Durham University

[KingscoteStaff]

A continuation thread for those with DC at Durham, or applying for Durham or alumni or staff! Share your thoughts and questions on colleges, courses, etc.

Assemble! @Baytreemum @WelshDaff @WinterRobin @janinlondon @MarchingFrogs @ChildOfFriday @tava63 @Terfterfterf @TonTonMacoute @Suki2 @Quair @Greyhair59 @bpisok @Jan069 @999caz @nipersvest @mum2eim @witchend @chopc @alterego2

Who have I missed??

@MidLifeCrisis007

Have you tried the admissions tutor for the department rather than the general admissions? Even if there's not a telephone there should be an email. You could also try the departmental administrator.

@MidLifeCrisis007 bloody hell! Do things like this happen! Crazy - very annoyed for you and your DS!

(As frustrating as it is I do feel it will get sorted out in the end - hang in there)

The name and email of the Registrar ( who is a university employee) is on the web I would be emailing him directly making sure you add a read receipt and copying head of admissions if you can find his details. I would also email the head of your sons dept copying to the admin head in the dept. as well. I would not be waiting for this to go through the normal channels this is not a normal situation. I might be tempted to email the Vice Chancellors office, this is a serious error on their behalf .

Oh and by the way it is not impossible to call the university directly . You can find the telephone directory online and I would call the numbers directly , they just want you to think that.

@MidLifeCrisis007

So we have been on the phone to Durham today several times but made no headway. It's not looking good for DS who is on a gap year. On 16th August Durham emailed DS congratulating him on his confirmed place and then less than an hour later they inexplicably put him in clearing. UCAS have confirmed this..... DS had an unconditional offer which he accepted in May and had already enrolled on the Durham website but they put him in clearing for no apparent reason.

He therefore has no university place.

@MidLifeCrisis007

I've asked dd and she says that did he reapply this year having applied last year, so has accidentally got two accounts, so logged into the other account which put him in clearing, but was accepted by the other? Apparently this does sometimes happen, although it isn't meant to.

She also says if you are trying to contact Durham, then try going through their website www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/before-you-arrive/

and use the live chat because that's staffed by the admissions people, rather than the phone line which is not.

www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/colleges/van-mildert/about-us/whos-who/

MidLifeCrisis007 that’s very worrying for you both. I would suggest emailing the principal of Van Mildert or someone else directly from the contacts page above, or phoning!
My dd is in a different college and we had some issues last year, and we were able to talk to the college staff by phone, and they were really lovely.

@MargaretThursday - yes he did apply last year. He rejected his unconditional offer post results in August to reapply to Oxford.... only later did he learn that he could have reapplied to Oxford, kept his Durham place and bagged a few quid for doing it. But hey ho!

He has just learnt from his school that a friend of his is in exactly the same position with Durham. He also withdrew last year and reapplied, got an unconditional offer, but it's now disappeared despite him accepting it!

It's been a very stressful day, and I'm in bed with suspected Covid despite being double vaxxed.

Oh and don't get me started on last night 's University Challenge. Durham were so unlucky to come up against those geniuses from Trinity College Cambridge!

Oh and thanks for the link @SpringSparrow. I have a feeling that the VM principal is new in the job this year. I sense this is an admissions issue, not a college one.

Oh god, what a horrible mess. Really hope this gets sorted tomorrow.

And for those still waiting, I can imagine how frustrating it must be seeing others confirming their colleges. I think so far I have only seen 1 person getting a different college to what was allocated, the majority seem to be what was previously allocated so these might be the straight forward colleges and they can get these ones out of the way. I don't think it means that you will be reallocated if you haven't heard yet, just that your college might have more challenges to meet before they can confirm?
@Meery and @Peaseblossum22, dd is also Trevs . She is really taken with it, loves that is a small college with traditions, particularly theatre and music. And not far from the science site.

@LeiatheSchnauzer good to hear there’s a few of us, what is your dd going to study?

@Meery, physics! What is your dc studying?

NatSci, with some physics I believe, their paths will definitely cross!

DS got his confirmation today - Stephenson. Was his first choice, allocated previously. I thought it was an odd choice, but he had his reasons! Can’t actually find anybody else with Stephenson!

We had a v quick look round the Hill colleges on Saturday, on our way back from Newcastle. It all looked really lovely and all the colleges had painters in them, redoing rooms & kitchens.

@Braveheart35, 2 of dd's friends chose Stephenson as their first choice (although neither are now going to Durham), I think it was partly the self catering and the less formal vibe which attracted them. Hill Colleges were more popular with her friends than the Bailey!
@Meery, that is exciting! Has she done her room application? Dd is still hesitating over what she wants to put down as her preference for sharing.

@LeiatheSchnauzer .. yep.. what a blimming mess. I get they have got a heck of a challenge but can’t help but feel that there is a better way of doing this than this excruciating drip feed.
Still waiting here.. anyone’s else’s Dc still keeping Dd company? She’s had a stressful day with it. I don’t even know what it means if you don’t hear by today? Are they just still trying to sort a backlog? Is Dc now going to have to wait til the 1st Sept ? No idea

The last email said if not heard by today it means reallocation and will be notified by the 1st….

@LeiatheSchnauzer no not completed the forms yet, seems to be awaiting enrolment and a student Id. She has given some thought to the questions though and finding it hard to describe herself in 3 words and define an ideal roomie. I think she is veering towards not wanting to share straight away though.

Those DC who have got their college allocation, did they fill anything in on the portal after the letter dated 16th August asking if you don't want college accommodation or you want to defer?

My DS did nothing as it said if you don't wish to make any changes you don't need to make any changes. But in TSR I read that there was an option to state if you still want college accommodation?

Has anyone heard from St cuthberts?

@chopc no, mu dd took the do nothing line as has your ds. Which college is he waiting on? I guess that they are responding in batches.

It would have been better to not send this email in my opinion - you may or may not get moved. If you are not in one of the groups we may need to change your college etc. No certainty about anything!

Arghh! Really out a bad taste in my mouth about Durham

But if they had said nothing that wouldn’t have been ok either. To be honest I think they were in a no win situation. There are plenty of people online complaining about the accommodation problems at Exeter and Bristol as well ( apparently some first trees will be in Bath) and last year ds had a friend at St Andrew’s who without warning was allocated accommodation in Dundee , 16miles away. Nothing wrong with Dundee but it’s not St Andrew’s.

What might have been better would have been to say back in Feb that as this year is different to the norm colleges would not be allocated until after results .

First years obviously not trees

Yes that would have been better @Peaseblossum22
And everyone notified at the same time
And sticking to deadlines
Agree @chopc- it’s a poor show. For the record, Dd asked live chat about the accommodation drop down option on portal and was told she didn’t need to fill it out and could ‘do nothing’ as it says in email.

Exactly- I think usually colleges are allocated after results day. Why no one pre emoted this debacle I don't know

(Thinking of how no one preempted the nightmare which is Afghanistan and started evacuating people before the troops withdrew - anyway)

Pre empted