UCAS deadline

[Downwardly mobile mum]

Form has already been submitted electronically to UCAS, who will be forwarding it to school for references. Presumably it is now no longer retrievable for 'amendment'. Shame.

Incidentally, saw a posting somewhere which said approx 20% of uni applications result in no offers whatsoever. Is this down to poor selection of courses, eg aiming too high, perhaps? Son was very sensible about selecting unis with a range of admission requirements which fell either on or below his predicted scores.

It's probably down to about 20% of parents having been to university! Shame about the UCAS form. I will make sure son doesn't blab about my degree next year.

We went to a talk about UCAS at son's school the other night, and they said that almost the only boys who ever failed to get an offer were ones applying for medicine or dentistry (quite a high proprotion in the case of this particular school) and they basically got rumbled about applying for those courses for the wrong reasons (status, parental expectation, had done science A levels and couldn't think of anything else to do, etc). Your son sounds very sensible and I'm sure with a range of choices like that he will get an offer.

[fusspot99]

My dear 'darling' son told me last night his teacher approached him 15 mins before going into an exam to inform him that there were loads of mistakes on his personal statement. He said he thought his form had already been sent off. anyway he had to make amendments 10 mins before an exam - I see disastour ahed

I finally got to see a copy of his statement and application yesterday and I notice the parents education is ticked.

Does that mean he will be marked down?

[KES Parent]

My dear 'darling' son told me last night his teacher approached him 15 mins before going into an exam to inform him that there were loads of mistakes on his personal statement. He said he thought his form had already been sent off. anyway he had to make amendments 10 mins before an exam - I see disastour ahed

I finally got to see a copy of his statement and application yesterday and I notice the parents education is ticked.

Does that mean he will be marked down?

Very likely - assuming he didn't put that you and his dad left school at 14 to go straight down the pit, or straight on the dole.

[fusspot99]

So basically if you are seen as middle class (which we are not as we both work like in most families) and you have paid your taxes and strive for the best for you children, you are penalised.


think it may be time to think about emigrating

[KES Parent]

There was a report in the papers today saying that our most expensive public schools and best universities will soon be the preserve of wealthy foreigners, who can afford the £25K+ per annum school fees and don't get discriminated against for being posh or well educated when they apply to Oxbridge. I bet nobody even asks what the background of their parents is.

[solimum]

I think you are being unduly gloomy here. My son has two parents with degrees, and has been at "good" state schools. He received offers from all his university choices, including Oxford - I would have been astonished if any university tutor were to turn him down based on our education rather than look at his potential. The papers recently highlighted the problem which is more one of lack of aspiration from some bright pupils (and their teachers) - possibly those without university-educated parents, who very rarely even apply to the "top" universities

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7180898.stm

The few such that do apply will I hope also be treated on their merits - with perhaps the same attention to their personal circumstances/difficulties that the parents over on Appeals desire for their children at 11+......

[fusspot99]

Thats all very well for the more academic universities. My ds has applied to do graphic design which in days of yore would have been a vocational subject.
Whilst he has applied to some of the Russell group unis, I do wonder if they will have set quotas that they are bound by. My son has also not been to a state school which I am told may work against him.
( And before anyone decides to say 'serves you right' I can tell you that we have given up a lot in order to put our children through school and it has taken its toll in more ways than one.)

I guess its too late to worry now. Fingers crossed.

There's always plumbing!!!!!!!!

[KES Parent]

Whilst he has applied to some of the Russell group unis, I do wonder if they will have set quotas that they are bound by. My son has also not been to a state school which I am told may work against him.
( And before anyone decides to say 'serves you right' I can tell you that we have given up a lot in order to put our children through school and it has taken its toll in more ways than one.)

I guess its too late to worry now. Fingers crossed.

There's always plumbing!!!!!!!!

Yes, same here. And it is clear there is a political agenda behind the questions that UCAS are asking. With Comrade Brown in charge, with his particular brand of malevolence directed towards independent schools and Oxbridge, things can only get worse.

By the way, Fusspot, plumbing apprenticeships are even scarcer than Oxbridge places these days.

[sj355]

Let us not exaggerate. Every prospective UG student whether from within the EU or from further afield has to apply through UCAS. Hence whatever information is asked for in the UCAS form is asked from all students. Whether it is feasible to check this information, especially the education bit, is another matter.

There was a report in the papers today saying that our most expensive public schools and best universities will soon be the preserve of wealthy foreigners, who can afford the £25K+ per annum school fees and don't get discriminated against for being posh or well educated when they apply to Oxbridge. I bet nobody even asks what the background of their parents is.

[fusspot99]

Well if this information is not used to criteria, why ask it?

They already know what percentage/number of population are graduates.

It may be an exaggeration to think your offspring may not make to uni because of some other agenda, but frankly I am disgusted that I am made to feel this way.