Insurance accommodation process at Bristol

[lastdayatschool]

Does anyone have any recent experience of the process of applying for/gaining accommodation at Bristol (not UWE) when it was DC's insurance choice, and they missed firm on results day ?

I'm aware of all the anecdotal evidence re. commuting from Newport, Bath etc. but would love to hear from someone who knows:

1. What the actual application process is ? I've seen reference to having to specify maximum budget and room choice, as opposed to preferred hall(s)

1. What the likelihood is of gaining a place in university accommodation ?

1. Any gotchas to be aware of.

It depends on numbers. DD was invited to a “find a house” day where insurance students met each other, were supposed to make friends and then find a house with them. We were on holiday so she didn’t go. They then found her a hall room. No idea what happened to the other insurance DC. This was some years ago now but I thought it sounded like a nightmare. DD remained adamant she wanted to go. But each year is different. Someone might have more recent experience.

No direct experience but a friend of DD was in this position last year and got a place in uni accommodation - city centre location. As far as I can remember the process was pretty straightforward.

Thank you for your replies @TizerorFizz and @GinandDubonnet

@lastdayatschool I rather suspect it’s a lottery. DD had a rare shared room. Obviously that or nothing. I do remember her applying for literally anywhere!

There's some private halls in the city centre, it's certainly worth bookmarking them ready

Tier, I think a lot of student accommodation has been built since your daughter was applying, was it 15 years ago. We were in Bristol this weekend, staying in the City centre and there seemed to be student halls everywhere.

We know a couple who missed Oxbridge offers in recent years and who had Bristol as their insurance. Both seemed to be fine. One went to Hiatt Baker, and the other went to Manor which is probably the most sought after hall of all.

There have been very recent stories about Bristol insurance students not getting accommodation in Bristol. I rather suspect Bath would not be a viable option though. Student numbers have gone up by a lot since Dd was there. As there are two unis, there is some pressure on private accommodation too. Cost is also a factor to bear in mind. I was also very clear my DDs experience was a while ago but the stories about accommodation have got worse since then. When she went, it was never spoken about! We didn’t know there was a shortage. If there is now evidence that Bristol can now adequately house insurance students, great. I hope they can because the whole experience was stressful. (Although DD loved Bristol!)

I’ve been thinking about this too! My DS got his accommodation offer for his first choice today which is great but his insurance is Bristol and I’ve heard so many awful stories about lack of accommodation for insurance holders…

They've got loads of accommodation now. So many new halls opened since covid.

So were the stories of no accommodation for insurance students all pre COVID? @mumsneedwine Was your DD insurance?

@TizerorFizz yes, the big accommodation issues were pre 2019. And no, my DD wasn't insurance (vets tend to get the same offers from everywhere, so you're in or you're not). But some of the students from my school have been insurance and everyone has got a place in halls.

Tizer, where were your recent stories from?

Even pre 2019 the stories may have been exaggerated. DD knew quite a lot who had come in via insurance, not least Bristol medicine tended to make quite a lot of contextual offers, but has never heard any horror stories either then now more recently.

Here's an article relating to accommodation problems in the 21/22 academic year:
epigram.org.uk/2021/09/11/the-students-behind-bristols-non-guaranteed-student-accommodation-crisis/

There were several other similar articles published in mainstream media also

There were a couple on wiwikau who couldn't get any accommodation last year, ended up in Bath. Which is lovely but even more £££ than Bristol especially when adding on train fares. When people drop out places become available but it's a bit of a pain waiting.

Private halls were booked up months ago, my nephew looked. He chose Durham in the end.

@lastdayatschool Sadly posters prefer to have a go at me rather then face the real question! It would be great if there’s plenty of accommodation for insurance. Neither of their DDs were insurance. Aldo it’s really not the same to lump contextual students with insurance. I hope someone comes along with a 2022 insurance student.

Yes, but surely OP is asking whether those stories reflect a real problem in practice, presumably wanting feedback from current parents or academics.

Not as far as I know, and DD graduated this summer. Mumsneedwine, who has a daughter there is saying the same thing. There is an awful lot of new student accommodation. Tizer is disagreeing. Therefore useful to know the source of Tizer's information. If it is the media the debate becomes circular.

@lastdayatschool I can't find anything relating to shared rooms on the Bristol website, but might have missed it. All the students we've sent to Bristol in the last few years (over 90), all have got accommodation in halls. Firm or insurance. They do clearly state they don't guarantee insurance students accommodation though (as do many Unis unfortunately).

Didn't think I'd had a go at anyone 🥺. I'm talking more as a teacher than a mum. One of DDs first year flatmates was an insurance offer. V limited pool of data I agree. But our school do send a lot to Bristol.

Sending a lot and insurance are very different. Simply not the same. Not guaranteeing it is important info. It means many would like to know what happens. Also what doesn’t.

The info I’ve seen is the same as @lastdayatschool . I think the accommodations office might be able to tell you regarding 2022. Student numbers do get bigger and bigger, hence more accommodation but they doesn’t mean it’s available. Bristol owned accommodation is better and don’t forget some people are not able to pay top whack for private luxury halls either. So OP maybe ask Bristol for info?

Well yes, that would always be a good place to start. Ask Bristol - who will tell you what's on their v clear website. That insurance offers are not guaranteed accommodation.
Last year we had 13 go as insurance offers, and all ended up in halls. Bristol is not cheap anywhere so surely you know that when applying ? First thing we looked at was costs. Why London was not possible.

@lastdayatschool the process for insurance is that once your offer is confirmed via UCAS your DC will be sent a link. They then rank accommodation (each hall and type of rooms available are one choice each) and within 48 hours they'll get an offer. Or be put on wait list. This moves quite quickly as firm offers decide to defer etc.

If don't get a room in halls you like you can go on the transfer list. So if a room becomes available in your preferred hall during the year you will be offered it. Some drop out in the first term.
If costs are an issue, and you are not in the squeezed majority like us, then Bristol have lots of bursaries to help. My DD had worked since 16 and all through covid so had the extra cash to fund Bristol. Now happily in Somerset - rent is half the price 😊

Thank you for all the updates today. It's great to hear the positives from some of you regarding insurance applicants you know gaining accommodation with no problems.

Many thanks @mumsneedwine for outlining the application process. In relation to shared accommodation, Bristol have a number of halls that offer this across all 3 villages - this URL provides details: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/accommodation/about/residences/?filterUndergraduate=Yes&filterSharedRooms=Yes

DS has some thinking to do regarding plan B if he doesn't get his first choice and Bristol becomes his firm - does he risk being allocated a shared room or does he see consider Clearing options at other universities which guarantee single room accommodation. 16 days to go - plenty of time to decide 😀

@lastdayatschool thanks for that as useful for my students. Twin rooms in most of those halls are new, and will be of interest to my students (who are predominantly low income families but not poor enough to get help). I tend to leave accommodation to them but can pass the cost differences on.

I'd personally choose the Uni and course he likes as halls are only for 9 months anyway. And the chances of getting in Bristol itself are high.

I dont think the risk of a shared room is that great. Presumably they have been added to some of the newer halls because there is demand. In some Universities shared rooms go first, as some students will be looking for cheaper options.

Even if he were allocated a shared room, it is not the end of the world, Bristol has a lot of shared flats and there is a lot of movement as people decide they want to be in or out of party flats; students drop out; overseas students doing their semester abroad leave at Christmas etc. He might get on with his room mate, or he should be able to move fairly quickly. A friend of DDs found himself, at Exeter, sharing with a boy who, away from the parental home, spent his nights gaming with little attention to personal hygiene. The friend was able to move so not an issue.