Applying for uni in 2021...

[Parsley65]

Thought I'd start the ball rolling on this one...

Dd wants to study psychology and we've been checking out dates of open days.

Her school still does AS levels. She's doing psychology, physics & business.

Please come and join us on the long and bumpy ride past revision and exams and on towards the much anticipated start of uni life in Autumn 2021.

@NotDonna Yes he's still very keen on Oxford and would thrive in the tutorial system but we have to be realistic. And being keen on his other offers will make a probable disappointment much easier.

DD’s UCAS form was sent Monday and she’s had acknowledgments from all 5 so it’s a waiting game now. She’s applied to Loughborough Liverpool Nottingham Sheffield and Bangor for psychology. Loughborough being the favourite as it has a placement year

@fayebebaby DS1 is at Loughborough and loves it. It has a great student union and the Vice Chancellor is great. They've also been very good during covid.

faybebaby I do think a placement year is a good idea!

We did the campus tour in the summer @calculatorqueen and was very impressed both with the uni and VC Bob.@NotDonna just ticks all the boxes

NotDonna and others ..pleased to hear about offers
Dd has 3 now..including 2 with a contextual if she firms them up so all good. I hope those waiting to hear back get an offer soon.
Am interested in comment up thread about accommodation of insurance offers. It had not really occurred before but of course makes sense that most will only guarantee accommodation to their firm applicants. I’m off now to look at DD’s possible insurances

Hi all. Congrats to all those with the offers rolling (or inching) in.

DS has 1 offer in from Bristol and is waiting to hear from Cambridge, Newcastle, Southampton and UCL.

I’m very confused by the talk of contextual offers and their relationship or otherwise to them being on condition of ‘firming’. Aren’t they 2 different things? Isn’t a contextual offer a lower offer recognising some degree of disadvantage?

I think I’ve finally got my head round Birmingham’s policy of attainment offers, basically a low offer which recognises a candidate’s excellence, but do you have to firm those to keep them?

@Beetlesand Yes! This is a big issue to consider IMO. Bristol for example apparently does not have enough Uni accommodation for all the undergrads so can be quite impactful to not get a guarantee.

@calculatorqueen, my dd1 chose both Leeds and York as two potential insurance (or first choice!) as they both guarantee accommodation for insurance applicants. However she is so taken with Bristol she is considering the risk.
@NotDonna she is applying for a physics course. No open days (other than virtual) but we did drive there one day over the summer and used their app to do a tour of the city. She really likes the course and actually prefers the idea of a city uni to a campus. She loved Bristol and thought it would be a really cool place to live. Still second place to Durham which totally stole her heart.

@Tenpastseven, yes, i don't quite get the contextual if firm thing. Durham gave dd1 a contextual offer of one grade less than advertised and then a second offer of another grade less if firmed. But still apparently contextual.

Bristol has lots of new accommodation. And more being built. Don't think there were any issues this year - and 30 extra students on DDs course after the fiasco.

@mumsneedwine that's really good to hear!

Oh that IS good to hear @mumsneedwine.

Ah @LeiatheSchnauzer that makes sense. A contextual offer should be less that their standard offer but no strings attached (firming etc). If they then lower it further if DC firm that’s fair enough. So standard could be AAA, then to a standard kid who firms it maybe AAB. A contextual offer maybe AAB (same as standard firm, so not really recognising disadvantage), then ABB firmed contextual. For example!! The contextual should be taken into account whether firmed or not.

@NotDonna

Ah *@LeiatheSchnauzer* that makes sense. A contextual offer should be less that their standard offer but no strings attached (firming etc). If they then lower it further if DC firm that’s fair enough. So standard could be AAA, then to a standard kid who firms it maybe AAB. A contextual offer maybe AAB (same as standard firm, so not really recognising disadvantage), then ABB firmed contextual. For example!! The contextual should be taken into account whether firmed or not.

Although, I don't think Durham do reduced if firm for anyone other than contextual. But not rock solid sure on that.

so a DC has to firm to get the contextual at Durham revenge? I’m hoping I’ve misunderstood as it’s not exactly in the spirit of recognising hardship/disadvantage.

When it comes to results day, thinking about my DS1s friends in 2019, a contextual offer is unlikely to be lowered on the day. But if you have a none contextual offer, they would perhaps drop it to the equivalent of a contextual offer. So contextual could be offered ABB but uni won't budge on results day. Non contextual is offered AAB but on results day will drop to ABB. Obviously this isn't the same for all courses and unis.

@NotDonna

so a DC has to firm to get the contextual at Durham revenge? I’m hoping I’ve misunderstood as it’s not exactly in the spirit of recognising hardship/disadvantage.

No - If you look at the offers, they involve two reductions - one grade for contextual, one further for firmed. Although if the degree of disadvantage warrants two grade reductions it does seem odd not just to give two steps upfront.

Anyway, great to hear the offers starting to come in - so exciting

Can I join? My ds has just sent his UCAS application to college to add reference etc so hopefully it will go through fairly soon. He has applied for various history/politics options at Glasgow, Hull, York, Exeter and Southampton. Glasgow is probably his first choice.

How would you find out if a uni has enough accommodation for everyone who only insures or applies through clearing. Is there a website or would it be a case of contacting each uni directly?

Oh my goodness puffin he really has applied all over the U.K.! Welcome.

@FlowFlow7722, each university's accommodation policy will be on its website.

My DD is sending in her UCAS today to Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Brighton, Nottingham Trent and Sheffield Hallam. I am a bit worried as she hasn't finished her portfolio and I hope she has a few weeks before they contact her. Her organisation skills are terrible . Does anyone know how long you get after UCAS submission

I’ve no idea about courses that need submission of portfolios but would guess they’d acknowledge receipt of her application & request the portfolio and give her a deadline then. That could be within a couple of weeks.

No experience of this either but if the portfolio is required for application then I guess they will only be able to start considering her application from when they receive all the content. Different institutions will probably work at different timescales however.
Did she submit the ucas form herself or via school? My dd1 sent hers to school but then it was a further week of them checking it and adding reference before it actually went to ucas, sent from the school.