Is there an applying for 2023 thread which isn’t early entry

[KittyMcKitty]

I can see there’s the Oxbridge one but dd isn’t an early entry applicant.

anyway she’s finally submitted her UCAS I know school have added the reference so imagine it’ll be off in a day or so 🤞🏻

Shes applying for sociology and has applied to:
Durham
York
Lancaster
Sheffield
Birmingham

her predicted grades comfortably exceed all the standard offers so I hope she gets some offers (and please please please let Durham offer!!).

anyone else waiting?

Great news @Neversaygoodbye @SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun and @Titsywoo - good to see some favourites being offered. I think a fair few are waiting for after the 25th January deadline but it is nice that they’ve sent out letters saying so. Just hoping they don’t have to wait until May.

All five offers are in and as expected.
Off to York offer holder day today (Chemistry) which will probably be his firm choice. Accomodation opens at the end of the month on first come basis!

York is notorious for opening accommodation early for its early offer firms

Liverpool probably his insurance and they are the same, although only need an offer.
It does seem like they're forcing your hand very early.
I thought Nottingham was bad enough two years ago for DS1.

York is notorious for opening accommodation early for its early offer firms

oh bugger that's also one of DC offers.
Dc just is not in the right frame of mind to deal with this added pressure at the moment, so much going on with exams and studying, plus trying to pass driving test (determined to pass ASAP)

DD is wondering if she doesn’t hear soon from some universities to defer for a year so she can get first dibs next year for accommodation. Anyone else’s DCs thinking along these lines?

DD would very much prefer to ‘get cracking’ on her university studies but feels she is being forced to make decisions based on the whole mess of accommodation and opaque timelines of some institutions and is understandably feeling the whole process is a pit of vipers. Cue IndianaJones theme tune…

I'd give it until the end of February before even considering this. UCAS deadline day isn't until next Wednesday and a lot of kids don't have offers yet.

Also, whilst some universities will open the accomodation application processes, how many actually make decisions early, i.e. before May/June (aside from York that is).

Thanks for the calming message @dunnott .

Yes don’t twitch before end of Feb/early March. Unless you’re really not interested in the outstanding places.

Dd had an offer yesterday from Newcastle ABB. This is her first choice so there was much excitement!! Good luck to those still waiting

That's great @northender we've had 4 offers in the 2 weeks since submitting her UCAS but still waiting for DD's top choice. She's understandably getting nervous but hopefully it's just a case that they're waiting until next Wednesday to be fair.

I’m pretty resigned to not hearing anything until after Jan 25. Would be nice to have something in but as DS’s predicted grades match the standard offer for what he’s applied for I can see why they won’t be rushing to offer at this stage! As long as he gets an offer…

That's where we're at too.

DS has one offer, from insurance; the other 4 are the ones notorious for being slow - Bristol, Durham, Exeter and Edinburgh.

He's chilled - more worried about upcoming Ulster Rugby Schools Cup - which is how it should be.

I'm finding it a wee nerve wracking.

Well we've waited less time for the offers than we did for college to submit the UCAS application. We've been very lucky and all 5 are now in, top choice received just now. Her preferred choice have also offered lower, so this would I presume mean her insurance will revert back to the higher grade and end up being higher than her firm but not much we can do about it.

Being our first DC to go, can anyone advise on what to do next? DD pretty certain on her firm and insurance but we'd like to do both offer holder days, do we hold off firming these on UCAS until after we've been - can you do an offer holder day for an insurance choice? Thanks.

Still only one offer here. Roll on 25th 🙏🏻

Offer holder days are just that - events put on by the university / department for all those who hold an offer. The applicant can attend all / just some / none - as the offer has already been made, it can't be taken away, but it did used to be (not sure whether still is) that some places would invite offer holders to a sort of 'interview' post offer, which could lead to a reduction in the required grades.

Our DC in order attended all 5 - 3 out of 5 - none in person, because 2021 entrant, butall 5 virtually (if oy for about 20 minutes in the case of one). The first one revised his order of preference after visiting them all again, the second didn't, but, being realistic about her chance of hitting the fixed A in the ABB offer from her first preference, decided to go with her second as firm, and the youngest was confirmed in his first impressions (both of which he had visited in person pre-lockdown).

The deadline for confirming firm and insurance choices is months off yet, even if all the applicants' universities have already communicated their decisions, so really no need to rush just yet, especially if offer holder days are imminent.

@MarchingFrogs thank you so much. We visited all 5 and DD has been confident on the 2 she'd choose as firm & insurance but I think it will be useful to visit both again so we've booked applicant days which are in Feb & March. It's quite nerve wracking when you don't really know what you're doing!

Leeds has said she has an offer, but is holding back on saying what that contextual offer is going to be until after the applications deadline is up.

Ahh that’s interesting re York and accommodation for firms. We are visiting this weekend on offer holder day as she’s not seen York yet (city or uni) but it’s highly likely to be her insurance. Is accommodation an issue if it’s an insurance? Is there enough? She probs won’t care what she has as long as not homeless.

UCAS should mandate this. There should be a fixed date for accommodation opening which should be after the deadline for firming and insuring.

Couldn't agree more re accommodation. DS is being pushed into an early decision as York accom is first come first served and he doesn't want to be stuck with an expensive room.

Well the offer holder day confirmed DS preference for York so he firmed it and has his accomodation choices ready to go. Liverpool is his insurance, was between that and Nottingham but some flexibility in the grades swung it. Their accomodation opens anytime too.
We are checking the websites daily and ready to submit requests as both are first come first served.
He was absolutely definite on his choices so I'm not worried but agree the system seems massively unfair.

And this is the issue. It's having a negative impact on those who really need that cheaper accommodation.

We're off to an offer holder's open day at the end of Feb, during half term and we'll have a couple of days in Manchester at the same time. It's the apprentice/degree course that someone on here suggested she looked at and she is going to go and fully check it out as it's the only place we hadn't visited that she applied for.

The accommodation thing is a nightmare. The trouble is, even unis which don't have "first come, first served" suffer from problems. I know that it is possible to be allocated Really Expensive Accommodation right at the end of the process.

My own DD (last year) firmed her first choice very very early in the process (it was first come, first served). She chose the cheapest room in the whole uni! But her situation wasn't typical, because she was applying for an art course and got unconditional offers on the strength of her portfolio. (The same applies to performing arts with auditions.)