Unconditional offers - truly unconditional?

[ExcitementBubble]

My son has unexpectedly been given an unconditional offer from his second choice uni if he makes it his firm choice. He’s still waiting to hear from his first choice. He’s very happy though as he’s had a few educational set-backs and this would give him some certainty for a change.

My question is - is this truly unconditional? If he fails altogether will they still honour it?

He’s taking a BTec so a lot of the modules are in the bag so it’s an unlikely scenario but I would love to know....

[RavingRoo]

Even Oxbridge gives unconditional offers to students who have relevant work or educational experience. I bet Malala Yousef got one!

[Supergluerules]

That's great news for your DS Excitement

My DS has 2 unconditional offers, UEA & Exeter. The UEA one is completely unconditional BUT the Exeter offer is not.

This is what the offer says "we’ll guarantee you a place on the course, even if you miss your offer by up to one grade and achieve AAB or compensating grades (AAC or ABB)". So actually he would still need to work hard to get those "unconditional" grades.

He doesn't want to accept either of them though

[ExcitementBubble]

Thanks Super

That’s a new one then - slightly unconditional! Well done him though, I hope he gets a good offer from one that he wants.

We heard from former first choice, standard conditional offer so he is pretty decided on going for the unconditional, we are going to their offer holders open day before he finalises anything though.

If I’m completely honest I personally preferred the unconditional place anyway, but I’m not going so am trying to let him make his own decisions.

[Battleax]

Even Oxbridge gives unconditional offers to students who have relevant work or educational experience. I bet Malala Yousef got one!

She most certainly didn't.

[Battleax]

He doesn't want to accept either of them though

Oh Lord, we went through that. Hold your nerve

[TabbyTigger]

Excitement just something to consider - in if DS’s friends got an unconditional (for a very specific, unusual course at Lincoln) and chose to firm a conditional instead, then bombed one of his a levels. On results say he called Lincoln up and told them he’d missed their offer but had an unconditional at first, and he’s studying there now!

So I would try not to let the nature of the offer sway him - I think he’s got the right idea going to the taster days (you often get a better feel for the specific course on post applicant days) and should just look at them as though the offer is the same, then make his choice.

[ExcitementBubble]

Thanks Tabby, I'm pretty sure you're right, both courses were in clearing last year and they were accepting lower grades than they list as requirements, but he really doesn't want to take that risk.

I think it's to do with the league tables counting entry grades in their calculations, meaning a university listing more realistic lower entry grades would slip down the league tables. I think what the middling universities (and some Russell Groups like Birmingham) are doing is listing highish entry grades then giving out unconditionals and/or accepting lower grades on results days and in clearing to get around it. One course we looked at a pretty uninspiring uni was quoting BBB entry grades at application but in clearing were openly advertising that they would take DDD (A-level not BTec).

It's a shame for the kids having to navigate all this really, the stress caused by it all is huge.

[mathsquestions]

Why not give his first choice a call to see if they can match it?

[Battleax]

In that case OP your DS should hold his nerve too.

He's achieving well, he doesn't need to panic and "stick".

How many courses has he named on UCAS? Anything a bit aspirational? He might even be suitable for Adjustment.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

We are just going through this now but I think it is different for us in Scotland. DS has received his first offer and it's truly unconditional because he already holds more than they require. Entry requirements are based on the results he got last year so essentially he doesn't need to pass anything he does this year. He could have gone to Uni last year if he'd wanted to. From his remaining 4 choices he should in theory get unconditionals from 3 as he already exceeds the requirements.

[ExcitementBubble]

It’s quite a niche course so really he has already chosen the best options that we could see, there is another one who have offered him an interview but he prefers the unconditional to them (but we’ll see how the unconditional open day goes before he turns the interview down).

One was a foundation degree for insurance purposes and the other we have never actually seen, we just noticed they did a similar course and put them in. Interestingly they will drop you the equivalent of one A level grade just for turning up to their offer holders day......

[Battleax]

So he's bidding in a "recruiting" part of the HE market where unconditional offers are far more for the universities' benefit than for the students' benefit.

[ExcitementBubble]

Probably, but in his case I think it’s working in his favour. He’s already much less stressed than he was.

I know some high-flyers offered unconditionals at Birmingham too, so it’s not just the mid-range unis that are at it.

Surely there’s a better way than this though, if some way of applying post-results could be organised, but I just can’t see how all the admin could be done in the time available.

[Battleax]

No, DS got two too. It's a growing trend.

As long as he's sure. You do sound quite confident. Good luck

[Battleax]

(And yes it's been a few years since they tried to move UCAS to post-results system. We're due another attempt )

[ginorwine]

Depends on the uni
Dd had unconditional
For a uni in york but the Russel group was aaa
We rang the unconditional
Offer uni
They said that stood even as second choice
So we put it as second and it gave her price of mind even if she did choose the rg one in the end but it was good to have .
I don't think it's uncommon but I would ring the admissions officer to check if it's unconditional if you put them first or not .

[HSMMaCM]

DD put her unconditional second (so it became conditional ) and got an email 2 days before results day that it was unconditional even though they were second place. It helped her face results day knowing she was going somewhere. She missed her grades for her first choice and was still offered a place.

Of course not everyone will be so lucky, so it's a hard decision to make.

[ginorwine]

I would def check as some unconditional offers stand wether you put them first or not .. but it needs checking . Dd s offer def stood even if not first choice - rang admissions twice as cdnt quite grasp that !

[annandale]

Back in the day I got a matriculation only (two Es) offer from York and held it as my insurance offer. If they haven't said it depends on him putting it as first choice, it probably doesn't. Fair enough to check though.

[ExcitementBubble]

Unfortunately it’s definitely only unconditional if first choice. Do you really think it’s worth asking the other uni to up their offer to unconditional, has anyone heard of that happening?

[mysteryfairy]

My DS2 is very lazy and naturally gravitates to equally lazy mates.

He had a friend who accepted an unconditional offer to study engineering at Hull, completely stopped working for and failed his a levels, went to Hull and subsequently found he did not like it and dropped out. He is a bright lad with good GCSEs but in a very poor position to progress and working in a minimum wage job.

Another friend took an unconditional offer to read computer science and so coasted his A levels getting middle of the road grades (C rather than A etc). He is in third year now and finding he gets instant rejections from most grad schemes in software engineering etc because of their minimum A level requirements.

I consequently think unconditional offers are an extremely mixed blessing for the students.

[user1469682920]

Can work both ways, I know someone who was able to focus and work much more effectively when the stress lifted on being given an unconditional.

[TabbyTigger]

user a few of DS’s friends were definitely like that - two took their unconditionals and went on to get AAA and AAA. Some universities also have financial incentives to do well - the girl who got AAA went to Lancaster and was told that if she got AAB she’d get a certain amount of money, and above A*AA a larger amount. Same for a lot of courses (not medicine) at Leicester and Sheffield in DS’s year as well. It definitely depends on the student.

Excitement it’s worth calling the potential first choice uni and asking about dropped grades/offer flexibility, which could segue into a conversation about the unconditional he already has.

[StellaTins]

What's his first choice uni? Some are notorious for giving unconditionals and some just don't.

[ExcitementBubble]

I don’t want to out myself but I know someone who got an unconditional there last year (totally different subject though)