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Higher education

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

Original poster

Applying for Uni 2019 entry, parents support thread

998 replies

Decorhate · 09/09/2018 09:51

Now that they are back at school, working on Personal Statements, doing the final Open Day visits, I thought we could do with a new thread...

OP posts:
DrMadelineMaxwell · 20/10/2018 12:08

Dd has conditional offer from.york for 3 x A.
And an offer of 2 x A from Bangor which they will make unconditional if firmed. But it's her last choice and lower ranked and below her predicted grades. Pretty much expected as a 'Please come Here' offer.

Piggywaspushed · 20/10/2018 13:02

2 As from Bangor is a high offer.. why don't they just go for BBC or similar? I reckon that might encourage students more to use them as reserves. All this bartering is so silly.

My DH has now declared Bangor and Aber as 'too far away' for no real reason other than they are far away which has annoyed me a bit, and must be quite a lot of Bagor and Aber's recruitment issues, tbh.

Witchend · 20/10/2018 13:11

It is silly the way they use the offers but then are known to drop them, which kind of makes a mockery of those who get it.

I had a friend (back in the 90s) who was delighted to get her CCC offer (she got BBB) and went off to her place to find that basically although all had been offered CCC, they'd accepted anyone who'd got EE or above. She felt rather cheated. They then were very oversubscribed in the course-they attended lectures on rotation and her accommodation, described as "nice rooms for 2" was indeed rooms for 2-with 3 bunk beds in and room for nothing else. There was a desk outside in the corridor in case they needed one. She left.

Piggy dd loved Durham and has put it down, but the distance is an issue for her. I think it would be top choice if it wasn't for the distance, and price (one of the most expensive outside London). She didn't apply for St Andrews for the same reason.

I was wondering how the admissions might pan out this year. I think nationally it's a small year, but also will Brexit effect admissions? (positively or negatively). I don't know.

LoniceraJaponica · 20/10/2018 13:13

Last year was supposed to be a small year. I still get the impression that unconditional offers are being handed out too freely. I know schools and colleges don't like it because it encourages students to take their foot off the pedal.

bizzey · 20/10/2018 13:43

@AtiaoftheJulii thank you

LIZS · 20/10/2018 13:46

Unconditional offers seem as available as ever. Dd also has one from York if firmed.

bizzey · 20/10/2018 13:55

I was just wondering if anyone knows if Southampton gives unconditional offers. Ds is set on this one after a " wierd " road of getting here .There just is not another university he wants . He/ we have looked at Bristol and Edinburgh and Imperial but his heart is set on Southampton. His grades at the moment and predicted are above what they want .Does that help ?? It is geology if that makes a difference thank you

LIZS · 20/10/2018 14:28

Apparently UCAS will be publishing a list of those unis making most unconditional offers for 2018 entry in December. A number have already said they don't or won't be making any this year.

LoniceraJaponica · 20/10/2018 14:54

I look forward to seeing the list. I know Manchester doesn't make unconditional offers.

Original poster
Decorhate · 20/10/2018 17:52

Final Open Day today. Glad we made the effort as ds liked it so it will be one of his choices. Like Bristol, they hinted that the course is often undersubscribed so might accept the odd dropped grade. I'm not expecting ds to get any unconditionals though.

OP posts:
VanCleefArpels · 20/10/2018 18:11

Final open day for us too today, they have already offered u/c if firmed. However, it’s not going to be in the mix despite that temptation. So just waiting to hear from one more now and booking offer holder day for one other. It all feels very real!!

LoniceraJaponica · 20/10/2018 18:15

All these unconditional offers make universities sound desperate. I know that through September some of the less popular universities were still advertising courses through clearing - right up until freshers week.

Original poster
Decorhate · 20/10/2018 18:29

All ds' choices are quite aspirational. If even very popular RG universities say his subject is undersubscribed I think there will be no problem picking something up in clearing. He has already visited a couple of possibilities for that purpose.

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 20/10/2018 19:11

Final uni open day for us too and luckily dd2 liked it as much as she hoped she would.

Piggywaspushed · 20/10/2018 19:11

On the actual UCAS application unis don't know what order you have of prefernces do they? I'm a bit confused by something that was said at Oxford Brookes.

DS now looking at info about European Studies at Kent. I think he wants to be able to put some history into his degree. I guess there's liberal arts, too ... I swaer this is anew degree, isn't it?

TheFrendo · 20/10/2018 19:37

There is no order of preference. Each university does not know what other institutions or courses the student has applied to.

Piggywaspushed · 20/10/2018 19:42

That's what I thought.... hmmm.. the man said' if you make us your first choice, we will always make you an offer'. Eh?

ifonly4 · 20/10/2018 20:05

Last uni today as well. DD's application was meant to be in for checking by school yesterday, but it's been suggested she spend a bit longer on the fine detail of her PS. Won't be long now.

anniehm · 20/10/2018 20:31

Bizzey

We've been told Southampton rarely gives out unconditionals and is notoriously late in giving out any offers . It's DD's preferred choice so on tender hooks. Bham offered within 10 days

VanCleefArpels · 20/10/2018 21:53

lonicera fewer potential students plus more places available means the “price” will inevitably go down. At Essex the guy doing the subject talk was very open about the fact that each student represents income so offers would be considered flexibly on results day 🤔

VanCleefArpels · 20/10/2018 21:55

piggy maybe he meant that if you firm an offer they will then lower it? My DD has a couple of offers which say “offer is XYZ but if you firm
It it will become unconditional / XXX (lower)”

BringOnTheScience · 20/10/2018 23:02

We did final Open Day too today. DC1 quite likes the course and loves the city, but it'll be the Insurance if they give similar offers as previous years: 3 IB points lower than 1st choice.

Witchend · 20/10/2018 23:08

Dd's had her second offer. Southampton I think it was. So she's now had the two offers that should be slightly lower than the others. She really likes them both too, so it's taken some of the pressure off her.

Piggywaspushed · 21/10/2018 07:51

I don't know vancleef - I guess that could be it!

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 21/10/2018 10:22

That's what I thought.... hmmm.. the man said' if you make us your first choice, we will always make you an offer'. Piggy that sounds like the thing that some schools seem to infer for secondary school applications too.