Medicine 2025 entry -part 3

[HGC2]

Will try to add old threads, maybe good for us to give an update of where our DCs are at

Thanks so much for the feedback. I emailed the a level biology lead at DD’s school last night to ask whether school used it/recommended it and she replied straight back to say yes they do and DD will have her own log on from Sept for both years! And she can use for bio and chemistry! I am so impressed, it will save us a lot as the prices were looking quite high for a 2 yr subscription for 2 subjects!

We were recommended (by a third party) that she actually covers the content ahead of her school lesson and then she can use the lesson to consolidate her learning, check anything she didn’t understand and effectively commit the content to long term memory. It seems like a good idea and one which I think would suit my DD’s style of learning and help her confidence.

We also have some uni visits booked in for the summer and autumn to get those out of the way before the dreaded UCAT preparation - I know which unis you can apply to will depend on UCAT and GCSE results but I think it will help her to get a feel for uni in general and a feel for whether the location is one she would be comfortable at.

@SuperSue77 we saw all but one uni before she had her UCAT results. Yr13 was fairly hectic and the medicine submissions are before many of the Autumn open days so it was good to have them out of the way. We looked at a mixture of campus and city first then narrowed it down from there. It is important not to get too attached to any one place. We saw a range of universities from across the UCAT spectrum.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the end of yr12 exams (assuming in England) will determine predicted grades. In Scotland and Wales will be actual grades. Predicted grades are vital for some universities because they will look at them when considering offers for interview. Most places it is just as a threshold.

Students can put themselves under pressure feeling they have to find 'the perfect' place, especially if they are somewhat perfectionistic. We emphasised heavily that there aren't necessarily right or wrong places, just places which will take them on a different journey. They don't know yet what that journey will be and to an extent it is what they make of it. I talked about the different turning points in my life and how that it is only looking back that I can see how it has all worked a positive place with the dc I have and the job I have etc. Some of the decisions and directions seemed scary at the time. I of course do not know what taking the other route might have done to my life. In the multiverse out there maybe a different me is living that alternative life! The decisions don't have to be the perfect one now, they will become the perfect one when they look back over their life.

A lot of sixth form I found as a parent was about being a taxi driver and life coach.

Every school will do predicted grades differently. Yes, year 12 exams can be a factor, but some will look more at GCSE results & knowing the student. It is always worth negotiating if an A star will help get an interview (Exeter !). It might be worth 2026 parents starting their own thread as questions can be answered more easily.

Hop exams going well

hope exams going well it all kicks off this week with chem tomorrow which is the subject DD finds hardest. She’s prepped well this year and has firmed Sheffield and taken an unconditional offer for paramedic as insurance. Fingers crossed, she’s off to camp America on 23rd, feeling pretty worried by Tv images from
there

could anyone offer advice on a Clearing question? Just in case results don’t go according to plan, when does clearing open and for how long? I am
trying to book a holiday as close as possible after results day but also to be around in case we need clearing.
Any information very gratefully received

@Niceday203 clearing opens at 8am on results day. What usually happens is a v v few Unis will post they have places and at that point you hit the phone. Use as many phones as you can to get through as once they have enough applicants they’ll close it. You’ll give your stats and then if they like you you’ll have an online interview on the Thursday or Friday. Places are normally given out the same day. However, with the advent of waiting lists I would expect even fewer clearing places this year. But I may be wrong.

Thank you as always. Hopefully it won’t come to that but factoring it in - just in case. Hope exams all going well for everyone.

@mumsneedwine I've read somewhere in this thread that if dd misses a grade we should speak to the uni to see if there is any tolerance. The thought being that they may want someone they have thoroughly interviewed than an unknown.
Hopefully we are not in this position. But is what I have read correct (obviously not all uni's will accept a lower grade)? When do we do this?

For some reason I thought clearing was a few days later. DD has firmed 2 medicine offers with the same grade offer but hoping if she misses that one of them may take a lower grade in one subject.

Again I hope we don't need to try & DD is of the mindset she'll resit if she misses, so she is 100% not counting on getting in with a lower offer.

You would need to phone straight away as any spaces would be filled from waitlists or clearing. If they are going to accept a dropped grade then they will have already considered it (they get results the day before), but phoning feels like you have tried everything so even if it doesn’t work at least you will feel you tried.

From what I have seen, universities don’t drop grades for clearing for medicine either as they don’t need to.

@SoTiredNeedHoliday as has been said, they’ll probably already have made that decision before you open UCAS. V occasionally it will say pending and this can mean they are still discussing who to take with dropped grades and who not too. Usually turns either way by lunchtime. But if they do reject you can phone but it’s v v unlikely they’ll change their minds. Hopefully won’t matter.

They get the results the week before 😊

PS lots of students drop a grade and still get in. They’ll look at your interview scores and decide from that mostly.

That sounds better. One day would mean they would be very busy that day! I am sure it is a busy week too though.

thanks @mumsneedwine aka 'font of all knowledge' - I don't know how DD and I would have navigated this without your fab help and advice!!

It has been my pleasure 😊

You are possibly thinking of schools/ colleges. My understanding is that some of the SMT/ admin will receive the results the day before in order to process them for the students to collect early am.

We had jotted down the numbers for some of the medical schools which had previously been in clearing and had her ucat scores to hand. We spoke to one student who said he had been offered a place in clearing and he had rang up in the morning and had an online interview that afternoon so it is worth bearing in mind that there will still be an interview. Dd got her grades though so we didn't need to ring anyone. She checked UCAS first thing in the morning and saw the acceptance.

I read some of last year’s clearing thread on TSR - there seemed to be a lot of hanging on the phone for hours and then getting cut off just as they got near the top of the list, or finding all interview slots had gone by the time they were answered. So definitely seemed to be a question of getting as many phones as possible and phoning as early as possible.

School get results the day before but can only be seen by a v small selection of staff (head, exams officer and whoever gets to stuff the envelopes). Unis get them the week before and all meetings about dropped grades etc should be sorted by the Weds when decisions are given to UCAS. UCAS will be unavailable for the 24 hours before results because of this. It will also crash at 8am on results morning, it always does.
Clearing is v much first come so get every phone on it asap - we sit in the 6th form common room with every staff members phone and friends and family all trying to get through. It does work though !
But hopefully no one will need it 🤞

Hi everyone. I've a Y12 DD (England) targeting 2026 entry. I can't find a 2026 thread, and was scrolling through this one to see if one was referenced. This comment from @mumsneedwine suggests not. So I'll start one and try and link it here, if I can work out how to do that!

Here it is. Optimistically named 'part 1' in anticipation of lots of traffic.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5355242-medicine-2026-entry-part-1?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Congratulations to everyone getting through the A levels! DD has been working for so long I think she'll be listening without revision to fill her days! Wishing all these amazing young people a wonderful relaxing summer and the results they wish for x

Hello! I hope everyone's kids are enjoying the long summer and not finding the wait and uncertainty too difficult.
DD got her results yesterday (IB) and met her offer. It was a long day as the results didn't arrive until the afternoon, but a very happy outcome once they arrived. So pleased for her!
I can't remember if there are any other IB applicants on here - I really hope they got what they needed if there are.

Congratulations to your DD! Hope she enjoys her summer now she can relax!

@maybemedmum well done to her. Hopefully she can relax and enjoy the summer. Do look out for accommodation confirmation if not already firmed up. Are you planning to name change to medmum 🤣?

Massive congratulations to your DD, such a relief. I did wonder on the 5th about DC on here.
DS did IB a few years ago, so that date always in my head.
Hope the summer flies by for the rest of us and we all get the news we want.