Ucas strategy - only 2 to start

[stubiff]

Has anyone done this kind of thing - only put down 2 choices to start.

Am making up this example.

Predictions - AAA.
1st choice (at the time of submission) - std offer AAA.
Lower tariff 1st choice - ABB. (Wanting to have 1+ insurance choices at a lower tariff to predictions).

So, just submit the above two to start.
If (big) get offers/rejections before the deadline, then can tailor the other 3 choices accordingly, e.g. adding a couple of AStarAAs if get offers from both.

TIA.

@stubiff , this strategy annoys schools because it's dependent on the dc remembering to add the additional courses before the January consideration date. Some schools will not support doing this but you can of course do it anyway.

I agree, schools are supposed to facilitate UCAS but some of them invent a lot of internal rules that are detrimental to applicants.

@PerpetualOptimist Good comments, thanks.

@redrobin75 @Ceramiq I think school will be supportive. If DS wants to go down this route then he'll be on top of it.
If 1+ selections are added later, does the school actually do anything, or is it the DC's process to own? I.e. why does the school care, if they don't have to do anything (I (if was school) would be hard on the DC, and say it's ok to do but it's on you!)

My DC made sure they discussed their intended 3+2 approach (logic etc) with their Form Tutor and Head of Year. That gave confidence they were engaged, had thought about it etc. It was also good experience in presenting a persuasive argument tbh. It was made very clear it was up to DC to fill the final slots by the Equal Consideration deadline, and that was quite right imo.

at the end of the day its not up to the school.

DS2s final offer has come in this morning. Another insurance but his preferred insurance.

Just to add to the tactics mix he could now technically dump his other insurance choice since it was received less than 14 days ago and put in another brand new choice..

He won't since he's decided now what he wants to do, but he could.

obviously equal consideration deadline has passed which is another factor

@stubiff Nope, as a school we don’t need to do anything when the applicant is adding the additional choices after the initial submission. Applicant simply logs in, clicks button to add, and hits submit. It doesn’t come to the school again.

It’s an interesting discussion.
Just a couple of further observations;

• This approach might be most effective for those without 3x A star predictions, but who are still at the upper end of predictions and who have for example, 1 A star. Why? It is these kind of candidates who are more likely to get early offers from their middling RG options who might have standard offers of AAA or AAB and who in reality will offer to anyone meeting their standard offer. It probably won’t mean an early offer from somewhere that is highly competitive as those early offers might only go to 3 A star students and those predicted A star AA might be essentially in a ‘hold’ pool until Equal Consideration passes and far beyond, if there are lots of applicants with higher predicted grades. These unis may well wait unril March or later when people are firming and insuring and they have a better idea of whether they can offer to more ‘marginal’ candidates or have made enough offers to stronger candidates.

Another thing to consider in all this is some places are more likely than others to accept missed grades, come results day. Recently, Nottingham, Exeter and York spring to mind as often taking students with 2 grades dropped (only some courses) and being in Clearing, sometimes with surprisingly low grades accepted (Nottingham) Thus, the published standard offer might bear little resemblance resemblance to the reality for a good chunk of students on the course. Thus, one might be able to firm such a place, even if it’s really quite aspirational. These also tend to offer early.

I suppose applying in phases works well if you can get an early offer you’d be satisfied with and willing to put as insurance, or firm at a push. Then you can use remaining choices for more aspirational and risky options, knowing you have somewhere that would be acceptable. A candidate might then feel happy to have UCL and Imperial and LSE for example, rather than just one of them. But they can expect a long weight for a complete set of outcomes. Could be good for candidates applying for Econ or Computer Science which are ultra competitive and for which even the best candidates can find they only get 3/5 offers.

Going to have to read up on the 14 day thing. Thanks.

I’d also suggest most students and families won’t have enough to information or be strategic in their thinking for applying in more than 1 go to be viable.

Large numbers only apply close to the deadline. In Sept huge numbers haven’t been to Open Days or finalised choices of uni or even course. Close to the deadline many are scrabbling for 4th and 5th choices and choosing based on little knowledge of the courses, never made be knowledge of who offers early and late and who accepts dropped grades. UCAS remains a mystery to most and the timescales of offers and what happens re who is finally accepted on results day and what ends in Clearing, is not well understood. Most parents are pretty much fully reliant on the limited and generic advice from schools and lack enough info to help really strategic thinking.

Arguably, much of the level of ‘strategic thinking’ and timing of the 5 applications mention d in this thread might involve some over-thinking and attempts to control a process which cannot be fully controlled and certainly has some elements of luck and randomness to it. We will never really know why some of the most competitive institutions (not Oxbridge) give an offer to one candidate and not another when the candidates seem equally qualified in all elements of their application.

We're not naïve enough to think that we're controlling (or trying to) the process, or that there isn't luck involved. Uni admissions are doing that.

But, as you say yourself, if you have or want to analyse some of the data or anecdotal stories, to assist in the process and DC is happy and wants to do it, then why not.

And, yes, DC would need to be ahead of the curve, in terms of going to June/July open days (as a lot do) and defining their list early on. TBF, prob a better time to be doing it, through the summer, rather than trying to cram a number of Sep/Oct open days in.

@user04
The 14 days thing - are you talking about the cooling off after first applying (even if you get a rejection in that period)? Or something different.

My DD did this and just initially put down 2 with 3 A star predictions as she wanted the results of those especially Oxford before deciding where else to put. It worked fine for her but did mean people were getting offers before her and her first offer was Oxford. Then when she had that she knew looking for insurance. It was also as she was quite uncertain about any of her other choices and gave her more time. If she had been rejected by Oxford would have allowed her to add potential firms. In end she added Bristol and Bath who both responded yesterday fairly quickly before Jan deadline. It also gave her time to see who was being offered what, not that it was an influencing factor, but she could see others working things through.

Yes within 14 days of submitting you can switch out a choice

DD only found 4 she wanted last year until 7 days before the equal consideration deadline when she added a 5th, with a day to go.

Visited for the first time once she got an offer (which came later than the others as warned by that uni as I think many leave it til the last minute) and it ended up being her insurance choice.

So it can be a handy in the back pocket thing if you’re not sure of all 5 spots when you originally submit.

@RestitutionGranted Thanks.
Did DD have an offer for their firm (or potential firms) at the point of submitting the 5th? I.e. they knew they were going for an insurance choice. Or was the 5th just the next best choice.

DD had 4/4 offers including from the one she firmed. She hadn’t decided on insurance and added the fifth as it hadn’t been on her radar prior. After the offer day she decided she liked it so much she insured it. (Plus it’s one of the few that guarantees accommodation for insurance places).