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Higher education

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

Original poster

Unconditional offer

42 replies

mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 08:26

Appreciate this maybe a daft question but here goes. DS already has his grades and is on a Gap Year, very long story involving rejection last year and then reviewing of exam papers in the summer (lots of previous posts!). He got the grades he needed for the course he really wanted to do at his dream University. He applied in October and got offered a couple of weeks later. That offer then became Unconditional in January when he sent the admissions department proof of his grades.

He only applied for 2 Uni’s this year, his first choice Loughborough and then Bath as a back up as the grades were slightly lower. Loughborough is where he really wants and where he has been offered but he’s heard nothing from Bath. Seems crazy to me as he’s applied with grades in hand and grades above what they require but there we go!

Anyway he hasn’t firmed Loughborough yet, got Offer holder day this week and then he’s going to accept it on UCAS.

My question is, does he simply withdraw from Bath as he hasn’t heard anything? Is it simply a case of pressing a button on UCAS? And this is the daft question…do you only need a Firm choice with an Unconditional Offer, not an Insurance one?
Its taken such a lot to get to this point, I just don’t want anything to go wrong!

OP posts:
AlwaysFreezing · 17/02/2024 08:31

I am not sure about the firm/insurance thing, my son seems to think you can't decline 4 offers, only 3 as you have to have an insurance and a firm. But, he's a teenager and not known for his forensic enquiry of rules/terms of engagement type stuff.

The reason I came on to comment is that my son is in a similar position. Grades in hand, gap year. One unconditional offer, 3 conditional, but heard nothing at all from Bath, the only one. It has put ds off the uni tbh, so even if they did offer, it wouldn't be either firm or insurance now.

I did ask ds of he could just accept the unconditional and remove any uncertainty, but he doesn't want to do that. I think his unconditional will be his insurance.

Not sure if any of this helps?

Edited for a couple of typos.

VanCleefArpels · 17/02/2024 08:37

No need for an insurance in any scenario (both my kids didn’t have plan B - mostly due to uncertainty about accommodation for an insurance choice) but with grades in hand an insurance is not necessary: he should just choose the place he wants and withdraw from the other one on UCAS

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 08:47

AlwaysFreezing · 17/02/2024 08:31

I am not sure about the firm/insurance thing, my son seems to think you can't decline 4 offers, only 3 as you have to have an insurance and a firm. But, he's a teenager and not known for his forensic enquiry of rules/terms of engagement type stuff.

The reason I came on to comment is that my son is in a similar position. Grades in hand, gap year. One unconditional offer, 3 conditional, but heard nothing at all from Bath, the only one. It has put ds off the uni tbh, so even if they did offer, it wouldn't be either firm or insurance now.

I did ask ds of he could just accept the unconditional and remove any uncertainty, but he doesn't want to do that. I think his unconditional will be his insurance.

Not sure if any of this helps?

Edited for a couple of typos.

Edited

Thank you! My DS loved Bath when we went to look round (despite the long walk up the massive hill!) and he still wasn’t sure he’d get offered Loughborough as it’s so competitive (it’s for Sports Science) but was sure he’d get offered Bath. I just don’t get it, why do they leave it so late to offer. I could understand if they were predicted grades but he has A star AA grades in hand which is above what they need so just offer the place!

He has a couple of questions to ask at the Offer Holder Day and then will just then accept Loughborough. Have to say their communication has been outstanding, lots of emails and letters.

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 08:50

VanCleefArpels · 17/02/2024 08:37

No need for an insurance in any scenario (both my kids didn’t have plan B - mostly due to uncertainty about accommodation for an insurance choice) but with grades in hand an insurance is not necessary: he should just choose the place he wants and withdraw from the other one on UCAS

Thank you! I wasn’t sure if they had to have one, just in case the course didn’t run for example. But I doubt that will ever be the case with this course as it’s so oversubscribed.
Will get him to withdraw from Bath and then just firm Loughborough.

OP posts:
Oganesson118 · 17/02/2024 08:50

You don’t need an insurance, when I applied, the one I really wanted to go to gave me a ridiculously low offer (it was the only one other than Cambridge that interviewed me, the rest just gave standard offer. I imagine with unconditional that’s even more so, there’s no reason to need an insurance then.

Spirallingdownwards · 17/02/2024 08:54

Even with A*AA he will be competing with other students with similar grades and better grades too. The application is looked at holistically so they won't just look at grades alone but at their personal statements. Even with grades in hand they will be given equal consideration to those who applied before 31 January. Bath are often later in the cycle. They have until May to make offers.

PhotoDad · 17/02/2024 08:57

My DD found it very satisfying to click the "withdraw application" button for her other choices once she had an Unconditional from her first choice uni. No need for an insurance.

CadyEastman · 17/02/2024 09:04

We were in a very similar situation last year. I'd go to the offer holders day and if he still wants to go there firm it on UCAS.

Then he can start a bit of planning Wink

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 09:06

Spirallingdownwards · 17/02/2024 08:54

Even with A*AA he will be competing with other students with similar grades and better grades too. The application is looked at holistically so they won't just look at grades alone but at their personal statements. Even with grades in hand they will be given equal consideration to those who applied before 31 January. Bath are often later in the cycle. They have until May to make offers.

Fully appreciate that, probably more than most as it’s been a long road to even get to this place. He applied to Loughborough last year with predicted of AAA and got rejected. Got AAB in the summer but then got papers reviewed and went to A star AA. Decided to take a Gap Year and reapply to Loughborough and Bath.
Loughborough need A star AA so he only just reaches it hence why we were doubtful but got offered straight away.
Bath need AAA or A star AB so he has above that plus an excellent PS and lots of relevant experience. I sort of naively assumed that a solid candidate who already had grades above what they need would be more of a sure thing than someone with those predicted grades but maybe not.

It doesn’t matter anyway now as he has got Loughborough, he just didn’t want to withdraw from Bath if he had to have an insurance, if that was the case then he would have waited.

Feels like we have been in Limbo for 18 months. He first applied in October 2022, he just wants to know now and move forward!

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 09:08

PhotoDad · 17/02/2024 08:57

My DD found it very satisfying to click the "withdraw application" button for her other choices once she had an Unconditional from her first choice uni. No need for an insurance.

Thank you, I think he will feel exactly the same. It’s been such a journey to get to this point.

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 09:10

CadyEastman · 17/02/2024 09:04

We were in a very similar situation last year. I'd go to the offer holders day and if he still wants to go there firm it on UCAS.

Then he can start a bit of planning Wink

Thank you! Planning is why he wants to ask a question at the offer holder day, he wants to know if they can choose accommodation earlier if they have an unconditional offer. Then he can really start sorting stuff out rather than waiting until August,

OP posts:
CadyEastman · 17/02/2024 09:19

Thank you! Planning is why he wants to ask a question at the offer holder day, he wants to know if they can choose accommodation earlier if they have an unconditional offer. Then he can really start sorting stuff out rather than waiting until August

The Uni DS went to didn't allow early booking but he still got his first choice and is in a flat with some lovely students.

He can still get things like his crockery (there's another thread running in this), things like store cupboard ingredients, cleaning supplies and study materials Wink

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 09:46

CadyEastman · 17/02/2024 09:19

Thank you! Planning is why he wants to ask a question at the offer holder day, he wants to know if they can choose accommodation earlier if they have an unconditional offer. Then he can really start sorting stuff out rather than waiting until August

The Uni DS went to didn't allow early booking but he still got his first choice and is in a flat with some lovely students.

He can still get things like his crockery (there's another thread running in this), things like store cupboard ingredients, cleaning supplies and study materials Wink

I think for him, he’s just spent so long in limbo that he wants to know where he is living. He actually had a place at Uni last summer (Birmingham) but decided to try again for Loughborough this year but he’d actually booked the accommodation after results day. It was ok and he got his choice (although didn’t end up going) but by all accounts Loughboough is a bit more stressful. I just think if he could book it before, it would be easier.

OP posts:
clary · 17/02/2024 12:14

mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 09:46

I think for him, he’s just spent so long in limbo that he wants to know where he is living. He actually had a place at Uni last summer (Birmingham) but decided to try again for Loughborough this year but he’d actually booked the accommodation after results day. It was ok and he got his choice (although didn’t end up going) but by all accounts Loughboough is a bit more stressful. I just think if he could book it before, it would be easier.

Show quote history

Hey @mrsconradfisher my DS is at Lboro as I have said before (!) and yes, for him the accomm process was a bit stressful. I think tho (having left him to it) he messed up and clicked on the wrong thing, had to restart and was frozen out. Or something.

The good news was that after being offered somewhere not suitable, he was then offered somewhere OK, and finally was able to swap to his first choice accomm within a few days of the process starting - and well before he started at uni.

I have no idea if the system is still the same (obvs it varies from uni to uni) but there is certainly no harm in your DS looking at the accommodation and making some choices. Which halls is he looking at? The catered ones in general are less popular if that's his thought.

Best of luck to him!

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 16:20

clary · 17/02/2024 12:14

Hey @mrsconradfisher my DS is at Lboro as I have said before (!) and yes, for him the accomm process was a bit stressful. I think tho (having left him to it) he messed up and clicked on the wrong thing, had to restart and was frozen out. Or something.

The good news was that after being offered somewhere not suitable, he was then offered somewhere OK, and finally was able to swap to his first choice accomm within a few days of the process starting - and well before he started at uni.

I have no idea if the system is still the same (obvs it varies from uni to uni) but there is certainly no harm in your DS looking at the accommodation and making some choices. Which halls is he looking at? The catered ones in general are less popular if that's his thought.

Best of luck to him!

Edited
Show quote history

Hiya again!! He’s not keen on catered, he’s worked in a kitchen for most of the last year so really enjoys cooking for himself.
He’d really like Claudia Parsons but it’s very expensive and quite hard to get I think. Other than that he likes the look of Robert Bakewell and Hazelrigg-Rutland.

OP posts:
clary · 17/02/2024 16:40

Ah OK a bit out of DS's budget those ones!

TBH if I were spending £8,500 a year on accommodation I'd want it to be catered! That's a lot of money for SC. DS found his budget hall just fine.

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 17:26

clary · 17/02/2024 16:40

Ah OK a bit out of DS's budget those ones!

TBH if I were spending £8,500 a year on accommodation I'd want it to be catered! That's a lot of money for SC. DS found his budget hall just fine.

Which one is your DS in? Tbh his only criteria is en-suite as he is an incredibly private person and having a shared bathroom would be his idea of hell so completely open to suggestions. We looked around when we went for the open day, he liked the location of Telford but I think it’s shared bathrooms.

We are paying the accommodation and DS is using the maintenance loan to live on as due to DH’s salary he’ll only get minimum loan so the cheaper the better!!
Im hoping at the Offer Holder day he’ll be able to get more of an idea. We looked at Towers as well which he liked but that’s catered I think, might be worth considering though if there is a kitchen as well.

OP posts:
clary · 17/02/2024 17:30

Yeh Towers is catered and shared bathrooms. I personally think that's a better use of £8K+ than SC and en suite bathroom but it's not up to me haha!

DS was in Falk Egg, £100 pw (this is two years ago) it was fine, not a big room but fine, shared facilities were all OK. He had a loan of £6-7k which we topped up, and he paid accomm and everything out of the total 8.5-9k so it was all on more of a budget than your DS. Which is fine ofc.

clary · 17/02/2024 17:43

Ensuite in Bill-Mo (WIlliam Morris) is a bit cheaper at £189 - off campus but only just and right opposite the Union. But the en-suite adds the money really.

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 17/02/2024 17:47

clary · 17/02/2024 17:43

Ensuite in Bill-Mo (WIlliam Morris) is a bit cheaper at £189 - off campus but only just and right opposite the Union. But the en-suite adds the money really.

Ah yes I think I remember seeing that one. I don’t think en-suite is something he’d compromise on tbh. He doesn’t want a massive fancy room or a specific location but in his words “I’d like to just be able to go to the toilet (although worded differently!) in peace!!”

Will have a look on Wednesday and go from there, thank you x

OP posts:
mondaytosunday · 18/02/2024 10:26

@AlwaysFreezing just curious as to what the conditions are if your YP has grades in hand?
@mrsconradfisher my DD has grades well above requirements for the course she's applied to at Bath - they say AAB (it might even be ABB can't remember) and she has three A stars. She applied in October but still had heard nothing. It's not a super popular course either. Glasgow offered within 24 hours and even Durham offered in November. The wait is torture!

CadyEastman · 18/02/2024 17:10

I don’t think en-suite is something he’d compromise on tbh. He doesn’t want a massive fancy room or a specific location but in his words “I’d like to just be able to go to the toilet (although worded differently!) in peace!!”

The ratio in DS' flat is pretty good. 2 bathrooms for 5 students.

2 if the students have pretty full on courses so are out all day most days anyway.

So no, he doesn't get a bathroom to himself but they e split the bathrooms into boys bathroom/girls bathroom so he only has to share with one other student and they're both fairly clean.

I've never got enough-suits though. Why you'd want to pop next to your bed I have no idea 🤷‍♀️ Grin

clary · 18/02/2024 17:51

I've never got en-suites though. Why you'd want to poop next to your bed I have no idea 🤷‍♀️

hahaha @CadyEastman I agree with this but I thought I was the only person in the UK who thought so!

TizerorFizz · 19/02/2024 09:07

How on earth are students going to manage when they share a house in y2-3? Who gets an en suite then? It’s just unrealistic. So best get used to it. Boarding school served my DC well it seems in an unexpected way. Cheap halls at uni!

Original poster
mrsconradfisher · 19/02/2024 17:13

TizerorFizz · 19/02/2024 09:07

How on earth are students going to manage when they share a house in y2-3? Who gets an en suite then? It’s just unrealistic. So best get used to it. Boarding school served my DC well it seems in an unexpected way. Cheap halls at uni!

Well clearly not everyone feels like that if not they wouldn’t have en suite rooms. And unfortunately we didn’t have the money to send my children to Boarding School to get used to it (not that I would have done anyway as I quite like my children around!).

I would hope by the time he moves into 2nd year accommodation he will be more relaxed about it and will at least be sharing with friends rather than a group of random strangers.
Good grief the things on here people get worked up about, you’d think I was offering to send him caviar every week rather than trying to get a room with a toilet and shower in!!

OP posts: