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Higher education

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

Original poster

Daughters application rejected...

119 replies

halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 18:34

My daughter is devastated that her first choice university has not offered her a place. She got a fairly generic response about being unsuccessful due to a huge number of applicants.

She is predicted above the course requirements and has worked so hard - it's half term and she's in her room studying now. She had her heart set on this course and university. She feels at a loss at to what else she could have done.

I just wondered if there is any advice - is it a lost cause? I thought about calling the university tomorrow and see if there is any wriggle room.

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 14/02/2023 22:46

halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 18:49

Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I meant her calling, reading it back I can see that's not clear.

I feel really sorry for her. She is predicted way above what the requirements are and she had her heart set on the uni. This system is very new to me which is why I am asking for any advice so I know I probably sound naive.

Unfortunately, oversubscribed universities have to reject a lot of bright, keen students whose grades are predicted way above the requirements. There will be a lot of students in the same position as her. It’s understandable that she’s disappointed but there will be another university out there for her where she’ll be happy.

Onnabugeisha · 14/02/2023 22:52

halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 18:34

My daughter is devastated that her first choice university has not offered her a place. She got a fairly generic response about being unsuccessful due to a huge number of applicants.

She is predicted above the course requirements and has worked so hard - it's half term and she's in her room studying now. She had her heart set on this course and university. She feels at a loss at to what else she could have done.

I just wondered if there is any advice - is it a lost cause? I thought about calling the university tomorrow and see if there is any wriggle room.

Presumably a handful of offer holders will not make the grade come results day. She could, grades in hand, call them on results day and ask if any places have opened up.

Original poster
halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 23:01

@Onnabugeisha
Is that how it can work?
Don't they go through clearing? And then if you go through clearing, you reject others? Or can you 'hedge your bets', see if there is a space and then reject/apply?

I think she would worry it's too risky a strategy.

OP posts:
Onnabugeisha · 14/02/2023 23:09

halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 23:01

@Onnabugeisha
Is that how it can work?
Don't they go through clearing? And then if you go through clearing, you reject others? Or can you 'hedge your bets', see if there is a space and then reject/apply?

I think she would worry it's too risky a strategy.

They have a new function where she she could accept two offers she has as in do a Firm choice & Insurance choice but then come results day she can then choose to decline the offers and self-release into clearing.

Obviously, before self-releasing she would contact the Uni first with grades in a hand to ensure the course is in clearing and that if she self-released and applied through clearing then she would be accepted.
www.whatuni.com/advice/clearing/self-release-into-clearing/79250/

GoldilockMom · 14/02/2023 23:14

DD was knocked back and then changed direction! She made the right decision for her. Sometimes life throws a curve ball.

She now has doubled her salary expectations.

TizerorFizz · 14/02/2023 23:18

Popular courses don’t go into clearing. It’s risky to wait for something that may never happen. She will be at the back of the queue for accommodation too. That’s in short supply in many places so she might not get a hall of residence room.

What university and course is it?

Onnabugeisha · 14/02/2023 23:28

TizerorFizz · 14/02/2023 23:18

Popular courses don’t go into clearing. It’s risky to wait for something that may never happen. She will be at the back of the queue for accommodation too. That’s in short supply in many places so she might not get a hall of residence room.

What university and course is it?

I’m not saying she has to wait. She can accept two offers- a firm and insurance choice now. And then on results day give the University a call and if a place has opened up and she gets a verbal offer, the way to accept that in UCAS is to self-release into clearing and apply for the course. Please follow my link. It explains how this is an option that has no risk.

Of course, if the Uni has no place & makes no verbal offer, she then goes forward with her firm or insurance choice.

Accommodation is a risk, but the DD has her heart set on this course I think she’d move mountains to sort accommodation if she had to.

Original poster
halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 23:31

@Onnabugeisha
Thank you, that's so helpful. I will talk to her about it tomorrow.

She said tonight she will talk to her tutor at college as she knows her well.

OP posts:
MyOldFriendTime · 14/02/2023 23:33

She is resilient. Without going into details, she has been through a lot over the past couple of years and her confidence has taken a huge knock. But she always bounces back. I hope it will be the same now.

It will be. Try to get her thinking about her other options and not to dwell on this fleeting disappointment. If this uni doesn't want her then it's their loss. I'm sure she'll love wherever she ends up.
Onwards and upwards.

TizerorFizz · 14/02/2023 23:33

Have you any idea of the accommodation shortages @Onnabugeisha ? It’s not something a student can sort. Accommodation is offered in different cities! Even years ago accommodation for insurance choices has been dire. It’s far more sensible to hopefully get other offers and go for one of them. Just one possible university leads to all this drama! There are 5 options. What about the others?

Original poster
halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 23:35

@MyOldFriendTime thank you 😊

OP posts:
MyOldFriendTime · 14/02/2023 23:37

Just one possible university leads to all this drama! There are 5 options. What about the others?

I agree. It's not good to become obsessed with one choice when there are others that are just as good. As PPs have said disappointment is a part of life and how you deal with this now may affect how she deals with things in the future. Tell her to press on with her other choices.

Onnabugeisha · 14/02/2023 23:40

TizerorFizz · 14/02/2023 23:33

Have you any idea of the accommodation shortages @Onnabugeisha ? It’s not something a student can sort. Accommodation is offered in different cities! Even years ago accommodation for insurance choices has been dire. It’s far more sensible to hopefully get other offers and go for one of them. Just one possible university leads to all this drama! There are 5 options. What about the others?

Yes I am aware as I have one in Uni now and a YR13 doing the same as OPs DD.

It is something a student can sort, all my DC have done so. The one in Uni now is where the shortage is one of the worst in the country. It’s been called a crisis and many students, my DC included, are housed over an hour away from the Uni in another city. But there is no other place they’d rather be and they are in the highest ranked Uni for their degree course.

The accommodation shortage is everywhere tbh, so the DD is likely to face challenges securing accommodation no matter where she ends up going. She might as well try and go where she really wants to go.

Motheranddaughtertotwo · 14/02/2023 23:42

GoldilockMom · 14/02/2023 23:14

DD was knocked back and then changed direction! She made the right decision for her. Sometimes life throws a curve ball.

She now has doubled her salary expectations.

Exact same situation with my DD. She was devastated to get rejected, cried a bit then she looked at every other uni and what they offered. She is doing a totally different course that is sooooo much better suited to her and she loves her uni and her course. I genuinely believe she needed to go through it.
Let her be upset and then encourage her to look at anything and everything. Best of luck to her, these things have a way of working out.

WinterFoxes · 14/02/2023 23:44

Don't ring on her behalf! She can ring if she wants, but she needs to be prepared for them to say no. It can be a very unsettling and disappointing time, but they come through it. DS2 was predicted and got great A levels and he wrote the most brilliant Personal Statement - Head of 6th form even said to him - that's one of the strongest I've seen. But 3 of the 5 unis he applied to turned him down, which was incredibly demoralising at the time.

He ended up at a uni he 'quite liked' which I had privately always thought perfect for him when we toured them. And he's loving it in every way. Great friends, loves his course and tutors, loves the city life.

They think things are set in stone at that age but every thing is up in the air. If she really adores that uni and has set her heart on it, then she can take a year out and apply again, finding out more about why she didn't make the cut this time around, and ensuring she has strong A levels. Or she can have another look at ones lower on her list and decide if she likes them.

TizerorFizz · 14/02/2023 23:45

Well they didn’t sort it did they? They accepted a bum deal on accommodation. Going to another university where she’s on site, as opposed to a 2 hour commute each day, is probably better.

Onnabugeisha · 15/02/2023 00:06

TizerorFizz · 14/02/2023 23:45

Well they didn’t sort it did they? They accepted a bum deal on accommodation. Going to another university where she’s on site, as opposed to a 2 hour commute each day, is probably better.

🤣🤣🤣
Better in what way? What’s more important a bit of a commute and a 1st from St Andrews vs a 1st from Nottingham? You tell me oh wise one which option is better for my DCs future career and graduate job prospects?

Oh wait, Nottingham also has a huge shortage….short 5,500 student bedrooms at last count….so guess what my DC would have had a “bum deal” in accommodation there too! And as the cherry on top have passed up St As wishfully thinking accommodation would be onsite at Nottingham because it wasn’t her first choice.

It’s like you have no idea that firming an offer is not a guarantee of accommodation. Not even applying for the accommodation by the ‘guaranteed accommodation for first years deadline’ on the Uni portal actually gets you Uni accommodation. The guarantees are worthless these days.

As I said, the accommodation shortage is everywhere, it’s a wash, so might as well go to the best Uni for your career aspirations.

WombsofWimbledon · 15/02/2023 00:28

Onnabugeisha · 15/02/2023 00:06

🤣🤣🤣
Better in what way? What’s more important a bit of a commute and a 1st from St Andrews vs a 1st from Nottingham? You tell me oh wise one which option is better for my DCs future career and graduate job prospects?

Oh wait, Nottingham also has a huge shortage….short 5,500 student bedrooms at last count….so guess what my DC would have had a “bum deal” in accommodation there too! And as the cherry on top have passed up St As wishfully thinking accommodation would be onsite at Nottingham because it wasn’t her first choice.

It’s like you have no idea that firming an offer is not a guarantee of accommodation. Not even applying for the accommodation by the ‘guaranteed accommodation for first years deadline’ on the Uni portal actually gets you Uni accommodation. The guarantees are worthless these days.

As I said, the accommodation shortage is everywhere, it’s a wash, so might as well go to the best Uni for your career aspirations.

Show quote history

Your advice is really logical, practical and calm - just thought I’d acknowledge that as it’s often not the case!

sammyjoanne · 15/02/2023 00:50

My eldest didnt get into her top choice and she was gutted. she worked hard to get to the interview stage. She had 4 other choices, so after being upset for a couple of days we said right, lets go to your uni choice that you liked after her top choice and we went to Lancaster uni and all the feelings came flooding back as to why she liked it some much. It really helped a great deal. She also watched you tube vloggers at the uni, and also videos the uni put on. We also saw the city as well. Some universities are so competative for a course, they can turn people down with amazing grades.

LadyJ2023 · 15/02/2023 01:09

Unfortunately it's normal to pick 2 or 3 University options not just one, and you don't get wiggle room.

keepcalm11 · 15/02/2023 06:41

Is it the uni or the course that she is most attracted to. Could she apply for a different course at that same uni.

ClimbingRoseBush · 15/02/2023 09:12

I work at a Russell Group and if she calls the admissions team they will be able to look and see what code has been used for the rejection. It won’t be detailed feedback, but it will at least tell you if there’s been an error. Eg the code might say her grades aren’t high enough when they are. The admissions team could then ask the department to review. It’s not 1960, there’s not an old bloke with a pipe throwing the rejected applications into the fire.

It’s true that there are some courses that are very oversubscribed and v good students will get rejected. But the truth is for the majority of courses at the majority of universities, students who have or are predicted the grades will get an offer. At my university there are maybe 7 courses where some home students with the grades will be rejected. Your daughter presumably knows whether it’s one of those highly competitive courses. If it’s not then I’d say it’s worth a call to the admissions team.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 15/02/2023 09:48

halfbakedkate · 14/02/2023 22:15

That's a lovely memory.

Thank you all for the advice. I would rather not say the course or uni in case it's a bit outing but suffice to say I have taken all the advice onboard and feel in a better position to support and encourage her.

She is resilient. Without going into details, she has been through a lot over the past couple of years and her confidence has taken a huge knock. But she always bounces back. I hope it will be the same now.

Show quote history

Saying the course without the uni and the courses she's currently taking won't be outing, and could lead to some really useful advice.

E.G. I have known BTEC students apply to unis thinking they exceed the entry requirements of, e.g. DDM, but missing the bit where it says they need to have taken certain units, or got certain grades in certain units.

Or equally students applying to e.g. Psychology not realising some unis want two "science" A-levels for this, so their combination of e.g. Psychology, Sociology and English isn't suitable, even if they've got AAA predictions.

Although equally if she speaks to the uni, I would expect them to explain this to her.

Original poster
halfbakedkate · 15/02/2023 10:01

@Postapocalypticcowgirl
Ok, if it might lead to more specific advice. She wants to do Psychology. She is predicted A*s in psychology, sociology and history. The university she applied to wants 3 As, inc one science (psychology counts as one).

She does have offers at her other four choices, which is great. As I've said previously, she has been through a lot over the past couple of years and she really had her sights set on this particular university. Her tutor also said her personal statement was excellent so it seemed realistic to expect an offer. She is not a confident girl by any stretch, very diligent, thoughtful and conscientious- there was no sense of entitlement or an arrogance that an offer was guaranteed, more that she has worked as hard as she possibly can to try and secure one.

Although I understand psychology is a very in demand subject, it seems she underestimated just how much.

OP posts:
WombatChocolate · 15/02/2023 10:05

Which uni is it? Makes a big difference to how over subscribed they are.