11 Plus Exams Forum

DD got her third university rejection at the weekend - it was her first choice as well! We know that veterinary science is a very competitive course, but it's still very disappointing for her and annoying to get such news just before her January exams. She was a bit dejected for a while and isn't holding out much hope for her final outstanding application (Bristol). We were worried that all this might affect her performance, but thankfully she's come back fighting and has declared her intention to work hard and "show 'em what she's made of" ready for next year's reapplication. I don't think the implications of the increase in tuition fees has hit her yet, but we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

If anyone has any tips, tricks, anything at all that might help her to stand out from the crowd in next year's process, we'd love to hear them!

Really sorry to hear this - glad she is seeing it is a challenge to prove she can do it!

Was reading a thread on studentroom about people reapplying - this was for medicine not vet, but they looked at maximising work experience, interview practice (UKCAT etc ... not sure if the vets do this??)

I know that in Vet, work experience is particularly important - I expect she had done a fair bit but more and variety will help - also can really help to have the A levels to "show them".

good luck

That is such a shame, Marylou...don't really have much advice apart from work experience, and get the grades in the A Levels and reapply. She sounds as if she has a great attitude, and I'm sure she will win through in the end.
Good luck

Just sending you and your DD cyber sympathy. I havent got any advice but just to say these things tend to sort themselves out in the end.

She probably already knows about it but some of the threads on "The student room" are quite helpful

Sympathy to your DD.

Our DD1 is also intent on following the same route (a few years to go yet!) but the odds are very tough.

I noticed that Bristol for example is over 10x oversubscribed despite the long training time and relatively (v.v. medicine) poor pay at the end of the process.

Nightmare. Good luck with Bristol and if not, with plan B.

Regards
SVE

Sorry, I've no help Marylou, just to say sorry to you and your feisty daughter. Getting him into grammar school was stressful enough: can't imagine the next bit...

Thanks for all your words of support, folks! This year's application was always going to be a bit of a long shot, anyway. DD's work experience only totalled about 7 weeks which was well below what a lot of the other candidates were offering, and we suspect that a combination of that and the B for Chemistry AS (despite being predicted an A at A2) probably sealed her fate this year!

We have indeed discovered The Student Room, and I've now realized from looking on there that a very large proportion of successful vet school candidates seem to be reapplicants. As far as A-level grades are concerned, it really is a case of "bird in the hand". All the more reason for DD to pull the stops out! She really does intend to make the most of her (enforced) gap year to build up the experience and possibly study an OU module to keep the grey cells ticking over, but there is always that niggly "what if" at the end of it. At present, Plan B is to press on with Plan A, just to do it a bit later. DD has never wanted to be anything other than a vet.

Nothing to add to what everyone else has already said.

It's so very disappointing for them, as parents we want to do it for them, but this is her battle and one she seems to be ready for. A determined girl who must surely win in the end!!

You must be very proud.

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