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

One of mine thought Glasgow uni shit too. He's my most sociable and struggled to make uni friends (odd as a teenager on holiday he'd have found a set of mates (and a GF) in an hour at the pool).

GU for him improved from end of 2nd year as his courses had residential trips and he found a few mates. I suspect if choosing again he'd go elsewhere.

Tell your son to stick in until the end of the year as I know some unis look at 1st year results for transfers in.

DD has an interview this week for teaching at Glasgow. Its not her first choice and as someone who worked there (albeit just for a year), I don't rate it as a university myself.

Exactly- not the right fit for everyone, regardless of grades they achieved. Very dissapointing for your DS - are most of his class staying in halls etc so make friends that way? Are there any small clubs he can join at the Uni to meet sone more people?

HI, I've been lurking and reading for a whille. My DD has unconditionals from Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Herriot Watt for geography. Aberdeen was her favourite from the open days but she's been wondering if she should go to Glasgow as it has higher entry requirements. The info above has made me think maybe not now.

HI, I've been lurking and reading for a whille. My DD has unconditionals from Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Herriot Watt for geography. Aberdeen was her favourite from the open days but she's been wondering if she should go to Glasgow as it has higher entry requirements. The info above has made me think maybe not now.

They do, but he should be contacting the other universities to enquire now.

Maybe another visit before deciding? You look at a place differently when you hold the cards over which to attend. The often have offer holder days - those these can be right on top of exams.

I'd see if she can find out more about the experience in the Geography department - it might be that there's quite a lot of variation across subject areas. I know that Glasgow students in a subject area I'm very familiar with have a brilliant time and identify very strongly with the department and its activities rather than the university as a whole - but it's quite a niche one!

Honestly don’t let my son’s experience put you off. Clearly plenty of people enjoy Glasgow

I went to Glasgow a loong time ago and lots of people stayed at home then and only socialised with their old school friends so I don't think that aspect is especially new. I do think it varies dept to dept and depends on what activities you get involved in. DD also went there and found 1st year quite tricky but joined a couple of clubs in second year and found her "tribe" then.

My brother found the same in Edinburgh many moons ago too. And I can see it amongst my friends children who are staying at home whilst attending university now too. Normally by second year they are establishing more university connections. First year connections for those who live away often revolves around survival of living in halls.

He’s joined some clubs, I just think that he’s not found his people there. He had an unconditional for Edinburgh too, I expect that may have been even worse although at least he’d have been in halls

My son is second year computer science at Edinburgh University.

He's had no problems making friends but he avoided Pollock in first year and went mid range self catering.

DD delighted as she got 2 Glasgow Uni offers in last night and it's her first choice for Accounting. We didn't expect to get them through until much later as quite a competitive course.

Congratulations to all the offer holders

Unconditional in from Edinburgh this morning (rather unexpected) so all offers in now and time to make decisions. Good Luck to those still waiting or who have interviews coming up.

Great news!

Can I ask whether the offer came through on a UCAS email or did your DC have to log in to the Edinburgh system to see it? Mine is very reluctant to get involved with all the logging in and out palaver and I'm not sure whether I genuinely need to push him to do it or whether notification will come through anyway.

For all offers she's had an email saying track updated and telling her to check her UCAS account.

Fab, that helps and I can back off. That's what happened for the offers he's had in already but I'd been reading doom-posts on the Student Room saying that Edinburgh communications weren't coming that way or were ending up in spam!

So DD got a conditional offer from Glasgow except....it doesn't state what the conditions are! It says conditional, and full offer, and then the rest of it is just blank? Has anyone seen this before and knows what it could mean?

hmm sounds odd…has she contacted the Uni? Mine had a conditional for Glasgow last year and it clearly said he needed a B at AH

Yes they said she needed to provide proof of qualifications, I assume becuase its primary education and they need N5 Maths and H English.
However, I'd expect them to have access to that proof already via the SQA?
Anyway she's uploaded proof but we don't know what changes that will make to the offer? All really wierd.
Nothing from Stirling or Strathclyde yet

Yeah some of the unis said to my son last year they needed proof of qualifications, he didn’t have to provide it in the end. Like you I would have thought they’d get it from the SQA or the school

What's with the changing SQA exam timetable by extending it by one weekday day? If it had been a week fair enough, but one day🤔 what difference is that making??

Its because psychology and english were on the same day I think and some kids were doing both with little break in between, especially if you were a kid with additional time, you essentially got no lunch break.
The new timetable means DDs first exam will be on the 25th April, really early, and she'll be finished by like 9th May and that'll be her done with school 😭
In UCAS news - still nothing other than a conditional from Glasgow which didn't make much sense other than to ask for proof of grades so still dont know what changes supplying those grades will mean. Nothing from Stirling or Strathclyde.
Her BF got an unconditional for an HNC course though but too far away so probably wont go there (no idea why he applied then but he's not my kid!)