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Higher education

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

Original poster

Imperial Offer Holders

30 replies

Travelban · 29/01/2024 20:35

Hi everyone, as promised I have created a thread for Imperial offer holders, where we can share next steps, advice and hopes. My DS1 has an offer for CS and therefore will need to study and pass the STEP. He has only just started, so fingers crossed he is going to have enough time...!

OP posts:
Lightsabre · 29/01/2024 20:48

Pkacemarking @Travelban as ds hasn't been offered yet so my time on this thread might be short lived! Congratulations to your ds and it'll be good to hear from others.

What other offers does your ds have?

BrightSunnyDay123 · 29/01/2024 23:57

Thank you @Travelban DS has been offered a place for an engineering degree there so it is great to have this chat set up.

Original poster
Travelban · 30/01/2024 07:28

@Lightsabre he has St A and Durham. Has been offered to take another test by UCL but I think he is going to withdraw. Unsure what to put as insurance but leaning towards St Andrews. Durham is a lot closer to us but St Andrews felt like a really special place to be!

He also has a place for Economics at Bocconi in Milan but it's a bit of a wild card!

How about your DS?

OP posts:
Original poster
Travelban · 30/01/2024 07:29

@BrightSunnyDay123 welcome to the thread and congratulations to your DS!

OP posts:
PandaPacer · 30/01/2024 09:50

Hi @Travelban and @BrightSunnyDay123 - happy to be joining you both on this thread. Fingers crossed @Lightsabre that you get news soon. They do seem to leave people hanging!

My DS also has an offer for Computing and has to pass the STEP. His offer is A Star (in maths), AA. Offered on 3 even though he is doing 4 A Levels, which is good!

He also has offers from Bristol and Manchester, and is waiting on UCL.

Just starting to look at accommodation now. We looked at a couple at the Open Day last year so we have a bit of an idea, luckily. He wants to be closer to campus but it's his money so he will have to do the cost / benefit analysis himself. We are topping his loan up but will give him a fixed amount that he can use as he wants.

How far is London from you all? We are two hours away by train so not so bad.

Original poster
Travelban · 30/01/2024 11:05

@PandaPacer we are also 2 hours from London. DS1 got an A star A A A offer I think. So based on 4 A levels. Might be even A star A star A A , need to check!

What will your DS put as his insurance, does he know yet?

OP posts:
Lightsabre · 30/01/2024 11:17

Wow at Bocconi @Travelban, he must be very bright and independent too. I really wanted ds to apply to St A and Durham but at the time of the application he wanted to stay in the South nearer to home. He has matured a bit though recently and I think he'd be fine further away now.

Congratulations too to @BrightSunnyDay123 and @PandaPacer . Step sounds a bit fearsome though.

We live in Zone 4 London so ds is used to travelling in and out on trains but doesn't use the tube that often (he knows how it works though). I'd rather he moved out out if you see what I mean but it would also be nice to be able to meet him for lunch and for him to come home for lunch on a Sunday if he wants to. He will definitely live out for the first and last years at least (4th year taught at White City) but might have to spend the second year commuting from home to save money.

I have mixed feelings about Imperial really as it won't be the campus experience we were hoping for but ds liked the course and of course it has a great reputation. Some of his fellow pupils have offers there too so at least there'd be some familiar faces, even if it's just for the first few days.

We haven't started looking at accommodation yet but like the look of Wilson House. We saw the lovely blocks a two minute walk away but they were ££ unless you share a room.

Lightsabre · 30/01/2024 11:25

Ds is also taking 4 A levels. I'm hoping they offer on 3 only but suspect it'll be 4. His insurance will be Warwick but if he doesn't get into Imperial then he'll firm Warwick and insure Bath then he might re-assess on results day if he does better than expected.

We wanted him to consider a year out for a break really and to get a job for a bit, travel etc but he's worried about losing the maths skills.

byag1 · 30/01/2024 11:25

Hi everyone. I went to imperial 25 years ago! May I ask a quick question please? How many of those with offers went to a private school? Thank you.

Lightsabre · 30/01/2024 11:29

Ds is at a state school. Totally anecdotal but all of the private school pupils we know tend to go to Durham, St Andrews, Bristol and Exeter if they don't make Oxbridge.

byag1 · 30/01/2024 11:30

Do they tend not to get offers from imperial? I went to a state school but wondering where we send our son. The state schools in our area are dire but worried about the negative bias towards private schools at the moment.

Original poster
Travelban · 30/01/2024 11:35

Eeer I think it's very meritocratic at Imperial. First of all, they have a huge number of International students. Secondly, DS1 is at a private school and he has an offer and has several friends with offers, also from other years. I don't get the impression there is a bias either way at all.

OP posts:
PandaPacer · 30/01/2024 12:36

Agree @Travelban. My DS is at a private school, so don't think that's an issue. Also, a few of his friends from school have offers too.

DS offer is A Star, AAA. I got it wrong, sorry!

LaCerbiatta · 30/01/2024 16:52

Waiting for dd to hear, so will follow the thread for now 🙂

She's applied to mech eng with aaaa and no response yet. She's had offers for Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Waiting to hearvfrom UCL. I'm really worried there's no proper insurance option Lowest is Glasgow with aab....

LaCerbiatta · 30/01/2024 16:52

LaCerbiatta · 30/01/2024 16:52

Waiting for dd to hear, so will follow the thread for now 🙂

She's applied to mech eng with aaaa and no response yet. She's had offers for Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Waiting to hearvfrom UCL. I'm really worried there's no proper insurance option Lowest is Glasgow with aab....

She applied with A star A star A A

Original poster
Travelban · 30/01/2024 17:50

@LaCerbiatta good luck to your DD!! We were the same, lowest is St A with AAA... doesn't feel much of an insurance!!

OP posts:
LaCerbiatta · 31/01/2024 09:23

Travelban · 30/01/2024 17:50

@LaCerbiatta good luck to your DD!! We were the same, lowest is St A with AAA... doesn't feel much of an insurance!!

Good to know we're not alone!! Dd's mental health is not the best and I worry so much she won't be able to get the grades... But there's not much I can do, let's see how the mocks go 🙂

Iamaslummymummy · 31/01/2024 10:24

My son is a first year and is from a low performing state school.

BrightSunnyDay123 · 31/01/2024 10:51

Hi, @byag1 , my son was at a private secondary school and received an offer from Imperial. I am unaware of a bias against private schools there. Their website also explains 60% of the intake is overseas students.

Ib1234567 · 02/02/2024 09:48

Travelban · 29/01/2024 20:35

Hi everyone, as promised I have created a thread for Imperial offer holders, where we can share next steps, advice and hopes. My DS1 has an offer for CS and therefore will need to study and pass the STEP. He has only just started, so fingers crossed he is going to have enough time...!

Hi @Travelban , Can I ask how STEP exam works, I am familiar with medicine application which you do the exam before applying in summer of Year 12. But I see from your thread that the offer for computer science from imperial is that you pass your STEP, so is that in year 13?

I appreciate the help

Original poster
Travelban · 02/02/2024 11:35

Hello,
I believe the STEP exam is in June, so at the same time as the A levels!

OP posts:
Lightsabre · 27/02/2024 12:10

Ds still waiting to hear from Imperial. Hope they decide one way or another soon so he can move on.

MoiraMoira · 27/02/2024 12:29

Lightsabre · 27/02/2024 12:10

Ds still waiting to hear from Imperial. Hope they decide one way or another soon so he can move on.

DS had an MChem offer from Imperial (Astar chem/A/A) a couple days ago so should be anytime now. He had a very early interview.

He’s gone off London - so we’ll see what happens when he visits Edinburgh.

Lightsabre · 27/02/2024 13:29

Thanks for letting me know @MoiraMoira. Ds was interviewed mid Jan so there might be a longer wait. Can I ask whether your ds is a straight 4 A Star candidate. It seems those candidates were offered early interviews. Ds is predicted 3 x A Star and an A so maybe they work their way down.

Bluegetaniums · 27/02/2024 13:57

He will definitely live out for the first and last years at least (4th year taught at White City) but might have to spend the second year commuting from home to save money.

That's what a lot of students do if they live within commuting distance of South Ken. Our dc is currently in 2nd year and decided to move back home - it saves a lot of money!