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]

Yes that is worth bearing in mind.

Predicted grades are AAA

Offers are:

Lancaster favourite - ABB (reduction from AAB if put as first choice)
Lancaster second option BBB (if put as first choice or ABB if insurance choice which means its a bit pointless)
Surrey - AAB - (ruled itself out by its new policy this year of excluding kids from independent schools from its contextual scheme)
Reading - BBB (contextual reduction from AAB)
Essex CCC (contextual reduction from BBB)

Reading will almost certainly take CCC
but I would also say that if Lancaster 2nd option would take BBB if put as first choice they will also take BBB as insurance on results day! So that would certainly be a valid insurance choice, if it is the option she would prefer if she misses her grades

I'd agree that either Reading or Essex would be fine as insurance, as both are likely to accept similar grades. Has she visited both?

We're stuck in limbo whilst ds is abroad; he thinks he'll choose between Swansea and UEA when he comes back in April/May. He's not visited either as it was a late decision to apply. He's also hoping he might pick up a 'better' uni in clearing (he has BBC in hand). I'm not convinced PPE will be available, but possibly Philosophy and Politics at places like Liverpool, Lancaster and Queen's. He's made a really good friend whilst abroad who's going to Queen's! I'm a bit torn, as the student satisfaction ratings are really good for the course at Swansea, and pretty good for UEA too. Queens' course doesn't look so good from that perspective, but how much weight do we give that? Having had recent experience of dd's poorly rated course proving to be poor in lots of ways, I'm nervous!

We are doing offer holder days at Liverpool and Notts as DS torn between the two for his firm.

Both asking for ABB but he is really struggling with one of his A Level subjects so if he likes both equally, will probably end up going for whichever one is most likely to drop a grade or even two on offers day.

Not entirely sure which one that might be (even having scrolled down to the bottom of the course details and looked at the 'lowest scores' accepted in previous intakes). He won't get contextual which is a shame as his school has performed poorly for years.

And he is still undecided as to whether to put Liverpool/Notts for firm and insurance (in order to be decided) or cover his arse and put Liverpool/Notts for firm and Trent for insurance. FFS - we're no closer than we were at the beginning of this thread! 🙄

possibly Philosophy and Politics at places like Liverpool

I do remember last year International Relations/Mod Languages was being offered at BCC at Liverpool. So Phil/Pol might be feasible at BBC.

However, given that Cardiff has decided to stop making lower tariff Clearing offers to boost its rankings it's possible that other RGs might take the same approach this year.

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy I so feel your pain!

That’s true @HPFA . To be honest I think I’d rather he just stuck with what he’s got anyway.

Consider me flabbergasted.

A while back I posted a thread asking if anyone ever read the UCAS personal statements or whether they had any bearing on offers. General view was the they had no bearing on offers at all.

well, I can confirm that Aber DO read them! My son has had a lovely letter in the post day, referring to some very specific stuff he wrote about in his personal statement. The writer then went on to talk about the specific modules that she thought would appeal to him based on his statement and what sort of things she could see him enjoying like Interpol Soc and various other bits and bobs. It’s such a nice letter I got a bit tearful. Hormonal.

He’d already firmed with Aber anyway but it’s made us both really glad. He’s really dismissive about it saying that they are clearly desperate. Given the financial situation they are probably are working very hard to attract bums on seats but I think they’ve chosen a lovely way of doing it. Even if it was created by AI as he seems to think it was, it’s worked on me!

@llareggub how lovely! Doesn’t surprise me that they would do something like that. I’m still a bit gutted DD has picked a course they don’t do at Aber 😅

My DD got a phone call from the tutor before starting her Aber course asking if she had any questions and welcoming her to the course.

The uni does seem to be putting in an awful lot of effort to enhance the student experience and if thats the way they're going to help their finances then I wish them all the best! Better than Cardiff deciding the students they treated as a cash cow are no longer good enough for them

We also had a very personalised letter from Reading yesterday. It does make a difference to how they are perceived.

Now Cardiff wants to exclude them to chase the rankings. And the course at Bangor has gone.

And they've demolished the chemistry building!

DD got an offer from Aber and they've sent several letters saying to get in touch if she has questions, extolling the virtues of going there etc. Unfortunately they didn't do the exact course she wanted. Bangor even rang to see if she had any questions. I think she wishes they wouldn't be so keen because she knows that she won't choose Aber and Bangor will probably only be her insurance.

My DD was looking at doing Philosophy and Modern Languages at Bangor but decided she preferred the Interpol modules at Aber.

I really liked the look of Bangor though.

She seems happy at Aber although I'm a bit alarmed at how often her "last seen" message on What's App says 3 am!!

My son booked his Aber accommodation today. The portal opened at 10am and he was right in there. He’s got the flat and the room he wanted.

Did he sit the scholarship exam? My daughter is checking her emails constantly for results. She didn't book accommodation as she is deferring a year and going next September instead but really likes the look of Fferm Penglais.

Yes, we were told 4-6 weeks for the results, so a little while to go I think.

He has booked Fferm Penglais. He was able to choose this exact room so he’s gone for the ground floor as the kitchens have a patio door. We are visiting for offer holders day in April and he wants to go and find his block!

I hope your daughter enjoys her gap year. What does she have planned?

DD says the flats in Fferm are very nice. She has a couple of friends in there.

Although she's happy she picked PJM as her randomly chosen house turned out to be close to the campus.

She is just going to decompress and enjoy life for a bit as she is finding these months a hard slog with constant coursework with little time for anything else.
DD was thinking top floor for views and a little quieter but she has plenty of time to think about.

How nice they get to pick! DD1 has applied for Swansea accom but doesn't seem to get that level of choice - she wants to be on Singleton for nursing and hopes that, having got in quickly, she'll get what she needs.

So exciting - begins to feel real, doesn't it!

What's the process for Swansea @minisnowballs ? I'm hoping ds will firm Swansea (he's abroad and dithering), but we'd really only be able to afford the cheapest accommodation (which isn't particularly cheap!).

@llareggub My DS got a letter too, from the uni he has accepted an unconditional offer from. They used details from the PS pretty heavily. I don't know if it was AI but it could have been for those PS related paragraphs. My DD is also going to the same uni (different dept entirely) and has had no letter at all. Both have firmed their places, so they don't really need to send these letters, but it definitely feels welcoming.

@crazycrofter - she created an account and then was able to pick her preferences - they are then allocated later on first-come-first served (apparently). we will see. They aren't particularly cheap I agree!

Thanks @minisnowballs . I really want Ds to choose Swansea as there are so many module choices compared to his other options and they look right up his street! He also got an email referencing his personal statement and when I asked some questions (as Ds, from his email address) we got a quick response. Ds is going to be abroad until end of June though and every time we speak he’s changed his mind based on something on TikTok /league tables/ something someone said to him! I’m hoping to persuade him next week to just firm Swansea and choose accommodation. I suspect his other main option - Leicester - will be in clearing anyway.

I am confused about booking halls, when you don't know where you'll end up?

DS still debating between three (2 of which will end up as his firm and insurance) - do you put a deposit down on halls for all locations to cover every eventuality?

@MarmiteMakesMeHappy rather unhelpfully it’s different at different unis.

DS went last year, had UEA as firm and Northumbria as insurance. UEA asked him to choose accommodation but didn’t ask for a deposit. Northumbria didn’t ask him about accommodation.