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Original poster

UCAS applications in days of yore. How many universities?

80 replies

WrongKindOfFace · 11/09/2018 20:10

Did you used to be able to apply for more universities than you can now? I seem to remember having lots of interviews in the 90s, but apparently you can only apply to five?

OP posts:
Original poster
WrongKindOfFace · 11/09/2018 20:42

Remember having to get copies of the prospectus posted out to you? I had loads of them, enough to paper a wall.

OP posts:
BlaaBlaaBlaa · 11/09/2018 20:43

Definitely used to be 6.

AornisHades · 11/09/2018 20:44

Wasn't there a book that listed all the courses at all the universities or have I made that up?

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BlaaBlaaBlaa · 11/09/2018 20:44

You still can get prospectuses posted out to you! Lots of people still request them that way

Melfish · 11/09/2018 20:46

It was up to 6 in my day (96) and you ended up with a first choice and a reserve. Another girl in my year only put Oxford down and didn’t get in. No idea why she only put one down.

Original poster
WrongKindOfFace · 11/09/2018 20:46

That vaguely rings a bell, AornisHades.

The youth of today don’t know they’re born. We had to use actual paper. And find our way to interviews with nothing but a train timetable and a badly photocopied map.

OP posts:
Original poster
WrongKindOfFace · 11/09/2018 20:47

Do they really, Blaa? Can you still ring up for one?

OP posts:
LIZS · 11/09/2018 20:47

Yes there was, think it is online now, by Heap? Remember trying to write and rewrite ps by hand neatly and in straight lines.

Isitmybathtimeyet · 11/09/2018 20:47

There was the UCCA/UCAS handbook which had all the codes for courses that you needed for the form and listed all the courses available. All online now of course.

TamiTayorismyparentingguru · 11/09/2018 20:48

6 via UCAS in 1998 (and yes - handwritten forms) plus 2 via the Irish system (can’t remember the name of it - CAO/CEO/COE?)

UCAS was:
Aberdeen
Edinburgh
Edinburgh (different course)
Stirling
Durham
? (can’t remember)

Irish system was:
UCD
TCD

DrDreReturns · 11/09/2018 20:49

I applied in 1994 and I'm pretty sure it was 8. My memory may be playing tricks on me though.

BlaaBlaaBlaa · 11/09/2018 20:50

There was a ucas book and a book called degree course offers by Brian Heap. Think you can still get copies ....the last one I had was for 2014 though.

Definitely can still phone up for one or complete an prospectuses request form online

AornisHades · 11/09/2018 20:51

My dad bizarrely decided to take me for my only interview. I think he felt it was his responsibility as he'd been to university. Was one of the very few days out with just my dad I can remember. I only got one interview Confused but 4 offers.
I went to the place that interviewed me :)

AornisHades · 11/09/2018 20:52

That sounds right Isitmybathtimeyet.

YippieKayakOtherBuckets · 11/09/2018 20:52

I think that my year was the last when the applications were ‘open’ and the admissions officers were able to see where else you had applied. There was oft-repeated received wisdom (quite possibly a myth) that there was no point applying to the classic Oxbridge alternatives like Bristol and Durham alongside Oxbridge as the former wouldn’t bother wasting an offer on you. No idea if it was true or not.

CraftyGin · 11/09/2018 20:53

I applied in 1982, but only put 2 universities on my form. The maximum was 5.

DickensianHysteric · 11/09/2018 20:53

I used to love looking through all the prospectuses! Maybe I'll phone up and order a few for old times sake!

TamiTayorismyparentingguru · 11/09/2018 20:53

Oh I think my 6th one was maybe St Andrews. Can’t remember for certain though!

I think with the Irish system you could apply for 6 as well maybe but I was only interested in 2.

I long for the days of paper prospectuses and course code books! None of the schools around here have paper prospectuses and my DS’s school has an online version that you can’t even print out (I have no knowledge of these things but DH says it’s some kind of online book thing that is protected to stop people printing it). It’s a total pain in the ass having to go online and flick through each page online to get the information you need.

BevBrook · 11/09/2018 20:55

Five in 1993. I had Cambridge, Nottingham, Warwick, York and Kent.

BlaaBlaaBlaa · 11/09/2018 20:57

@tami paper prospectuses definitely still exist. Universities spend thousands producing them every year. You can order a physical copy online or over the phone. You can also pick up copies at careers and UCAS fairs.

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 11/09/2018 20:58

It was 5 on a paper form in 1984 for UCCA. Another 4 for PCAS but I just applied to one poly as an insurance, Portsmouth. For UCCA, Oxford, Bath, Leicester, Reading and Essex.

samsonthecat · 11/09/2018 20:59

In 1994 it was 8.

Hellywelly10 · 11/09/2018 21:03

Applied for 6 via ucas in the mid 90's. Then changed my mind and went through clearing.

DrDreReturns · 11/09/2018 21:04

I agree Samson, now I think about it I can remember the 8 institutions I applied to (and the one that rejected me!)

YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut · 11/09/2018 21:09

I went in 2005 so would have been applying in 2004. It was six then, and I did it online. DH is a year older than me and the previous year he applied on paper, so not sure if 2004 was the first year for online applications?

I applied to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Cambridge, Durham and Leeds.