If you already have A level results do Unis like UCL make offers earlier than if you have predicted grades(for Maths degree)?

[DullerDullest]

My son did his A levels last summer and got the grades to go to his number one choice uni.
He then changed his mind and took a year off and has now decided he would like to study Maths at UCL in 2025.
Are they likely to make him an earlier offer because he has the grades and when might that be?
He was actually offered a place there last year in April but at that stage wanted to go somewhere else.

It would seem as though they might, but in fact it often makes no difference.

No they don’t, FD had grades in hand and proof she kept up maths skills which they advices her to do as maths skills fall away very quickly.

Who can say? My DD applied with grades (not to UCL) and was offered quickly by a couple but others (looking at you Bath) she waited six months for an offer. Three A stars so well above 'typical offer'. Mind you a couple didn't make offers (top unis have many applying with all A stars),

It seems that universities might differ on this.
My son went on a private visit to his first choice in the January, put his UCAS application in straight afterwards and had an unconditional offer within a couple of weeks. He still had to wait for the usual dates for finance and accommodation. But it meant he was ahead in the queue and got the accommodation he wanted because it was a firm and accepted offer

I don't know about Maths at all, only that there are places where a gap year is discouraged due to the aforementioned drop off.

My kids have applied this year with grades in hand. One of them had 4/5 offers for their humanities course by the end of October (applied early Sept). The other who applied for a more competitive science course has had 2 offers so far.

My nephew had a place for history at UCL and decided to travel instead. He applied for a deferral and didn't get one. Reapplied for this year and was rejected.

Maths doesn't like gap year students typically. He needs to show that he's keeping up his maths

@DullerDullest some uni departments don't offer until after all applications are in, to be fair to everyone (and, more cynically, perhaps to maximise the number of finance-boosting international applications they receive before any decisions are made).

My son is at UCL and didn't receive his offer until March. He wasn't a gap-year student but I don't see why that should make a difference.

You do need to check the School of Msths policy on gap years for Maths students, OP. For some a gap year can be a dealbreaker. Others will accept it if there is evidence that Maths is being kept up.

Then my hunch is that UCL Maths makes tiered offers, so that if DS’ grades are 2 or possibly 1 grade over the standard offer I would be optimistic for an early offer. Otherwise I think he would be a bit lucky to get one. This is just a guess, however.

Good luck to him

No. It used to be the case that applying grades in hand was an advantage and that offers arrived more quickly but this is less and less the case.

I know you are more informed about this than the rest of us, but could you elaborate?

My DS got 4 unconditional offers within 4 wks of sending in his UCAS form, with grades in hand.

It’s entirely dependent on what the grades are , what the subject is and where the application is made.

nobody can tell you op apart from the UCL admissions team.

My understanding is that Universities are obliged by law - the Equalities Act - to give equal consideration to every home applicant who applies by the January deadline.

Universities won't know how many applicants they have or how strong they are, until that deadline. They will feel able to give an early offer to particularly strong applicants who would get an offer even in an exceptional year. They will hold others until they have a better take on the quality of the field. I understand this is also an issue for applicants applying for deferred places. Such applicants need to be strong enough not just for a place in the cycle they are applying for, but strong enough that they would get a place if applications the following year much more competitive.

I understand that this is one reason why very popular courses can take so long to make decisions. They need to know who is applying and they don't know that till January.

That's going to depend on what his grades were and what the unis he applied for offered.
If they want CCC and he's already got AAA that's going to get a quicker result than if he has CCC and they want CCC or even CCD. He's easily got in, so they can give the offer straight away knowing that they will definitely take him. If he's closer to the normal offer then they may wish to wait and see what other candidates they have because if they can potentially fill the places with people who will get higher then they'll wait to see if they can.

Back in the 90s I got two unconditional (or EE as they had to be in those days for grant purposes) offers within a month of applying. One was pretty much by return of post. I was predicted several grades higher than they wanted.
I had another by Christmas.
I don't think my sister (similar predicted grades different subject) got any offers before Christmas.

Did he get all A star?
Unless he did, there will be applicants with better predicted grades. And they are students currently doing maths. Some will be doing STEP or MAT too etc. potentially they are stronger….so as previously said, the closer he is to the standard offer, instead of above it, the less the chances.

Most students achieve less than their predicted grades. This is why most are stronger applicants pre-exams than post exams, in terms of competitiveness against other candidates.

And often the student who misses their offer by a grade will be accepted by even a competitive uni on results day….but wouldn’t have received an offer if applying with predictions or grades in hand, of what they actually achieved.

Unis always HOPE they can have better students (if highly competitive) ahead of results day. They will over offer to students who exceed the standard offer. And then they will fill mostly with those who miss their offers (only going to Clearing if really needed) So often people who would like to apply via Clearing who in the end did better than exoected and who achieved the standard offer, won’t get a place via Clearing at that place, because it will be given to an existing offer holder who missed their grades. Because who knows whether that Ckearing candidate will emerge or not.

Really top top candidates (all A star) applying with grades in hand look strong. But for the most competitive courses at the top unis (which admittedly are few) even 2 x A star and an A can be beaten by those with predicted grades and might get the offer instead of the person with very good but not perfect grades in hand.