Do you need 5 university choices on UCAS form?

[HebeJeeby]

Hi, we have been to 6 uni open days and have 2 my DD loves, 1 she really likes, 2 are meh and 1 she absolutely didn’t like. DH thinks she should just put her favourite 3 down and not the others as she wouldn’t really want to go if offered a
place. I think she should put 5 choices down as it spreads her net wide and she will have to narrow it down to 2 anyway. Her favourite is an aspirational choice ( needs AAA or AstarAB, she’s predicted AstarBB), the other 2 want BBB and BBC so she should get offers from them at least.

What are people’s thoughts on this please? Is it best to put 5 choices or would 3 be ok? Thanks.

@poetryandwine is a B two grades below A star or one. Trying to work put a good insurance for my son but I dont know if A star is an actual whole grade as it were.

Yes, it is two grades below. A-star is a completely separate grade.

Yes, @Frowningprovidence I agree with @PhotoDad

Thank you both

DOES two grades below AAA mean ABB or CCC? Two grades below overall or in each subject?

Could be ABB or AAC

I agree with @LIZS . Ordinarily I would think ABB and this is a more likely offer, but the phrase can mean either.

Interesting re insurance grades. DC is optimistically predicted 3 x Astar, but grades could realistically end up being AstarAA. Wants to apply to an AAB course as likely insurance uni. I feel they should be cautious and try and choose another at ABB but there are none they are keen on. Those in the know, in view of @poetryandwine 's 2 grade lower recommendation, would you say AAB is a low enough insurance?

Hello, @PartoftheBand -

I would also welcome the views of others on this. However AAB is two grades down on A star AA, which in turn is your adjustment from PGs you regard as optimistic. Therefore it sounds eminently reasonable to me, especially as the enthusiasm of your DC for the available choices hangs in the balance.

DC must however always remember that they are playing the odds

DSs went in today. He’s applied to three. He will see what response see he gets before deciding on the other two (or might not bother if he gets the offers he wants)

Two grades below means you can drop two of the grades required. So if they ask for aaa you can get abb and still be ok.

I personally think you should consider they might drop a grade in all subjects. Dcs school advises this for the insurance place because it gives a decent amount of wriggle room. So if someone is predicted 3x A stars you would have a 3xAs offer as insurance

DC's school, unhelpfully, has given pretty much no advice or guidance on any part of the application process! So that's interesting, thanks @MotherOfDragonflies and also to @poetryandwine

We went through the process with DS1 two years ago. He ended up exactly as predicted with 2xAstar and an A. Of his friendship group:

one other got better than the grades they were predicted and ended up at first choice
one got a grade below predicted grades on one subject and still ended up at first choice because the offer was lower than their achieved grades
one got a grade below on one A Level and a grade higher on one A Level but was rejected from first choice (Cambridge) so ended up at insurance choice of Sheffield (this was a bit of a shocker)
two missed both firm and insurance and ended up in clearing (one was fairly significant expecting to go to Durham and ended up in Falmouth)