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.

(or ask the insurance choice before you gave up your firm offer if they had a place in clearing for you)

I found a FAQ on UCAS which says:

"Can I swap my firm and insurance choices now I’ve got my results?
No, you can’t swap your firm and insurance choices.

If you now want to go to your insurance choice, you need to go through Clearing. You need to check with your insurance choice uni that they can accept you in Clearing"

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-confirmation-and-clearing/what-clearing

Are many people still waiting to hear back from unis?

Ds has 2 offers but has been put on hold by the 2 courses he’s applied for at Bristol and Manchester acknowledged receipt of his application but nothing since. His UCAS form was submitted by school on 17th November.

1 Bristol course (Phil & Pol) asks for his predicted grades of AAA but the other Bristol & Manchester ask for AAB & ABB respectively so he’s not applied for things out of his reach. Crossing all fingers that it’s not bad news!

Still waiting for Sheffield for psychology

DD also still waiting for Sheffield, I wonder if they are known for being slow, or if they are waiting until the Jan deadline.
DD has 4 out of 5 offers which is fab, I'm so pleased for her but she's really suffering with her mental health at the moment and now wondering if she wants to go away next year at all, or if she wants to completely change courses. Such a difficult time for them all...

@storminasnowglobe, it is so hard making these decisions during this time, sorry that her mental health isn't good right now. Fantastic that she has got those offers. At least she has a few months to think about it and they can sit there waiting till she sees how she feels about things in the spring.

DS has 3 offers out of 5 (one for a different course to the one he applied for).

Exeter say that they keep some applications back until the 15 Jan deadline to consider all applicants together but it's not clear to which subjects/courses that applies. I've definitely seen people getting offers from similar courses already so it's a bit frustrating that they don't spell it out if they aren't going to reply until 15 Jan.

That said, he has a do-able offer from his first choice (Glasgow ABB) and a helpful insurance offer (Hull 112 UCAS points), so he's in a good position.

DD has 2 out of 5 offers, not heard from others including the insurance so it is worrying, especially as she has decided she does not like one of the unis she has had an offer from (even though she has not seen any of them !).

@Skyr2 Yes, DD is regretting one of her choices and wishing she'd chosen somewhere else. It is uniquely different for them this year in as much as they may not have visited some of their choices or even the city/location of a chosen University.

She has an interview soon at the regretted choice and I'm just hoping she doesn't have an air of "not keen anymore" about her in the interview.

I’m also wondering if some are waiting until applications are all in. DD has two offers in and waiting for two. Her 5th won’t be for ages as there’s lots of hoops to jump.

Well, dd who likes to wait till the bitter end with everything (including revising for exam), is not going to submit her final 2 choices till Jan...

That’s fair enough amadeus1 a few of DDs friends have left a line or two empty for the time being. Has she heard from the choices she has put through?

DD has been waiting since 4th nov for Sheff. The other 4 came back with offers within anything between 24 hours to 2 weeks.

But waiting for this last one is making me nervy.

She hasn't decided which to put as firm and insurance yet.

She hasn't decided which to put as firm and insurance yet.

She has at least another 5 months to make this decision; there is no need to rush it and risk having to try to 'disentangle' herself if she subsequently changes her mind. Universities will have some kind of post offer 'event' in the early part of next year, even if actual offer holder visits in person won't happen this time.

DD has only had an offer from one of her 5, and that was higher than expected (A*AA). Tumbleweeds from 3, interview from one. Don’t understand this system!

I wonder if universities are being cautious on their offers this year after being caught out last year with the late changes to the marking system meaning many more students met their offers than was usual.

My DD is still finalising her application but she sat her exams in 2018 so is applying with grades in hand.

Sorry, she sat her exams in 2019!

DS is still finalising his form. Universities will consider all applicants equally until 15th January (I think) which may be why some people haven’t heard. Maybe they offer some places and then hold some back as they don’t know how good the later applicants will be??

DD decided to have a longshot attempt at Oxbridge and hasn't put in any other applications yet, as she didn't want to rush the process.

I can see hers being a last-minute submission on the 15th January. Glad to hear there might still be a few places around, but I wish she'd get on with it!

Interesting to hear Sheffield mentioned as being slower with offers than others.

DD also waiting for Sheffield (for a course that required additional material to be submitted, which she did on time) and i had been kind of hoping that she might hear soonish.

Will resign myself to a further lengthy wait!

DS got his Sheffield offer today. Exeter a couple of weeks ago. Bristol 'on hold', as expected. Nothing from the other two yet, one is usually late, not sure about the other one.

Good news fleece!! What subject is he looking at? hopefully his others will start rolling in. Plus those waiting on Sheffield too.

DD also received sheffield offer today. (Applied 4/11).

The offer is as advertised.

Politics & IR. Standard offer, which includes a grade reduction with an EPQ.

@FleeceNavidadToEwe Is it Pol & IR your dc has applied for at Bristol? My ds has applied for Pol & Phil and also Pol and Social Policy at Bristol and is on hold for both. Also Pol & Phil @ Manchester who have yet to respond.