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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Anyone's DC not heard from all their choices? Is this normal?

154 replies

llytigrepden · 24/03/2021 18:28

DS applied in November. Got 4x offers v quickly but still waiting for offer/rejection from his no.1 choice. They emailed him in November asking him about his choice of subjects which he replied to. Then they emailed again asking if he was a "private" student (standard email to everyone apparently). Again he replied. I know they have until May to send out offers but seems a long time especially when it is holding up his firm/insurance choices.

Just wondered if this is the case for others?

OP posts:
Needmoresleep · 22/04/2021 23:20

Congratulations!

I hope you enjoy the relief. It was a long old wait. Too long.

ShaunaTheSheep · 23/04/2021 07:01

That’s great news, well done!

chopc · 23/04/2021 07:23

Congratulations @Fiveoldteddies ! What a result after such a long wait!

Fiveoldteddies · 23/04/2021 07:37

Well, with the new deadline of May she wasn't expecting to hear "so soon"...

Original poster
llytigrepden · 23/04/2021 08:50

Well done

OP posts:
Oldowl · 23/04/2021 20:09

Congratulations to your DS @Fiveoldteddies. Has he firmed and decided on accommodation yet?

Fiveoldteddies · 24/04/2021 00:19

I think they are supposed to have a chat at school first but yes she will.
Not sure I'm going to be keen looking at accommodation.... still remember the shock of seeing costs
few years ago with dc1

rozzyraspberry · 24/04/2021 07:08

Ds has 4 unconditionals but still waiting for first choice (Edinburgh).

I’m starting to get nervous - he has the grades from his highers but assuming very competitive.

Iamsodonewith2020 · 24/04/2021 07:14

Onlyheardfrom1/5 so far!!

Howmercurialislife · 24/04/2021 10:24

@Iamsodonewith2020 which ones are you waiting for?

Iamsodonewith2020 · 24/04/2021 10:35

Kings and Manchester and Edinburgh and Bristol

Oldowl · 24/04/2021 14:34

@Fiveoldteddies

I think they are supposed to have a chat at school first but yes she will. Not sure I'm going to be keen looking at accommodation.... still remember the shock of seeing costs few years ago with dc1
My advice would be not to wait too long. DD's friend was offered LSE (2nd choice) on 17th Jan last year. She held out for St Andrews (1st choice), only to be rejected by them on 31st March. She then firmed LSE but all the LSE Halls and intercollegiate halls had gone so she had to go for a private hall (Urbanest) at 11k a year but a wonderful view of a Westminster scaffolded Big Ben.
MarchingFrogs · 24/04/2021 19:01

People are already commenting on TSR about the 'more reasonably' priced single en suite rooms in some LSE halls having no longer being available. If LSE is the applicant's first preference, what would the school be needing to discuss with them before 'allowing' them to firm it?

Fiveoldteddies · 24/04/2021 21:06

Thanks for the advice, but yes, I think she will just firm it. She was also still waiting for 2 replies and a bit curious about their reply, but they are not her first choices anyway and she knows it's not worthwhile waiting. And yes, I remember from dc1, who was late in applying (I suspect laziness), and only through a mistake managed to get a reasonable accommodation rather than one far away, near the Olympic Stadium I think.
Better get up to check what she has done (or not done)...

chopc · 24/04/2021 21:16

I don't understand how people can actually book accommodation now given they will only know if they are going to the said Uni when they get their results 🤔

Fiveoldteddies · 24/04/2021 21:28

Well, but that has always been the case. Or at least several years ago it was like that as well.
I presume if you don't get the grades you loose your place but you don't have to pay.

jgw1 · 25/04/2021 09:41

@chopc

I don't understand how people can actually book accommodation now given they will only know if they are going to the said Uni when they get their results 🤔
Indeed, there will be plenty of students who do not make the grade or for whatever reason decide not to take up their place, so there is always plenty of accommodation to choose from in August.

What one needs to ask is why a university feels the need to push the lack of accommodation so hard? It is almost as though they are desperate for students, not for the education they can provide, but for the money the students will bring in.

Original poster
llytigrepden · 25/04/2021 12:24

Does anyone have any views about Liverpool or Glasgow? DS has 4 offers and can't decide.

OP posts:
chopc · 25/04/2021 15:05

Apparently it's illegal for universities to ask students to confirm halls with laymen before the UCAS deadline in June. They can be fined.

I think it's outrageous of Unis like LSE to open their accommodation when they know they haven't given out all their offers. Plus it's a sought after Uni so aren't doing it to get bums on seats

jgw1 · 25/04/2021 17:29

@chopc

Apparently it's illegal for universities to ask students to confirm halls with laymen before the UCAS deadline in June. They can be fined.

I think it's outrageous of Unis like LSE to open their accommodation when they know they haven't given out all their offers. Plus it's a sought after Uni so aren't doing it to get bums on seats

Given LSE has about 10,800 students (about half are graduate students) and the LSE website states that they allocate accommodation in halls to over 4000 students a year, I doubt very much that not applying for accommodation early is a problem. Quite why it is such a sought after university given the student satisfaction survey I don't know.
chopc · 25/04/2021 18:31

@jgw1 I don't understand what you are saying. As per previous posters and TSR it is a problem booking accommodation at LSE as places are already not available due to previous bookings.

As for it being sought after - it doesn't matter what you and I think - it is highly ranked both in UK and around the word and a target graduate Uni. So IMO makes it highly desirable

PresentingPercy · 25/04/2021 18:52

Lots of uk universities run out of first year accommodation and don’t guarantee it to insurance students. I guess LSE has accommodation but probably not the cheaper accommodation. It seems utterly wrong to me to open up accommodation and make offers of accommodation before entry offers are made to applicants. It would be reasonable to ask for accommodation applications and then distribute to firmed students later this summer. That way no one is disadvantaged.

PresentingPercy · 25/04/2021 18:54

Student surveys are not worth much. They tell a very strange narrative sometimes!

Needmoresleep · 25/04/2021 19:21

Percy, do you know how allocations are done?

I don’t other than you can apply/ put in your preferences as soon as you have your offer. However I don’t know whether they then allocate on a first come first served basis.

I suspect they don’t. DS, having had to wait till March for his offer of a place, then had a long wait till August to hear where he would live. (An intercollegiate hall.) We live less that 30 minutes walk away so we assumed he was a low priority. Regardless they eventually came good on their guarantee of accommodation for all first years.

As far as I know LSE does not run out of accommodation, hence their guarantee, but again you may know better. Also some of the cheaper accommodation used to, and probably still does, involve shared rooms or is quite dated and so tends to be less popular.

KittyMcKitty · 27/04/2021 12:39

Well Bristol have rejected dc for Philosophy and Politics but have given an alternative course for him to consider of Philosophy which he thinks looks interesting as a stand alone subject so he may go for it. Obv still no guarantee they’d offer Sad