Offers already?

[mondaytosunday]

My daughter has just told me someone in her school has received an offer from Bristol already. Isn't this awfully early? And if universities start making offers as soon as they get applications does that mean places will run out? I didn't go to university in this country so it's all new to me.

When my DD visited one university this summer she was told to "the earlier you submit your application the earlier they're likely to make you an offer, but all applications will be considered equally before the submission deadline"

The deadline for Oxford and Cambridge admissions is next week, most people applying there will have their applications in already and are likely to be strong candidates.

My course had interviews at all universities and I had interview invites within days of submitting.

And if universities start making offers as soon as they get applications does that mean places will run out?

No. Well, in universities that do things properly: no. I can't speak for every university, though.

If they are using a specific set of criteria to decide on who to make offers to, they will know if someone is meeting all of them at a high level and will be able to make offers to them straight away, confident that the total number of applicants of this standard will be nowhere near the number of offers they can make. They will then look at the others in comparison with all other applicants when the deadline has passed.

As Wanda616 said, students who have already applied are mostly applying for Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine and have included another course/institution as their fifth choice, so they tend to be very strong applicants. Many of these will end up declining the early offers they are receiving now.

Ok, thank you. I wish it was more like the system in the US when if you get an offer of a place it's not reliant on future exam results!

As a Scot I also got offers based on the exams I had already taken.
It does seem a much more sensible system in some ways, although it makes it harder to focus during the last school year.

I'm afraid that you will find that the correct way of thinking on such pre-results unconditional offers is that they are a Bad Thing.

Applicants can always apply after they've got their results if they'd prefer.

My son got an offer from Bristol today, we were surprised it was so early but very reassuring too!

Congrats to your son @Sevnov!
@MarchingFrogs they don't do exams like they do here. You are offered on your grades that you've accumulated over time, your statement and recommendations, SATS (which you can't really study for) and extracurricular activities. So offers are solid not conditional and to me seem based on better grounds than one's performance over just a few hours exams in three subjects.
@titchy you can but not if they want to go that year! In the US you find out in the Spring if you've been accepted or not, so plenty of time to plan, sort out accommodation and have a relaxing summer rather than one of anxiety!
A benefit of my daughter doing an art foundation year is she'll find out in March if she's been accepted and when she does apply to uni she will have her grades in hand.