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What options might DS2 have?

39 replies

RosstopherGeller · 28/05/2024 16:46

DS2 is Yr12. He developed severe anxiety in Yr11 (attendance was 50%). He's diagnosed ASD, also under CAMHS for anxiety and depression, now medicated (wasn't during GCSEs). His grades were lower than predicted but better than expected, given his mental health.

He wasn't allowed to do Chemistry as too low, tried Physics but has always hated it. School allowed him to drop it.

He's doing A Level Maths, and Biology. He's doing AS Further Maths but will be continuing on with it next year, so it will be a full A Level

He's very able at Maths and is predicted As
He really enjoys Biology but had a wobbly start. He's currently predicted a D.

I think it's possible he may be able to get a C in Biology.

The only person on either side of the family who went to university is my brother I've tried reading about how it works, but I'm not getting it.

To get to the point(!), what options might there be for him to go to university? Would anywhere accept him, or will he need to do an access course/another A Level?

OP posts:

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Rocknrollstar · 28/05/2024 16:59

You need to get advice from the person responsible for Uni applications at his college. Do you have a university near you or in mind because you could ask the applications office there for advice. Every uni publishes their requirements for each course so the answer would definitely be to gear his application towards somewhere that might accept him.

titchy · 28/05/2024 17:33

So he's doing 3? Biology, Maths and Further Maths? No need for an Access course in that case. Grades likely to be A to C? Wanting to do a Maths degree? He needs to start trawling through in

BiancaBlank · 28/05/2024 17:34

He could certainly go to uni with three A-levels at AAC, which he would have if he carries on with further maths next year. Does he know what he wants to study? WhatUni is quite a good website for searching what courses are available with your predicted grades.

titchy · 28/05/2024 17:35

Sorry! He won't be accepted by anyone no - those grades will rule him out of the very top tier of unis, but he should get offers from middle ranking places. Just a case of trawling uni websites and looking at their offer grades - if he looks at those offering around the ABC/BBC level he should be fine.

LIZS · 28/05/2024 17:40

titchy · 28/05/2024 17:35

Sorry! He won't be accepted by anyone no - those grades will rule him out of the very top tier of unis, but he should get offers from middle ranking places. Just a case of trawling uni websites and looking at their offer grades - if he looks at those offering around the ABC/BBC level he should be fine.

That's is a bit harsh. What does he hope to study? There will be some unis which would accept 2 A levels at good grades , if not the most high ranking. A Foundation year may be an option to fill in any gaps for one of those.

Octavia64 · 28/05/2024 17:46

If he continues with the further maths he will have three a levels which is what you need to go to uni.

If he is predicted AAC then he has options.
What is he interested in doing?

He should speak to his university adviser - the maths predications are good and he will be able to apply to quite a few.

Does he want to do maths or something maths-adjacent?

worcesterpear · 28/05/2024 17:54

It depends where he wants to apply to, but if his teachers will predict him a C for biology, and maybe A star for maths, he would have more options, though with A,A,D there would still be plenty of universities likely to offer him a place, just not the top ones. Maybe somewhere like Leicester or Nottingham Trent?

Options to improve his likelihood of an offer at a higher ranked university could be:
a foundation year (but then pay an extra year's worth of fees),
an Access course (but there aren't many maths ones, he could do a science one though),
year 14 and doing one A level at his current school in something new,
doing an A level privately from home,
or doing a BTEC at college - something like Applied Science or Business Studies?

Also check if he would be eligible for a contextual offer - somewhere like York could give him an offer of ABB, when normally it is AAA.

titchy · 28/05/2024 18:21

That's is a bit harsh. What does he hope to study? There will be some unis which would accept 2 A levels at good grades , if not the most high ranking

I was assuming Maths, and I said he wouldn't get offers from the VERY top tier - so not the most high ranking - which you agree with

titchy · 28/05/2024 18:22

Also check if he would be eligible for a contextual offer - somewhere like York could give him an offer of ABB, when normally it is AAA.

Very good point.

Bunnyannesummers · 29/05/2024 17:54

Tons of places will accept him! Does he know what he’s interested in studying, or doing as a job?

lanthanum · 29/05/2024 17:59

Further maths is just as much an A-level as any other. Look at subjects he might want to study and see what subjects they require - there will be plenty that will be happy with that combination.

Has his school shown him Unifrog? That lets you enter the subject you're interested in, and predicted grades, and it then shows you lists of courses. Usually the advice is to apply for one or two "aspirational choices" - wanting the grades you might get at best, one or two looking for what you expect to get, and then one or two "safe" choices. So if the school think he's probably looking at AAD, but might be prepared to predict AAC because he might manage to improve those a bit, then aspirational choices might be looking for AAC, the next category might be AAD, and the safe choices might allow for slippage down a bit on one or more subject. At some point, when he has received offers, he needs to choose a first choice and a reserve - by then it might be clearer what grades he is heading for.

"Contextual offers" are lower offers than the standard ones, made to students who meet certain criteria. Each university has its own rules on those, so you need to check them out. Being the first in his immediate family to go to university may count towards that, and address and school can contribute if they put him in a "disadvantaged" category.

user15913 · 29/05/2024 18:07

Sounds like he has been through a lot and im sure/hope that will be taken into account at a number of places. Have a look in clearing this year to see what comes up for maths - there were a lot last year. Will give you an idea of the sort of places to look at. I know someone at Exeter doing maths and the contextual offer there was ABC I think. Might also be worth doing something like tmua or another one of the standalone maths qualifications to bolster his application - if maths is the thing he really excels at. It can reduce offers at some places.

RosstopherGeller · 30/05/2024 11:07

Thanks so much for the replies.

Definitely not considering top universities. He's so much better than he was a year ago, but he's still quite fragile. He's been more excited by Biology, but Maths has always been his strongest subject.

The contextual offers information is really helpful, our address and DS2s school both meet the criteria for some universities I checked. So along with no immediate family attending university and his disabilities he has a good chance of a contextual offer, which I feel will help with his mental health difficulties.

His school generally isn't the greatest at pastoral support, and DS2 doesn't currently attend any mentor or assembly sessions, as he finds them stressful. His maths teachers have been wonderful, so I might see if they can offer any guidance. I just feel out of my depth and DS2 really isn't quite in the position to be proactive about it atm

OP posts:

Pleasealexa · 30/05/2024 11:16

@RosstopherGeller what about maths with biology? He needs access to unifrog or UCAS to start looking at options.

mitogoshi · 30/05/2024 11:32

Where early predictions aren't great, sometimes the best option is to apply with grades in clearing when offers are lower. I would though suggest that waiting a year and applying with grades for the following September can work out really well, work for a bit and get confidence back. Means that offers will be firmed straight away and thus accommodation planned in advance

Octavia64 · 30/05/2024 11:40

If he has ASD plus other things then it is likely that he will qualify for DSA (disabled students allowance).

This is a benefit that the government are actually keen that people get as they want to encourage people with disabilities to go to uni.

The assessment is by phone/video call and they are very supportive.

My DD hasDSA and it paid for a laptop for her, also taxis to get around.

HcbSS · 30/05/2024 11:41

Doesn’t sound like he would cope with university if he is barely coping now. Needs to get his MH sorted before taking big steps like that.

jennylamb1 · 30/05/2024 11:45

My son has ASD and we are keen on him going to a university close to home so he can live at home- the stability and continuity would be good for him, we can keep an eye on his mental health and he wants to do this. Your son should get support from enabling services.
Good on you for looking to support him in going to university.

Ted27 · 30/05/2024 12:03

@RosstopherGeller

I think if he is struggling now, university may not be the best idea straight from school.
What are his life skills like - cooking,shopping, budgeting, washing clothes etc.

A year out could be of great benefit to him. My son is just finishing his first year at Worcester. He has ASD and whilst not nearly as impacted as your son appears to be did have some anxiety issues.
It took a lot of pressure off when he applied having his grades in the bag. He applied for his course in January and had a confirmed offer within weeks. He was also able to get confirmed accommodation very quickly. He then had until September knowing where he was going, where he would be living so he could concentrate on other things.
He did work, passed his driving test and bought a car. Although he was already fairly independent - got his own breakfast, lunch, did his own washing, We spent a lot of time on things like how to clean the loo, planning food shops, budgeting so he was very prepared.
He did get a contextual offer, he was a few UCAS points short, but alongside ASD he is mixed race and was care experienced.
It's not been without issues, but he has coped. Worcester is very good at supporting students with additional needs. He attended a 2 day summer school in August for students with ND conditions which was really helpful. So do look at that aspect when you are looking at universities.
If your son really aspires to uni, he should be able to go. But it should also be at the right time. Far better to wait a year or two until he is in the best place and do well than try to go at 18 because that's just what everyone else does.
Overall my son has had a great time and done well, but we are both glad that he had that space to grow up a bit before he went.

RosstopherGeller · 30/05/2024 12:28

@Pleasealexa do all schools have UniFrog access? I'm trying to look into stuff a bit before he does, just so I can try and support him through it.

@mitogoshi Going through clearing may be his preference, to take away the pressure. I don't think a year out would be in his best interests but we'll play it by ear.

@Octavia64 I'll definitely look into that further, that sounds like something DS2 may need.

@HcbSS He's much improved and I feel university is a realistic option. His medication has been really effective in a short period of time and he's on the waiting list for 1:1 therapy. We won't be pressuring him at all; I'm just trying to understand the system so I can support him.

@jennylamb1 Our local university doesn't offer maths so it's not really an option for DS2, though I'll be suggesting he looks at what they do offer, if he feels he needs to stay at home.

@Ted27 I don't think a year out would be DS2s best option, if he can get onto course somewhere. As well as ASD and anxiety, he also has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Essential Tremors. Getting a job is going to be extremely challenging for him and i feel his mood could really drop again with constant rejections. We also live semi-rurally and he doesn't really have any friends.
A university with good pastoral support would be ideal.
I'm glad your son is doing well and found the right path for him.

Thanks for all the replies, it's been helpful to consider all options

OP posts:

thesandwich · 30/05/2024 12:37

with clearing there may be issues with accommodation which could be v hard for him- could his maths teachers look with him at courses that interest him? There are many sorts of maths- is he interested in coding?
also contact the university disability services in advance to find what sort of support they offer- some arrange for students with disabilities to attend an earlier welcome events to help them settle in.
you are doing an amazing job.

Octavia64 · 30/05/2024 12:51

A year out is generally not recommended for maths.

DSA can offer a lot of things. Friends of my DD who also have asd and anxiety have weekly study support phone calls, pastoral support (the university grades this et levels one two or three). She also has access to apps that help organise her time, lecture recordings etc.

poetryandwine · 30/05/2024 13:14

Hi, OP -

Former STEM admissions tutor here. This is a bit challenging but doable.

If DS continues FM and his predictions are AAC he will have decent options. I think @Pleasealexa ’s suggestion of maths with biology is good if he qualifies.

it is the AA in Maths and FM that will open doors.

The Complete University Guide online lets you search degree programmes and entry requirements

If DS most enthused by Biology, may I ask whether you think he has the talent to do a degree or whether you think maths with bio is as far as he should go towards it? Did his MH affect his performance significantly?

If a Biology degree seems reasonable, he needs a better foundation than a shaky C. That’s one reason Foundation Years were invented. He could apply to an FY and upon successful completion you are guaranteed entry into Year 1 programme of choice (at my uni and many others). The Student Loan will pay for 1 yr longer than your degree, so will cover the FY year.

The UCAS application requires a letter from a referee - someone like Head of Form or Head of School. Don’t worry, it is routine. I am writing to suggest that depending on his PGs, DS consider providing the referee with a medical note summarising what he has been through, so the referee can write about it. Then he can make a very brief mention of what he went through in Y12, say what the solution has been, and that admissions tutors may contact his referee for further info.

If he is applying right, AA in Maths and FM is going to carry the day. Also the referee will want to present him well as he represents the school and the medical note was given in confidence. So I really think this works in his favour.

I would do this for AAD or less. For AAC I would not. With AAC I would apply for FY straightforwardly if I wanted Bio or Life Sciences and apply directly to Y1 for something involving a lot of maths.

But health first! Every student deserves to thrive at uni. Probably 1/4 or more of those in my excellent STEM school now do a gap year. If DS needs to take a year out in order to get ready to thrive, I hope he will make this investment in himself.

Very best wishes to you both, and sorry for the length

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poetryandwine · 30/05/2024 13:19

Octavia64 · 30/05/2024 12:51

A year out is generally not recommended for maths.

DSA can offer a lot of things. Friends of my DD who also have asd and anxiety have weekly study support phone calls, pastoral support (the university grades this et levels one two or three). She also has access to apps that help organise her time, lecture recordings etc.

Thank you for pointing this out, @Octavia64

This is the tradition, because of the the worry that Maths will be forgotten. But we are seeing more and more of it, even at top universities. Health is the most compelling reason and one can make a plan to maintain Maths knowledge.

The ideal is to continue without a break but sometimes one must balance priorities.

Bunnyannesummers · 30/05/2024 20:49

As ever, @poetryandwine has given great advice. Just to add, I’m also RG and our Maths dept will allow a gap year as long as there’s a decent plan, mentioned in personal statement about keeping up with Maths and a decent reason, such as health. So while a gap year for maths isn’t traditional or ideal, it’s perfectly doable.

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