Unconditional offers - received one?

Inncogneetow · 2015-03-22T17:32:18+00:00

Has your yr13 dc received an unconditional offer this year? If so: * What uni * What course * Was it dependant on them choosing as their firm offer? * Have they accepted it? Feel free to PM me, if you prefer. Many thanks

cauchy · 22/03/2015 18:05

It is interesting to note that it is illegal under UCAS rules to make offers which are different for firm and insurance: an institution can only make one official offer.

Institutions such as Sussex are evading this by making the UCAS offer conditional and then sending letters privately explaining that if Sussex is firmed, then the place will be made unconditional immediately.

Other institutions such as Leicester are making the unconditional offer via UCAS, which therefore means it holds for firm or insurance.

titchy · 22/03/2015 18:53

That doesn't appear to be true cauchy:
UCAS

titchy · 22/03/2015 18:54

2nd point on that link.

Kez100 · 22/03/2015 18:59

I've not replied as my DD received her unconditional last year. I'm not sure what you are doing with the data but choosing the unconditional (q4) would mean more if you asked where the student had the course ranked before getting the unconditional.

For example, my DD had it as her first choice anyway, so firming was irrelevant to the Uni (not that they knew that) and this offer didn't affect her choice. Whereas, for others, it might have convinced them to change their first choice course from another.

twentyten · 22/03/2015 19:02

Why are you asking?

cauchy · 22/03/2015 19:06

My department were told by UCAS that they could not make different official offers for firm and conditional.

I don't think the UCAS blog (2nd point) contradicts this: Sussex and others make the offer unconditional only if firmed. The official offer is the conditional one, which is changed only after firming.

NiceCardigan · 22/03/2015 19:08

Does that mean it's ok if it's unofficial i.e. by email rather than track?

Georgethesecond · 22/03/2015 19:16

Are you a journalist?

SauvignonBlanche · 22/03/2015 19:17

All conditional here.
At one Uni we were given an email address told that if anyone made it their firm choice they were to email them but wouldn't say why.

Yoosurnaym · 22/03/2015 21:34

Hi, can you tell us why you want to know. DD has received several unconditional offers. She is reluctant to choose one of the unconditional offers as she is worried it's too easy an option.

Original poster

Inncogneetow · 22/03/2015 22:33

Thanks: I'm not a journalist. (I've been on mn for 15 years, but not under this name!)

I work with independent schools and a national committee is interested in the anecdotal reports of a rise in unconditional offers. Universities and departments can be quite secretive about this, so just wanting other sources of data.

OP posts:

Yoosurnaym · 22/03/2015 23:04

I've PM'ed you

I presume you have read THIS and done some googling. I got the impression that Unis are upfront about their unconditional offers schemes.

Some even guarentee an UO if your predicted grades meet their requirements.

Original poster

Inncogneetow · 23/03/2015 07:30

Thanks: all really helpful.

OP posts:

titchy · 23/03/2015 07:52

You can ask UCAS for the data you know. You'll have to pay for it but it'll be far more realistic about the national situation that some random anecdotes from MNers.

stonecircle · 23/03/2015 10:03

There are other threads on here about unconditional offers. My DS received an AAB offer from Sussex and then in January was told this would be unconditional if he firmed. Also, if he got his predicted AAA, they would given him £3k. This was for geography. I thought he might be tempted enough to go to the offer holder day but he wasn't, despite having liked the place enough to put it as one of his five. He's putting two other universities as his firm and insurance.

cauchy · 23/03/2015 15:27

I work with independent schools and a national committee is interested in the anecdotal reports of a rise in unconditional offers. Universities and departments can be quite secretive about this, so just wanting other sources of data.

Departments and universities aren't being secretive about this - the opposite.

I find it hard to believe that a "national committee" working with independent schools is interested in potentially non-representative and non-truthful anecdotes from here. Why wouldn't independent schools just gather their own anecdotal data, from their own pupils' offers?

Kez100 · 23/03/2015 15:57

What I can add to this thread then, is that in my DDs experience (creative degree) she has seen a rise in one quarter. She undertook her Level 3 at a college that also offers degrees. She didn't want to study a degree there but a number of her peers did - they all received conditional last year whereas this year, from friends she had in the year below, the college is giving out a lot of unconditional offers.

DD received an unconditional from her first choice Uni course last year and, when she got there, quite a few others had as well. She doesn't have any knowledge of their decisions this year.

In this case, it is understandable. They have AS actual grades or BTEC unit competed grades to go by, a PS, a reference and a 30 minute portfolio interview. To be honest, after that lot, making an unconditional is not too risky.

stonecircle · 23/03/2015 16:52

I wonder if the 2 year A level will put a stop to the increase in unconditional offers - when there are no AS grades to put on UCAS applications?

Yoosurnaym · 23/03/2015 21:39

I think this year will be unusual as the caps have been lifted and it's the last year of AS's (I think?) The increase in UO will surely mean that there will be even more pressure to give unrealistically high predicted grades. The number of
A-level students missing their predicted marks is already increasing rapidly year on year.
TIMES article HERE

If predicted grades are further inflated then surely it will undermine the UOs.

Surely Unis won't want to risk lowering their average ucas tariff of their students too much as it will effect their rankings.

Just imagine if students applied after reviewing their results. There would be no need for all these complicated shenanigans and all the expense and worry. It would also be fairer.

2rebecca · 23/03/2015 22:02

In Scotland unconditionals are fairly normal. You just need a recognised exam the year before A levels. It can lead to them cruising a bit though

catsrus · 31/03/2015 21:09

We've just got an odd and worrying one. Dd interviewed for her final uni yesterday - the one she really REALLY wants to go to, good interview. Today she gets the ucas email and sees its an unconditional offer. I'm at work, she's delirious with joy and confirms the offer before telling me. This then, of course, declines her other offers.

On reading the letter with the "unconditional offer" it says "congratulations your place a uni of xxx to study yy is confirmed.
More details
This offer is subject to you obtaining xxxxxxx (very high) grades overall"

The ucas track says unconditional offer firmly accepted.... But the letter clearly says conditional on these very high grades.

She's going to ring them tomorrow but I'm very worried it's a screw up and it's supposed to be a high conditional - her deflation will be hard to watch. Bastard admins I'm an academic so nothing surprises me atm.

SauvignonBlanche · 31/03/2015 21:16

Your poor DD!

MrsDoylesCupOfTea · 31/03/2015 21:23

Oh my, that is strange. Is it for a university course that applicants can get offered unconditionals?

It sounds like a very unfortunate admin mistake.

catsrus · 31/03/2015 21:32

Yes it is possible to get an unconditional, and she did come away with the feeling that she might get one - so this was the dream come true. I can only hope the mistake is the other way, that the conditional bit should be in there . I've just read a worrying number of stories about unconditionals being sent out by mistake .

MrsDoylesCupOfTea · 31/03/2015 21:56

I'll keep my fingers crossed for her then. Nerve-racking stuff....