Anyone else finding sixth form applications stressful?

[WeAreGerbil]

DD has three possibles, two she will almost certainly get offers for, and another, which was her favourite, which is heavily over-subscribed. However we know that lots of people who have applied there are just doing it as an insurance and are unlikely to end up there next September (it's the only sixth form that is over-subscribed, so those choosing other places as first choice will almost definitely get into those). We think it's likely to be over-subscribed by five or six applicants for each one place.

She may be lucky and get in in the first tranche through the lottery process, but on the other hand she may not get a place at all or not until after they have their GCSE results when people have to make firm choices, as I think people will hold a range of offers to keep their options open. It's a bit of a nightmare - her friends in the main are going to FE colleges and have already got offers and so know what they are doing - and although I keep saying she doesn't need to make a decision now, keep her options open, we both tend towards liking to have things sorted out. It just keeps opening up the discussion again and again about where she's going to go, and are they the right A levels, we did the open days before Christmas, now we're doing school day visits and then there will be interviews. This originally seemed like a good idea to get as much information as possible, but now I'm wondering whether it's overkill! And the stress of two lots of mocks this term and increasing pressure from her teachers over revision.

Anyone else in this sort of situation? How are you managing it?

We are finding the process rather lengthy and repetitive. Like yours, my DD is at a 11-16 school, so has to choose one of the local colleges or sixth form of another school. After open evening at school where all the options had stalls, visits to colleges, several taster days and a whole morning where parents were required to stay for 3 hours, my DD had decided on A levels. She's filled in all the forms, with these details, and applied to 2 colleges and 1 school 6th form.

Job done I thought - but no, she now has to attend interviews, although the letters from the colleges say she has been offered a place, subject to agreeing on courses. She's already said the courses she'd like to study, so this doesn't make entire sense. The letters also say if you don't attend the interviews, then the offer may be withdrawn. I'm past fed up with the process already, we've done our best to help DD choose a course that interests her, somewhere they seem to care about the kids and with a good reputation from friends. There just seems to be too much time and yes anxiety about the whole process.

I know my DD is fortunate, in that she is predicted 6-8 for everything, and only needs 6 in the subjects she wants to study. She's generally pretty laidback and she is finding it a bit worrying, so I can imagine how stressful it is for more anxious kids. My DS loves / needs to know exactly what is happening and when so I'm not looking forward to him going through this in a few years time.

1poppy1 Yes, we've been to four open days (weekends or evenings), rejected one school at this stage, been to two visits in school hours and have a third one to go, and then she'll have three interviews. She won't have an issue about grades either, but I do envy those kids that are just staying on at their existing schools, though I do think DD's current school has been really good with GCSEs, so I'm glad she didn't choose an 11-18 school earlier that wouldn't have been so good now.