Anyone still waiting to hear from Durham?

[PortusCale]

Just wondered if anyone else is waiting to hear from Durham for an offer for 2019 entry?

See that offer holder day bookings are now open and I understand college allocation has begun.

DS still waiting here, DS application went through in November.....does this mean a rejection will likely be on its way?

Yes some are more MC than others, that's definitely true!

Any news on outstanding offers? I do feel horrid for those still waiting to hear.

Dd is still waiting for Bath.

DD still waiting for Durham

Still waiting here....

Oh, that's crap quite frankly. I'm sorry for the dc still waiting. There's so much going on in this period for them - with exams and university choices etc - so hard to be kept in the dark until the last moment.

Agreeing wholeheartedly with Justanothermile. Durham have form for this though. My friend's DD was kept waiting right up to the end of March a few years ago. Nearly gave up and assumed they'd forgotten about her but she got an offer eventually and has loved her time there. It's not fair though given the pressure it puts them under at what is an already difficult and pressurised time. I hope all goes well and Durham get back to you very soon.

Yesterday, one of DS's school friends got an offer from Durham for Law, if it's useful to know?

My DS rejected his Durham offer for law at the weekend. He was waiting to attend the Edinburgh open day before he made his decision. Others will be following suit. Oxford is his firm and Edinburgh (free fees and unconditional as he is Scottish) his insurance.

Hope your wait ends soon.....

Wasn't his Durham offer higher than his Oxford offer Aurea?

Do you think it matters when you apply to Durham? If you apply before Oxbridge cut off date I assume Durham will think you have applied to Oxbridge and therefore Durham maybe not your first choice.

It will make no difference at all when you applied as long as you applied before the January deadline.

DS had this four years ago, except he was waiting on UCL, Warwick, and LSE, after being rejected by Cambridge and deciding he no longer wanted to go to his fifth choice (the course had expanded/changed.) I have had a quick look at the Student Room, and LSE also have a lot of applicants still waiting.

All I can say is that it is awful, but will soon be over. It is really not a reflection on them. DS was taking five A levels, had plenty of A*s on his application, and thrived academically once at University. One of his classmates, who was rejected by everyone, got Cambridge on re-application. The margins between acceptance and rejection can be very fine indeed.

No it clearly doesn't matter at all oneteen, since a huge, huge number of Durham students have tried for Oxbridge. Durham wants - indeed needs - those students because almost all will be highly able. Durham is also probably grown up enough not to get petty about being second choice.

The margins between acceptance and rejection can be very fine indeed.

Absolutely. For those at the margins it's the flip of a coin.

Goodbye Stranger yes the offer for law from Durham was higher than Oxford, so of course he couldn't use it as his insurance option. AAA for Durham and AAB for Oxford

These are for Scottish qualifications (Advanced Highers) which are considered more academically rigorous than A levels as the course supports a lot of independent learning over a shorter period of time and actually carries more UCAS points.

I don't think Durham has a full understanding of Advanced Highers as their standard offer for Scottish students is equivalent to 3 A stars at A level.

Cambridge also asks for AAA in Advanced Highers. If you're translating on UCAS points only that might give a false reading? Honestly, no wish to do down Scots (I am one!) but I'd be genuinely surprised if Advanced Highers were significantly more challenging than the new linear A levels.

Oxford would have it wrong too, since its standard offer is AAA and it asks Scottish students - a clearly stated target market for Oxford - for AAA. There's something not right somewhere!

I don't think you can get an A* in the Advanced Highers?

Top grade is A = 56 ucas points same as A* at A level

Fazackerley we're talking in equivalents. So Oxford AAA at A level/ AAB at AH equates, apparently, to AAA for Scottish students. But I don't think it probably does, other than on points, which are not a reliable or exact measure of challenge.

I'm quite happy with points as they mean my dds btec with d* is also 56 points

Sure, except that Oxford and Cambridge and Durham deal in grades not points.

Yes I know, don't worry

Just trying to point it out.

I'm leaving this thread as the snobbery is pretty unbelievable, although it's always the same few people doing it.

I hope you all get the offers you want.

Fazackerley there's no snobbery whatsoever, but the thing isn't about the value of a BTEC, it's the extent to which Oxford/ Durham etc are over tariffing Advanced Highers. It would be absurd if they are, because they claim to want Scots.

I think I posted that DD got her chosen college. She joined a group chat on FaceBook for Durham offer holders and was then directed to a college-specific one. It sounds now like she wants to make it her firm offer so we are going for another look over the Easter holiday.