Unconditional offer

[mrsconradfisher]

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!

It’s quite an expensive luxury and sporty types usually don’t care. He’s glad he’s going but it’s just one thing after another. Plus you don’t understand modern boarding.

Sorry @mrsconradfisher I didn't mean to go on.

Obviously for some students an en suite shower and loo is important - I'm not saying they are wrong. It wasn't an option for my DC bc the cost of the room alone would have eaten up most of their loan + top-up - I am sure you can see that. An £8.5k room if the total fund is about £9-9.5k is not practical.

Fwiw ds and I felt the same about a catered hall at £8-9k or so, hence him opting for the cheapest SC. We both felt he could spend less than way - room £4k plus food £2k plus other stuff £2k. Obviously for some people this is not an issue and that's fine of course.

Edit: I think you should send him a weekly caviar parcel tho 🙃

It wasn’t you. I totally understand what you are saying and I agree for the most part. I think we probably need to have a more detailed look at the costings. Honestly he isn’t bothered about anything apart from having a toilet!

Omg please just stop! So sporty types aren’t allowed to be shy and self conscious to feel uncomfortable sharing a bathroom? Talk about stereotyping people.

Im not going to go into why he is so self conscious and why for him an en suite is important because you’d probably have a dig about that as well.

So I’m not allowed to ask question? Which incidentally was absolutely nothing about en-suite rooms. I have no one else to ask. I never went to Uni and none of DS’s friends are going either. He’s also obviously not at 6th form anymore so can’t ask them either. If I’m that annoying then just scroll by…

And no I probably don’t know anything about boarding schools…they are an expensive luxury for the likes of me.

Anyway you are clearly right @mrsconradfisher about the need or desire for ensuite rooms - when ds was faffing about trying to find a room (bc of his incompetence as I hope I have made clear!) the first thing they told us was that he certs wouldn't get an ensuite. So make sure your DS gets on to it early and is primed to do it right.

(I don't think it is an especially complex system - just that DS clicked in the wrong place and was then frozen out. Also they may have changed how it works - certainly worth finding out).

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!!

I'm with you OP!

Oh and I've worked in a few boarding schools... and most of the kids at mine would definitely still go for through en suite given the choice. Yes, even the 'sporty' types.

I went for en-suite myself.

@TizerorFizz around Selly Oak (so UoB, obviously no good at all for Loughborough), some of the 'student house' landlords have converted their properties to all en suite. Which does lead to some rather interesting bedroom-to-shower room floorspace ratios, admittedly, but DS1's partner's final year house was really quite swish.

@mrsconradfisher looking at the Loughborough accommodation pages, there is an early window for unconditional offer holders to reserve their accommodation, starting in early June.
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/accommodation/applicants/undergraduate/application-process/step-03a/

It seems to be a 'choose and book' system, reverting to 'register and wait for results day' if you miss the deadline.

Thank you so much, we searched the Uni website and didn’t manage to find that. That’s incredibly helpful and will make it much easier.

Ooh there you go @MarchingFrogs has it!

BTW yes ds2's second year house (in Lboro obviously!) did have some ensuite rooms in it too! He didn't get one tho lol

I feel I misled you @mrsconradfisher - had no idea you could register early but obviously ds was a condonation offer holder so it didn't apply to us. It's not easy to find either- you have to go into the process in order to discover there is a separate process for unconditional offer holders! Yay tho!

Condonation?? Conditional obvs

I didn’t think you could either hence why DS was going to ask on Wednesday. Will just make it far less stressful in the summer, he was going to try and work his holiday around results day again this year but he won’t need to if he can get it sorted beforehand.

We asked at Bath and they said you couldn’t so was fully expecting Loughborough to be the same.

I saw your posts last year @mrsconradfisher, I am so glad your DS has a Loughborough offer! If you firm an unconditional you hold only one offer. If you firm a conditional and have an unconditional as a safety net you will be able to keep two. My DD in 2020 due to her CAGs, took a gap year and like your son, had grades two higher when she applied for the following year. Her offers were all unconditional and she firmed one and the others fell automatically. If your son firms Loughborough he will be withdrawing his Bath application as he can only hold one place with a firm unconditional.

Hi @mrsconradfisher just wondering how your ds is getting on? I have a close family member hoping to go to Loughborough this year so enjoyed reading your thread (and would also pay ridiculous amounts more money for an en-suite, haha).

He is absolutely loving it! Had a rather rocky start with regards to accomodation, he was able to get what he wanted as he took a gap year and they got to pick in June however he was put in a flat of entirely 2nd/3rd years. They are lovely boys but he found it hard as they all had their own established friendship groups. I would say that’s been the biggest and probably the only negative. Room is lovely and in a good location (he is in Hazelrigg Rutland).
He is loving his course and doing really well. Has made a lovely group of friends and has sorted his house for next year.

Any questions feel free to message me, I will be glad to help.

So happy for you and your son - great result! Thanks for sharing and offering support, very kind 😊

If your DS gets an unconditional offer and it's his first choice he doesn't need to make an insurance offer because he knows he's definitely going to go to his first choice option.