When to ask about deferral

[Bramshott]

DD2 is holding 4 uni offers for 2025 entry, but is now certain she would like to take a gap year. When does she ask about deferral? Does she ask all 4 now, and then if any say no she can take them off her list before she decides? Or does she have to choose a firm and insurance and then ask to defer?

In case it's useful, she's applying for History and her offers are from Durham, York, Bristol & Sussex.

She needs to ask them if they will update their offers to 2026 as they don’t have to. Does she have any favourites? Is she prepared to withdraw and reapply in autumn?

Thank you! Yes, she's prepared to withdraw and reapply if needed, but it would be nice to have it sorted this year.

Would she ask all 4 of them in that case?? I think Durham and York are probably her favourites, though she may opt for a lower offer as an insurance place.

Of those I suspect York is more likely to agree. If she reapplied post results there would be less uncertainty.

She can just email all admissions teams and ask if they would be willing to. Once she has responses she can decide on firm and insurance and then ask for them to update to 2026.

Thank you both, this is useful. I'll suggest she does that over the Easter holidays when she has a bit more time.

Just tagging in @poetryandwine as they often have useful advice on uni admissions threads.

It's possible I'm over-worrying about this, but it's also possible that DH and I gave DD bad advice when we advised her to apply for 2025 when she was probably 80% certain at the time of applying that she wanted to take a gap year.

Hi, OP -

I agree with PPs. No one will play games with this. Unless they are desperate for bums on seats this year, Humanities admissions tutors will usually agree to a deferral and they certainly won’t take against an applicant (to whom they have made an offer, no less) for asking.

Although DD’s email should be brief, it couldn’t hurt to include something brief about her plans for the gap year (if they are useful or interesting - and she need not be planning anything earthshaking).

Best wishes to DD

Thank you - I'll get her onto the emails, and we'll keep our fingers crossed all 4 say yes...

Interestingly, Durham don’t like to deferred entry for History. Not sure why it’s that specific humanity. I’m sure they do in specific circumstances. Mary’s doesn’t like it in lots of places.

You can certainly ask. And if they say ‘no’ then don’t pull out now ….wait for results and then ask again. If your results are good they might then agree….especially if they can’t be beaten by next year’s candidates.