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.

This is really heartening, sounds like their could be a real drama vibe at Exeter in the Autumn

Can I just ask if anyone else’s DC is still on hold for Bristol? DD was rejected from Oxford post-interview and is now just waiting for Bristol to make a decision before she makes her final choice. She has an offer from Durham and made it to the interview stage at Oxford but has been on hold at Bristol since late November! I must admit I’m very confused by what being put on hold actually means? It seems to imply that they’re a borderline candidate and thus the uni can’t make a decision. Having said that, DD has what I would consider a very good PS and reference and is predicted 45 points in the IB (equivalent to 5 A*s at A Level) so I’m rather surprised that her application is marginal. She also has a friend who received a Bristol offer for the same course months ago with lower predictions and GCSEs.

Womblemuppet - the friend may have received an offer because they were in the contextual range.

If it is a course that is (a) newish or (b) only has a few places sometimes they place all applicants that are not rejected on hold until applications close . The deadline for equal consideration was yesterday so it may not be long before she hears back with an offer (hopefully).

My DS is on hold with Bristol too, for vet med. It seems to be their standard approach to put people on hold I suspect they wait for people to firm/insure places at other unis and then offer much later to the candidates that are left in their pool, but that's just my gut feeling. From listening to previous year vet med candidates who are reapplying almost everyone gets put on hold until March/April.

@mykitchenruler my daughter got an unconditional offer from Glasgow last Thurs. It was her last course to hear back from.

Shes alreadyngot 4 unconditional offers from strathclyde. Now its decision time!

@NotDonna

Welcome *@Norah8* given there’s no exams in Scotland are all universities up there offering unconditional to their Scottish students? Are the Scottish schools doing teacher assessments, mini exams or what? Will your DD get grades?

No they aren’t, some of my daughters friends have had conditionals, some haven’t heard and some have had rejections. Grades are going on handed in work and teacher assessments.

@2pinkginsplease well done to your daughter. Great to have some options. What course was she applying for, my DD has applied for physics.

[quote mykitchenruler]@2pinkginsplease well done to your daughter. Great to have some options. What course was she applying for, my DD has applied for physics.[/quote]
Hi @mykitchenruler she applied for architecture with civil engineering.

I don’t envy our young people having to make these tough decisions especially in times like this.

Being ‘on hold’ at Bristol is exactly as Durham describing their system as ‘equal access’. Like Durham, they may make a few, very quick offers to a candidate they feel is exceptional, contextual or international, the main bulk of offers (or rejections) will come in batches after the UCAS deadline.

My friend's DS has this situation:

Predicted 3A. His second choice offered AAA but AAB if firmed. His top choice will offer 3AAA but hasn't come back her. She thinks she can firm the first choice but if he gets AAA can ask then to drop and take the second option.

She said she checks on a UCAS Q and A and thinks she can do this. Website says otherwise

Does anyone have experience of doing this?

Dd is deciding between Loughborough and UEA. Does anyone have any thoughts on either? Studying History.

It’s hard without going to visit.

Anecdotally students I've known really like UEA but Loughborough is a bit marmite. Boring! One friend's dd left after her first year, hated it. I think its highly regarded for some subjects though.

@chopc

My friend's DS has this situation:

Predicted 3A. His second choice offered AAA but AAB if firmed. His top choice will offer 3AAA but hasn't come back her. She thinks she can firm the first choice but if he gets AAA can ask then to drop and take the second option.

She said she checks on a UCAS Q and A and thinks she can do this. Website says otherwise

Does anyone have experience of doing this?

He cant firm the one that hasnt offered yet?

Obviously @Frodont . IF he gets an offer from
LSE

I'm sorry I don't understand. If he gets AAA he wants to reject LSE at AAA and accept his second choice instead?

Or do ypu mean he wants to firm the one at AAB, then if he gets AAA take his second choice instead? It's all automatic so if he meets the grades for his firm he'll be automatically accepted by the first choice and released from LSE. I think!

@FlowEr262 my DD has applied to UEA and we did manage a trip there in the summer, just to walk around the campus and see Norwich as we had never been.

DD and I both thought it looked lovely. Really great campus, lots of open spaces, brilliant sports centre which looked quite new. Also Norwich itself was very nice. We thought it had a really nice vibe about it.

@chopc

Also confused - you can’t confirm first choice if no offer hasn’t been made.

If LSE offer is AAA confirmed as first choice & grades met, that’s the place confirmed. Are you asking if that place can be rejected after results & insurance offer confirmed?

I'm presuming he wants to take the AAB if firmed offer by firming. If hr then gets AAA he'd rather go to LSE.

@FlowEr262 DS 1 is at Loughborough studying Electrical Engineering. He loves it there. Accommodation is very good, even the cheapest is better than most we saw everywhere else. They can stay in halls all 3 years if they wish. Night life is very much based around the student union with a couple of clubs in town (approx 15mins walk). Nottingham and Leicester are on the doorstep via train but DS hasn't made it that far! Obviously their sports facilities are excellent and even if your not particularly sporty the uni still has a lot to offer. They have a brilliant vice chancellor 'VC Bob', he checked in on every flat / house isolating last term but unfortunately he will be leaving at the end of the academic year. They have handled covid really well and DS has had maintained face to face lectures although don't know how it would be for history.

@Frodont @LaLaFlottes Thanks for replying, we also managed a walk round Norwich in the summer, but not been to the actual uni. I think that is what’s throwing Dd, she did really liked the City, but it sits lower down the league tables for both uni and subject so not sure if that should be a big consideration? Never been anywhere near Loughborough, but that seems more of a bubble and not sure Dd wants that for 3 years. Hard to get a feel on line....

Thanks @calculatorqueen the accommodation does look fab and even the more expensive doesn’t seem as expensive as elsewhere. Glad to hear your son is enjoying his time there, it does receive fantastic feedback on student satisfaction.
Plan now is to attend virtual offer holder days and try a day trip once we are allowed... not sure if either will help the decision process.

Does position on league tables make a big difference in terms of UEA and Loughborough?

@Frodont he has been predicted AAB. His second choice will offer this if he firms. Should he gets an offer from LSE it is likely to be 3A. If he keeps this as his insurance he wants to know if he can swap on results day

@Applepieco yes that's what I am asking

@SeasonFinale and anyone else! Has anyone's DC had an offer/heard about an for Psychology from Bristol recently? It sounds like offers were made in November maybe, but not a lot since.

DS is hoping for a contextual offer, and put his application in in December. Everywhere else he applied got back to him before Xmas, but nothing aside from an acknowledgement from Bristol. He's not been told he's on 'hold' either

Truth be told, the delay is making him feel a bit negatively towards Bristol, when it was one of his faves before (along with Bath, who have made him an offer).

Any thoughts?

@chopc

I see now! The student wants to firm the AAB offer (to keep the lower grade incentive) but actually wants the AAA Uni they are waiting on. Basically finding a way of keeping an incentive offer (no judgement). In this case, I’m really not sure as it’s finding a way around the system, I think the student needs to get some clear advice from UCAS, so the whole situation doesn’t unravel for them.