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A levels 2023 - Results day and beyond

1000 replies

HereWeGo2023 · 17/08/2023 06:47

Hi all. I thought I’d make a new thread as the countdown one is filling up.
Results day is here and I’m sure we will all value each others support, today and for the next stage of their journeys.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Szboox · 19/08/2023 20:59

SlightlyJaded · 19/08/2023 19:44

Thanks both.

Definitely a combo of Clearing Fatigue, wanting certainty, having thrown herself into the idea of MMU (which yesterday I was really pleased about) and having best friend and boyfriend close by, I can understand how we got to a place where she is decided. But the UEA offer is so good, and it's so fucking frustrating that she has just shut down.

I really just want to cry now. DH says leave till Monday, but the UEA offer is only good till 4pm Monday - I suppose we could ask for an extension but that would really have to come from her and I just can't see it. coming...

Nothing I can do tonight. We will try to get her to re-focus and reconsider tomorrow...

Thank you thank you all.

Awh I’m so sorry, you are no further on. I feel for you both so much. Xx

Cafeconleche · 19/08/2023 21:11

@SlightlyJaded I’ve sent you a DM 💐

stilldumdedumming · 19/08/2023 21:25

Hi @SlightlyJaded I just want to send strength to you all.

Cafeconleche · 19/08/2023 22:07

Huge congrats @Szboox - what a relief to have a resolution finally!

LanadelSlay · 19/08/2023 22:36

Really sorry to hear of your travails @slightyjaded. It WILL work out and you’re doing brilliantly

Spenser05 · 20/08/2023 02:53

So happy that my son got into uni of his choice now so tearful at the thought of him leaving

TeenDivided · 20/08/2023 05:14

To the poster who asked about Oxbridge:

I think it is a bit of a lottery really. There will be more applicants with top grades than there are places. So there will always be people who miss out. Given they were trying to increase state access it probably won't be that. It will be that 'something' in interview that catches the tutor's eye.

Itisadifficulttime · 20/08/2023 07:03

@SlightlyJaded , maybe leave the chats for today so DD has some space away from thinking about it all though I am sure it must be constantly on her mind.
The UEA offer is still available till 4pm tomorrow, you can talk about it again tomorrow morning after contacting MMU again?
All the best.

Teateaandmoretea · 20/08/2023 07:50

I also think dd is right, she will get a place at MMU, she just isn’t overthinking it. I’d be totally with you, but her mindset is actually a healthy one.

SlightlyJaded · 20/08/2023 11:40

Update is MMU offer firmed on UCAS Hub. Phew (sort of). That will make it harder to get her to look at the really amazing (imo) offer from UEA.

She is at work and was not up for a visit to UEA today (I offered)

So she will now have to decide whether to take MMU or consider the UEA offer. Her parting shot this morning was "I am just going to try Leeds Beckett".

I now think two things:

  1. Her results have destroyed her confidence and she can't see past her Plan C.
  2. This has led to her BF (lovely) being big influence over where she ends up geographically

FWIW. Even though I think UEA is better (rankings/campus/reviews), I do want her to be happy and know at the end of the day, it's her decision. If being near friends and bf will help her accept the hand she got, then I will be fully supportive if a little baffled and disappointed.

Peverellshire · 20/08/2023 11:46

@SlightlyJaded I’ve been there & I sympathise. With a Mum like you, influencing but not controlling, DD will ultimately prosper wherever she lands, trust me. There are many roads to goal & there are Masters programmes. Often it’s the very smart ones that throw all the curve balls & frustrate us, but it’ll come right.

Disconcerto · 20/08/2023 11:48

Great update @SlightlyJaded . Though I bet you kind of wish you had not looked at UEA now!

Mikimoto · 20/08/2023 11:52

As regards Oxbridge entry, there are thousands of students with A. The interview is almost everything. One PP says "her interview was not brilliant* but good". There's the answer as to why DC had no offer.

Any applicant needs strong extracurricular activities (and not just from the previous 12 months) plus be confident and show extensive world knowledge in the interview.

KittyMcKitty · 20/08/2023 11:58

@SlightlyJaded thats great news. My oldest child has a couple of friends who went to MMU via clearing and it has been a very positive experience for them. Re UEA which unis had she formed? If they were big city ones then I would definitely stick with MMU she’s had such upheaval over the last few days that certainty and being able to plan for her future is what she needs. Manchester is a great city (my eldest is at Uni of M) and I am sure she will be very happy there.

Gulplastonetogo · 20/08/2023 12:17

Mikimoto · 20/08/2023 11:52

As regards Oxbridge entry, there are thousands of students with A. The interview is almost everything. One PP says "her interview was not brilliant* but good". There's the answer as to why DC had no offer.

Any applicant needs strong extracurricular activities (and not just from the previous 12 months) plus be confident and show extensive world knowledge in the interview.

Slightly different perspective.
But Oxbridge don't care at all about extracurricular activities - supracurricular are important but extra are completely irrelevant.
But otherwise, yes.
Everyone applying will be predicted A stars. Most of them will get them.
The interview is unpredictable. My oldest is there and thought the interview was a complete disaster - but got a place.
10% of this year's year group at their school have a place at Oxbridge - about another 7% applied and were rejected. All have the same predictions. All could have got an offer on the right day. None could have got an offer on the wrong day. There's a lot of luck involved.

londonmummy1966 · 20/08/2023 12:48

Gulplastonetogo · 20/08/2023 12:17

Slightly different perspective.
But Oxbridge don't care at all about extracurricular activities - supracurricular are important but extra are completely irrelevant.
But otherwise, yes.
Everyone applying will be predicted A stars. Most of them will get them.
The interview is unpredictable. My oldest is there and thought the interview was a complete disaster - but got a place.
10% of this year's year group at their school have a place at Oxbridge - about another 7% applied and were rejected. All have the same predictions. All could have got an offer on the right day. None could have got an offer on the wrong day. There's a lot of luck involved.

Agree with this have friends who are Oxbridge admissions tutors. Everyone they see has a string of A stars or is predicted them. 5 A stars predicted is actually nothing special in that highly rarefied environment I'm afraid. Supracurriculars are helpful to demonstrate an interest in the subject - and to show you're looking beyond the A level syllabus. For a tutor its a good reference point for an interview discussion in order to probe how you think/approach your subject especially in areas where you are less likely to be able to parrot your teachers' thoughts . At the end of the day the Oxbridge tutorial system relies on undergrads being able to go away and study largely by themselves which isn't going to suit everyone so they have a responsibility to pick those who will swim (or at least not sink).

Oxford has it slightly easier with the various aptitude tests but a really good interview to demonstrate that you'll thrive in the tutorial system is pretty crucial.

Greengeranium · 20/08/2023 13:03

Agree with the above. Although I honestly don’t know why dd got a place over others, she is very self-motivated and a good, original thinker who is enthusiastic about the subject. Oxbridge was her idea entirely- as parents we supported her, of course, but our only concern was that she do something she enjoys - whether that was university or something else altogether. I suspect this came across in what they saw of her.

angela99999 · 20/08/2023 13:08

SlightlyJaded · 20/08/2023 11:40

Update is MMU offer firmed on UCAS Hub. Phew (sort of). That will make it harder to get her to look at the really amazing (imo) offer from UEA.

She is at work and was not up for a visit to UEA today (I offered)

So she will now have to decide whether to take MMU or consider the UEA offer. Her parting shot this morning was "I am just going to try Leeds Beckett".

I now think two things:

  1. Her results have destroyed her confidence and she can't see past her Plan C.
  2. This has led to her BF (lovely) being big influence over where she ends up geographically

FWIW. Even though I think UEA is better (rankings/campus/reviews), I do want her to be happy and know at the end of the day, it's her decision. If being near friends and bf will help her accept the hand she got, then I will be fully supportive if a little baffled and disappointed.

Relieved to hear that her offer is confirmed but tough for you as I agree that the UAE overall rating is higher and rankings look better from many respects, including graduate prospects - but definitely not student satisfaction. (thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk)

ToWhitToWhoo · 20/08/2023 13:20

As someone who has also been involved in Oxbridge admissions:

(1) There is intense competition in most subjects. Inevitably, many very good people will not get places. And, though, great efforts are made to select the very best, inevitably luck will play some part.

(2) Most people apply before their A level results are known. Predicted grades are a significant part of the criteria for acceptance at most universities. And this means both that some people are accepted but 'miss their offers', and that some don't get accepted because they're predicted to get less good grades than they eventually do.

(3) Oxbridge is definitely NOT looking for poshness, or seeking to weed out state school applicants. It is true that private school applicants are often advantaged by better preparation for exams and interviews, and teachers who know the system better. There are increasing attempts to take these factors into account- perhaps not sufficiently, but lecturers are definitely not looking for posh students; if anything, if two applicants perform equally well, they are likely to prefer the one who had fewer advantages and less coaching.

(4) There is sometimes a misunderstanding of the interview process. Interviews involve assessing the student's ability to think clearly about their subject; to answer questions relating to their subject, which do not involve previously-learned facts so much as the ability to solve problems. Interviewers may also be seeking to assess interest and motivation for the particular subject. However, the interviewers are only interested in applicants' academic potential in a particular subject. Interviews are not for the purpose of assessing personality, or 'all-rounded-ness', or ability to 'fit in', or extracurricular activities (which are not taken into account). Contrary to what pp have suggested, interviewers are not looking for confidence, and are only looking for extensive knowledge about the world at large if it's relevant to the specific subject: i.e. it may be relevant to politics or geography, but not to mathematics or classics.

(5) Many subjects set an aptitude test (e.g. the TSA for psychology; the BMAT for medicine and biomedical sciences; the MAT for mathematics). If an applicant with good predicted or actual A level grades is not accepted, one possible explanation could be a less than outstanding aptitude test score.

(6) Luck does play a part!

Cafeconleche · 20/08/2023 13:37

@SlightlyJaded at least with MMU confirming her place your DD now knows that 2 unis value her (and rightly so!) and her resolve and determination in the face of a complete shitshow will mean that she’ll shine wherever she goes. And, for the first time since Thursday, she has options and a sense of control over her destination. FWIW, I think she has nothing to lose at this stage by talking to UEA’s Head of Department tomorrow, if only to rule them out. But equally, after all she’s been through, her happiness and MH is so important, and if that means being near her lovely friends and BF, then that’s where she needs to be. Parenting is such a tough gig sometimes, and you’re a brilliant mum.

Thefatbutteredpig · 20/08/2023 14:58

@SlightlyJaded I agree. She’s got nothing to loose by speaking to UEA tomorrow. It will put the issue to bed and for ten mins of her life can listen to UEA or go with MMU.

What are MMU saying re halls?

Your daughter is lucky to have you as her mum. X

Teateaandmoretea · 20/08/2023 16:49

That’s really good news, everything back under her control.

Manchester is a great place to be a student, easy to travel round the other northern cities too.

Itisadifficulttime · 20/08/2023 18:29

@SlightlyJaded , that's great news. Whichever choice she eventually make, may she be happy and excellent there.

SlightlyJaded · 20/08/2023 20:20

Re: Oxbridge. My neighbour is a Head of Department at St Pauls - a good 40-50 of their sixth formers go to Oxbridge every year.

We were talking about it because his DS 2 got a place at Oxford and his DS 1 did not. Both had 4 x A* in strong subjects: maths/sciences etc. He said it's entirely down to the interview and whether you are what they are looking for 'that day'. If you met the brothers, you would think DS 1 would be the one to ace the interview: Confident, super-intelligent, chatty, worldly, knowledgeable, ambitious, charming. HIs younger brother is more quirky: measured, thoughtful, analytical, philosophical. And that's what they were looking for that day.

Primotomb · 20/08/2023 20:33

Cocopogo · 17/08/2023 07:44

DS is refreshing between UCAS and college.
So nervous for him now his insurance choice, Lancaster, has lost their Bsc status. Those looking at Lancaster in clearing just be aware of this.

@Cocopogo can you clarify what you mean by this? My son has an insurance place there and his course is still showing as BSc?

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