Starting year 13 2016

[HSMMaCM]

Continuing from the year 12 - 13 thread.

Good luck with continuing studies, uni open days, driving tests, etc.

I think my DD's school goes for a 'realistically achievable by this student if they carry on applying themselves' rather than a statistical probability iyswim. They encourage the girls to aim high - eg applying to Oxbridge or medicine if they're in with a shot, but then support those who try but don't get an offer. It may be that with girls there is more of a tendency to be cautious and less confident and so need a bit more of a push towards the more competitive courses.

I think your are right HSM about the stats. I also think this school had its fingers burned in the past witb predictions and is a bit wary of the A level changes.

I like the approach your DD's school takes Errol, seems sensible to me.

The girl concerned has a sibling who went last week after having to resit having been somewhat over optimistic so she wants to be realistic which I get. And she learned the importance of having an insurance you're happy with - that fell on deaf ears with her sibling despite best efforts at the time!

I've read that not getting your firm can affect accommodation and know of someone locally who deferred after getting their insurance but no accommodation. I think I read on one prospectus that even if you put them as your insurance you still applied for accommodation pre results which caused issues as sibling mentioned above didn't seem to have read that bit ! All came good in the end though.

I think with vet. Science you're lucky to get any offer.Apparently only 50% get in first time.So I guess there is absolutely no point in worrying about Accommodation.
Dd got an A in her Biology exam and is forecast an A*.But her school didn't do the stand-alone As exams.But the school also got the pupils to do some sort of test which predicted their future results ( where you also type in their GCSE grades).Dd's were BBB only - these were then totally discounted by her teachers who know she's good at studying.That would be a possibility if predicted scores seemed low ( and teachers didn't know the pupils well).

PeaceandLOve I've messaged you back .Thank you.

It is interesting to see the different approaches by various schools. I tell myself I'll know what I'm doing with DS in 5 years time but it will probably be all different then!

Teta that does ramp up the stress for you both but I guess you know where you stand with it. Is the closing date the end of October ?

Teta - was that low prediction the ALPs targets? They're the official thing used to work out added value, I think, which probably are valid only for the whole population not individuals. It takes some average of all gcse grades so will typically underscore if you are really good at one type of subject (the ones you'll actually be doing at a level) and weaker on the others. Also doesn't allow for how many subjects. If I've understood my DDs explanation, 9A would predict higher than 9A and 3Bs.

I don't know about the biology, but for the physics AS most of DDs pals thought they'd done badly but actually got good grades, in line with the schools predictions (not the alps nonsense) i.e it was a harder paper than they were expecting but evidently compensated for in the marking and/or grade boundaries.

I think they must have been Errol.But I didn't take much notice because the teachers were pretty dismissive about it.

Me neither. Apart from inducing a discussion about statistical analyses, they were nothing more than a mild irritation.

DD came home grumpy on Friday night. Apparently get psychology teacher was in a bad mood and set them 4 hours of homework

4 hours
Mind you, I think DD had a bit to do - for some test I think she said!
And she has been working on her English coursework

Mirabelle I think its before the end of October.Her school want it handed in by the end of September though.
Dd is just grumpy - does there have to be a reason?
Though the fact she couldn't go to Young Farmers on Saturday night did not help .Especially as dd2 spent an hour curling dd1's hair in preparation..This hair is very long,very thick and very straight and a major job.

Why couldn't she go teta? I remember DD spending hours straightening her hair once and then being all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Dh could give them a lift there at 10 pm but then had to go on to the airport.No lift home at 1.30 because of various issues with dad's and families.Bearing in mind there are no taxis as these party's are always in the middle of nowhere and none of them drive yet ( not that we would let them).They had no way of getting home.

Oh bad luck. Dh often ends up bailing out teens with no lift home in the middle of the night.

How is everyone? Work has been mad crazy so I've had no time to pop in.

I think DS is suffering from open day-itis. He has said he is not going to any more because they are basically all the same and with history, most places have flexible option modules so it is hard to compare courses

He is off to do Duke of Ed gold expedition tomorrow (shudders at weather forecast in Brecon Beacons). He is very grumpy about this having heard that most universities don't bother to read personal statements so to his mind it is a waste of time.

dd has Open day-itus too. She has decided not to go to any more and is taking a guess for the last two choices by using the internet.

She is still having to alter bits of the PS but her heart isn't in it. I don't think they even pay too much attention to PS's for Physics.

Good luck for DoE for your ds.

I don't think DD is planning to go to any more, but she may go to stay with students she knows already at possible unis - it's all about the social life!

No idea whether her PS is done or not - I think she was asking a relevant teacher to look at it...

DD is planning on going to one more open day in October. I think I have opendayitis . I was relieved to find out she will be going with friends and I don't need to get involved.

She has a plan for her PS - another draft, then showing it to a teacher, then re-drafting. She definitely doesn't want me involved, did the face when I asked how it was going.

DD just has Manchester this weekend - it's an easy daytrip though.

Ono - I'm not sure the point of DofE is supposed to be so that you can mention it in your PS! Hope the weather isn't too vile (TBH I think my DD would have felt a bit cheated if it hadn't pissed down almightily on her in scotland on hers, part of the experience )

Errol - I thought it was! It certainly is lauded by DD's school as something to put on the PS!

We are going to one more - actually a "student led tour" not a full open day - in half-term. It's to Reading Uni which dd seems quite keen on.
Then one of ours will be a "looks promising" from website etc. as it's a bit of a trek for a visit - but they do applicant visits too, so we're planning to go to one of those a bit later on.
Am hoping what we're going for will result in some nice offers to think about - and that generally we're pitching it about right?
Anyone getting much advice from schools? I feel I'd like more opportunity to talk it through with someone, but guess I'll have to be content with dd having a discussion with someone before UCAS application is submitted?

My dd feels similarly Ono.But I think she secretly rather enjoyed the practice expedition .I think its mentioned briefly in her P.S as a link to teamwork along with playing in an orchestra and Cello ensemble.I was briefly shown her latest update at 11pm,read it and then we had a minor disagreement over how much work experience she's put,then she got furious with me and stomped off to bed crossly.
PS writing is a load of old twaddle,isn't it?

DS is doing one more Open Day (B'ham next month)

He hadn't started his PS last time I asked (fortnight ago).

Still hasn't decided which subject...

I am starting to go a bit stir crazy!!!

Juggling - I'm not getting any advice, but DD is - theres one member of staff specifically tasked with reviewing PS, talking to them re choices, putting together the references from subject teacher, all that sort of thing. But she also seems to have been discussing it all with her form tutor.

Do they get references from all their subject teachers Errol, or just the most relevant one for their intended course?