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

Unconditional from Edinburgh in this morning! She’ll likely use it as her insurance and firm either Nottingham or Queens (who made the same conditional offers) depending on how this weekend’s offer holder’s day in Belfast goes… and withdraw from St Andrews if not heard by then.

Well done your DD

Congrats TalkedTooMuch that’s a fine set of choices there. Fancy Edinburgh sitting on that Unconditional for so long - what makes them so slow?! Anyway hope the offers day in Belfast goes well and helps firm her choices (and that St Andrews let you know soon)

I thought you couldn't use an unconditional as insurance?

@GargoylesofBeelzebubyou can.. quote below from UCAS site:

• Offer and reply combinationsUnconditional firm (UF) – You're in!
• Conditional firm (CF) – You're in if you meet the conditions.
• Conditional firm (CF) and conditional insurance (CI) – You've made a first and second choice – you'll be in at the first if you meet the conditions. If not, you might have met the conditions of the second – if so you'll be on that course instead.
• Conditional firm (CF) and unconditional insurance (UI) – You've made a first and second choice – if you meet the conditions of the first you'll be on that course. If not, you'll definitely be on the second.

Thanks @motheronthedancefloor and @Livein2025… and agreed it seems odd to take so long to offer an unconditional… but that’s Edinburgh ( & St Andrews, and to a lesser extent Glasgow) for you!

Thank you! I definitely had read different.

DD just got another rejection from Strathclyde. Really pd off now. Still nothing from Stirling but that’s v competitive.

That’s tough to deal with. How’s your DD taking it?

She's less upset about this rejection than for the primary education rejection (she applied to two courses at Strathclyde). This rejection was very much her 'last choice' but it is still a worry that she may only have one conditional if Stirling also reject her.

DD just got an unconditional offer from St Andrews! So that’s unconditionals from Stirling, Edinburgh and St Andrews and conditionals from Nottingham and Queens… and complete bewilderment about what to accept/ firm except she knows not Stirling… hopefully offer holder at Queens this weekend will help decide… am aware it’s a good dilemma to have…

well done!!

Still waiting on Stirling here. Losing hope 😢

There’s still time 🤞

@motheronthedancefloor good luck with Stirling.

DD is out with friends, rather than revising. I’ve given up!

wonder if she's out with my DD who is exactly the same!
Have told her she knuckles down from next week!

She’s still out. I’ve reminded her she agreed to really knuckle down for drama tomorrow but she has sent a cryptic message that she has ‘may have agreed’ to something else. No idea what and I’m off to bed. I’ve tried to help her in every way I can. It’s certainly not a given that she will get the grades she needs for uni. I am on the verge of just walking away and leaving her to figure it out. I can’t do any more.

Sorry! That was a bit of a rant there.

I totally relate! DD is having problems with one of her subjects to the extent we've had to make a formal complaint about the teacher, so its all the more important that she buckles down and gets the other subjects at least. She's just having a really shit time of it this year so part of me wants her to get her ass in gear, the other part of me is sympathetic to her wanting to have some fun.

Well this morning, six months after the application went in DD has a rejection from St Andrews. She is glad she can get on with the process but is disappointed that they didn’t want her as she thought she was a really good candidate, 5 As at Higher and predicted 3 As at advanced higher, plus lots of relevant super curricular activities, and had been up three times to see them.
I feel disappointed for her (not so much about St Andrews but about the fact she had to wait so long checking email every day for months only to be told ‘no, they get a lot of applications’) also they have lost out on a really good, enthusiastic, hard working candidate who is passionate about her subject.
It’s not a dig at St Andrews btw, it’s a great university and good luck to all those candidates who have a place, it’s just a brutal system making them wait so long.

aw I'm sorry for your DD, I totally emphasise, DD is still waiting on two courses from Stirling and we keep getting the same vague messages from them about having until May. It feels like they are just prolonging the inevitable now.

I'm also really pissed off with the Focus West Top Up programme. DD got told she has passed it with an AAA profile and they will let all the universities she's applied for know....great....except they'll be told in JUNE, when the deadline for making offers is MAY. So unless DD gets a conditional offer, its not going to make the slightest bit of fucking difference is it? So much for widening access. We could let the universities know ourselves, but DD doesn't want to nag them, plus we dont really have proof as yet.

Hi, what’s the deal with funded places for Scottish students at Scottish unis?
I mean, I know they are entitled to it, but how do you actually go about the process? Or do you actually need to do anything? No guidance from the school! Or the uni.
we have an offer holder day to attend next week at Abertay. Will we find out more then?

This is where you go. I think applications are already open.

https://www.saas.gov.uk

I presume the late rejections are because the universities recognise them as strong candidates and want to hang onto the opportunity to offer them a space as long as possible.

You are right, of course, Ginko. I think the whole UCAS system should be changed so that all the offers have to be out BEFORE the exams (Scotland and England) start, so pupils go in knowing what they are aiming for and won’t get a rejection on the day of an exam or during that period. The first Advanced Highers start next week!

Motheronthedancefloor That is a crazy system! What is the point of doing it then? Unless they think all the students will go through clearing or something! I really really hope she gets something from Stirling soon.

UNCONDITIONAL

OMFG

Mother unconditional for Stirling?!! That’s amazing - FINALLY!