Any interest in a non-Oxbridge/ non-RG parents chat?

[SockFluffInTheBath]

There are lots of threads about applying to Oxbridge and other ‘top’ unis, anyone interested in a thread for those of us with DC looking elsewhere? Not trying to be divisive, but there’s no ‘drop in centre’ thread for other unis, and I thought it might be good to have a space to chat sometimes.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

DD got a D in one of her geography mocks sat in March, but managed to pull it out of the hat three months later.

That's awful! I can't believe the school didn't have a conversation with him about matching his choices to the grades they gave him before they submitted his form. Can he or you double check with the school, it just seems quite unprofessional to not ensure the pupils know exactly what grades the school will be sending to UCAS.

That's his worry

He had anticipated getting somewhere between ABB (best case) and BBC (worst case) for mocks - so was hoping for predicted around BBB. Based on previous mocks, this would have been reasonable so it wasn't completely unreasonable to put a couple of places that ask for ABB or even AAB (being aspirational). Also he now has a tutor for his weakest subject....

Obviously entirely his fault that he did worse this time round and perhaps these grades are a truer reflection of where he will land (although they don't match conversations we've had on parents evening to be fair). BUT if you are privvy to those results ahead of the person filling in the form and are blindly going to apply predictions using the latest set of results as your benchmark, SURELY you should give the student and opportunity to consider adjusting his preferences?

He is now completely panicking that he will get no offers at all and we will have a different nightmare to the one I had two years ago where DD had great predicted grades, got 5 solid RG offers and then COMPLETELY fucked her exams so missed her first choice and insurance.

Thank goodness DS is my last one. It's so stressful

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy I just mentioned this scenario to my DD - she was ABSOLUTELY horrified a school would do this without telling a child - just a waste of uni choices surely if the grades they're putting in are below the ones the uni is asking for - unless there's a contextual reason. Your poor DS. Hope others come through soon for him.

there is always clearing- well thats what I keep telling myself!

DS2 has had a shocker with mocks too and got an E in Geography (predicted an A).

However Im sort of glad since it will give him a much needed kick up the bum. We were here two years ago and DS1 got a D in economics then got an A star in the real thing.

It's awful though that they have used mock grades for predicted grades on the UCAS form. Most kids will pick up at least a grade between now and the real thing.

That's really bad of the school @MarmiteMakesMeHappy . I think you should send them an email to ask for confirmation of his predicted grades and if they're lower than BBB explain the implications.

That's really bad of the school @MarmiteMakesMeHappy . I think you should send them an email to ask for confirmation of his predicted grades and if they're lower than BBB explain the implications.

Apologies for the dupliacted post! Ds got Us in his mocks (a long story!) and didn't apply last year! To be fair he was never planning to go to university and he was always planning to put in some work at the last minute 😂

Hopefully your ds will get at least one offer and there will likely be places available in clearing too. And he can always have a gap year if he does much better than expected.

DS has been asked to interview next week for a degree apprenticeship, he's applied for about a dozen and this is the furthest along he's got so far!
Now he's stressing about should he wear a suit or not, I'm sure he'll get to the important stuff, like researching the company and prepping his interview technique, at some point😁

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy that is shocking on the schools part. Dd didn't do well in her last mock but they were told predicted grades wouldn't move form.the summer mocks unless it was upwards. She did actually increase her maths.to a C She currently holds offers from Lancaster &York both aspirational and NTU , I did notice NTU do alot of foundation years so hopefully even I'd she messes up they will offer that, your son maybe in the same boat. He offer is it helps was bang on there predicted offer of 120 points over 4 subjects she's doing an epq too.

I've just spoken to his Economics teacher (the D) and asked her why she didn't at least give him the C that he got on his last round of exams. She said that she felt that his latest paper showed gaps in his essay writing structure and that was her driver for the D. I pushed back and said that surely that was what these next few months were for and that he has shown he can achieve a C at which point she said... "yes I can see where you're coming from". When I pointed out that his is potentially going to affect his offers (and in turn his motivation) she looked a bit sheepish and started wondering (aloud) if it could be changed at this stage.

She said she doesn't think it can as the UCAS has been submitted but as the deadline hasn't passed, it may be possible (Also I can see that DS can still make amends to his part of the UCAS application). So my question is does ANYONE know whether a predicted grade can be revised once the form is submitted. I am SO fucking angry at her wishy washy vagary and knowing it could be altered by the school would help with the rage (as well as everything else!)

His other two predictions were fair

I don’t know @MarmiteMakesMeHappy but that’s bloody awful. I used to be a teacher and predicted grades should be driven by data and patterns. I’m furious at the flimsiness and lack of accountability on your behalf.

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy yes, grades can be changed. In your case, go to the Head of Year or member of the Senior Leadership Team responsible for 6th form/HE and lean on them.

How do I know? We have to enter predicted grades onto our school's information system, in our case the nightmare that is Arbor, by end of September. We are told to be "aspirational". We are told to share our predictions with our students. One colleague in one of my teams was signed off following surgery. Despite there being no onus on her to do them, she entered the predicted grades, but for some reason, put in current grades. These were captured by the admin person responsible and sent to UCAS. Several kids were devastated. The SLT person responsible came to talk to me as I manage that department. I saw each affected kid and they showed me their work. I changed their predicted grades by emailing the admin person, who updated them for me. One example was a girl predicted 3 A stars and a C (she has just got an offer for Oxford). The C was in my subject and was clearly nonsense. All changed, even after her early entry form went in and seemingly no great harm done, other than raising my blood pressure and that of a number of worried 17 year olds.

thank you so much for that @Malbecfan

So after a really stroppy email from me, his Economics teacher has agreed she should have given him at least a C - if not a B. She asked ME to then contact the careers person (who completes the forms) and say that if the change is possible, she would sanction it. Careers person has come back saying that it means she will have to write to every University individually as she can't amend the form. Does that sound right @Malbecfan? It's not a huge change but a C just feels better than a D and I don't want the amed to get 'lost'. How do we know that the person reviewing his UCAS will also have that amend shared with them if it's not part of the UCAS.

Overall, I am generally still pissed off. The other two predictions are B and C. The B is totally fair, it's the best mark he's had in a paper and he didn't match it this time. The C is what he got on this paper but not as good as he has shown he can do - so hardly aspirational. I just don't understand why you wouldn't give punchy grades if you've seen them pull it out of the bag before.

But at least we have, potentially, killed the D.

Joining you as I have two with offers in their pockets now.
DS2 doing Computer Science has Surrey as firm choice with Essex as insurance (Colchester is lovely as a place to those asking previously, ignore what the students told you!)
Bonus DD (Kinship Foster) doing Graphic Design has Norwich Arts Uni as firm with ARU as insurance

DS1 is in his last year of Geography at Lincoln and did the entire uni process himself, DS2 and DD have needed significantly more support due to SEND so it's been an exhausting few months!

Sorry @MarmiteMakesMeHappy , I'm not sure. However, given that the school/college made the error, I would be leaning on them heavily to sort it. However, belt & braces approach would see your DC emailing the 5 admissions officers and attaching any written/emailed proof you have. Better to have the info twice than not at all, and your DC is showing themselves to be proactive, even if you have to stand over them as they do it. Best of luck.

This is a really sensible idea and one DS and I should have thought of. I have an email 'thread' that confirms the uplift - I'll see what I can pull together. Thank you.

The form is in!

DD had her meeting with the head of sixth form this afternoon to get it approved and submitted. Been having collywobbles though so not sure what and where she has applied for in the end. Just glad it’s in for something and somewhere 😅

Phew @SockFluffInTheBath , that's a relief! Ds still has one gap on his form (he's had 3 offers and one rejection) but we're struggling to have a long conversation with him when he's in the wilds of NZ with poor internet service and he's only allowed his phone on a Sunday! It's not critical though as he has the 3, so maybe it would just overcomplicate things.

Liverpool x 2 similar courses, York, Swansea, cardiff

Liverpool x 2 similar courses, York, Swansea, cardiff

Does she not know the title of your thread?

My DD has had all 5 offers now thank god, seemed very quick in the end, all within two weeks of sending in the form. And I can't work out whether they really want her or they're desperate for anyone! Keele have offered a grade lower than normal just because we live so close and Lancaster and Cardiff have offered a grade lower than published grades if she puts them as her firm. Plus Bangor have rung (we were out and they didn't leave a message which has worried her a bit). I'm starting to think that no other bugger wants to do her chosen subject (linguistics and MFL)

DS has Surrey as his first choice and Essex as his second too (for Sport and Exercise Science).

He’s doing a BTEC so should have a good idea by May/June what his likely grade will be. He really liked both, but I think has his heart set on Surrey.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees I know 😂 I did consider telling her no but I thought that was possibly a bit much 😅

DD was originally looking at doing French and I think the uptake is really quite low for languages unfortunately- or fortunately for our DC. One of her eventual choices was Social Policy with French (others are straight SP or with Sociology) and I think that one might be more likely to be offered for the same reason. Congrats on all the offers, I remember it was a lovely feeling when DS was getting offers come in last year.

😂I'm sure your DD will get offers quickly, the Cardiff offer arrived within a few days here. I think my DD is most keen about the year abroad!