The now deleted UCAS tweet

[UCAStweet]

What’s everyone’s opinion? It was just someone playing silly buggers?

Now deleted tweet, said “we have something exciting to announce but we can’t tell you just yet”

Deleted after two hours.

Not a regular visitor to Twitter, but looked out of curiosity and UCAS have followed up with this:

We’re sorry for our tweet earlier today. We got the tone completely wrong. What we wanted to tell you about is our plans for three live shows to support you through results day next Thursday.

Not sure what people were expecting the 'something exciting' to be? We've decided to tell universities not to waste their time making decisions when they get people's grades at the weekend; we're just going to update Track with Unconditional Firm for everyone's firm choice - ??

The 'getting down with the kids'-ness of the original tweet seems to have been an ill-judged move. Either. 'influencers' aren't actually as influential as they would like to think, or they are so revered that their style is not to be taken in vain?

That’s not all though - there was a kid who posted “is it about a level results because I need some positivity”

Which ucas replied to with “sending you lots of positivity 😊” and kids took that to mean their results were coming out early.

fgs they couldn't have fucked this up more if they tried

Really? I can understand why teenagers got themselves overexcited, but did people really take that to mean results would be out early (especially at this point)?

We are announcing something big.

Is it about a level results I need positivity

Have some positivity

I don’t think the kids who thought it were reaching that much tbh

And I’m surprised that there hasn’t been an official statement not just on Twitter.

Oh I think it was ill-judged for the current mood, but I find the interpretation of the positivity comment a big reach.

I think it. Was a reach. I don’t think a big reach. And I can totally understand why the kids of this year who are anxious and know that ucas have their results would be upset with the tweet.

Wow, some people need some realism. I think this has been over blown completely (I work in HE) I don't see anything wrong with the original tweet or the follow up.

Why would ucas be the one who announced results were coming early? (never going to happen).

That was a very poorly judged tweet. They should be more than aware of how quickly these sorts of things spread and how much wild speculation can go around. Yes, many of the rumours and guesses might seem unrealistic to us but these are teenagers and about a fortnight before the government cancelled all exams that would have seemed like a pretty wild suggestion too.

I’m a Head of Sixth Form and my year 13s are in such a state of high anxiety at the minute. We had a really bad year for results last year and so a lot of the headlines are really freaking them out. They are the best cohort the school has had for about 5 years and were on track for a much better set of results. Every time there is a new, alarming headline I get a flurry of worried emails from kids who have got totally panicked by all the discussion and speculation on social media.

@Jumblebumblemess

Wow, some people need some realism. I think this has been over blown completely (I work in HE) I don't see anything wrong with the original tweet or the follow up.

Why would ucas be the one who announced results were coming early? (never going to happen).

Kids don’t know that. These are 18 year olds who have had massive uncertainty and announcements of what’s happening changing many times in the last few months.

@MadameMinimes

That was a very poorly judged tweet. They should be more than aware of how quickly these sorts of things spread and how much wild speculation can go around. Yes, many of the rumours and guesses might seem unrealistic to us but these are teenagers and about a fortnight before the government cancelled all exams that would have seemed like a pretty wild suggestion too.

I’m a Head of Sixth Form and my year 13s are in such a state of high anxiety at the minute. We had a really bad year for results last year and so a lot of the headlines are really freaking them out. They are the best cohort the school has had for about 5 years and were on track for a much better set of results. Every time there is a new, alarming headline I get a flurry of worried emails from kids who have got totally panicked by all the discussion and speculation on social media.

Agree completely.

teenagers who by and large have been trapped inside with their parents for months! It's understandable that tensions are running high!

It sounds to me that UCAS has recently recruited a new staff member who’s been tasked with tweeting and who has completely got the tone wrong as a result, from lack of experience. I’ve seen this sort of thing happen before at work although not on Twitter thankfully.

Why would ucas be the one who announced results were coming early? (never going to happen).

Because although the proportion of students - who have actually had to engage with the UCAS website - who have zero clue about any of the information freely available to even the casual visitor on said site re the processes involved may not be quite as high as that amongst some parents posting questions on various sites, there will still be some who have apparently managed to use Apply without looking at anything else on the site.

(A bit ike the parents who manage to go straight to the CAF on their LA's website, successfully dodging any accompanying headings along the lines of Essential Information on the way, though happily ticking a box on the form, if there is one, to agree that they have read and understood said info. Or if they do read it, but fail to act appropriately, claim that it was because the village idiot in the playground told them that the system actually worked completely differently. You must have met them, if only on 't net?).

Or, sadly, they have fully read the whole of the relevant sections, and / or they have been correctly informed by the adults in their life, but circumstances have knocked that knowledge out of their heads and they.think it's a perfectly possible change of plan.

Or they thought ucas were going to confirm places early (as my child took from that tweet)

They need to make people over age 50 in charge of their tweets as it is a very serious matter relating to contract law and much else as to what UCAS does and says, not something on which to let loose a summer intern.

I hate those sort of tweets anyway. FGS just tell us. Or be quiet until you can. No, I'm not going to haunt your social media feed waiting for the "big reveal". It's just annoying.