University Applications 2026 - Support Thread

[Ventress]

DS is applying to start university in Autumn 2026. He's done several open days and has a reasonable idea of where and what he wants to wants to study - History or History & Politics.

He loved UCL and Exeter, liked Warwick, didn't like Bristol. He's also talking about early application but can't decide whether to apply to Oxford or Cambridge. He's also muttering about Durham, which he didn't visit but others in his History class did and loved it.

Anyone join me for a thread to support our DC as they navigate this process? DS is my only child so this is all new to me!

My daughter is also applying for computer science and we'll be going to look at Surrey. Just wanted to say Southampton dropped their grades in clearing this year, I think they went down to ABB but can't remember, I should have taken screenshots at the time. Surrey was also in clearing.

He is also thinking about Exeter but we probably won't be able to attend an open day before he submits his application.

Oh, good to know. I think his list of potential places to apply to is getting longer every day!

If he gets an offer, he could go to the offer holder day instead, before he has to make a decision on firm and insurance. If he's happy enough to include it in the 5, this can be a good option.

DS seems to think that question 2 will be minimal characters with the bulk of the characters used in questions 1 and 3 @ArchitectureMum

@SherlockJones - Reading and Surrey are our local universities and I have heard good reports about both from students and parents. Not specifically for CS though. Surrey open day is next weekend and I had booked DS to go only to discover that it doesn't offer his subject - whoops. I have cancelled. DS will apply to Exeter (not CS). He really liked the campus and the city when he went to the open day.

DS has a university he wants to apply to that we didn't visit so, if he gets an offer, he will hopefully be able to go to the offer holder day instead.

I am a little concerned that three of DS' choices appear to have issues with first year accommodation and allocation this year (threads elsewhere on MN).

Joining in as have not one but two children doing their UCAS forms. Argggh - one's just done A levels and the other is in y13. They are super competitive with each other and the younger one is really miffed that her 'going to university' thunder is being stolen. Arggh.

Very much hoping that with grades in hand UCAS will be straightforward for the other one. It feels as though it should be but they're applying for slightly different courses at each university so the personal statement is opaque. Am hoping that the grades will do the talking and that universities will judge achieved grades favourably. Which they should given the inaccuracy of predicted ones. Gah such a stupid system.

Having been through it twice before, I would say don't worry too much about an insurance university as chances are there'll be something better in clearing. Do worry about the accommodation issues of going through clearing/insurance - not sure how to get round that.

I've never actually been to an open day. Oldest's applications were during covid times and middle one was too scared to engage with the process - they're the one who's applying now with grades in hand but just couldn't cope with the uncertainty of the pre-exam system. Going to my first open day as a parent this Friday...

Anyone else do the University of York open day? DD loved it and I was really impressed.

@Philandbill
Would have liked to but DS has ruled it out because we live there.
Tried to bribe him to consider it, with a car, but he’d rather go to Exeter!

@Philandbill DS went to York but wasn't sure about it as the east campus seemed like it was unfinished and a bit dull. Shame as it was probably his favourite before he visited. He wasn't sure about the course either.

@SherlockJones hmm, we didn't even look at east campus as our day was full just at west campus. Perhaps that was a mistake..
@stubiff DD has rejected our local, excellent university. Exeter to York is a long way, I'd be attempting to bribe with a car too!

@Philandbill I think only certain subjects are taught on the East campus, it was not as nice as the main West campus

Sadly, we are still struggling with this.

DD and DH are just back from two open days in two days. Both are really tired and thought it was a bit much. They liked both places though so that’s something. Probably that’s it until offer holder days now assuming things work out.

@ArchitectureMum where did they visit?

Cambridge and Nottingham.

I am impressed with DD’s college UCAS advice that she doesn’t need to add all 5 universities to the UCAS firm before the early deadline. Having said that I don’t know that she will visit any more now anyway so not sure there is much point in waiting especially as the UCAS equal consideration deadline is going to be 15th January which may well be earlier than the Cambridge decision date. It would give her time to do an October open day though so as I say - I am impressed. I think from reading on here that that’s quite unusual and most schools and colleges want all 5 from the beginning.

I think DS is going to do the same @ArchitectureMum
He’s got 3 definite choices but he’s unsure on the last 2 so rather than rushing I think he’ll get the TMUA and MAT done then do a bit more looking into his options. School haven’t mentioned doing this but I don’t see why it should be a problem

Hopefully, school will be okay with it. UCAS are very clear that it’s absolutely fine.

The pressure is hotting up for DD with her personal statement, portfolios and A level work. It seems as though they want the bulk of the A-level coursework to be done during this term rather than using last year‘s work. Just what she needs right now (not). They also do the EPQ just in this term at her college so everything is happening at once.

Woah, why didn't they get the EPQ out of the way in Y12? Or at least give them that option. Or do you just mean the presentation? Surely not the whole thing?

I don’t know - that’s just how they do it. The were supposed to plan it a bit over the summer but her first EPQ lesson is this week.

Gosh, good luck to her, hopefully they'll support them through it... although now I'm remembering they can only give limited input so it's all on the student. I didn't get involved really but I do remember DC had 40 sources in his bibliography and the whole thing was a ton of work. Wouldn't want to be doing it this term along with applications and admission test prep. I guess she can drop the EPQ if it's too much and she needs to focus elsewhere, plenty of people do and all's well.

Yes, I don’t think she needs the EPQ for any of her courses, but she is so determined and really wants to do it so we’ll see.

As an aside for a bibliography, I recommend My Bib, you just put all the links in there as you go and it does it for you, just tell it what format you want e.g Chicago, harvard etc and it does it so quickly. So for referencing and stuff like that it won't take much time, just copy the links in as you go and it's fine.

@ArchitectureMum Very weird they make them do it in one term, most schools do it across the whole of Y12, but it can be useful in the future as good evidence of research work and also can get grade reductions. There's lots of useful stuff online, but she seems like the type of person to cope with all that on her plate so I'm sure she'll be fine. Hopefully the school are helpful with it.

@ArchitectureMum dd is doing Oxford entry, coursework &epq this term too. She’s done most of her sources work I think for both. But the writing has not yet begun. Fun times !

My son has finished his UCAS application and it’s with his school for them to add their references. He was thinking of just including a couple of courses at first but has changed his mind and applied for all five.

Now he can concentrate on the rest of his English and History NEAs and remaining course work. No university entrance exams for history this year, just submitted pieces of work if he gets an Oxford interview.

My DS just submitted his UCAS for Cambridge, but will wait on adding the other four choices till the TMUA is out of the way. Felt stressful 'completing' the application with just the one option, especially as it then locks you out of the usual hub page until the application is processed, but am trusting the system that it'll revert after that and he'll be able to add all the rest down the line. The site definitely could be clearer about these things. But it's done for now and hopefully all will go smooth with the school reference and the next stages.

Does anyone know how it works with the MyCambridge side of things? When they get the UCAS form from the school, do they send a mail/link to DS to fill in anything required on that site? Or does DS need to check back on the MC site to see when it's ready to be completed? All new to me this Oxbridge business!