Durham University college allocation/ranking

[mondaytosunday]

So DD still waiting for offers from Bath and LSE, but just submitted her college rankings for Durham today. I'm surprised they didn't ask for anything else - like en suite/sharing/catered or any other preference or did she miss something? I know it's just preliminary allocation they do as she hasn't firmed them yet (and may not) and they can reallocate after results day. Also she has MS and needs a fridge in her room for her medication.
Has she missed something?

Last year they all came out on the same day at the same time - around 5.30 ish I think via email.

From what I remember they had said they’d be released by a certain date at the latest and that was the date they were released on. It was an email from Durham central admissions and just said the college allocation.

Dd didn’t get anything from college until after the August confirmation.

She's 'preliminarily' been allocated St John's. First choice so she's relieved, still not made her final decision though!

My DS was preliminary allocated his first choice as well. Durham is his insurance. I wonder if everyone got their first choice preliminary.

@mondaytosunday excellent news! My DD is a current St John's 2nd year, so if you have questions please shout.

Great news. Pleased for both of them.

@mondaytosunday DD got the same - also first choice; they seem to be suggesting that they have tried to reduce how many get switched in August but no guarantees i guess. And yes we know others who didn’t get their first choices this time around @Needlefish

So happy for your daughter!

My son also got his first choice - St John’s. Having always said he wanted Stephenson (he likes trains) he was really taken with St John’s at the offer day. He seems to like small colleges as he switched his choice from St John’s Cambridge to Peterhouse post an open day too. Alas that wasn’t to be, but I think he might be better off at Durham now anyway with the longer terms and bigger tutorial groups.

Given Stephenson was his second choice, if he has to be reallocated it will be there do it really won’t be the end of the world for him.

@Needlefish no - if you look at WIWIKAU there are several getting their last choice! Plus a few getting 8th or whatever. One only put catered colleges down and got a self catered college.
@Jaxx gosh if they both go to St John's I'm sure they'll meet! We are going to Bath next week as we haven't been (have been to the city, not the uni) but she seems keener on Durham. She's just handed in a 139 slides 27,000 word part of her final art project for her Art Foundation course on Friday and still hasn't recovered (she was initially going to do an Animation degree but changed her mind after she got her results, but had accepted a place for this year already), so hasn't been thinking about uni but she'll have to make her mind up soon!
@GoldenRuby I suppose her only question (and I'm sure you can't answer) would be chance (or risk) of getting a shared room. She does need a fridge in it for her medicine (she has MS and the drugs are extremely temperature sensitive). She knew the odds of possibly sharing.
Also, when she looked at St Mary's the girl said they could request to stay for second year, is that also true of St Johns?

@mondaytosunday according to the website they have 251 students living in in St John's this year, of which 26 are sharing. So I think you would be unlucky to get shared. She will get a form where she can put her preferences eg single room with shared bathroom, or single en -suite, or shared room etc nearer the time. She can also declare the need for a fridge. I think this might help her chances of getting a single room as the noise of a fridge could disturb the person who doesn't use it, possibly?

As one of the smaller colleges it is very rare to stay in college for the second year unless there is a medical reason. A few more go back in in the third year. Most actually want to experience house sharing though!

DD got first choice too. Hoping it motivates her through the next few weeks.

Thanks @GoldenRuby. She just wondered as the girl rep who showed us around, when asked what she liked LEAST about St J, was that she wasn't still living there!
But I have checked and even now seem to be a good few accommodation options for students so maybe the need to secure 2nd year housing in the first five minutes of arriving has eased.

@mondaytosunday the scramble has definitely eased as the Covid bulge year groups are through. The landlords may still start releasing properties in late oct/Nov, but no need to book anything that early.