Offers for 2025

[ontheturn]

I noticed that in 2024 there was an offers thread where people shared when their children. had submitted to ucas and what offers they had received. Anyone interested? We have offers for Manchester, Bristol and Leeds all within ten days of submitting ucas but still waiting on Edinburgh. We do know others who submitted at the same time who have had Edinburgh offers already.

Yay - school submitted the application 24-36hrs ago and DD has an offer from Kent. It’s her 5th choice and likely to be her insurance choice, but they’ve made a very low offer (she’s predicted the equivalent of 3 As/144 points; been offered at 106) so we’re taking that as a really positive sign.

Feeling relieved that we have something in the bank already…

DC has had an offer from KCL which is great as we know they're renowned for offering late. Just waiting for Edinburgh now.

Great news @PartoftheBand ! KCL is my DD’s first choice but have advised her to expect any replies in Feb just to allow for the late reply issue. The course she is after is not over subscribed so that may help. Fingers crossed you hear from Edinburgh soon!

CautiousLurker it’s amazing (and quite impressive) how quickly some Unis respond once the application is submitted! Glad the ball has started rolling for you.

@jennylamb1 - thank you for the encouraging feedback 🙏🏻

Yay! Birmingham offer in (Maths) AstarAA.

Should add that's for the MSci
@crouchendtigerr really hope TMUA went ok. My DD (who did it in Oct) thought it was awful. Totally ran out of time.

Congratulations on the offers.

On the TMUA, DS1 got a contextual offer from Warwick. I'm not sure that it's made a difference on required grades but it means he doesn't have to sit the TMUA. It's based on the KS4 school (where he did GCSEs) - their overall grades and free school meals levels. Other criteria (which don't apply for him) are KS5 school (A levels/post 16 qualifications) and applicant's postcode.

I'm posting this because other things I've read on contextual offers are just based on the applicant's circumstances, and because the KS4 school criteria could apply to quite a wide range of non-selective comprehensives. They are determined each year and the eligibility checker link is on Warwick's website.

@elkiedee that's interesting!
I checked DDs school and she doesn't qualify for contextual from Warwick unfortunately but would have from Bristol, had she applied there. She's at a large ofstead 'good' comp.

DD got Manchester too - is over the moon as she it’s a Russell Group. Can’t persuade her that it doesn’t matter, but she’s pleased.

How do you know if they’ve had a contextual offer (was thinking Kent might have been as it seems very low!) Manchester offer is at the ABB/128 UCAS points so clearly not been adjusted for her ASD/ADHD.

I'm not sure Manchester does a contextual offer based on disabilities, different universities have different criteria.

@CautiousLurker01 DS1's offer from Warwick is based on his school, not him, and I'm not sure that there is a difference in grades offered, it's just that he doesn't have to do the TMUA.

Apparently the average points offer for Russell Group Universities in recent years was 148 (for York) upwards, and 3 As is 144 points, so ABB for Manchester might be an adjusted offer. DS1's offers to study Maths at Warwick, York and Manchester are both A*AA are all a bit higher, though I think most applicants will, like DS1, be doing 4 A levels including Maths and Further Maths, and they might need specific high grades in those two exams as well.

He didn't have to apply for those criteria to be considered, as it can be done through a computerised check. I would assume that any contextual offer for ASD/ADHD, other disabilities and mitigation etc, and any individual circumstances, would have to be looked at by humans - I would hope so, anyway.

@LighthouseCat DS1's old school, also DS2's current one! is
also a large comprehensive and is rated Good by OFSTED. Another local school rated Outstanding would also qualify. Schools' eligibility is related more to the intake (and so in our case the wider area we're in and the families who live here) than the OFSTED rating. My own old school, a comprehensive in a fairly leafy suburb of Leeds, would also qualify, which surprised me. We live in an area with quite a lot of poverty but also significant but uneven gentrification.

Just checked Manchester and the criteria is ABB/128 for her course (Classics), so I think she’s had the ‘standard’ offer. She’s doing an Access course and predicted 144 (AAA equivalent). At Kent, Classic/Archeology was BBB/120 for usual offer, but her offer is 106 so I wonder whether it’s been adjusted? She has 10 GCSEs at grades 7-9 and (I believe) glowing tutor references. I think Kent is one that does tweak for disabilities though - although can’t believe they’d have had time to do that given it was only submitted a day or so ago? If they have, I’ll be very impressed. It’s her banker, I think, as she really wants KCL or UCL.

ETA I think her school (tech college) is on the lists for contextual offers, though. Even though our post code isn’t. So not sure if that has an influence too. The criteria seems to be different at every university!

Very impressed with how quickly some unis respond. We have a 3rd offer (Royal Holloway, on top of Manchester and Kent) so feeling relieved. Just waiting for KCL and UCL, which are actually the two top choices. It’s not an over-subscribed course though, so keeping fingers crossed we won’t be waiting months.

Q how do offer holder days work? Do you get an invite to all the unis who make an offer, or only the ones you accept as firm/insurance?

Need to do a DSA application (as we understand it may mean a discount on an ensuite room which would be amazing if so) but can’t do that, I think, until we have firmly accepted?

DS1 only submitted just before Christmas, after a lot of indecision on course options.
This week we've had offers from York (AA) and Sheffield (AAB) both for Physics. Still waiting for Cardiff (Physics), Birmingham (Maths) and Sheffield (Maths).
Sheffield have invited him to an offer holder day, he's not sure about whether York has!

When did he hear about the Sheffield offer holder day ?

Ds has had two offers - from Essex and Swansea. Essex immediately followed up with an invite to book an offer holders day but Swansea haven’t - and there’s no mention of offer holders days on the website. Does anyone know if they do them?

Ds got an invite to Sheffield’s offer holder day on Thursday - his offer came in a good few weeks ago. Wonder if departments are working their way through emailing people they’ve made offers to? There were 4 (I think!) dates to choose from

My DD is waiting for Warwick and UCL
she got 2 offers already
(1) Southampton university
(2) Royal Holloway

Thanks @tourdefrance ! Have just nudged DD to check her inbox for an offer day invitation from Sheffield. 🙃

Same here!!

DS has full offers on ucas for history at Leicester ABB offered BBB Lincoln BBB offered CBB and Coventry CCC offered DD all have offered him a place with lower grades than needed so I’m confused. Still waiting on Warwick his first choice AAA and Loughborough ABB he thinks it’s something to do with his high school and being dyslexic but I'm clueless if anyone can explain.

Well done to your DC! Offers that are lower than the standard offer could be down to -

factors like a disability or health condition

School or home in a particular postcode

Doing an EPQ

Although my DC has got a reduced offer from Swansea and none of the above apply to him - so who knows!?!

@katystar many of the universities you have mentioned are desperate for students so will take them with lower tariff.

The higher education landscape is facing huge underfunding issues and many institutions are looking to get bums on seats.