University Offers Coming In 23/4 - part 2!

[WombatChocolate]

Following on from the old thread which was getting full….come and share the highs and lows of the journey that is A Levels and UCAS!

Finally heard from Edinburgh today (history), so that’s her lot

I don’t think the offers are slow in themselves. They’ve only had since the end of January since the equal preference date. If Universities are sticking to this date for the bulk of their offers it’s not that long. The offers have to be dealt with by administrators and looked at by lecturers. The lecturers are still teaching, researching.

I was talking to a lecturer friend who works at an institution DD friend has applied to. Saying he hasn’t heard back from that institution so has firmed and insured others. Lecturer friend seemed to suggest that the course/institution is sought after and they’ll get the right candidates. I’m not sure how to take that! Is it hold your nerve? I don’t think this takes into account accomodation going early on the cycle.

Unis have quotas for OS and Home students., They won’t try to fill Home places with OS students.

@ladsmum my son is at Imperial and accommodation isn't allocated until few weeks after results day so don't worry.

DS still waiting for Warwick, he has grades in hand but was one grade below standard offer. They emailed to ask about what he’s doing in his gap year back in January but has since heard nothing! It’s his preferred course but it’s starting to really annoy me now. I know someone who applied for the same course last year and was rejected but not until May! It’s putting me off Warwick to be honest as I wish they would just let him know either way. Nottingham is where he will go if he doesn’t get Warwick and they offered within a few days. Nottingham accommodation opens in April too so I really hope Warwick make a decision soon.

DS finally heard from Leeds today - rejection for economics and finance. He got 4 other offers including his favourite Exeter so it’s good to just draw a line under this bit of the process (and move on to worrying about getting the grades required).

Thank you - Yes I discovered how useful Imperial's website was for accommodation info later yesterday night. I had stupidly assumed that DS and DH would have looked there before panicking each other - I guess that's what I'm here for 🤓

@Turquoisesea Did you go on an offer holder day to Nottingham? I was blown away by the whole place absolutely loved it and can see dd being happy there... minor issue of getting the grades of course!!

I went to Warwick when I was young and pretty and loved it but when I looked round Nottingham I wished I'd gone there instead, oddly enough it was my insurance, shouldn't have worked so hard

@Turquoisesea most people applying for Warwick have grades above the standard offer so he'll be waiting till the last minute

Snap for the same course rejection and Exeter being the favourite ! Just wish it wasn’t so far away from us and had the same grades as Leeds. Results day will definitely be worrying although we are going to Sheffield offers day now which will probably be insurance if Exeter remains the favourite. Good luck to your DS

My Dd has also finally heard from Leeds. An offer for psychology. It is her first choice and the one we’ve been waiting for.

We also had a Leeds offer for economics. They must be making a bit of headway this week!

@listsandbudgets we are going to the offer holders day on Saturday. Nottingham is a great uni (I’m from Nottingham originally) so know it’s a great city especially for students so I hope DS really likes it. I would be happy for DS to go there, he just wanted to try with Warwick as the course he really wants to do (PPL) isn’t offered at Nottingham although he has an offer for politics & international relations at Nottingham. He applied for Warwick as at open day the admissions lady said a great personal statement is just as important as grades and it was definitely worth applying (he got AAB not AAA) so we will just have to wait and see I suppose! Just wish they would hurry up and let him know either way!

I have the same issue with Exeter being miles away (and tough grades required) - he is going this weekend but I don’t think the 5 hour train journey will put him off. He has an offer from Sheffield but York is a better safety net at AAB so will go for that as reserve - it seemed a nice department at the offer holders day. Good luck to you too

Congratulations to your DD @Kaftankween. We were in the same boat here with Edinburgh. It is wonderful when patience finally pays off! My DD2 went to Leeds and loved it.

Congratulations on the Leeds offers @Kaftankween @SendmetoWales, it's one of the first offers DD had, so strange how different departments work!
@Turquoisesea we really liked Nottingham as a city - felt really inclusive and a bit edgy and alternative, but disappointingly they don't have a geology degree so DD didn't apply.
Still no further on with choices for firm and insurance, does anyone know the deadline?

Deadlines for firm/insurance choice:

If you receive your last decision on or before 16 May 2024, your reply date is 6 June 2024 (except if you're using Extra to find a place).
If you receive your last decision on or before 17 July 2024, your reply date is 24 July 2024 (including Extra choices).

DD did her accommodation application today and the rent in London has gone up so much in halls compared to last year. She's refused to share a bathroom and has applied for an ensuite but I have told her she will need to make sure during Summer she does overtime at work otherwise she will struggle and sadly I cannot help her financially. The halls her friend had last year with an ensuite was like £260 last year and it's now over £300!! It's crazy esp when the maintenance loans haven't gone up much

@catmomof3
DD will be going for shared bathroom for exactly this reason, the cost is ridiculous 😔
She is ok with it though and will be investing in a pair of sliders. The silver lining is not having to clean the bathroom and at least the bedrooms have basins in them.

Wow, £300 for an en-suite is pretty steep! I

I don't know if this info will be helpful to anyone but we're in the process of applying for student finance.

I've just come off the phone to Student Finance England with a useful bit of information.

If you've EVER had student loan don't create a new account for yourself when putting evidence of income in as it will create confusion at their end.. Use your account if you know it or contact them to get the details - I left University in the mid 1990s and they still had my account number etc. on record

It does say this when you get to the log in screen but apparantly numerous parents are creating second accounts and it's a cahotic mess and delays things.

Finally - Lovely call handler, very helpful so don't be afraid to call them up if you have problems. I went away very impressed

I said this to my daughter but she's so stubborn she refuses to share a bathroom 🤦🏻‍♀️ her friends are also now doing shared for the same reason. Only so much I can do to help her so hopefully she can a transfer to a London store for work or find another job once uni starts. Tbh the government have a nerve and know full well that even a max loan will never cover rent and be enough to scrap by.

I think all the boarding school kids are fine with shared bathrooms as that’s what they are used to. Trickier for those not used to sharing with strangers.

I've been saying to DC that they don't have an ensuite at home and they share facilities everywhere they go (college, school, work, shopping, pub, cafe, gym). If they choose to go to London they will have to adjust expectations accordingly and look at less luxurious options.

You’re generally not sharing a shower with people at a coffee shop tho hey. There’s a world of difference between sharing a loo and sharing a shower, where you are wandering round in a towel etc.

They are very spoilt nowadays. I was in a corridor of 12 and shared a bathroom with 6 sinks, 2 (might have only been 1 it was a long time ago) showers enclosures with space to get dry and a toilet cubicle plus a separate bathroom with another toilet and a bath (without a shower). I can remember queuing for the showers, whilst others were using the sinks and toilet. It wasn’t that bad. In the second and third year there were 6 girls sharing only 1 bathroom without a separate toilet. Again it was fine.

I have told my son that if he wants en-suite it can come out of his part-time work savings although there is a small chance he may qualify for it to be subsidised by the university due to his autism.