DD won't need to put an insurance choice if her firm choice is the lowest offer, right?

[picklepieori]

DD applied for 5 universities. She got the one she wanted and wants to firm it, she has no clue which she will put second and says she doesn't need one as her first choice is the lowest offer, so if she gets those grades she will get the place and if she doesn't, none of the others would accept her either as they're all higher, so she isn't putting one. Is this correct? Just want to make sure

[TheFirstOHN]

Yes, if she firms the lowest offer she has, she can't have an insurance.

[jeanne16]

That would have been correct until the last year or so. Many unis are dropping their offers significantly so theoretically it is possible if she didn’t make the grades for her firm and they didn’t drop their offer further, she could find her insurance would take her by lowering their offer even further.

[TheFirstOHN]

But how would she pick the insurance on Track in the first place?

[TheFirstOHN]

If she would actually be happy to go to one of the other four, then she could put it as an insurance as recommended by jeanne16.

If she doesn't get the grades for her firm choice and the insurance decides to take her with the lower grades, she would have to go to the insurance choice.

[Marmie4]

My DS was in this position last year, his insurance was a higher offer (only by one grade) than his firm. It is definitely better to put an insurance down as it shows the other uni that they are keen on the course.

[LIZS]

Worth putting an insurance as you never know if they will accept lower grades than offered originally when the time comes. So if she misses an ostensibly lower grade firmed offer the insurance may yet accept automatically , saving the stress of clearing.

[ShalomJackie]

Dss put a BBC as firm.and a BBB as insurance.

He got BBD and his firm (lower offer) did not take him but his insurance (higher) did. Definitely worth putting a second choice down.

[titchy]

If lowest offer never goes into clearing, and any of the higher offers are clearing regulars - put them down as insurance. As pp said the preferred one may not accept one dropped grade, whereas the others may accept two or even three dropped grades.

[TheFirstOHN]

If lowest offer never goes into clearing, and any of the higher offers are clearing regulars - put them down as insurance

Strategic and sensible.

[Firefliess]

If any of the offers are points based then put one of them as insurance. Even if they're kind of higher, they're more flexible if one grade drops

[Ontopofthesunset]

A couple of years ago my older son put two universities with the same grades as his firm and insurance - he thought the second choice might be more flexible if he dropped a grade.