If your DC hasn’t yet received an offer…

[Sorethroatpain]

…does that mean that they are in fact “on hold”? Or is it the case that the universities haven’t even looked at DC’s application so nothing can be inferred from the lack of response?

My DC is waiting for decisions from UCL and LSE, both of which I appreciate are extremely popular and oversubscribed. Is it likely that DC’s application has been considered and waitlisted pending other candidates deciding whether to accept or reject their offers? I wish the process was more transparent. We’re just left guessing!

I don’t really know but just wanted say we are waiting for UCL too. My ds has grades in hand so not really sure what is going on!

I think its effectively on hold and will have been initially read. We are also awaiting LSE and its not clear what they are doing but my guess would be something like this. Very oversubscribed with 7% offer rate so have to wait for all applications in by end January to ensure fair who offer to. At that stage they have rejected some and rest are on hold.

Then maybe they make offers in say February for exactly the number of places they have but know a third of people will reject the offer and two thirds accept but not which ones so they have a pool of people on hold. Then as people firm other universities then give more offers to the people on hold. Then when there are no places left the rest are rejected or time out. But I am guessing and there may be someone who knows the process better than me. Its feels like a kids party at primary where the popular kids get invited first then some say no and further invites go out.

They'd have to over offer to an extent as many won't get their grades though. They must know the percentage that makes it - even Oxbridge over offers by a fair margin. LSE just seems notorious for letting people know last minute.

I know a lot of MNers don't think much of WIWIKAU but there was a good post on its Facebook page today that covered this scenario - author was Cherry Hagger and thr post began Being on put 'on hold', waiting for a decision

Yes its true some will go down on grades. Oxford for E&M is 93 offers for 87 places so not that many more offers than places but maybe variation between subjects. PPE seems to be 266 for 232. They could also be waiting to see who withdraws if they leave it last minute.

On the Student Room someone reckons they've only just started to give out economics offers in significant numbers. That could be right as the person we now who just got an offer last week has perfect grades and a perfect PS.

Interesting. How do you know they had a perfect PS? Did you read it in the admissions team?

I don't really want to say as that could identify the DC in question.

What is a ‘perfect’ personal statement?!

Going by its guidance (unless it has changed this year), for LSE, one assumes, one which references every single aspect of the course as it is presented there, and why the applicant and it are a perfect match.

But not perfect enough for Cambridge

Different recruitment criteria at LSE and Oxbridge. LSE very high weight on personal statement and on their website it gives details, Oxbridge low weight on personal statement and much more weight on entrance test plus interview, neither of which the LSE do. It was interview score. Very common for people to get offers at Oxbridge and rejection from LSE and vice versa. Infact I don't know anyone with offers for both in economics and we know of about 30 people who applied to both.

I read the guidance for personal statements on LSE website, partly as it was a last minute application and DD's had been written months before. It didn't seem to suggest anything different from other universities. Demonstrating engagement in the subject beyond the classroom and so on - just as others require. Their example of a 'poor' personal statement was so obviously bad it is hard to believe anyone would have actually thought to write it that way.