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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

UCAS deadline - be careful

27 replies

MrsBright · 18/12/2013 10:53

The deadline for the initial application round (to get 'equal consideration' from Universities) is 6pm on 15 January.

The UCAS website usually gets swamped with applications on this last day. This can mean it freezes or even crashes. There is nothing more stressful than an a teenager desperately trying to submit their application on this last day and not being certain if its 'gone' or not. And watching 6pm approaching .......

SO DONT LEAVE IT TO THE LAST MINUTE. If they submit their application a few days before this deadline, they will avoid all this panic/worry.

[And remember, no teacher is going to want to write a last minute reference over Christmas, so make sure your DC gets it all sorted this week - for your own sanity.]

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsBright · 29/12/2013 12:05

Bump

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsBright · 02/01/2014 22:20

Bump

OP posts:
secretscwirrels · 03/01/2014 15:21

There is nothing more stressful than an a teenager desperately trying to submit their application on this last day and not being certain if its 'gone' or not.

Yes and stressful for the parent who has been nagging said teen for weeks to get on with it while they shrug and say there is plenty of time Wink.

Original poster
MrsBright · 03/01/2014 22:34

There isnt. The deadline IS the deadline. No exceptions.

[Perhaps your teen needs to actually miss the deadline and firmly stuff this up - and therefore to possibly learn something from it. Frustrating to watch, but ultimately a very important wake-up and grow-up moment.]

OP posts:
Debs75 · 03/01/2014 22:40

On our access course they have been panicing for a couple of months now, college deadline was first week in December to give college time to do references.

DD1's college deadline was 15th November!
I am applying direct so my deadline is 28th February. I am aiming to get it in for mid February though

creamteas · 04/01/2014 11:35

The deadline IS the deadline. No exceptions

Actually that is not true.

Applications received by the deadline have to be treated equally, but it is possible to apply afterwards. Many universities will continue to accept applications if they predict they will have places.

Indeed since the rules changed on student number controls, my university has have continued to make offers to ABB students right through to the summer on the majority of our courses. The exceptions are health professional courses and where labs need number restrictions.

Bonsoir · 06/01/2014 16:37

Last year a candidate I helped made his application in the week before 30 June (the real deadline). He got four offers within a fortnight.

Kez100 · 07/01/2014 21:12

But some courses will be full by then. So, it entirely depends where and for what the student is applying.

Bonsoir · 08/01/2014 08:39

I agree. But the reality is that if you are a good candidate many things are possible!

titchy · 08/01/2014 15:12

I doubt a highly selecting institution (Imperial, UCL etc) would offer after the Jan deadline however good the candidate Bonsoir. They could try the following year of course.

Bonsoir · 08/01/2014 15:21

I agree. The most competitive universities are unlikely to make offers so late. But, IME (and it was a new experience for me) some really quite reputable universities do!

creamteas · 08/01/2014 15:46

I doubt a highly selecting institution (Imperial, UCL etc) would offer after the Jan deadline

That used to be the case, but things are very different now.

Most classroom based subjects (humanities, social sciences etc) can always fit in one more person, and labs are being filled like never before.

Most universities are basically skint (like the rest of the public sector) and we are living off a fixed income (student fees) that has not, and is unlikely to rise, in line with inflation.

In other words, maximizing bums on seats is the order of the day. Hence the rise of lower and unconditional offers as well as accepting late candidates.

It is now easier than ever to get a place at even the most competitive university.

Debs75 · 09/01/2014 11:26

Might be wrong place to ask but what do you do if your college has messed up your predicted grades?
DD's has sent off her as grades which are lower than her working and predicted. They have admitted the mistake but what can she do?

thecalicocat · 09/01/2014 13:43

Debs75 I should think the college can email the individual universities admission departments and tell them of their error, as they have admitted it!

Debs75 · 09/01/2014 13:51

That's what we are hoping, not looking good though. 2 Uni's have already turned her down for her grades.

mintberry · 09/01/2014 14:11

Debs I would be fuming. Angry Maybe get her to contact the admissions departments at the universities which turned her down to explain and see if they will reconsider her with her actual predictions? And get the school to contact all her choices with admission of their mistake.

creamteas · 09/01/2014 15:09

Debs yes, get the college to contact the universities directly asap.

The two which have declined don't have to reconsider, but most will if it is genuine error.

Debs75 · 10/01/2014 15:41

3 have now rejected her now. She is gutted. Her tutor is being a bit more helpful and is going to talk to the principal. What has annoyed us is we had a parents evening in Oct and they all asked what she needed for Uni (ABB) and never said oh her grades are too low, they all said she would get them with hard work, which she does.

creamteas · 10/01/2014 17:13

debs75, that's a shame, but it is not the end of the story

Even if she doesn't get the offers, she will be able to go into Clearing or reapply next year.

Clearing is very different now. It used to be just for people who did not do as well in their A levels as they thought they would. Whilst this still happens, there is also widespread availability of places at the majority of universities. If she gets her ABB grades, she will have lots of options to choose from.

rightsaidfrederick · 10/01/2014 18:41

^ There's also Extra, if she can get her predicted grades sorted out - though TBH she'd probably have more to choose from in Clearing nowadays.

Debs75 · 10/01/2014 20:52

If she does go the extra or clearing route can you go for the unis and courses you originally went for? She wants to do Chinese and there aren't many unis which she could choose to begin with

creamteas · 10/01/2014 21:02

You can't reapply to the original unis in Extra, but you can in clearing.

EvilTwins · 10/01/2014 21:09

Don't most applications get "sent" off by the school/college, not the student?

The OP seems somewhat hysterical.

AFAIK, if an applicant is applying through their school/college, the "send" button they hit sends it to the school UCAS person, who checks everything and then sends it off. I doubt whether any Head of 6th Form worth their money is going to leave that until 6pm on the 15th.

Just saying.

Original poster
MrsBright · 10/01/2014 21:26

Debs75 - the best strategy with 'lots of rejections' etc is to simply drop the UCAS application this year, and reapply with known grades/retakes and a fresh PS next year. That way she can put all her energy into getting the best possible grades without all the distractions/hysteria of a UCAS application. Recommended.

OP posts:
Debs75 · 10/01/2014 21:36

OP I think that is what I would prefer her to do. She has some health issues which could do with looking at. She is only 17 and of course she now feels like her whole world has ended, if she doesn't get in first time she doesn't feel she will ever get there. This is partly my fault as I applied as a teen, didn't get in, got pregnant and now 18 years later am trying again.

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