Unwanted deferred place - clearing 2025?

[JazzieC]

DS is taking a gap year and has deferred a place at Nottingham Trent uni to do Business with BBC results. He has now changed his mind about Nottingham Trent and may also be rethinking the subject he studies.

Please could anyone advise on the best way to approach this? Should he turn down his offer now and re-apply or wait until clearing is open and then turn down his offer? If clearing is an option should he wait until results day or try when it opens in June?

Clearing feels risky, but there seemed to be a lot of good unis offering at lower grades last year so if it is an option it might be worth it?

Sorry - I should clarify that he is currently on the gap year and already has his results.

Could he not reapply now?

contact UCAS- he must be able to reject the original place and reapply now?

means it would be sorted out much sooner and he’d avoid the accommodation uncertainties that can come with a clearing place?

Withdraw from current place(he may be able to log in and cancel) and reapply before Jan UCAS deadline.

@Charlotte120221 re-applying now is definitely something we are considering. However with the grades he has now, would waiting until clearing potentially give him more opportunity to go for a better uni?

No think they will consider close grades in hand now. You either get an firm offer or not. Better courses may not be in Clearing,

Also - if he reapplies now to a uni that he has previously turned down - would they consider him? His grades are lower than the original BBB he was offered.

How much lower? UCAS shows grades accepted previously, However he may find the course content demanding if he has not got the entry grades. What subject is it and what is his plan during the gap year?

As a former admissions tutor I agree with @LIZS . We are at the stage where Schools and Departments in Recruiting Mode, which is most of them, will be feeling a bit anxious. It is a great time to apply, and nothing compels DS to accept.

Thanks @LIZS - he got BBC and received offers for BBB to study Business at Leicester and Swansea. He turned down Leicester and put Swansea as his second option. Nottingham Trent originally asked ABB but then massively reduced his required grades following their offer.

He's currently doing a manual labour type of job and planning on travelling once he's saved enough.

He's very interested in Psychology and thinking of changing to that - but I know how over-subscribed it is.

Psychology might be more tricky. Bear in mind unis don't see the others listed so he could apply to a mix. Does he really want to go though?

Apologies for omitting to credit @Charlotte120221 earlier, also. @LIZS is simply a more familiar name.

Regarding your second question, how many open UCAS slots does DS have now?

If only one, the safest thing is to apply somewhere where he meets the requirement. If more, he can also try his luck somewhere.

The place that turned DS down: had they offered BBB and turned down his results, or did they reject him on PGs?

The Complete University Guide and UCAS will show the achieved grades of students on each course, by year. (Keep in mind that I don’t remember a breakout of Contextual Offers, which are typically 1-2 grades lower.)

This will give DS some idea of the true level of selectivity.

Thanks everyone - this is all very helpful!

Apologies - I don't think I've made myself very clear. Just to clarify DS got offers from all of the unis he applied to (Leicester uni was one of them) he was predicted BBB and got BBC. He accepted NTU as his first option and Swansea was his second.

He very much wants to go to uni but has changed his mind about NTU.

Sorry - stinking cold so struggling to articulate.

@poetryandwine when you refer to ucas slots do you mean points?

Sorry, OP, I am a bit tired and using sloppy language. I missed a beat.

DH is on a gap year with a deferral at NT. So he does not have an open UCAS application, is that correct? That’s the beat I missed.

If so he can withdraw from NT and make 5 applications using the usual strategy: 2 aspirational, 2 on target and one below target. With grades in hand, ‘target’ means achieved grades for Business Studies. Say, two BBB, two BBC and one BCC.

I agree with you and @LIZS that Psychology is oversubscribed and I would take a more conservative approach to that field. Probably
0/3/2.

Admissions tutors like to help and I would suggest that DS email admissions teams next week with any specific questions.

Best wishes to him

@poetryandwine thank you so much - that's really helpful

Sorry one more question! Can he use the references he had from last time or will he need new ones?

He can use the same but an updated reference would be best. The job and travel are both positives, particularly at the unis he is looking at, and deserve a sentence in the new reference. That’s up to the writer, of course. The letter should come from the high school again but DS should update them on his life.

PS I am not doing Admissions any more so don’t take my word that the same letter can be used

Thank you 😊

Why would he apply to one with lower offers than the grades he already has in hand? @poetryandwine

@JazzieC Psychology is very competitive and offers are high not because its the hardest course just supply and demand - I know he has discounted NTU now but just to say that a friends DD got on to their psychology course with CCC this summer during clearing (hadnt applied there or even to do psychology previously) and she was able to then defer it with ease.

Because no one is obliged to make you an offer, ever. No reason need be given.

If your grades are higher than your (Standard or Contextual) entry requirements, you look all the more attractive. Usually at the application stage you know what your top 3 choices would be, anyway.

However my viewpoint has been conditioned by the August deluge of candidates who are closed out of their (elite) Firm choices. It is probably conservative.

That’s really interesting about your friend’s DD at Nottingham Trent!

As others say above, it probably would be best for him to withdraw and reapply. Check actual entry grades for Psychology. Leicester, Liverpool, Swansea, NTU would all be potential ones. Check whether he would be eligible for contextual offers for any universities he is interested in. My DD applied with grades in hand for psychology. I would suggest applying for one ABB, two BBB and two BBC places,(he may get a couple of rejections but any offers he gets will be unconditional and you only accept one offer as you don't have a firm and insurance). He doesn't need to apply for places with grades required lower than he already has.

If your DS really doesn't want the place he has deferred for September 2025 he should go ahead and reapply through UCAS, after withdrawing from his deferred place. But he needs to proceed with caution.