Applying for Uni 2019 entry Part 3, UCAS & offers

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Wow that last thread filled up quickly. Well done to your DS, Piggy!

justasking111 it would be interesting to know why the teacher recommended the university? At DS's school I'm pretty sure they might run through the pros and cons of individual ones but think they'd fight shy of going so far as to direct a pupil.

Carrotgirl87 welcome and good luck with the SHU selection event. How are you feeling about it?

Nervous already I think because I'm so limited to just this one university I'm having to put all my eggs in one basket! Luckily iv got a few friends in the field iv applied for so they're giving me great advice for the day! Iv done an access course this year so not really the usual route in.. And now it's just more waiting.....

Gosh that sounds stressful knowing all your eggs are in one basket. When is the selection event - hopefully not too long to wait? Hoping your friends in the field can give you some useful pointers too.

Thanks for that info itscold : out of interest, what subject was that??

Good luck carrotgirl

Newmodel and sluj - yes I’ll encourage her to wait a bit then. I guess there would be no reason for them to drop the offer after she has accepted it. What is the deadline?

Piggy - Biology/Biological Sciences

OK, not the same as DS. Still, helpful to know!

Good luck carrotgirl!

I did my nursing training only a few years ago, at much older than 30. I'd applied to three unis, but one was by far the most practical option, the other two would have made life very difficult. At my interview, about halfway through, the interviewer stopped and asked, "why are you so nervous?" "Because I really want to come here!"

DS has a second offer. This time he’s not convinced they’ve read his application, though, as it’s a conditional offer of ABB and he already has his results (ABC). He’s rolling his eyes a bit at that as it’ll mean making another phone call in work hours to see what’s going on.

Good luck Carrot!

Thank you all! @AtiaoftheJulii that's a really reassuring story, it's not all that far from the course I've applied for either so it gives me hope! Here is hoping life experience is worth something to these admissions teams! 😁

DitheringDan - read on the Oxbridge thread that the offers are conditional for those applying post A Levels until such time as their results have been verified.

The deadline for decision-making is very early May, Lililili. I reckon DS probably won't make his final decision until Easter (only because he's a bit of a ditherer).

Carrotgirl87 I think life experience always goes down well with admissions teams. 'Mature' students are much more likely to be super-motivated (and therefore do really well on their courses)..

Thanks, that makes (slightly) more sense, but he’s hardly going to find they’ve gone up a grade in the mean time!

Oh sorry DitheringDan I was so focused on what a conditional offer means after A Levels as to not notice the offer grade inflation which doesn't match your DS's results - that is very strange (and agree that he is probably correct in thinking they've not properly looked at his application).

DS has some second offers in. I'm assuming that there is no such thing as a third even lower offer.
I think it may be time for us to start looking at student finance and accommodation.
It's all getting a bit real.

DS has some second offers in. I'm assuming that there is no such thing as a third even lower offer. Not sure (and well done to your DS, glitterbiscuits, BTW). I would have thought there could be further lower offers potentially. Presumably the rationale for making these is to try to get young people to firm their offers so the universities have a much clearer idea of when their courses are full (pending A level results). Does that make sense?

Wondering if anyone has any experience of this with older DC applying?

Also, a query for you wise people. If a DC doesn't do well enough to get their 'firm' but does better than their back-up university requires, can they still choose to go into Clearing come A Level Results Day or not?

I think they'd be looking at adjustment rather than clearing in that scenario. A similar process I understand but you're essentially looking for somewhere you didn't think you'd make the grade requirements for at the point of application. It could even be one of your original choices if you rejected them as you didn't think you'd meet their offer.

I think in that case NewModel you'd have to ask to be formally released from the insurance choice.

I'd love to know the process behind the scenes. DD got early offers from St Andrews and Edinburgh, and on student forum there are some with better grades/better backgrounds for the course who still haven't heard. However, Warwick have sent out their first batch of offers for her course yesterday and she didn't hear - she's been waiting 12 weeks now. We've still to hear from Durham, but I think she's swaying between Birmingham (very good course and fairly near) and St Andrews (brilliant course and a long long way from home) but that decision would help if she'd heard from Warwick (another fairly near option).

Adjustment is only available to those who do better than their firm offer. If you don't make your firm but don't want to go to your insurance, you have to ask your insurance university to release you from your contract with them. This gives you a clearing number, which you need in order to be offered a place elsewhere.

www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/results/ucas-adjustment-if-youve-done-better-expected

@ifonly4 - My son's form was sent by UCAS to the universities on the 16th December and he too has had a quick turnaround from Edinburgh whilst lots of others from his subject are still waiting. It was a bit of a suprise tbh as it was very much his aspirational application. He's got three other offers but is also waiting to hear from Warwick which at the moment is probably his favourite (typical!). He knows other people from his subject are waiting and also that for various reasons his application only reached the department a week ago but he is desperate to hear.
My daughter is in her second year at St Andrews if I can help with any general information.

Just pricing up travel to offer holder days. Ouch! Very pricey!
Both of the universities that DS wants to look at are a 3 hour drive from us and I’d find that tough to do there and back in a day, so that leaves the train as an option. Getting there for 10am makes it so expensive - would be better if the offer holder days were 11am until 5pm rather than 10am until 4pm as it makes the trains much more reasonable.

Son had an e-mail today from UCAS. Offering to share all his details UCAS direct contact service

"By clicking this button, you’re opting in to the UCAS direct contact service. This means we will share key information from your application with universities, so they can contact you with offers, between July – September 2019."

I presume this is to aid clearing?

Sorry another question or two When is he supposed to do the firm, insurance thing.

The unis say they are opening accommodation soon, but he has not had an unconditional offer so how on earth can he book anywhere.

Could you do an AirB&B the night before, Blametheparents?