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Higher education

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

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Original poster

Panicking, DS declined offers!

40 replies

notsureconfused · 17/04/2022 11:25

DS had offers for York & Bristol and rejections from Leeds, Durham & Edinburgh. He really wanted Leeds so was disappointed to not get an offer. He absolutely didn't want York as he wanted to be in a bigger, more buzzing city. He's now decided that Bristol is too far away from home (he's feeling the pull of his friends & serious girlfriend - none of whom are going to university) so has declined both offers and has used ucas extra to apply for a different course at Manchester. God knows when he'll hear from Manchester or if they'll even give him an offer. I'm really panicking now that all his eggs are in one basket and he may end up empty handed! He's predicted 3 A's so it just seems crazy that he's ended up in this position. Any words of wisdom please?

OP posts:

SFisnotsimple · 18/04/2022 08:31

My DS was also interested in Manchester and Leeds but didn’t apply to either as we read about how they had not only put up entrance reqs but also the chances of being offered non contextual if you met the entrance reqs rather than exceeded them was small this year, mainly due to masses of deferrals in both economics and bus mgmt last year.

He’s instead chosen another vibrant city - deliberately not close to home

BeyondMyWits · 18/04/2022 08:37

Take a gap year, earn some money, grow up a bit, learn how to "adult" and apply with grades already known to somewhere you want to go, on a course you want to do. Makes it easier, you get a yes or no, you can apply for accommodation easily, you can visit the place you are going to be living at a few times.

Reduces stress, gets you starting that phase of life ahead of the game.

Phos · 18/04/2022 08:38

In his position I'd probably defer and reapply next year.

I had a friend with her heart set on Edinburgh. Got rejected in Y13, reapplied with A-levels in hand and got in without interview.

If he wants to work in banking and is set on Uni, I'd say Economics/Finance/Financial Mathematics is more advantageous than Accounting. For that you might as well do an apprenticeship and not bother accumulating £50k debt.

He might want to look at apprenticeships anyway. May be too late for this September's intake now but the big 4 and most of the large banks offer higher/degree apprenticeships. Lloyds are highly rated from what I've heard.

LetHimHaveIt · 18/04/2022 08:44

@Tomlettegregg

I had almost the exact same choices as gourmet son 10 years ago (just swap Nottingham for Manchester). I would've bitten off Bristol's hand to be honest. Turning it down because of distance for a girlfriend he's very unlikely to stay with is crazy and Leeds is a significantly less desirable uni anyway..

Yep.

firsttimekat · 18/04/2022 08:50

Economics and accountancy are very different, I'd try and encourage him to make sure he was certain what he was signing up for, location is important but so is what you are studying.

To late for Sept '22 intake but the government economic service degree apprenticeship is excellent and worth taking a look.

WhackingPhoenix · 18/04/2022 08:53

Oh dear 😬 has he actually visited York? It’s an AMAZING city with an incredible nightlife and plenty to do during the day too!

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 18/04/2022 08:55

Make it clear to him that if it doesn’t pan out, he has to work for the year off. A gap year in the ‘real world’ can be massively beneficial - especially if you stop yourself from coddling him and he has to learn money management and household management.

Uni is a big commitment. He’s trying to get it right. Sit with him and work out the pros and cons of all options available - but do t try to push for any single one.

hellcatspangle · 18/04/2022 09:22

It's good that he's realised at this stage - one of mine realised six weeks into term. As it is he withdrew and had a great gap year of working and travelling, and went the following Sept to do a different course at a different uni. It all worked out for the best and he was so much more mature.

spotcheck · 18/04/2022 09:33

Completely bonkers to chose the university over the course.

Did you guys visit York and Bristol?
Also, yes, he should have checked with Manchester first to see how they would view his application with his predicted grades.

Original poster

notsureconfused · 18/04/2022 09:39

I appreciate the advice but honestly think he'll be disappointed to not go this year and he really wants to go rather than do an apprenticeship. I think he may regret declining Bristol! He did really want to do economics but the grades needed seem out of his league. He didn't bother applying to Warwick and St. Andrews as they wanted AAA and he's been predicted AAA - and it turns out even that isn't good enough for Leeds, Edinburgh and Durham! I think he thought of Accountancy as being more realistic and attainable even though that requires AAA too.

OP posts:

Original poster

notsureconfused · 18/04/2022 09:49

@spotcheck

Completely bonkers to chose the university over the course.

Did you guys visit York and Bristol?
Also, yes, he should have checked with Manchester first to see how they would view his application with his predicted grades.

We didn't visit - we visited Leeds, Durham and Edinburgh as they were the ones he really wanted but didn't get. Bristol is the other side of the country to us and he wasn't keen on York from the start so just put it as a last resort & as an insurance really as it was the lowest grade requirement (AAB). I agree its bonkers to pick the uni over the course but what has become apparent is his predicted AAA isn't good enough for Economics (even though that's stated as the entry requirement) so he feels like he's had to have a rethink. And yes, he's also factoring in not being too far from friends and his girlfriend which really is bonkers but unfortunately how he feels.

OP posts:

DrRuthGalloway · 18/04/2022 10:06

I withdrew completely from UCCA (as it then was) after realising I didn't want to do the course I had applied for. I took a year out, worked for six months (to reapply for uni) and spent six months travelling with my best friend.

It was fabulous and I have never regretted that year. Plus I got 5 unconditional offers in my new subject with no stress of waiting for exam results. Having only had 2 offers of 5 in my previous subject (which I was good at, but not passionate about).

Patchbatch · 18/04/2022 10:22

It's a shame but his decision I suppose, it would be better for him to take a year out though then apply for a course he doesn't fully want. Bristol is great as well and good rail connections to the North, can usually get a decent price if booking in advance- I know not relevant now but.

LlamasintheFog · 18/04/2022 10:23

In some ways it may be worth a year out as it does seem like he may have got intimidated by the high offers - and hopefully by next year things may have settled a bit.
DS has also applied for Economics and wants a banking career but was hugely restricted in his choices as he's not doing A level maths. He's been incredibly lucky to get a St Andrews offer but until then his first choice was Sheffield - he was hugely impressed by the department and the city at the open day - and their standard offer is AAB.
Worth your DS investigating Sheffield?

Oblomov22 · 18/04/2022 10:27

Hmm. I honestly am struggling to think of a decent solution to this problem. I knew that Economics was demanding higher than AAA this year. If he doesn't have predicted /doesn't actually get those grades in the summer, ie high enough grades, he's not going to get into anywhere he wants, is he?

What exactly was it about the Leeds Durham and Edinburgh economic degrees he liked? Who else offers similar course?

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