Contextualised Offers

[caringcarer]

I'm not sure what to advise my foster child to do. He went to visit Worcestershire University and was advised as he lives in foster care, he would get a contextualised offer for the Sports Coaching and Management course with integrated Masters. He came home and told us about this. I suggested He send a follow up email to make sure he had got it right. He got an email reply confirming if he clicked the has lived in care button he'd get a contextualised offer. He has been in care since he was 5 years old and his biological mother took a drugs overdose 2 weeks before his GCSE exams. He's just got his offer and it's the standard offer, it's not contextualised at all. He definitely clicked the box on UCAS to say he'd been in care. I know this because he has got contextualised offers from other universities. He's very down because Worcestershire University was his preferred choice. He has asked me what he should do. I'm so upset for him because I don't think they should have emailed him this it's not the case. I'm not sure if they could have just missed that he's been in care. Do you think he should email the admissions tutor to politely query it, as he was specifically told at their open day, and got email confirmation he would definitely get a contextualised offer if he applied for their course, or do you think he should just leave it and go to one of his other offers? I don't know what to suggest to him to do. Has anyone else had experience of contextualised offers? Do you think it would be considered rude to send a reply to the email stating the offer made to him is the standard offer?

He knows Birmingham well because he plays for Warwickshire and over the winter months trains at Edgbaston in the indoor centre. He'd also probably stay living at home and travel in when he needs to. He has friends locally. ATM he attends Edgbaston indoor centre everyday except Wednesday, in the upstairs teaching rooms to do his BTEC level 3 course which incorporates training at the indoor centre downstairs in the cricket lanes. He knows all of the staff and coaches there. He did his Foundation coaches qualification there. He'd be comfortable there because he's been going there since he was 9. I thought it would have been nice for him to experience something a bit different. He'll have to choose for himself but I'm hoping he doesn't ask me what he should do because I really don't know. He told me if he thinks with his heart he wants Worcestershire but still unclear if they will give him offer of 96 UCAS points, so he might not get that choice but if he thinks with his head he knows at Birmingham he'd get the £5k bursary plus £800 each year and he might also possibly get a minor sport scholarship for playing county cricket which if he got it would be the free training kit, free gym pass, nutritional advice and sports massage if he got injured as well as a small cash amount. He might not get that though, but it does state county players can get it, but that's not the same as will get it, plus he could probably do a placement at Edgbaston if he needed a placement that they have to organise themselves, which I think they do.

I have DS who play cricket at university and have played against the universities you’ve mentioned. I think NTU is really strong for cricket and I’d definitely be suggesting he has a serious look at it. It may provide a wider experience beyond what a smaller university can provide. Did he look at Leicester? It’s a fabulous university and the cricket society are quite strong there.

Wow what a great position for him to be in, @caringcarer , being so familiar with the Edgbaston set up. His future sounds extremely bright, you must be so proud of him.

Do encourage him to query the 104 points. He shouldn't be ruling out a choice he likes on what's possibly a clerical error. That sounds like quite a package to turn down at Birmingham though. Having a choice between 2 great options is no disaster - it's literally win win and there are no wrong answers.

I echo all the comments about your foster son. He sounds like a wonderful young man.

@caringcarer

He sounds like an amazing young man, it's great that he has aspirations.
You must be very proud of him, and I hope you give yourself a big pat on the back for supporting him.
I'm sure whichever he chooses, he will be successful
Good luck young man

I think another thing to add @caringcarer is that from what I’ve seen the cricket lads at university, wherever that may be, always seem to be a nice bunch. It attracts a certain type, quite different to other sports but no less passionate. There always seems to be a couple of them playing at county level as well as for the university. A friend of my DS got a contract with a county shortly after graduating so it’s definitely doable to manage studies and performance cricket.

He got another email back from the same admissions tutor stating they can only lower by 8 points which he appreciates makes no difference to DS as would still have to get DMM. Then a few hours later he got another email from admissions but a different person this time, inviting him in for a placeholder open day with talks, activities, opportunities to ask questions and a tour around different halls of accommodation. I know he wants to view the accommodation. It also said they may be able to upgrade his offer to an unconditional one after a chat to a tutor. I thought oh how wonderful, then I see it is on the same day he has his core coaching assessment. He's checked and if he doesn't do the assessment on the correct date he won't be able to do it until half way through November on the next course. I'm going to ring on Monday to see if he can go in on any different day after the end of March for a different placeholder open day. I'm hoping they might have one in April. It's so stressful being a parent whilst a teen is waiting for offers. He's told me he's really happy though because he's got 4 offers and is still waiting for his final offer. One of his best friends only has one offer and all his offers are in so he's having to accept it. No idea why because he gets quite good grades.

@caringcarer is it University of Worcestershire? If so, they also have financial elements for care experienced students. In fact, all the unis we have looked at do it's just the amount varies

Oh I didn't know they had any money for care experienced students at Worcester. Thank you, when we get to go to look I'll ask about it.

Hi OP -

This sounds promising. However I wonder whether it is possible for your foster son to email about attending a different placeholder open day? It is noticed when YP are and are not doing this type of thing for themselves. (Of course if he prefers to ring that’s fine)

He only needs to say that he very much wants to attend but has a prior commitment. People will understand.

He sounds like a great guy. Again, best wishes