What does making a form and insurance choice actually mean?

[NCTDN]

Looking for 2022 and concerned about the accommodation this year at Bristol. So if you put it as your firm choice, you are guaranteed accommodation in Bristol. I know that's this year but it could continue.

So my question is, what do the firm and insurance choices actually mean? Once they've been picked, can you change your mind? Does the insurance cover have to be a lower offer than the firm choice?

When you make a firm choice you are essentially committing to a place at that university provided you meet the entry requirements of your offer.

Your insurance choice should be lower because if you fail to meet your firm you are automatically given your insurance providing you meet those entry requirements-so you should make sure you're pretty happy with the insurance choice too!

If you fail to meet either you're then eligible for Clearing.

You can change your mind. If this is before results day then you reject your offer. After results day then you need to speak to the university and ask to be released from your place.

That's what I thought. The issue is that currently DDs favourite will probably be the lowest offer because it will be contextual due to her sixth form college (no idea why when others aren't)

No once they have picked their firm and insurance that is it. Usually the insurance offer is one the child believes they will definitely meet and the firm is usually higher.

The offer from a university is a legal contract, you get X grades and we will guarantee you a place, hence why being oversubscribed for them is a nightmare and why some universities are offering £10k for an applicant to defer.

The student applies to 5 universities/courses. When they receive all their offers they choose their favourite as their firm, and have an insurance as a back up in case they don't meet the offer requirements of their first choice. It is advisable to choose a university with lower grade requirements as an insurance choice.

I think usually firm choice has higher grades requirements than insurance. However DC was very confident she would get the required grades anyway so both choices had same requirements and was guessing insurance would possibly still accept her if she had dropped a grade.

Ds had the same situation, his firm is Durham which was A AA but they offered him not only a contextual offer of AAA but a we really want you and if you put us as your firm choice our offer is AAB. His other uni offers were A A* A and his lowest choice uni was AAA!

Hence his firm was actually lower than his insurance as he didn't have any uni offer lower than Durham's AAB. But he knew he would or should make AAB as his predicted grades were 3 x A and an A bordering an A. He achieved 4 x A*.

So my question is, what do the firm and insurance choices actually mean?
It's your first choice and your second choice of university. If you get the grades for your first choice, then you're in - great. If you don't, hopefully you may have qualified for your second choice, either because it was a lower offer or they're less stringent about grades.

Once they've been picked, can you change your mind? Up to a point I think? But not right up to Results Day. There's also a benefit in confirming your choices in good time as universities will only allow you to apply for accommodation once you've "firmed"; some give priority to applications by date of application, so the earlier you apply, the more likely you are to get your first choice of accomm. I don't know how Bristol allocate their acccomdation.

Does the insurance cover have to be a lower offer than the firm choice? Usually it is, or sometimes one which you think is more likely let you in even if you drop a grade

One other thing: if you put it as your firm choice, you are guaranteed accommodation in Bristol - or are you just "guaranteed accommodation"? Double check that, and what the definition of "Bristol" is. Read the small print! Also, it might not even be a single room that you're guaranteed... some unis still have twin rooms; most people wouldn't want to share a bedroom with a stranger unless there were pressing financial reasons. Bristol has had shortage of living accommodation and study spaces over several years -I remember one year recently they were in the news for putting students up in shipping container "pods".

I think some Bristol students ended up in Wales a couple of years ago. This year the overload are having to stay in Bath.

NB you don’t have to have an insurance choice. Neither of my kids did - they took the view that if they didn’t get their preferred choice they’d take a year out and reconsider. Advantage of this is more certainty re accomodation which was important to them

You can ask ucas these questions on social media they are pretty good. I'm on the WIWIKAU Facebook group and there's lots of stuff on there about this - I think if you change your mind its best to talk to both unis ASAP and then I think the firm can release you or something. Your firm should just be the one you most want to get into. If that's not the highest grades there is no point putting it down second is there?

I agree with the others, put the one she wants to go to as firm.

Also agree about WIWIKAU

@NCTDN

That's what I thought. The issue is that currently DDs favourite will probably be the lowest offer because it will be contextual due to her sixth form college (no idea why when others aren't)

Universities use contextual offers differently. There's no standard formula.... it's based on the demographic of a particular university and their priorities around widening participation and social mobility. Also, some universities have partnership agreements with specific schools/colleges.

You don't have to contact the university personally in order to be released into Clearing (this has been the case for a couple of years now):

From 5 July, if you are holding a firm unconditional place, you can release yourself into Clearing, by using the ‘decline your place’ button in Track.This is available until 10 September 2021.

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/results-confirmation-and-clearing/what-clearing/declining-your-firm-place-track

However, better than planning to.do this is taking time to consider carefully exactly which of your offers to firm and insure in the first place. Assuming the option of choice, of course - but if no offers / only offers from universities you are no longer so keen on , there is the possibility to use UCAS Extra.

The whole Undergraduate section on the UCAS website is a mine of helpful information about the process generally.

The reference to Bristol is only the very very few who got in in clearing. My 3 who went there all got first year accommodation in catered halls and each had Bristol as first firmed choice and made their grades for that.

Bristol did not go into clearing this year.

Two years ago those placed in Newport were there on a very temporary basis as their halls that were being built were not quite finished. As soon as they were they moved in there.

This year because of TAGS 76% met their Bristol offers rather than 48% as is usual then they take actual exams leaving Bristol massively oversubscribed. It is amazing really that only 300 are being offered accommodation in Bath. They can of course choose not to accept and find private accommodation in Bristol.

Bristol make one accommodation offer which needs to be accepted in 48 Hours. The students are asked to put 9 choices (but different accommodation in same halls counts as different choices). Some don't get into any of their choices but will still get an offer.

My advice will always be to choose the uni based on course and campus/City rather than whether they get a swish pad or something more basic. It is in reality for such a short time. They will make friends and choose somewhere together for subsequent years.

Bristol is harder to predict as well as it doesn’t do first come, first served. But it will not be bad hopefully next year. The problem next year will be that off campus accommodation next year maybe competitive.

There isn't a campus but I get what you mean. With so many extra going private rentals will be competitive