Starting Year 13 (number 4!)

[Mindgone]

I just thought I'd get us started up again!

First post here but have np been following. Congrats to all dc's so far.

My dd has an offer for Bournemouth and received an invitation to an offer day, but no date has yet been given. Does anyone know when they'll be?

Asking this again...
Question on student finance...I have already supported DD1's application at uni for the last couple of years. Do I get new log in details for DD2?

I have asked student finance about this point, as I have a daughter in the first year of university and one applying this year.

I was told that it will be a different log in and account. The parents supporting the application fill in their part of the forms and then student finance can link it up with last years application. But you need a new log in.

Thanks Littleham - thought you'd be the one most likely to know!

Did you do it all online? Because I only started supporting DD1's application half way through her 2nd year at uni I had to send everything by post for some reason - the forms, copies of stuff showing income etc. Hoping I don't have to do that this time

...especially as my income will have dropped by more that 15% for the current year so I will want to be assessed on that!

Yes, it was all online.

Didn't start the process until about April last year as dd1 had a very late reply from a university. It still went through fine. We had to change the name of the university on results day as well - all very simple.

Thanks

pennyforum - call or email uni for a date.

Regarding student finance,

Do you have to support or do they just take a loan? We want the most straightforward way.

No you don't have to support them. They just fill in their bit and get their loan. You only need to support if you think they might get more due to your income. We didn't support in DD1's 1st year because we knew due to her Dad's income she wouldn't get any more

Evenin' All!

DS has finally managed to apply for accommodation at Soton and has a visit day to Nott'm on Saturday.

Hope everyone is well. Still not much revision going on here unfortunately.

DS has got an offer from Durham this evening so we are very excited! Off to York next week for a post offer day and then Exeter in a couple of weeks. Lots of coursework here and school play rehearsals so very busy and looking forward to half term.

Excellent news webwiz

Great news webwiz!

Serious work has started here Horsemad!
DD is unsure which university she wants to go to - think she will firm Manchester but is now concerned it is a bit to close to home (1 hour on the train). She has an applicant day at Birmingham next week and was debating tonight whether to go or not. The offers she had decided she didn't want may be back in the frame again as she may choose the furthest away from home! All her offers are almost identical which makes choosing a firm and an insurance a bit more difficult.

hellsbells99 - same with DS; both firm and insurance have offered the same, so not sure what will happen if he doesn't get those grades.

Horsemad - I think we just keep everything crossed that they either get the grades or are accepted anyway!

Brilliant webwiz.

Great news webwiz It's good that the offers are coming through from Durham - even in dribs and drabs!

DD2 has now drawn up a spreadsheet between 2 unis with pros and cons.
Basically it's either an offer of 3 As (achievable) for a 4 year MA from a uni far far away, or an uncondtional offer for 4 yr BA (ABB would be the condtional) from one about 2 hrs away. She loves both. Does getting an MA mean that much more?

I think she and all her friends are so stressed out atm - some still waiting for offers. It's such a long process from applying to being able to decide, accommodation, student finance etc.

DS definitely lightened up once he firmed his choice.

Hellsbells, being only an hour away would not necessarily mean your DD would come home more often, but she might enjoy the fact that it would be so much cheaper!
Bobs, I think it's worth looking into. I think that there are funding issues to do with doing a masters afterwards, that are eliminated if they apply for a masters course in the first place. Am sure someone else on here will know much more than me!
Webwiz, well done to your DS! :)

Mindgone DD's actually been made 2 offers from one uni - one for a BA and the other an MA - both for 4 years. It's not a case of doing the BA first and Masters after.

She actually had what you mentioned from another uni - 4 yr BA first, than an offer for free tuition if she does a Masters after if she firms with them.

I've told her to ask at school how much more worth while it is to do an MA or a BA. We know it involves more modules, dissertation work-wise. However she might prefer the other uni - and the stress is off with it being unconditional

Hi Bobs, I understand that, I was thinking that if she would eventually like to do an MA, it might be easier financially to be on that course in the first place. Possibly another thing to check for, is whether, if she goes for the MA, could she transfer to the BA if she changes her mind? It might be easier to change that way than the other way round. Best of luck to her, hopefully she will make the right choice for her :)

Thanks all glad to have all the decisions in

It's usually fine to transfer between a BA and the four year MA and vice versa up until the end of the second year (marks need to be high to transfer on to it). The four year course is funded all the way through by student finance whereas a standalone masters is funded separately. Loans for masters were announced in the Autumn statement from 2016 but I don't know how they will work.

DD2 is currently applying to do a standalone masters which is more specialised than what she would have done in the four year one. She certainly didn't know at 18 that she wanted to go in this particular direction.