed

GrrrAReform It's around £800 upfront, then all flights, other travel and costs are covered. He works 11 weeks teaching rugby and team sports and gets a measly $900 at the end of it, but all food and accommodation and staff trips at weekends to mountain bike (one of his big passions) are included. It's the experience of it all that's the point anyway. He'll have 5 weeks to travel before uni resumes, which isn't bad.

I don't envy you with the dash for accommodation. DNiece had a helluva time in Dundee this year- the competition is so fierce! I don't know if Glasgow will be much better 🙄

@Geamhradh I know what you mean about the housing situ, DD and 5 others have also been on the look out and have started the application process on one. 3 girls and 3 boys so a bit more of a mix but one boy she finds highly irritating - I have warned her but it has fallen on deaf ears! DS is very firmly set on Newcastle, we did the bloody long drive there and back last weekend and I have to say I was well impressed. DS just kept saying "I love it here" he is also in the fortunate position of 'only' needing BBC as he will get a contextual offer and they also do a summer programme that can reduce it down. Bummer about the bloody strikes I think DD is planning the 15th to try and miss them and I am driving her back after Xmas and have booked a hotel so I can have a night down there with her.

Really lovely to hear all of our DC have settled now it is such a relief isnt it after all that stress last year!

@Puffalicious congratulations. Everyone I know who has done similar has loved the experience.

@GrrrrAReform - have you name changed ? Wondering if I’ve lost my ‘mind’? 🤔

I understand about the housing thing too. I think though that larger houses in Bath do go quickly so it’s best to get on with it. DS has a group sorted (7 out of the 9 on his current floor so at least he knows what they are like to live with) but none of them are organised enough to actually do the searching. Some of the 7 bed houses went weeks ago so I do wish he would get on with it.

That said, he is happy and settled and loving life in Bath so I am very grateful for that. Some of his studies are tricky and thankfully he can now ask DH for help as it’s his area but he needs to learn where to go to for help from uni.

@TangoWhiskyAlphaTango I’ve just come across this thread. My daughter is also thinking of politics and IR. She’s a way off yet, just doing her GCSEs now. Do you mind me asking what subjects your daughter took for A levels and her results? Mine is thinking Politics, Economics, Geography and Spanish. With a possible EPQ.

Don't do 4 A levels AND an EPQ!! In fact, 4 A levels is entirely unnecessary for any uni.

Mine applied for HSPS at Cambridge, along with quite a few on this thread . He did history, economics and sociology. He ended up at Birmingham doing policy, politics and economics but has now swapped his course

In fact, 4 A levels is entirely unnecessary for any uni.

My dc is at Imperial and did 4 A levels. The vast majority of applicants did 4 A levels. Some of dc's friends there have actually done 5 A levels (including FM).

So while it may not be 'necessary' you will be at quite a disadvantage by taking only 3, especially if your school offers the subjects.

That'll be presumably Further Maths ? Whole separate issue to someone wanting to do a hums/soc sci degree...

@W0tnow Hello yes certainly DD did History, English Lit and Politics. She also applied for Cambridge and was interviewed but rejected. I do not agree with @Purplemagnolias that she was 'disadvantaged' because she 'only' did 3 A-levels otherwise she would not have had a Cambridge interview. She got x2 A* and an A. Politics was a bit of a last minute decision for her at A-level as she thought English Lit would be her choice of degree but quickly realised she loved Politics and all her A-level choices complimented the other really well.

Good luck to your daughter mine loves her degree choice and is really happy at Uni now.

Many thanks.

Yes, the 3 vs 4 A level question! We’re at a British school abroad and everyone just seems to do 4. 🤷‍♀️ It’s a work in progress. I suppose she can drop one.

A very basic question as a newbie to the UK university system: If your predicted and actual A level results meet the requirements for your chosen university course, are you pretty much guaranteed an acceptance? (Not including those universities that interview, like Cambridge).

@w0tnow Good question and the brutal answer is no, it very much depends on which Unis your DD will be applying to and what course. Top ranked Unis reject many DC every year due to competition, if your DD put down 5 top ranked Unis there is a chance she could end up with no offers at all even with top grades which happened last year to some. I think it is always advised to have aspirational choices but also one or two realistic ones just in case. Unis such Bristol, LSE, Kings, Imperial, Bath, St Andrews, Edinburgh (and loads more I am sure) simply do not have enough places for applicants. My advice aside from grades would be around a strong personal statement. My DD only applied to two competitive Unis (Cambridge and Bath) her others were Nottingham, Cardiff and Liverpool and she had offers from then within a week or two of applying. DD was very fortunate though to have an early offer from Bath (October) and in her email it mentioned the strength of her PS so they do hold weight when they are looking at candidates.

Last year the subject where that was definite no was Economics where there were truckloads of rejections. One of DS's friends (8 grade 9s at GCSE and 3 A stars at A Level) ended up with two offers (Warwick was one fortunately!)

It is a brutal system at times and I am so so glad that my DS applying this year for CS has not gone for competitive Universities it is a much calmer process compared to DD last year!

@w0tnow If you are not in it already the FB page What I wish I knew About Uni often has some good tips and lots of DC applying from overseas.

WIWIKAU

If your predicted and actual A level results meet the requirements for your chosen university course, are you pretty much guaranteed an acceptance?

Definitely no! There simply aren't enough spaces.

My dd achieved 4 A stars and was rejected outright from two of her five choices. So grades alone are not that helpful for the competitive courses.

My son is interested in CS (though he’s in his final year of GCSEs so a way off yet). Which universities is your son thinking of? CS entry requirements seem pretty high everywhere!

Ds didn't do Maths so it's hugely restricted him, unlike Dd who was v keen on a campus Uni Ds is a city lad. Liverpool, Cardiff & Newcastle will be his top 3. Newcastle was a wild card open day visit but Ds loved it so fingers crossed he will get an offer. If you can visit open days are well worth the effort even if it rules a Uni out.

Thanks, yes I think I’ll go during the summer with all 3 kids. I’ve two currently in their final year of gcse and one doing her 1st year A level.

Sounds like we might have kind of a similar dynamic at home? My older daughter is hugely self motivated and a high achiever, whereas my son… isn’t. But is absolutely adorable, so there’s that 😂 He is doing maths though, so hopefully that will help.