Parent Blog: Jennie – The Application Process
Jennie has two sons, the eldest is currently at Loughborough University, studying a sports coaching degree and the youngest son is working through his GCSEs.
Once your son/daughter has narrowed it down to the place they want to study, then this is the time to make sure the course they want is the best one for them.
As I previously wrote in my last blog I touched upon looking at your son/daughters results in their exams corresponding with college/university requirements. This is very important that they have covered all options available to them in which ever places of study they have decided are their first choices. Make sure they choose more than one because it can be very disappointing if they set their heart on a university and for whatever reason it does not materialise.
The next step is completing a UCAS application and for this I recommend looking at ucas.com to get help with their personal statement. Always include how the course fits their career path that they want to follow, this shows their interest and also helps in showing their intent to see this through because there is a specific goal for them at the end. All courses are on the college/university websites including degree apprenticeships. Each provider has different courses and therefore your son/daughter need to do their research into these and request information and guidance from that particular college/university. This is very important as your son/daughter could be there for at least three years and they have to enjoy the course they choose and the one in which gets them that dream career at the end.
I would always advise going to specific course sessions where possible together, as these events give your child that experience and knowledge they need. These taster sessions really give a good insight into the course provided. Your son/daughter can ask questions and mix with other students who are just as apprehensive or excited to start their new adventure. These sessions will help your son/daughter know if this is going to be the right decision for them. You can also get time without your son/daughter and ask those questions from the tutor your son/daughter roll their eyes at or say how you are embarrassing them. Yes! They will never know! I find that when you are with your son/daughter you don’t get to ask those important questions you need to know as a parent, simply because your child doesn’t want to feel like they are not able to do things without you. They need to feel independent and this way it stops all the arguments in the car back home if they are unaware you have done this. You will then start to feel more comfortable about this transition in their lives and yours.
When offers start to come through then it could say this is a conditional offer of a place dependent upon your son/daughter’s results in their qualifications. It is only unconditional once your child has met those requirements set by the college/university. They then need to look at the date they need to reply by. There are three types of reply:-
- Firm- First choice.
- Insurance- Back up in case they don’t meet those requirements/don’t get the results they were expecting.
- Decline- They need to say no to this offer.
This and more is on the UCAS website and there is also an application flowchart which is very useful.
With all this said I would like to say I hope your son/daughter get the results they want and that the choices they make get them the career which they enjoy doing.
