University applications for September 2025 - let's go!

[hornetgirl]

Hello to all you on the forum.

Having gone through this all in 2022/23 with my eldest ( just completing year 1 Southampton), I am back again with my daughter - just finishing year 12.

She is looking at Vet med or vet nursing

We have been to several open days: RVC, Chester, Nottingham Trent, Bristol and we have Surrey this Saturday and Nottingham in 2 weeks.

What a stressful process this is even for a second time mum (and expensive on the travel and hotel stays!)

What are you doing with your year 12s so far?

I can't see anywhere beating Sheffield for tulip place for my DS!
There's a similar thread for DDs year and Nottingham was the uni of choice that year with loads going there.

Tulip meant top

Def apply this year. And be ambitious with a range of offers.

This keeps the doors open and IME motivation going through the year. Also know that some / many candidates (depending on the ranking of the uni) miss their offer grades but are still taken. Often the high grade tarrif published is for marketing purposes but the actual intake is completely different. There is a facility on UCAS which show the lowest actual grades accepted for that course. This would depend whether the uni was a seecting one or a recruiting one ie no applications vs places.

For example Uni of Nottingham standard offer for History was AAA this year but they had that course in clearing post results at CCC.

@Smirke - thank you, I will be encouraging DD to apply this year

We saw Nottingham today. Ds liked course but underwhelmed by the seminar on his sport. Accommodation was ok. Campus was lovely.

My #3 is year 13.

Currently he'd not sure whether he wants a job, an apprenticeship or go to uni. Uni I think is his last option as he doesn't think the debt is worth it. He's also not sure whether he wants to do technical theatre (which he loves) or computers of some sort (which he can see is where the money is!).
So he's applying for all and seeing, he says.
Although he isn't the best at getting on, so it might not applying for any and procrastinating!

Does anyone know yet of a level exam dates?

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/admin/t_table_pdf/AQA-TT-GCE-JUN25-CONFIRMED.PDF

Here you go - you can double check by board - but think all subjects regardless of board are on the same day.

There is also a couple of days at the end I understand that are resserved in case an exam is cancelled and has to be rescheduled - just in case you were plannig to book a holiday.

DD is Scottish, applying for primry teaching. Currently looking at Strathclyde, Glasgow and Stirling.
DD frustrating me as whilst she knows the entry requirements (contextual as she's a young carer), she's not really bothering reading the course details. Has been to open days but seems to only sit in the subject talk then buggers off.
The fact we are local to these universities may be the reason - she won't be looking for accomodation. She's banned me from accompanying her to any open days.
We'd love her to get into Strathclyde due to the flexibility of additional courses but the grades are the highest. It is not clear from the other universities if the same flexibility applies.
I also don't rate Glasgow as a university as I used to work there but DD seems to think she has the best chance of getting in to that one.
DD is 16, will be 17 when goes to university, so still quite young and naive

We went back to Lancaster on Saturday DD loved it even more and luckily no torrential rain (though I was surprised by the lack of ducks!). I told her to try different sessions this time and now she thinks she'd prefer linguistics and Spanish to English lit (not surprised really, she's always preferred Lang to Lit but thought that Lit would be more appealing to employers, she thinks linguistics would be a good compromise).

Plus it all seems quite flexible, at the end of year 1 if she decided she didn't like linguistics she could switch.

Lancaster itself was interesting, lovely buildings but a lot of homeless drunken people, I guess like any city these days.

Quick UCAS question - is there really any point in them putting down every course/activity they’ve ever done from that terrible drop down menu or is it a matter of simply including the most salient in the PS? DC is trying to include everything but I get the impression no one will look at that list or care. Thanks for any input.

I think a good rule of thumb is to use the word count 80/20 - so 80% why re academics and 20% extracurricular - so prioritise those that may have any relevance to the course.

*why that course

its not a drop down menu is it? unless you're not talking about the personal statement?

I didn’t have a proper look but my DC was trying to add activities - there was a drop down menu of providers eg Oxplore was one - and then you had to type in the specific competition or course or whatever. It seemed a huge faff and as if it would be a long list of which many wouldn’t even be directly relevant. Perhaps I’ve got it wrong. Am trying to let them get on with it themselves but they were struggling to find the right organisations for some part of the form or something.

I remember the bit you mean I think – it was sort of worded what you've done in preparation for uni or something? DD did fill this in, but neither of the courses she had done online (one from Southampton and the other from Brighton) were on the dropdown list so she just put 'other'. We thought since she'd signed up and done them it was worth adding.

Ok phew - thought I’d imagined it haha
I’ll suggest she perseveres with the website then. Many thanks!

This thread has gone quiet for a while...where are we discussing offers and shortlists??

I think it’s gone quiet because it’s been Christmas and nothing much has happened. The Oxbridge offer / rejection emails should start to be sent out from next week onwards so I’m sure the thread will pick up again then.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5202438-offers-for-2025

Thanks!