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Posted by KerryEnnis (U8261722) on Saturday, 28th July 2007
Title says it all . Do Scriptwriters know how UCAS works?
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 10:53 GMT, in reply to KerryEnnis in message 1
UCAS allow you to hold 2 offers. We have heard 2 universities mentioned: Southampton and Leeds and I would guess (this hasn't been spelled out explicitly on the programme) that Southampton is Alice's 1st choice and Leeds is the the offer she's holding as insurance.
I know how UCAS works.
That is the whole point. A few weeks ago Alice told Shula that she was hoping to go to Leeds which suggests that was her 'firm'.
She cannot change her mind now and decide that Southampton is her firm. She will have to ask Leeds to release her after results day.
Of course as she is having a gap year she can always withdraw and reapply next year.
All they had to do is allocate about 10 seconds of dialogue to Alice saying'I've replied to UCAS and have put Southampton as my firm after all.'
I know 12 minutes a day doesn't give enough time for everyhing to be spelt out but these apparent inconsistencies annoy those of us going through the process.
Particularly unrealistic that whilst there was lots of talk about her gap year there was no discussion between Alice and her parents on her universitiy choices.
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 13:59 GMT, in reply to KerryEnnis in message 3
In practice a university will be sympathetic to an applicant who explains that their personal circumstances have changed (e.g. no longer living with their parents). UCAS is basically a mechanism to help applicants and universities make their choices - it doesn't run/control university admissions - universities do that.
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:10 GMT, in reply to mike .... in message 4
Another point occurs to me. (As you say) Alice is applying a year ahead and this would mean switching her choice would be particularly easy for all concerned because neither course will be full up yet. Of course, we don't know which university was her first choice because this wasn't explicitly stated on the programme.
Well, Mike, I'm with Kerry on this one. It's been stated more than once that Alice would be going to Leeds if she got the grades. I am a simple person and to me that implies that although she visited Southampton, in the end she decided she preferred Leeds. Now it appears she has changed her mind - fine, but as Kerry says let's have that explicityly acknowledged. Otherwise we listeners might be deluded into thinking that a mistake has been made, which we all know is impossible, of course...
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:41 GMT, in reply to Dragonfly in message 6
Isn't the point that Southampton is more convenient for the armed forces connection for some reason and this could explain why she has changed her mind (if she has)?
Yes, no problem with that. This pedant just wants it to be acknowledged that she's changed her mind.
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:46 GMT, in reply to Dragonfly in message 8
There is another consideration, it's quite likely that Southampton would have asked her for some grade A's whereas Leeds would have been happy with grade B's (haven't attempted to check this), so it would make no sense for her to make Southampton the insurance offer. So perhaps it's a complete change of mind and although she rejected Southampton's offer earlier on she's going to ask them to reconsider her because of the changed personal circumstances.
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by rosietonthemove (U2260932) on Saturday, 28th July 2007
Maybe she will wait until she gets the go-ahead from the bursary people before making a firm decision? Although obviously S'hampton is better for engineeing, perhaps she was lured by the hectic student "scene" at Leeds?
Thanks for the support Dragonfly.
Mike . I know what the purpose of UCAS is.
I am not disputing that the mechanism exists for Alice to be released from her firm choice. As someone said on another thread no University wants people who don't want to be there. But there would be chaos on results day if thousands of students decided they want to be released. That is why you get 6 or 8 weeks after last offer to make your decision.
The issue is that the scriptwriters seem to have ignored what went on beforeor seem unaware that changing her mind now is not that simple.
Mike, as far as I am aware if you decline an offer from a University you cannot then decide you want to go there, without withdrawing from UCAS and starting again either next year or hoping your desired course will be in clearing. If applicants cooul kept changing their minds the whole system would collapse.
I am a non UK resident who has offspring who have made UCAS applications . As it is a very different system to our local one I have scrutinised web sites / literature in more detail than if they had the help of knowledgable careers teachers.
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 17:47 GMT, in reply to KerryEnnis in message 11
Kerry, I'm an academic working in a UK university. Obviously we do not want to encourage many students to change their minds about their applications because there would be chaos, but if a student has had a genuine change in their circumstances (like Alice has) then the university would usually be flexible if they can.
I commented on another thread recently, on the relative absence of military types from TA. Many contributors drew a number of ex and serving military characters, including Aunt Laura's lodger, Col. Danby.
On a similar theme, there haven't been too many graduates in Ambridge, or at least not native Ambridgians. The extended Archer family might have one or two, but if I'm not mistaken, neither Jenny nor Debbie actually graduated.
Can anyone come up with a list of some native Ambridge graduates - leaving out the doctors, vets., etc. who have moved into the village?
Sat, 28 Jul 2007 21:56 GMT, in reply to E J Morgan in message 13
Adam + Roy for the native Ambridgites.
Jennifer qualified as a teacher in 1966, having done a teacher training degree at Walsall.
Ah, this hardy perennial has returned! Ignoring incomers, I think we only know two native-born Ambridgeites with degrees:
Adam - Agricultural Economics at Newcastle.
Roy - Business Studies at Felpersham.
Amongst those we know who grew up in Ambridge, that's it. Not a single member of the Archer clan except Adam has a degree level qualification. Jennifer went to Teacher Training College, Debbie dropped out of her French degree in the second year, Kate never even completed her A levels. Elizabeth has some sort of marketing diploma. Lucy Perks failed her degree and emigrated to New Zealand. Ed and Em have nothing (Em might have a basic food hygiene qualification, I will concede that). Will probably has some sort of basic gamekeeping qualification and Christopher is on track to become a farrier. David, Helen and John had agricultural qualifications but not, I think, at degree level. Tom and Kenton have nothing beyond A levels, as far as I know. There was talk of Tom doing some sort of part-time course in Borchester but I don't know if he completed it.
Brenda is on track to be the next graduate and Alice will follow. I'd bank on Daniel going to university, not nearly so sure about Pip, Josh and Ben.
, in reply to message 16.
Posted by Elnora Cornstalk (U5646495) on Wednesday, 1st August 2007
In reply to Dragonfly in message 16
I hate to admit this, but hasn't Ruth an agricultural qualification. I remember (pre-message boards, I think) the then Principal of Harper Adams joining in one of these Higher Ed discussions, to remind us that WR was one of their distinguished graduates. Heaven help poor Harper A, and farming.
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by Reggie Trentham (U7102122) on Wednesday, 1st August 2007
It is odd how few natives of Ambrigde have degrees. I think both David's and Ruth's are HDN level from Harper Adams and Helen's is similar from Reece Heath. Phil is a qualified agricultural engineer but still not a graduate.
, in reply to message 17.
Posted by al-in-a-field (U3325483) on Thursday, 2nd August 2007
Ruth does indeed have a qualification. Last time this came up Keri popped up and confirmed it. Agricultural college I think it was. Did very well.
But then, she is an incomer, innit!
Al...
Isn't an HND half a degree? When I did my degree it was four years and even if we quit after the first half, as long as we had passed the exams, we were given an HND. If we completed the other two years, we got a Bachelors.
I thought Alice was waiting for the results of her AS exams. If this is the case, why has she already got offers from universities?
No, definitely her A2s. She has left sixth form college and is going on a gap year.
Helen and Ruth both have HNDs.
Devotion to duty here! Hope the good effects of the holiday don't wear off within minutes!
Yes, DanskRose, if you get an HND you can go on to year 3 of a degree course IIRC. This is the case in Scotland anyway, where degrees are 4 years.
Alma.
I am ressurecting this thread after listening to yesterday's episode. The Scriptwriters do not seem to have done much research about UCAS.
I know it is pointless as I will be told that Universities will bend the rules if necessary, but the storyline has not reflected how much effort Alice would need to go to to achieve this change.
, in reply to message 26.
Posted by chris murray (U3149163) on Wednesday, 29th August 2007
What did she get? I was away and missed all the excitement.
two A's and a B iirc
Three As in Maths, Physics and Design & Technology. B in Psychology.
Amy got 2 Bs and a C. I think the C was in English. Many people posting thought these were poor results - this makes me wonder why we bother with grades C, D and E.
, in reply to message 29.
Posted by chris murray (U3149163) on Thursday, 30th August 2007
Many people seem to think that the A level grading is the same as the GCSE. At GCSE, A*-C grades are considered to be pass grades.
At A level, grades A-E are passes.
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