Who else has Teens starting to trawl the Uni's for 2009 entry?

[Milliways]

Can't believe the pile of leaflets etc coming home from school.

Scary looking at accomodation costs (unloess you pick Teeside at £30pw!)

DD was rather struck by Oxford this week....

She is really interested in Exeter though - anyone been there?

One more year and they will have left home

Sorry to hear that Marchbirthday

Can re-sits be taken? If results were a dissapointment will predicted grades be too badly affected for UCAS application?

It's been busy with visits lately. We've done Bath, Southampton & Oxford. Bristol & Cambridge next week. Couldn't get booked for Durham or Warwick, so may have to arrange a diy visit.

Where have you all been looking?

Milliways - hope you are doing a statistical analysis of which colleges at Oxford/Cambridge your DD would have the best chance of gettting into. The information is all available on the universities' websites and it is very interesting to discover that your chances of acceptance is far greater in one college than in another.
We visited all the universities you mentioned with DS1 - who knew exactly where he wanted to go anyway, so it was probably a waste of petrol. DS2 is doing A2s this year but is taking a gap year and applying to universities next autumn and might have to look at the next tier down from Russell Group/1994 Group.

Choosing a college is sooo hard! DD would prefer a larger college as needs to socialise/be surrounded by people, although I'm sure if they offerred her a smaller college she would be delighted.

She thinks the Cambridge course is more to her liking (more modern) but really liked the SOuthampton course too. No point going to Oxbridge and hating the course!

At the open days they say not to stress about colleges. If you are a strong candidate and your college is full, they will offer you to another college. Is an open application better?

There's a Good Uni Guide or some such thing in the Sunday Times tomorrow apparently: might be worth a glance?

Thank you, I will do that

DS2 Currently looking at Uni's for 2009 entry. Still trying to fine tune the PS. He is applying for Dentistry, so we have had the whole UKCAT exam thing also. Off to look at Liverpool next week. Currently fancies all Northern-ish Uni's.I find the whole thing quite stresfull!

stressful even

Milliways... I would tend to agree with your dd's assessment of the relative merits of Oxford and Cambridge.

Glad to hear it from someone "in the business" Ellbell

She has opted for Cambridge now, along with Warwick, Durham,Southampton & Bath.

UCAS form submitted now........

Anyone had any offers yet?

DD has 2 interviews but no actual offers, but we know quite a few offers have already been made!

V pleased - DS2 just got 1st interview in Dec for Dentistry - still waiting for other 3 Uni's.

Ooh, well done

DD now has 1 offer, 2 interviews booked & 2 to hear from still.

Just wondered did she get an interview at Cambridge? My dd also doing French and German A2 and looking at similar unis as yours. She has Cambridge interview next week.

Yes, she has her interview on 12th.

Good luck to your DD!

Hi, ds1 has three offers so far, for Edinburgh, Reading and Durham. Have heard mixed views on Durham - does any one have any firsthand experience / advice to offer? He has Real Estate at Reading, Geology and Earth Sciences with 2 more unis to go. He would like to work in Sustainable property/environmental property I think.....

I have coleagues who went there, and some with children there. They love it!

Only negs I have heard is the "southeners" wouldn't go alone into the town.......

Miliways, good luck to your DD too (but only if she's not applying for the same course as mine!!) Seriously, it's all suddenly got a bit scary - Cambridge was just a ridiculous fantasy, can't believe she's going there for an interivew, particularly as her ASs were not as good as predicted. Luckily she's had an offer at her favourite 'other' uni so that's taken off the pressure a bit. Let me know how it goes!

No first hand views on Durham, but DS1 felt it was too public school orientated. DS1 went to an independent school which generally sends about 20 students there each year and where there is a university society for the old boys - so he didn't want to go there! Otherwise, I believe it has good pastoral care and very high teaching standards. If your DC likes a collegiate atmosphere, a lot of drinking and a small town it may be place to go. If he likes clubbing it isn't the place to go.

Woohoo!!!

DD just got an unconditional offer

Well, they want 3 E's which she already has from A grade AS levels!!

Takes the pressure off some what, and makes up for the fact that the car was written off in an accident on the way to the interview!

That's brilliant Milliways, which uni is it from? How did the Cambridge interview go? My dd said she has'definitely not got in' - messed up grammar amongst other 'disasters'.

Thanks, it was Southampton. Cambridge was hard, one interview went well, the other not so!

Southampton is very popular so unconditional offer is excellent. Well done