Durham University

[NotEnoughTime]

Hello.

How many of us are waiting for their DC to hear back from Durham? My DS applied back in October last year and is getting very down now he knows that others who have received offers are being informed that they will be told soon re college allocations.

I am usually a 'no news is good news' type of person but even I am finding it hard to be upbeat as I too am fed up

I wish they would just let him me know soon if he is going to get an offer or a rejection and then he can get on with his life and his A Level revision without this hanging over him.

OP still here waiting.....

Did any of your DC go to the Durham offer holders day yesterday? If so, what did s/he think?

DS1 went on his own on Wednesday and had a good time. I haven't got much out of him but he looked at the labs again and at his college. Both were 'ok' and he will insure his place.

TBH he was happy before he went again but just wanted to have another look before confirming.

Thank you sandy

Also still waiting ....,,,

I have to say I completely agree with @Hoghgyni that it is maddening when the reallocated college is the polar opposite of the preferred college. Your combined subject and college offer then has nothing to do with academic merit - it is all down to luck.

DS’s friend is still waiting. Agonising.

DS got his college allocation a couple of days ago - Stevos which is what he asked for, which has caused a bit of confusion as they gave him an offer for a different course to what he applied for so he'd previously decided not to go there. Now, it's changed things and he's keen again. Heaven knows what he'll do now!

Thanks Often. It's also totally impractical to go for an offer holder's day from the opposite end of the country when the college doesn't physically exist yet to take a look at. I think she will almost certainly insure elsewhere now, where she will have a bit more certainty.

Still waiting here for physics........

Applied in November. Haven't heard from Durham yet. A couple of my son's friends applied too and haven't heard from them either. If it makes you feel any better, one of these boys is predicted four A*. So I think Durham just likes to take their time 🙂

There will be applicants who are not happy with their college allocation then turning down their places - surely that will trigger another tranche of offers?

Definitely Kingscote. There will almost certainly be a PPE place coming free soon!

History offer has just came through but no college allocation yet.

Good news Changing . Is it likely to be firm or insurance?

Hi Hoghgyni, yes thanks, good news, it’ll either be firm or rejected, the other offers are lower so it wouldn’t work as an insurance.

Has your dc had an offer or still waiting to hear?

She got offered ABB if firm, but AAA if insurance, which is the same as her offer from Oxford. She can put York down as insurance though on ABB, so it looks as though that will be the pragmatic thing to do.

York is the more obviously sensible thing to do Hoghgyni but as far as Durham college allocation goes, I honestly can't see that your DD is in any worse position than mine. Both would be very likely to go back into the mix, if it came to their missing their grades for Oxford.

Has DD8 got a lower offer for Durham than Oxford? Lucky thing!

The college allocation really does seem to be computer generated, which should also take any personal sting out of it too. Not sure it's the best way of doing things but still - I don't think there's human involvement at all any more.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo. She just pressed the button because she really likes Durham!

DD4 please Hoghgyni. Four girls is quite enough :)

DC/S/D I lose track of them all - one and done here!

Still waiting for Durham but just got offer from Edinburgh with a lower than standard tarrif so I think we have the insurance .

I have always defended Durham ( especially as we are a Durham University family ) but I do think I am losing patience . There is definitely a whiff of arrogance about their admissions process and at the risk of being jumped on I also think the difference between the standard offer and the contextual is huge and this plus the guaranteed offer system does not help.

For the record I am in favour of widening access but it is a very blunt tool. The difference between A*AA and ABB is enormous at the margin . Obviously between top selective and very poor context it may be comparable , but between leafy comp and not so leafy city it may be less comparable.

Peaseblossom - but to get a contextual offer it’s not enough to just be at a comprehensive school is it? Don’t you also need to be in a poorly performing school, live in a certain (polar something?) postcode or have parents who didn’t go to university?

We’re still waiting.....