Parent of 2011 student queries

frames1_uk

thank you, I wonder if the scottish universities seem to reply later? I've just read up on Edinburgh, I really can't see her getting a place there unfortunately, she's predicted an A and 2 Bs, they seem to want 3 As, although they publish 3 Bs.

I've been looking at Aberdeen, looks like a great university, but it's nearly 500 miles away from home!

AnnBar

It is not unusual for Scottish universities to wait until all applications are in - and that has just passed i think. St Andrews are notorious for waiting until the end of March before making many offers.

yorkiegirlie

my son put in his UCAS applications in November and got offers from all 5 choices within a week. None of them were scottish unis, and were leeds, manchester, sheffield, nottingham and birmingham.

The_One_Who

The UCAS deadline wasn't that long ago, and some universities (Scottish and non-Scottish) like to wait until all applications are in before making any offers. If it takes until March, then it takes until March, there's not much that can be done.

johnswife

Interviews are still going on, my daughter has her last one in February.

melancholly

frames1_uk wrote: »

she's a quiet, shy girl and I would like her to be on a proper big student campus to feel safe and meet lots of likeminded people.

Yes I know it's her going, not me, but I will still worry sick as she's not the most mature of teenagers and quite unworldlywise.

i know this isn't always the view you get in various prospectuses, but having been at a few unis now, i'd say wherever she ends up going, she'll have plenty of opportunities to meet great people and live with other students and find people that she mixes well with! unis are huge and there is plenty of room for everyone to find their niche! i don't think the place as a whole makes a big difference; just the local specifics (you can end up with amazing or selfish housemates anywhere in the world!).

it's all a bit of a wait and see game for places... it doesn't mean anything if she hasn't heard (different departments in the same uni will work to different timescales), so don't read anything into that.

do get her onto that student finance website though, that's great advice.

rozmister

At my university you couldn't apply for accommodation until results date so you may not need to worry about that yet! Check with the uni though.

With student finance get in as soon as you can they are very slow and very very poor at administration. The more time you give it the more likely it is you'll get your money when term time starts. There is a delay between moving into accommodation and your loan coming at most unis because freshers week is before classes start sometimes and your loan doesn't come until the actual term starts so you might want to suggest DD gets a small summer job and saves for this because freshers doesn't come cheap.

frames1_uk

thanks for all replies, all information is very received gratefully.
I don't think the student finance is available for application yet, just keeps saying 'will be open soon'.
It also didn't occur to me that the maintenance loan doesn't start until after the freshers week, so I guess we'd have to fund a weeks accommodation? I doubt my daughter will get a job round here in the summer, there just isn't going, plus she goes to stay with her dad abroad for a week or two.

frames1_uk

yorkiegirlie wrote: »

my son put in his UCAS applications in November and got offers from all 5 choices within a week. None of them were scottish unis, and were leeds, manchester, sheffield, nottingham and birmingham.

that's quite unusual though, is it not? Unless he's predicted 3A*s perhaps?

rozmister

frames1_uk wrote: »

so I guess we'd have to fund a weeks accommodation?

I didn't have to but we did have to put a deposit down on the accomodation (£300 which was about 3 and a bit weeks rent) within a week of being awarded our accomodation. They didn't make us pay our rent until loans came through and then there was some leeway if you contacted them and explained your loan was late (although I knew one person who abused this!!). I was in uni run halls though to know the ins and outs to start saving you should contact the uni's accomodation office when you know where she's going.

If she's in private accomodation then yep you'll need a deposit and a months rent before she moves in.