Starting Year 13 - September 2015

[hellsbells99]

Welcome to Year 13!
Their final year of school;
Applying for university/college/work/apprenticeships;
A year of 18th birthday parties;
Going to their first nightclub (unless they already have fake ID!);
The year they turn into adults!

DD2 has been back at school for 3 days and has lots of work already.

[BethanKate]

Uhtred well done to your DD for offer from RCM.

[Dunlurking]

Talkin that seems very early for an EPQ hand in. Does it depend on the school? Ds only started one 2 weeks into term and has until March, I think Hope your dd's stress with her EPQ settles BethanKate

Ds Finally heard from Exeter yesterday! AAA, which is confusing as he thought standard offer was AAA and his grammar school, although not high performing, is by no means a contextual offer school. I'm wondering if Exeter tailor their offers to the applicants. Ds very happy as his predicted A was a bit of a hard ask and the teacher and he knew it but they went for it anyway so he could apply for this particular course. Great relief anyway and good luck to your dd Talkin for Exeter and to anyone still waiting to hear from them.

Thanks Needmore. I hope your dd gets some more interviews but she has done very well getting the ones she's already heard from. Medicine is not like other subjects (except drama school I suppose) - you just need one and lots don't get any. BTW Bristol is my first choice, not ds's - he's torn between Birmingham and Exeter now, with Warwick as insurance. Thanks for the best wishes on Bristol everyone including Gloria, and Morvah and BethanKate

[Dunlurking]

Oh no BethanKate Crossposted! What happened?

[UhtredRagnorsson]

DD1 has her EPQ 'presentation' (whatever that is) on 7 Jan. I know this for sure because it's on the calendar. I'll be away though, so it will wash over me. I think she is performing as part of it. But it's possible plans have changed.

[UhtredRagnorsson]

Well done on everyone's offers. 🙂

[BethanKate]

Dunlurking very well done to your DS that's really good offer from Exeter!

EPQ is compulsory at DS's school & right from start he hasn't wanted to do it but they said some unis give you lower offers & it's something to talk about at interviews etc. Hasn't had any interviews though. He has dyslexic difficulties which makes writing hard for him but he said he'd do an essay & he'd be ok. School set deadline for Monday although for exam board it's May, he'd left things until last minute but felt he could get it done then went down with really bad cold & bit of temp. Had shown logbook to tutor previous week who had said what he'd done was ok but needed to do more. On Friday sent logbook back to tutor who then said what he'd done wasn't ok - needed to pretty much redo it all! Same thing happened to several others. Got in bit of state & said writing was making him feel physically sick. He emailed teacher in charge of EPQ & explained situation - she's never replied. Off sick Mon & Tues (first days off in 6th form). Went into school yesterday & found others in similar position & they had decided just not to finish including boy with interview at Oxford. He emailed unis who've made him offers & asked if it would make any difference if he gave up & they replied no it wouldn't & he's feeling even if school give him extension it would be better to spend time revising for mocks & working for STEP so he's chucked it in.

[UhtredRagnorsson]

Except for those people who can't wait to get away...

[Hullygully]

Hello everyone, just out of interest I was chatting to a head of sixth form at a very prestigious school recently who said that they were moving away from EPQs as they had become devalued and unnecessary. Hurray! say I.

[BethanKate]

Agree Hullygully!

Though I hope my DS has learnt something from this experience about leaving things to last minute.

Exeter sounds like a nice place to go to uni. Actually I think I applied there, can't remember if got offer, long time ago.

[SecretSquirrels]

Dunlurking well done to your DS on the Exeter offer!
Needmoresleep two interviews is great. Such a long time to wait though.

DS UCAS finally got sent last week, so well behind all of you. He wasn't expecting to hear anything until after Christmas but got his first offer yesterday from Warwick.

Very few do EPQs at his (large) sixth form college. Those of his friends who are doing them are all stressing and finding them hard going. He knew he did not need one for his courses and is mightily relieved he decided not to.

[Dunlurking]

Secret that's fantastic - well done to your ds. Won't it be convenient if both your dses are there! Ds is definitely planning to go to his Warwick Offer Holder day 10th Feb - does your ds have one to go to? Coffees are on me....

Gloria that's interesting about your ds's Exeter offer being lower as well. I'm really curious to know what's going on there with the offers this year. Well done to your ds.

Thanks BethanKate I'm sorry about the stress your ds has had with the EPQ. How ridiculous making it compulsory. It doesn't sound like the school have handled it at all well.

Strangely ds is actually enjoying his EPQ as it's on something he's obsessive about anyway. He's learning a lot about referencing and keeping a learning log (logbook) that will stand him in good stead for university. He did it incase it would protect him from a dropped grade, and in fact his Birmingham offer is A*AA or AAA + A in EPQ. Exeter don't mention the EPQ so that trumps Birmingham and Bristol rather nicely, and Warwick is AAB, and perfect for insurance.

[Ta1kinPeace]

EPQ is entirely optional at DDs college - only about 100 of them are doing it I think.
Hers was on a topic that utterly inspires and fascinates her so the deadlines were a doddle to hit. Presentation was week before last.
It means that the next 2 terms she can concentrate on the big three.

Making it compulsory is silly IMHO

dunlurking that is a nice offer to have in hand. Well done.

[UhtredRagnorsson]

EPQ compulsory at DD1's school but she has been fine with it. She has found it fascinating and enjoyable. And she certainly talked about it in all her auditions/interviews. It's given her the incentive and oportunity to explore repertoire well outside the 'usual' run of the mill usual suspects.

[BethanKate]

SecretSquirrels good news about Warwick offer!

DS has got offer from Imperial!

AAA - slightly lower than Warwick as not asking for STEP.

[SecretServ1ce]

Good news on Imperial, I'm guessing it's maths at Warwick Bethankate?
Standard offer is AAA plus STEP.
So anything not requiring STEP is a lower offer. What's his preferred choice? I have a DS at Warwick doing maths.

[SecretServ1ce]

Squirrels here by the way. Testing a new name for no other reason than I am bored

[Dunlurking]

Squirrels have you been replying to that M15 ad that was on mumsnet?

[BethanKate]

For Imperial that's quite a good offer, sometimes they're even higher. Massive boost to his confidence as must have done well in MAT exam. Think he prefers Warwick really (yes it's Maths) & is concerned about cost & difficulty of finding accommodation in London. He's going to go to post-offer days & compare courses carefully just to make sure he's making right decision. Seems like course at Warwick is more flexible.

Has offer of AAB from Bristol so that will be insurance.

Is your DS happy at Warwick Secret?

[LIZS]

Ds keeps getting seasonal messages from Unis who have yet to respond to his application

[Leeds2]

I don't think my DD has had seasonal messages from places she has had offers from!