Still waiting to hear from Durham

[ryansbeat]

Would anyone like to join me in the wait to hear from Durham....feeling so stressed on DDs behalf as she is convinced that she won't get an offer (having been rejected by Oxford). I think that if she doesn't get an offer there she's going to take a year out and reapply....she says she'll be more upset to get rejected by Durham than Oxford. Just wish they would make a decision either way so she can plan ahead. Anyone else waiting to hear....why do they take so long?

My ds is waiting to hear too, for English. Frustrating, isn't it? What's your dd's subject?

My dd1 applied to Durham last year and they didn't reply until April! It was an offer as well, so tell your dd not to despair yet. They are just really painfully slow. Like snails.

Is it worth taking a year out when there are other really good universities? Same thing could happen again....same people, same opinions, same systems, same biases.

It's so frustrating GraceFox, she's applied for Theology and apparently Durham is number 1 in the country for that. It's not helped that one of her school friends received an offer just before Xmas and one of the people she met at Oxford has also received an offer just before Xmas (and was rejected by Oxford).

Thanks for your advice Littleham - I have been searching all w/e on various websites to see if I can find any kind of pattern as to how they make their offers....I came across the last Oxbridge thread 2014 and saw what happened to your DD. I'm not sure I can remain calm until April!! She's so set on Durham, we went to an open day there and she absolutely loved it - I also think the collegiate system really appeals to her and I can see her in that kind of set up.

This Wednesday is cut off day for UCAS applications to be in I believe and she's convinced that a rejection will soon be on its way.

April !

I could understand them collating and parking all the applications until just after the deadline, (though perhaps before that rejecting the those they deem definite 'no' candidates). then starting to process the rest so the majority hear late Jan/Feb, but that seems v slow indeed.

That said, ds1 who's at Oxford got a much appreciated early (November??) classics offer from Durham last year. I suppose it's not a massively oversubscribed course though, so they could 'afford' to put out some offers before the closing date.

Cross post. Ahh that's tough and I'm sure your dd can't help making comparisons and drawing conclusions from those other offers. But one thing I've learned from this process (apart from finding it so much tougher watching ds1 and 2 going through it than doing it myself!!) is that there isn't necessarily rhyme nor reason to the way universities time their decisions. To reassure you, Ive been snooping on TSR and before Christmas noticed York had given out a fair number of english offers. Ds had heard zilch. Then got a 'good' offer out of the blue on Sat 20 Dec! Someone in admissions certainly made his day.

And as you've alluded, Durham is considered at or near the top of the academic tree for a number of disciplines so it could be a case of sheer numbers in many cases. As well as that, it's a beautiful city and I quite understand why your dd is so keen. Would there be an interview for Theolgy? I haven't checked recently as to what proportion, but I recall that for English, they do sometimes interview. All that has the potential to string things out even longer.

Good luck to your dd. by the way ds has heard from only 2 of his choices overall, so we are all finding that frustrating too.

Waiting for Durham over here too, but calmer because it was expected. We know we won't hear back until March or April, so I think that makes it a bit easier. Hope you hear soon, and that it's good news :)

We had this last year, but with LSE, UCL and Warwick. DS would not have been that upset about his Cambridge rejection except he had no other effective offers. (His fifth choice changed their course making it less attractive.) He did not hear from any till mid-March. Fine as it was an offer from LSE, which he wanted most. Warwick bizarrely offered him a course in a different department, something which Durham have apparently been known to do, and UCL rejected him.

Looking at Student Room over-subscribed Universities have a problem. They have to give all EU applicants equal consideration, so need to see who has applied before making final decisions. DS knew someone who received an early offer from Warwick for the same course, but thinking about it he had fluency in another language which may have boosted his prospects at a University with a big Erasmus programme. Your DD should not compare herself to others. The differences in applicaitons will be small and it is impossible to guess what selection criteria each University is using.

Applications will now be in and those with Oxbridge acceptances will be firming their choices, so there should be some movement soon. Then it becomes a long wait as universities try and fine-tune offers to available places. It is very distracting for applicants who are both young and trying to juggle mocks.

DS' course will have attracted a large number of EU applicants. What seems to have happened is that some, whose home educational systems do not provide sufficient differentiation plus mature students with non standard qualifications, were then set an additional test. Only then did things start moving with the pool of remaining candidates being whittled down slowly. With LSE, acceptances were issued on Thursdays and rejections on Fridays. Each week, with no offer on a Thursday DS had to wait nervously through the Friday. According to TSR, the rejections stopped at 4.00pm so then and then only then could he breathe again.

It was really horrid. Oxbridge and medical schools applications have an early deadline so they have time to sift through numbers of good candidates. I think this should be considered for other over-subscribed courses.

For what its worth, DS was applying with five relevent A levels and predicted grades included 4 A*s, plus lots of evidence of interest in his subject. Fees, internet or whatever, good students seem to better aware of which Universities offer the best courses, and seem to be working harder, so the competition is tough. Tell your daughter to hang in there. There is a good chance she will hear soon after the application deadliine. If not, no news is good news, and it means she is very close to the standard they are looking for.

DS3 hasn't heard anything from Durham either ryansbeat, and he's humanities too. This is my fifth DC to apply to Durham and only one got an offer before Christmas (for law). The others got offers as late as March - tell your DD there's plenty of time for a positive response!

Thanks for all the replies - GraceFox I hope your DS hears from his other choices soon too. And fingers crossed for you too Mindgone....why do you know you won't hear back until March/April...is that because of the course?

Thanks for your words of encouragement Needmoresleep, I will tell her to keep positive and I keep saying that no news is good news. I really do hope that once the deadline passes she will hear soon after that.

Gosh Molio, I couldn't do this 5 times!!! You must have nerves of steel! I think I just need to try and put it out of my mind but it just keeps creeping back in!

Yes, he's applied for medicine. He had an interview in November, and just has to wait that long! He has only one offer, from his fifth choice, which he doesn't want anyway! Not expecting any other offers until at least March, but I really think that knowing that helps. Just as well really! :)

That's so tough Mindgone...wishing him all the very best.

Thanks :)

I'm a Theology graduate from Durham!

They take ages. They were by far my last offer - I had the other five decisions by about November - and I too had given up hope so it was a very welcome surprise. Which college has she applied to?

Very best of luck to her - no news really is good news, and I really hope she gets in.

It's comforting to know that Durham does tend to take ages and so still waiting for DD and others isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Commander she's applied to St Chads, where were you? Did you enjoy the course...and being in Durham? Did you ever wish you'd chosen another university? And apologies for all the questions (and please feel free to ignore if you'd rather not answer any of them!) but do you mind me asking if/how you used your theology degree afterwards?

This is only trying to second guess but ... DS2 was rejected early, no hope, DS3 was rejected late (April?) because he was a bit stronger but not a definite and they were waiting to see who else was around. The ones I knew who got early offers were the strongest candidates, on paper at least. And I know plenty at Oxbridge who were rejected by Durham.

That's interesting Moomin...I'm so confused to be honest. Her predictions are 3 A*s (and her friend who has been given an offer for Theology has been predicted 3 As) so I wonder if perhaps her PS has let her down (although she was able to get an Oxford interview)?

Or maybe her predictions have led Durham to think perhaps she might have been offered a place by Oxford and they don't want to waste a place by offering one to her?

Or maybe her application is in the no pile waiting for the deadline to pass....the possibilities are endless!

I loved it. Loved it loved it loved it. Every time I go back to Durham it feels like going home. I was at Van Mildert; Chad's is very small but friendly and is as close as you can realistically get to Abbey House (the department), so short stumble to lectures!

Never wished I'd chosen another uni; I thought I wanted Warwick and was devastated when I didn't get in but as soon as I went to Durham I fell hopelessly in love (in more ways than one, because I also met my husband there). The, er, nightlife in Durham is a bit special and revolves mostly around the colleges, although the Walkergate complex is after my time and has some good places. And Newcastle is a 20 min train ride away and there used to be a last train back at 0220. Failing that, cost of living is cheap and that includes taxis.

The course (as it was... because I graduated 10 years ago this summer and I don't know if/how it's changed) was great; back in my time there were 4 compulsory modules and 2 optionals in first year - I think it's 5 and 1 now - I know it was different for my college son but I can't remember. I enjoyed some stuff more than others (we had a lovely lecturer but she couldn't stop patristics being yawnsome for me) and by the time you get to your final year the tutor groups are quite small so they're really lively. Good mix of students too - lots of devoted Christians who planned on going into ministry - but a lot like me too, who just studied it because it was interesting.

The college system is something else - it's not like Oxbridge, but it's more than just halls and I can't describe it but it suited me down to the ground. Most/all colleges have the parent system, where freshers get assigned to a second/third year to be looked after as they settle in. I had a son and a daughter, and they were usher and bridesmaid at my wedding.

I went into publishing when I graduated, which didn't exactly use my degree (though I did have some Theology journals) but I now work in IT which as you can imagine doesn't use my degree at all. But you know, as far as I'm concerned that doesn't matter; I loved my time there, I loved what I did and as you can see I can talk at length about it! The transferable skills are not to be sniffed at. I'd say to my own daughter 'do something you love and that's going to hold your interest for three years and then think about a career, rather than doing a degree with an obvious career attached that's ok but doesn't really excite you'. Having an interest in what you studied, rather than just going to university because it's What You Do at 18 will carry you quite a long way, in my experience.

My dd is currently at Durham . She was lucky to get an early offer but of her 9 friends who applied, one had an early rejection and the other 8 all got offers in mid to late March, across a range of subjects . The Uni is notoriously slow . Do so hope your daughter heard soon . This was in 2012/2013.

DS and his friend both applied to Durham last year for the same subject. He got an early offer and her offer came in so late it was after college allocations and after the offer holders open day. It was also in a different subject.

I went to Chad's and loved it. In fact I loved it so much that when they made me an offer I didn't even go to any of my other interviews! Durham is beautiful, and because Chad's is so tiny you get to know everyone more or less straight away. The social life is fantastic (there's a great bar in the basement), and the college has improved hugely academically since I was there. Good luck to your DD - I hope she has news soon.

Lovely memories from Commander and Purple, it sounds as though you both had a fantastic time. You are absolutely right Commander, doing this degree is something my DD wants to do because she is so interested in theology and has been for a long time now. She really is desperately keen to get into Durham....I will have to be extremely patient and keep hoping that she will be lucky. I think I will have to remember what you said SecretSquirrels...but late March seems a long time away at the moment!

Another dd here waiting to hear. I'm a bit alarmed that offers could come after open days, she really wants to go back for another look and check out the other candidates for her course!! She picked a college by studying their websites because we couldn't get round them all and hasn't visited the one she applied to. I'm quite calm about it, she has two unconditional offers already but she is getting very anxious. The longer it's taking, the more she wants it.

Mrsrhodgilbert, my daughter went to visit her chosen college and her academic department on a private trip. She had the academic place, but was still awaiting college allocation . Given all the pre A level pressures, she took herself up to Durham for a good look, chatted to current students etc and felt confident about firming Durham without knowing about which college would take her .

Her view was that she would gladly go to whichever college offered her a place, so she relaxed about the whole business and got down to work without being distracted .