How to manage different UCAS & UCAS Conservatoire decision deadlines?

[OverTheHill50]

Wondered if anyone had any info/ experience of this?

DS has applied to study a music/drama subject and has been offered 2/5 places on his UCAS application (3 rejections)
Also has two recalls via UCAS conservatoires. However those schools are saying final decisions won't be made until early July.

How is he meant to juggle that when he has to make firm/insurance choices with UCAS by mid-June? He already has A level results as he's had a gap year, so the offers are unconditional which I think means they become contractual as soon as he 'firms' them?

(Obviously he may not get any Conservatoire offers, but I'm just thinking ahead in case this scenario should arise)

Someone else will doubtless be more definitive but I do not think one is contractually committed to go to university just because a place has been accepted. And July is before a level results in any case, so the offer would still be conditional so he could just withdraw.

Thanks Revenge, but the problem is that the offer is unconditional since he already has his results, so I think a 'Firm Unconditional' might have different contractual status, as in theory he's not waiting for any further confirmation etc.

He won't make firm and insurance choices in ucas undergraduate, because they will be unconditional, as you say. He can firm one though, and then, if he gets a better offer in a conservertoire, decline the undergrad one and accept the better one. Outline is here: www.ucas.com/conservatoires/replying-your-ucas-conservatoires-offers
Accepting an offer isn't contractual, people chop and change all the time.

To clarify what it says on the link - you can't hold two confirmed places, but holding a place in ucas undergraduate doesn't cancel application in ucas conservatoires. So he'll still be able to get offers there.

@Ulelia - thank you! Yes, of course, he won't have an 'insurance' choice will he (doh!).

I suppose I was thinking that if he firms a UCAS choice they will then start trying to get him to confirm accommodation etc, but I guess he will just have to wait until he has the outcomes of his Conservatoire recalls first and then see where that leaves him.

It's further complicated by the fact that one of his UCAS offers is not guaranteed until he confirms it i.e. if others accept offers before him them there may be no spaces left.
Aargh! This is so much more complicated that my other DC's straight UCAS application 3 years ago!

Oh absolutely, they will start trying to get him to choose accommodation and apply for loans etc, but there's no need to sign anything straight away. Plenty of people don't know where they're going until a level results day or beyond, many courses don't close until the end of September, and they all end up with accommodation and places. So I know it seems stressful but he really can wait and be fine!

Oh the complicated world of performing arts. IVe known phone calls in September to offer places, or the offer of a diploma course instead.

Accept with UCAS and just wait on CUKAS. Accommodation will be a gamble but many places allow you to cancel up until A level results day. My dd is in private halls in her third year and even last year she had until mid August to confirm accommodation and could cancel up to then.

I’ve got one studying MT by the way and one applying for Music next year!