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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Applying for 2023 - all welcome thread 2

344 replies

AnonymousThreadStarter · 17/03/2023 15:07

I have started a new thread as our previous one is nearly full. Name changed so I won’t forever be the OP. Originally for non early entry applicants I am sure anyone who would like to can be on this thread as we wait for final decisions to come in, negotiate UCAS extra and hope that the results will match the offers come August.

OP posts:
Buttermilk72 · 17/04/2023 19:48

@lovefizzycolabottles my son is still waiting for LSE and Durham for economics. He has been rejected from Warwick and Bristol. 1 offer from Manchester (last choice and was initially rejected but they reviewed after half a dozen emails ) 3A star achieved and A star predicted. (Took gap year after 5 rejections last year) it’s particularly hard as his brother who is taking his a levels this year 2A stars 1A predicted. Has offers from Warwick, Bristol, Durham, Exeter for mechanical engineering. So his younger brother has got offers from everywhere he wanted to go but with worse grades… it’s so hard for him. But at least he has one offer this year 🤦‍♀️

Socrateswasrightaboutvoting · 17/04/2023 19:50

lovefizzycolabottles · 17/04/2023 16:31

@Peverellshire the 5 a star one says ‘competition’ as the reason, a 3 star and A was ‘predicted grades’, other 4 A stars not competitive enough….assuming people aren’t fake posting on TSR .Who knows at the end of the day what the reasons are. But this is for a course advertised as A star, A, A. Would like dd to know now and be able to think about next steps. Hopefully this week…

Dont give up hope. DS's course was exactly the same with 5 A start etc not getting an offer. He had given up hope but he got an offer. AAA. Ironically that is the offer they give the 5A predicted people who did get offers! Still has to get those grades...

bguthb90 · 18/04/2023 17:44

Rejection from Durham for DS 😟.

KittyMcKitty · 18/04/2023 18:08

I’m sorry 😞 has he got other offers he likes? Looks like Durham has sent out a lot of rejections today 😞

bguthb90 · 18/04/2023 18:30

Yes. A lot of Law and Economics rejections from Durham today @KittyMcKitty.

He has offers from Bristol and Exeter so not too badly off.

Will be interesting to see whether he now wants to wait for Edinburgh to reply - he wasn't going to if Durham had made an offer

KittyMcKitty · 18/04/2023 18:42

He has some great choices there - brilliant news!

NotDonna · 18/04/2023 22:27

So sorry to hear about the rejections. There really is some tough competition but they have to give it a go and it looks like quite a few have fabulous alternative offers!
Im trying to get my head around how paying back the student loan works. I know it’s 9% of anything earned above £25k. I know interest is RPI and this has been capped at 6.9%, which is currently less than inflation. However prior to 2023 and this latest plan (plan 5) students accrued interest at RPI +3% (when inflation was low and during uni years) then if they were earning above 50k the interest went up to RPI +6% (and could go to RPI +9% if I remember rightly). The payment remained 9% of salary above the 27k but the original loan pit grew due to added interest above RPI. I can’t find info as to if this bit still applies or not. Anyone know? I think I’ll do another thread!

54isanopendoor · 19/04/2023 14:27

Just started my own thread this am but also posting on this one as time factor...

Ds has just said he 'might want to apply for Uni this year after all'. Yikes...

He is interested in either Abertay or Edinburgh Napier.
A computing course - prob general Computing degree but not sure which courses are good at which Uni (& now no time to find out)?

I see from Ucas Extra that he can apply until end June.
I assume if he hasn't done so by then then Clearing'd be out & it'd be 2024?

He has Autism so is trying to decide whether to move to Abertay (he'd also have to leave home so it would be a LOT of change at once) Or he could (just) commute to Napier. Ooof ...

I don't know if he has any chance as he got 2 Highers & one NPA Level 6.
He is currently doing a level 7 HNC.

His other option would be to stay at his local small college & do an HND & apply for Uni next year. Can he apply this year & defer if he felt unable to go at last minute? (his confidence is very variable)

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 20/04/2023 08:11

I think clearing is still a possibility if he applies after the June date.

You can still look at league tables, maybe do campus tours and look at information online about the courses. Open days tend to run in July also. There are statistics on the good uni guide about student satisfaction with individual courses.

If he applies this year he won’t lose anything. He might be able to change his mind and defer but if not he could just withdraw from any offers and start again with more choices next Autumn.

You can see what’s available in extra by filtering for course vacancies from your country when you search for courses on UCAS. He could only apply for one course at a time through extra.

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 20/04/2023 08:15

I meant ‘the uni guide’

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 21/04/2023 07:00

DS had submitted his decision. He has gone for the uni he can see himself at and feel excited about rather than the one with the best league table position. Hopefully with that decision made it will be a weight of his mind before the exams start.

Era · 21/04/2023 10:25

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 21/04/2023 07:00

DS had submitted his decision. He has gone for the uni he can see himself at and feel excited about rather than the one with the best league table position. Hopefully with that decision made it will be a weight of his mind before the exams start.

This is the crucial factor. League tables change year on year. There's little (if anything) separating universities which are a few places apart on the tables anyway. It's about where they think they will be happiest and often that's just a feeling they get.

WarningToTheCurious · 21/04/2023 11:39

Heard from Bath this morning - an offer for Comp Sci. A star A A. That’s the same as Southampton, so DS will need to decide between the two now.

Tree543 · 21/04/2023 12:39

WarningToTheCurious · 21/04/2023 11:39

Heard from Bath this morning - an offer for Comp Sci. A star A A. That’s the same as Southampton, so DS will need to decide between the two now.

Ds also got an offer from Bath this morning for CS. Same offer

He also has an offer from Southampton but isnt keen on Southampton as they don't do the placement year.
For him it's between Bath and Birmingham at the moment he prefers Birmingham.

WarningToTheCurious · 21/04/2023 12:46

I’m a Birmingham alumna so I’d be biased on that choice.

We’re planning a couple of trips to look at Bath and Southampton, but I think as he knows someone at Southampton he’ll be more drawn to there.

Tree543 · 21/04/2023 12:49

@WarningToTheCurious
What are his insurance options?

WarningToTheCurious · 21/04/2023 13:22

@Tree543

Cardiff, offer is AAB.

He is also still considering a gap year (there is the possibility of some work in the pipeline and now he’s 18 can sign NDAs) or applying for industry courses.

mightyducks · 21/04/2023 14:49

DD has firmed Glasgow with St Andrews her insurance so she is going to Scotland one way or another! Got a rejection from Imperial with 3 x A * and and A in Further Maths and and A in her EPQ , she was disappointed but seems to have taken it on the chin and now excited about Glasgow . Feels a bit frustrating when you can see students on TSR with much lower predicted grades getting offer but there you go …I do feel Glasgow will in the end be a better choice for her.

Tree543 · 21/04/2023 20:47

CS is so competitive.
Ds's insurance options are Loughborough AAB and Nottingham AAA. Think he will put Loughborough, AAA isn't much lower than his firm of A star AA so doesn't give much of a safety net. Also he wasn't keen on the Jubilee campus at Nottingham it seemed very isolated from the main campus.

WendyWebersdrugget · 22/04/2023 08:58

Relieved to say DS has firmed Southampton so just needs to make sure he gets ABB now. Accommodation application in, just need to dig out NI number for student finance.

user18 · 23/04/2023 07:23

Think ds is firming Lancaster today with Exeter as insurance.

Aurea · 23/04/2023 07:49

DS has just firmed Edinburgh for an integrated masters in computer science. It's an unconditional offer with no tuition fees attached (Scottish) so I'm very happy for him. Anyone else firming this course?

What a long road this has been for everyone.....

Congrats to all those firming their offers and good luck to those still waiting.

cmcc22 · 23/04/2023 10:37

We did a Bath campus tour yesterday and DS loved it. Thank goodness. Virtual session on accommodation on Thursday and then accommodation opens 10th May. Anyone have any knowledge of Bath accommodation? DS wants en-suite and on campus.

NotDonna · 23/04/2023 11:24

@cmcc22 so pleased he liked Bath. What a relief. DD’s first choice is also Bath but haven’t seen any accom - didn’t know about the virtual tours but maybe she does. She’s happy to share the bathroom to keep costs down but definitely prefers on campus. The accom is all along the rear of the campus so nowhere is very far. I know the dining option is a card that they can use at the various cafes and the funds on it roll over to be used until end of the course. The students who showed DD around said they’d recommend only choosing that option IF you really want the accom rather than the other way around.

cmcc22 · 23/04/2023 11:35

@NotDonna not sure if it's a virtual tour or just an accommodation talk. DS is keen to cook so doesn't want the food credit option but I agree some of the accommodation he likes is only available with the credit so he would just have to pay it. The student who showed us round said they have to rank their first 10 options!! Seems a lot. 😱

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