Scottish UCAS applicants 2025 entry

[motheronthedancefloor]

i know there's a HE board but that's dominated by English parents/schools/unis.

I thought I'd start our own thread for Scottish parents of kids applying to UCAS this year. What are your kids applying for? Where are they applying?

I'll start!

DD is applying to primary teaching. Considering Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Stirling. We discussed UWS but its too far away to commute and as she'd be a young 17 (february born), I wouldn't feel comfortable with her so far away. She's academically capable, but in some ways still quite young.

She has BBBCC from S5 (bastard SQA and Higher HIstory). Doing 1 AH and 2 more HIghers this year. Qualifies for a contextual offer.

Personal statement draft all done. Teacher seems happy with it. She has work experience, did the Accerlerate Education challenge I think its called and is accepted onto Top Up. So her statement looks quite good.

What annoys me is that Strathclyde asked for something specific to be included in the personal statement but that's specific to Strathclyde and might not necessarily be accepted by other universities or what they want to see. Plus it doesn't seem to be mentioned on their entry requirements so other applicants may not know this for that particular course.

Also annoys me that they don't use UCAS Tariff points. That would make it so much easier as its not clear if DDs C grades are accepted or not.

DDs school will do the submissions in December. Then I'll probably post here like every day as an anxious mum or rather angry mum - why won't they give my DD a place? lol

The SAAS funding application is open now (if anyone needs to apply) but I think it has only just opened. I honestly think a basic flow chart would make the whole site usable, it can’t be unusual to have as your first and second choices a) two Scottish unis b) two rUK unis or c) one Scottish and one rUK unis. Signposting students to the appropriate form based on one of these would surely just be sensible.

Oh well, we continue to wait for StA (as it would be first or second choice, depending on the offer) and keep our fingers crossed. Given she got 5As at higher and is predicted 3As at AH, and has done lots of additional subject specific activities, we sort of hoped they would at least offer or not quickly but never mind. I would rather it was fair to all than they made snap decisions.

Its just a bit frustrating, given lots of the place holder days are already taking place (I think Glasgow is on Tuesday).
Thanks for your responses 😊

That’s a rejection just in from St Andrews - finally! Not a surprise or a great disappointment. Delighted we can now accept her unconditional from Aberdeen and forge ahead - it was her 1st choice but we just wanted all offers in before making final decision. Decision made.

That's good she can choose now. I really hope DD hears something by Monday, its driving me crazy. Doesn't help when the school post on FB about the star pupils who have all unconditional offers and DD is sitting with one rejection, one conditional, and three don't knows. Very frustrated mama bear here.

That’s a bit shitty of the school! Thankfully our school never did anything like that. My son would have hated that

Thanks for the heads up re SAAS being open. I’m trying to fill it in, but am completely stumped by the ‘Term Time Address’ page. DD will be in halls but we don’t know which ones yet, so it’s not at all clear to me how to progress the form past that page. Maybe we are not supposed to apply before we know? But I’m sure it seems to be encouraged to apply for your funding as soon as possible, even if you hold a conditional offer? Or maybe I’ve got that wrong 🤔

Doesn't help when the school post on FB about the star pupils who have all unconditional offers

Star pupils or pupils who were not encouraged to aim high enough?

its always the star pupils, straight A kids, who get celebrated, rarely anyone else

Yeah I’ve got one straight A-er, one special needs who very much isn’t. They both work just as hard x

just seen on WIWIKAU that Strathclyde are not making double offers to people who apply to two similar humanities courses, which may explain why DD was rejected for primary education as she also applied to education & history (this was very much her last choice but may well end up being her first choice now). I'm more pissed off than I was already as we had no idea they did this and obviously would have considered her choices more carefully on the form.

Honest to fkn god, this waiting is driving me nuts.

@motheronthedancefloor how annoying! I hope you find out soon.

DD accepted her conditional offer to study at Napier today. She didn’t get into the Royal Conservatoire. She just needs a B in one of her subjects.

Well done your DD!!

Anyone off to the Glasgow Offer day tomorrow?

I’m taking DD to Glasgow tomorrow - she only got the offer on Saturday so it’s been a bit last minute organising the day off. Hope everyone waiting for offers hears soon, the waiting is awful.

I am trying to make peace with how lucky I am to have a kid who is attempting uni. That’s a good thing. It’s causing a lot of anxiety in the run up to it, but once she’s there my job really is done, she’ll emerge as an adult and that’s quite amazing.

<wails forever>

I must be the only parent on this thread still waiting! Argh!

If it is any consolation we are still waiting. My uni applier went to meet a friend from another school yesterday and she and four of her friends are still waiting. They are all straight A students waiting for St Andrews, for different subjects. The St Andrews place holder day was on Saturday.

It’s so sad to see them all waiting when their friends have had all their offers and are all going to place holder days. I know they ‘read every application’ but they have had my daughter’s for 6 months and have already made rUK offers for the same subject.

The wait is so unsettling. Best of luck to your daughter.

I do think it is very unfair for UCAS to have deadlines such that an application can receive a rejection on the morning of an exam.

Oh god I didn’t even think of the possibility of a rejection coming on an exam day! DD has had the shittiest of years, hence why I’m so desperate for some good news. I don’t know if she could take something like that 😧

Sorry to raise that spectre. Hopefully you will hear well before then. Rejections knock you even if you have other choices. They aren’t the end of the world. But it does take a bit of time to get your head round which is why I think UCAS deadline for response should be mid April.

My kid is waiting for an offer for St Andrews but wants to go to heriot watt. She tells me the ucas site won’t let her accept Hw offer until St Andrews offers. I think this is not true - and as communication is via grunts and WhatsApp I can’t easily see the emails.

anyone know?

yes, I think this is true. They can only firm up their first and insurance choice once all offers are back.

DD still waiting for St Andrews or Edinburgh… we’re off to offer holders day at Queens, Belfast this weekend… then hopefully she’ll choose her first choice from there or Nottingham ( both have made her the same offer for AHs)… she was hoping for an unconditional from Edinburgh to put as insurance…hopefully we hear soon… she also has unconditional from Stirling but doesn’t want to go there now! Waiting is annoying…

Not quite - you can withdraw from courses you are still waiting for then firm up the others.

Thanks, that’s very helpful.

I have to say, the UCAS website is based in rather a lot of assumed knowledge. It’s a long time since I applied for further education so I’m a bit stumped!