Results Day 2018

[Groovee]

Hi everyone

Thought that as the 7th is fast approaching, it would be worth doing a thread to for the day and the build up.

Dd needs a B in anything to get into Uni and ds is getting his Nat5 results. Will be a tense morning.

I know that there are exceptions but success at Nat 5 is a good indicator of success at higher - esp with sciences which are more difficult to crash. Looking at the college route for science (looked at City of Glasgow). For year one entry to an engineering HND there is a requirement for two highers at C including maths and preferably physics - that would be really hard to achieve starting from a base of two Ds at nat 5. For access entry there is a requirement for three Nat 5s at grade B or above, including English, Maths and a Science Subject.

Unfortunately your friend needs to have a tough talk with her DC.

Yes celtie that is my view too. DC originally wanted to do medicine or sports physio, and whilst not looking to do medicine any more, definitely still has something in that line in mind. Says only needs Nat 5 maths but also got a D in Biology...

Friend is not stupid but now I think just waiting for school to have the word so she isn't the bad guy. She's definitely been suggesting a change of tack along the lines of the subjects where decent marks have been achieved but that only comes to 4. If it was me, I'd be saying do those 4 plus resit Maths and then try for the others in 6th year if still wanting that route.

Ds2 highest were not what he'd hoped.

2Bs a C a D and failed Physics

BCD were in the subjects he was down to start AH in, so booked a chat with teachers on Friday to see what his options are, as guess the D for Maths will require a resit.

Annoying as the C and D were A and B at prelim and he passed Physics at prelim.

Overall not really surprised as he did barely any revision despite telling me it was all in hand.

I think if a D as a 7 in standard grade where you turned up and wrote your name on the paper.

A D at Nat 5 is (subject to variable grade boundaries across subjects) approx between 40-49 %. So no nothing like a SG 7 much better. My DD3 got D for Nat 5 French, a dyslexic forced to pursue a MFL till the end of S4.,, zero interest in perusing this further but we are counting it in her Nat5 passes as if she'd got a No Award it would have been an Nat4 she'd been awarded .

With teacher head on if a pupil with a D wanted to progress further within the subject I'd be suggesting upgrading in S5 with a view to Higher in S6. Most school options booklets give recommendations of entry requirements which will generally be Nat5 C .

Thanks all, friend checked the options booklet and it just said a pass a Nat 5 was required to do the higher so it didn't really clarify. I definitely see what you are saying lidl re the D counting as there is otherwise no mention of it. DS was also a D in French and he was awarded Nat 4 for his 2 fails, although now he has upgraded one of those to Nat 5. I'm not sure they can do that now though can they? Since they removed some of the assessments. I will say to DS that he can now say he has 6 Nat5s :)

my understanding is that a D is and isn't a pass. it is officially a pass, but most unis, schools and employers don't count it and the national statistics that were announced yesterday were based on A-C passes...

Wax you are quite right re no automatic fall back Nat4 if relevant unit passes for Nat5 as units don't exist. Hence boundary for D being taken back from 45% to 40 . However, where I teach and where DDs attend pupils who are considered potentially less than threshold for D will take all the N4 units which have not been removed. Which can be a lot of work for pupils who may be struggling but worth it for reassurance. Certainly reassured DD3 and I when her Physics teacher was pushing for DD to be Nat4 only. As DD had obtained all relevant passes for Nat4 she had sod all to lose from giving Nat 5 exam a punt. Sod all to lose turned out to be a Physics Nat5 C!

May have been at the expense of better grades elsewhere but we'll never know

Thanks Lidl, I suppose none of this affects us now as don't expect any more Nat5s will be done in our house, I can't really compare boundaries either this year as the exams have a different overall score and I really can't be bothered to convert them all to %ages especially as I don't have DSs individual scores so not like I would have any clear purpose in doing so. I love these stats though, I am clearly in the wrong job. :o

sevendown I called SAAS about the Scot going to England query and basically you get the same maintenance you'd get up here. Fee payment is organised by them too and then it's all repaid to them.
DD almost certainly will be heading somewhere in England as her course offer rates for the unis she likes the courses in are so teeny for Scottish students that it's too big a risk. She'll prob put one down but no more than that. Edi rates can be found on their website (sobering reading). Haven't been able to find any others but second hearing that Glasgow offer if you've met requirements or predicted to. Sadly, DD not interested in Glasgow!

Off to St Andrews today so that DD can see what it 'feels' like. We have been to the town many times.. I'm not sure what epiphany she is expecting from today.

My ds is at St Andrews and loves it! He has made so many friends from all over the world. The uni even picked up that he has dyslexia (school didn’t!!!!) and I have to say the support he has received has been excellent! Extra time in exams lap top etc. Don’t know what your Dd wants to study eatinglesschocolate but my Ds experience has been really positive so far.

DS is going into S5 this year but am now vaguely wondering whether we should start looking at a few Ivies over the next little while. He wants to end up in the US long term and I’d originally been seeking the idea of undergrad here and grad in the US to have a nice balance but between his Nat5 results and extracurricular, he has as good a shot at an Ivy as anyone. Am figuring he could do a first go at the SAT in the spring without prep (so to not mess with Highers study) to see a sort of raw score and then if it’s worth progressing, do prep over the summer and resit in the autumn (2019).

Congrats everyone on the results!

Does anyone have experience of applying for Law in Scotland?

If you have 5As and a B in S5 (state school) plus a decent reference, Personal Statement and LNAT, what are the chances of an offer from Glasgow and Edinburgh?

Many thanks.

@Aurea experience with my niece is that if you don't pass the LNAT Glasgow and Edinburgh rejected her right away.

Stirling offered an unconditional as soon as she applied. Aberdeen put conditions on. Dundee was a very late rejection.

So maybe a pass might have been better for her.

Thank you @groovee. Can you remember her grades in fifth year?

Sorry @Aurea I can't. I'm still trying to get my poor Ds's results in my head.

Thanks @Groovee.

Sorry to hear about the grades.

Aurea have you read the document on the Glasgow Uni website that lays out the entry criteria for those looking for admission based on SQA qualifications? Standard entry requirements from S5 are 5As, including English and only one from the general list, plus the LNAT. The doc states that if the criteria are met then an applicant will be admitted. That was for 2018 entry and a friends DC was admitted after gaining 5As in 5th year plus the LNAT.

Edinburgh doesn’t publish the same level of detail.

I’ve known others to go to Dundee and they are doing very well but don’t know their entry grades.

Wicked your DS could also look at courses with good US exchange programmes in place - loads of them do.

Aurea I am a Glasgow Law graduate and I do keep track because I have Uni age DC. I would rate 5 As and a B in S5 plus LNat as pretty high chance for Glasgow / Edinburgh assuming the As include English and ideally History. I did direct S5 entry which I believe they no longer offer and I wouldn't recommend. Glasgow Law school just rated above Oxford in latest rankings so will likely be in even more demand this year. Important to aim high as there are far more Scottish lawyers than there are jobs and alma mater matters if you go outside the profession, as I did. Otoh eg Strathclyde had much better local links for traineeships than Glasgow and was better for students who didn't have family connections. Talking to a solicitor friend recently I think this may still be the case.

Recommend your niece does a visit to the public gallery at the court and some reading around all the developing Brexit case law would help with getting a feel for public law - the A50 judgements and loads more are all online. Getting her to read the business pages is good for contract law and if she has access to a debating society or similar that is also great. (My DD did her work experience at the housing department and did a court visit through that which she found enlightening - sadly she has no interest in becoming a lawyer)

Groovee, I hope you are feeling better. You are in a similar boat to me last year. It's difficult to be happy for one child whilst the other is unhappy. This time last year DS2 was sitting with 1a, 1b,2cs,1d and two fails including Maths. Today he has 3 highers and a B in Maths Nat 5 and didn't really get his shit together until February. A change of teacher for Maths, a smaller class and mostly with others who were resorting seems to have helped though was still only getting 30ish % in tears including the prelim. This time last year he thought uni would be out of his league. Now he has a real chance of a decent place if he keeps it all together this year for his AH and two more highers. Give your D'S an extra hug from me and it's definitely not the end of his hopes and dreams. DS1 helped DS2 with his maths just before the exam and he is gobsmacked at the B he got as he was sure he's fail again...:o

@howabout

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

His As were in English, maths, physics, chemistry and music (not history)
His B was in Modern Studies which is unfortunate but it was a crash Higher in S5.
He's doing advanced highers
in music , Mods and RMPS this year.

He's president of a debating society and won competitions and has had work experience at a law firm, enters law essay competitions and reads
Law books so he's definitely keen. I'll pass on the info about Brexit though.

I know competition for places is tough but hopefully luck will be in his side.

We have no contacts in the family to help so it'll all be on his own merit.

Any other tips would be gladly received.

Huge thanks!

I have a friend who is on (one of?) the Law Society for Scotland's committee(s) looking at the legal implications of Brexit. I could ask him if there is anything he advises. He's a lawyer in Glasgow City Council (so often gets involved in evictions and bad debt)

Also - ds crashed Modern Studies too (albeit in 6th year) - but although he got a A, he did acknowledge that he could just have easily got a C or B as a lot of it (he thinks) depends on the marker and the particular questions.

He also did an unusual assignment (on democracy in the the USA) which could have backfired.

DD is feeling a lot better now, she b.s. 5 nat5's, 3 highers and another year at school to do better, plus many years ahead of her.
Hopefully this year will be easier for her with no change of school, we are hoping to move but she desperately wants that too.
She's also much less scared of me being in hospital now as she saw how well I was looked after this summer.