Anyone else dc received a reduced offer if firmed from Durham?

[RedHelenB]

Dd received an email this morning.

MarchingFrogs I think snobbery on Durham's behalf because it was so much older and more established. And I saw that having been taught it on a history of higher ed module at Durham so the reality may be even less flattering

Say not saw!

I wonder if this is in response to Cambridge stating it will go into clearing this year for certain groups? Universities seem very keen this year to lock down bright pupils for their courses.

Snobbery? Durham?! They're just an old off-shoot of Newcastle University

Zander who knew

I loved it and I know that more old school employers do too, but snobbery abounds...rightly or wrongly

Actually namechange it may have been the other way round that Newcastle and Durham were all part of Durham but Newcastle was the medic bit. Newcastle grew and offered other courses and became so successful that they split a few decades ago. Still, may have played a part in the RG thing! There’s a story about why Newcastle students don’t wear mortar boards and it’s to do with Durham. Can’t remember that bit though! Something to do with a fight....

www.ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/history/

The year 2000 was a low birth rate year so there is a shortage of 18 year olds. All uni applications are down this year. Hence why maybe reduced offers

That's interesting about 2000. Is there a theory for how that came about?

If there aren't as many 18 years olds it makes even less sense why so many are still waiting for an initial offer from Durham let alone a reduced one!! Gets more baffling by the day.

No idea why but there aren’t enough 18 year olds to go round.

Actually I thought I had read there’s actually more applications this year despite the low birth rates
www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/first-rise-university-applications-three-years

No definitely not -heard it from someone internal in a university. Numbers down for all universities.

I think it is 2001/2 that is the low birth year so next year's applicants are the buyers market.

And then there is brexit and whether overseas student numbers will be down

Nope - according to that article EU numbers up by 1% and rest of world up 9%

I think it's last years intake, with this years dipping further before numbers rise again.

Certainly, that was the case when choosing secondary schools. DS got into a school that hadn't had places for years for out of catchment.

All relative to the standard of secondary schools round here but worked to our advantage. So yes, strange indeed so many are waiting.

The distribution of applications may not be even though. So numbers may be down generally but that doesn't mean the pattern is the same across all universities and/or courses. I am sure I read somewhere that the Oxbridge/Medicine applications were higher this year than previously? Maybe it's a smaller but very aspirational cohort who know what they want?

DS applied to Durham based on his very good A Level predictions. It hadn't really been on his radar until that point in time, so he was quite surprised but really delighted to get an offer.

Is his offer for History NewModelArmyMayhem18?

No, Geography, goodbyestranger. Clearly not as popular a subject as others mentioned (and about which many young people are still waiting to hear).

Zanda, it's the other way round. In the 1940s my father went to Durham University for his BSc. After that he then did a degree in medicine again at Durham (I have his degree certificate) but this time at Newcastle Medical school. Newcastle is the Johnny come lately in that sense....

(1950s by the time he read medicine; 1949 his BSc)

Well ds been to the offer holders over night stay at Durham and not very impressed.

For what reason was he not impressed?

Tales of people being rejected for one mark below an A*, the university taking 10 days to let near misses know the outcome, forced jollity on the overnight stay, a bit of snobbery.