Firm and Insurance (Foundation) at Same University for 2024 entry?

[goosebumps]

After the stress that the 2023 year 13's seem to have had with lower grades than expected I have a query for my DC who'll be applying for next September. If they especially loved one university is it possible/sensible to put the firm choice as a three year degree and then pick a different course which has a foundation year as their insurance choice at the same uni? Would this then be a safe option as it would improve chances of getting to that uni if they have lower grades. Would they automatically get the three year course if they get the grades for their form choice and then insurance only if miss that? Thanks all. I know it's a year away but just trying to think of ways to minimise the results day anxiety.

We did this this year. DS applied for a course which can be done as an integrated Master's (4 years) or as a BSc (3) or as BSc with a Foundation year (4). He firmed the Integrated Master's and had the BSc as his insurance choice. We did ask if this was a bit redundant, did they automatically consider master's applicants for the BSc if they missed their grades and the uni said they did, and that they automatically considered BSc applicants for the foundation version of the course too. But DS didn't actually have another offer with lower UCAS points that would have made more sense to put as his insurance anyway, and he really wanted to go to this university. So that's what we did.

It did lead to some rather strange behaviour, like the uni kept contacting him to say we really hope you will consider us if you're not successful in your first choice (because they could see they were second choice but hadn't quite figured out they were also first). When the UCAS email came through on results day it said 'you will be studying <x> at <y>' with no hint as to which course he'd actually got on!

I did wonder if having the same course first and second improved his chances of getting on the Master's version, on the basis that 'we're gonna take this kid anyway so why not just put him on the Master's?'. Certainly he missed his grades but then that seems to have been very much the experience this year (A* to B in his uni subject). So I don't know whether the rationale for offering him his first choice was because so many students missed their grades, or because of the insurance choice.

I guess the only downside would be if your DC is likely to change their minds about the uni, in which case you've no option but to enter the stress of Clearing. DS has stated all along he didn't want to do clearing but would rather have done another A level/AS level and applied to the same uni again. So I was very confident he wasn't going to wake up and decide he fancied a different uni.

I should say another bonus was having more certainty over accommodation - DS picked his exact room way back at the start of the year and we even visited (the outside of) it on Offer Holder's day in February. And more certainty on term dates. Some of the MNers in our 2023 thread have had plans thrown up in the air by the wildly different start dates of different unis.

Thank you. You've answered some of the queries I had. Like would they consider him for the foundation anyway even if he doesn't put it as insurance so it could potentially be a wasted choice. The accommodation also is a huge thing. I'm so glad your son got the room he looked at and wanted from the start. It's so hard isn't it to know what to do. I feel my son and me will just feel more comfortable knowing exactly where he's going (as far as possible) and he has a fall back course at the uni he likes. In our dreams he'll get unconditional offers but in year 12 mocks he's varied between B, C, and even one U so there's no telling how he'll do.

If they miss grades for Firm then they may be offered a Foundation course instead or it be in Clearing. Not sure it is worth taking two spaces on application if other options are attractive.

Thank you. Yes - that's such a good point. It does look like it could be a waste and it maybe is better to have a different uni as insurance anyway in case he changes his mind. What a minefield it all is. I've spent too much time on the WIWIKAU facebook page and seen so many this year scrambling for clearing and last min accommodation i'm just trying to think how we can avoid it. Though it seems like whatever you do results day is stressful and so much can go wrong.

Yes unfortunately there is no stress-free route through the minefield. If your DS finds two unis he likes during his open day visits, it's probably best to apply to two. In our case, DS liked another place but ruled it out as it was very far from home. We then visited somewhere closer to home and I think he thought it was fine, but the offer was a lot higher than his first choice, so it made no sense to put them in as an insurance. We were very happy to have chosen the same place for first and second, but I knew he wasn't likely to change his mind.

Clearing definitely wouldn't have been for him. He likes certainty and planning, and he finds new places stressful. He struggled with some bladder issues after lockdown and couldn't manage full days at school in Y11, so for example we've already been through the timetable for Freshers' Week and worked out when he'll be able to go to the loo during the day. He knows the buildings as we've been round several times, knows where the loos are - that brings him a lot of comfort and reduces my stress on his behalf as well.

I would say the best way through the minefield is to have a solid Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. We knew what he was going to do if he had been rejected from both firm and insurance places (and if he'd also not been offered foundation) so whilst the day itself was nerve-wracking we had it handled. Clearing itself seems to have been very straight forward for most but incredibly stressful for some - our main support thread still has a number of people who are struggling in limbo waiting for a decision.

Wishing you all the best for next year whatever your DS decides.

And he could always submit a form with less than five choices and add more later, depending on outcomes.

Thank you tribot for your advice. Having plan b's and c is a good idea and I will keep that in mind. It sounds like the one uni choice was ideal for your son. Mine is similar in some ways in that he doesn't like uncertainty. So we'll see what he thinks after we've done all our open days by Christmas. Good luck to your son and I hope he enjoys freshers.

I think this is a sensible option. Not every uni considers near misses for the foundation year as a matter of course - we won’t at my place. It can depend on policy, structure or even how much space is left at the foundation year programme.