Can DD choose Firm and Insurance for uni's that req same entry marks?

[amumthatcares]

I know this sounds a ridiculous question but this is the situation: DD has had offers for all 5 uni's applied to. Top two (and two favourites) require ABB and are both conditional offers. DD has now stated that she doesn't want to go to any of the other 3 uni's and if she doesn't get the grades for 2 favourites she will take a year out and re-sit. I totally understand the reasons for how and why you choose a firm and an insurance but my question is this: If DD will only consider the top 2, could she choose one as her firm and one as insurance - given that one of the uni's did state on the open day visit, that for the applicants to not be put off if they didn't get the grades as it didn't necessarily rule them out. DD stands to get the ABB, but could get A(or A*)AC. So she could opt for the strict ABB as firm and the possible felxible as insurance? That way, if she does get the grades she has the choice of her 2 favourite and she has nothing to lose as she isn't going to consider the other 3 in any case. Does this sound feasible?

It sounds feasible to me but you need Creamteas who is the Mumsnet God of admissions

It sounds as though your DD has this well thought through, and yes she can put one as firm and one as her insurance.

I would advocate putting her favourite as her firm and her less favourite as her insurance. The reasoning is that if she gets ABB then she will get into her firm, and the offer from her insurance will be rescinded, so she won't have the choice come results day anyway. On the other hand, if she was to miss her offer then the firm uni would get first refusal, and then the insurance choice would get to make its decision.

There is nothing to stop her doing this (sometimes students even nominate an insurance place with higher grades than their firms!)

As Boom has indicated, she needs to have her preferred uni as her firm.

Universities get the A level results on the Sunday before the DC do. Anyone who achieves the offer from their firm is automatically converted and the insurance place no longer exists. If a student misses their offer, the university holding the firm offer has to accept or reject them. If rejected the place is transferred to the insurance place for the same process (automatic if grades achieved, manual accept or reject for the rest).

Nationally applications are still down, so although there will still be some over subscribed courses, they are likely to be in the minority. So there is a very good chance that as long as she reaches the ABB equivalent (eg AAC etc) she will get in to even usually stricter unis (unless the grade she slips in is a specific requirement).

Thank you all for the replies, especially cream - excellent as always!

Yes, put the preferred university first. Individual universities have very individual policies often course/degree specific for "relaxing" grades if the exact offers not met. It depends in demand, and how many have met the offer, and whether a successful recruiting degree course has to make up for a less successfully recruiting course, and so on and on.

Or sometimes a university will offer a place on a single honours instead of a combined degree (in my field there is often over-subscription of Combined degrees) if the offer for the Combined degree is not met.

Yes, all as everyone has said so far.

Plus, you should never put down as a firm or an insurance somewhere you don't want to go as you lose the power of choice - if you get the grades, you are automatically accepted - you can only change your mind if the uni then agrees to release you ( which you might want to do if a 'better' place appears on offer in clearing )