University Applications 2026 - Support Thread

[Ventress]

DS is applying to start university in Autumn 2026. He's done several open days and has a reasonable idea of where and what he wants to wants to study - History or History & Politics.

He loved UCL and Exeter, liked Warwick, didn't like Bristol. He's also talking about early application but can't decide whether to apply to Oxford or Cambridge. He's also muttering about Durham, which he didn't visit but others in his History class did and loved it.

Anyone join me for a thread to support our DC as they navigate this process? DS is my only child so this is all new to me!

@Ventress great to hear that he's made a decision now and UCL seems like such an excellent choice for History. My DC absolutely loved Durham and is putting Exeter as insurance. I feel a little bit sad (although not shared that of course) that Bristol is out of the equation now (although he still hasn't submitted his choices to UCAS - planning to this week) as that's the nearest one to home with Durham and Exeter both very far away. Exeter will also be very expensive if he ends up there as we would have to go with private halls. I had a look at a few options and most are very centrally located, and very nice, but certainly not cheap!

Hi @FabfabfabI’m glad your dc loved Durham. DS enjoyed it too but I must admit that I’m not unhappy that UCL is just 30 minutes away rather than 6 or 7 hours as Durham is! UCL is pretty much diametrically opposite to Durham. I think over 5 thousand undergrads compared to 1,500 at Durham. Good luck to your dc 😊

Yes, Exeter will be expensive but it’s a lovely little city 😊

@SilverBlue56- looks like there is an accommodation portal for UCL. Frankly the accommodation is so expensive I’m not sure it matters what DS is allocated! DS is now waiting for a portal logon so that he can request accommodation.

Glad he's had a look ..at Bath it opens on the 6th May and everyone who has firmed can access it between then and 1st July (not first come first served) to submit 7 preferences and then a computer decides who gets what. He won't find out until the end of August. Bit stressful!

That is stressful @SilverBlue56. not finding out until the end of August sounds like it’s cutting it very fine. Hope your son gets one of his first choices 🤞

Edinburgh’s system is that nothing is confirmed until you are definitely going but they do take account of when you apply (which you can only do with a firm offer) and they only allocate a proportional amount to the unconditional offer people ahead of August. You have to choose 5 equal options and they aim to give you one of those but if not you can say if location, price or bathrooms is most important to you. I think not allocating rooms until the place is confirmed does make some sort of sense otherwise it would be a lot of reshuffling. The accommodation is quite spread around so I think unless you want the catered options which are all on the same site it would be hard to find 5 very similar options. DD went self catered, shared bathroom, not too far away and having a common room. Two old and pretty places and three modern. I am sure it will all work out wherever they end up. I know not everyone gets any of their choices.

Oh goodness, Edinburgh seems even more complicated @ArchitectureMum.

DS wants to join the gym so I think he’ll want a single room, no bathroom, but maybe closer to the gym. I guess we’ll see once he gets a room allocated…

I’ve been looking at season tickets for DS and , wow, they are expensive too.

In terms of finance, we’re going to take the loans and then decide later. This seems to be the advice from Martin Lewis anyway.

In terms of finance, we’re going to take the loans and then decide later. This seems to be the advice from Martin Lewis anyway.

I thought he'd changed his stance on that of late? With the interest being so grim. Know it used to be might as well take it, but think that's less the case now.

(tbf I've only got that sense secondhand on here not ML direct, you may be right. this is one of the threads i remember touching on it - www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5429810-martin-lewis-changing-tack-on-he-finance-considerations?page=1)

@pinkdelightyou can apply for loans now, get approved and not take them at enrolment if you choose…

Thanks, yep, we've applied - my DS needs one. I was just picking up on the ML comment as it rang a bell.

The old Plan 2 loans interest can be grim, as they're RPI plus up to 3% (currently capped at 6%). But new loans (Plan 5) are RPI alone (currently 3.2%) which isn't so bad.

Oh I have replied on the wrong thread. Sorry. This is the MSE blog I was reading : https://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2025/09/five-student-need-to-knows/

Does anyone have any ideas on how likely Durham are to take you if you miss your grades but get the same UCAS points? Eg if your offer is AstarAA but you get 2xA star and a B or if you slip by one eg AstarAB? It’s for history if that makes any difference

From what I've heard it seems unlikely that Durham will still offer a place if you don't meet the AstarAA for History. My DC could in the same position potentially but hoping for the best! Most other universities seem more flexible but Durham seem to mop up those who missed their Oxbridge offer. Has your DC firmed Durham?

Oxford History offer is lower at AAA so presumably no one who misses that gets accepted by Durham.

Thanks they’re currently going round in circles figuring what to do and trying to analyse every possibility before deciding what to firm and insure. Good distraction from revising though

@Fabfabfab and @Stillchaotic my DS is running the same risk with his aspirational offer from Warwick (not for history). They are known for making lots of offers but making them really high and then not giving an inch if you miss them.
My DS has to get A⭐ A⭐B with the A stars in maths and further maths which there is a risk he won't meet. So he has really bigged up his insurance so that he is happy to go there if that is what happens. (Almost too much that he almost sees himself there rather than his firm!)

Haha, same here, he's starting to really like the idea of Exeter now and has lots of friends going there so really wouldn't be the end of the world!

Not sure if things have changed at Durham, DS finished at Durham (History) 2 yrs ago. Back when he applied his offer was A star A A, but the A star had to be in History. If this is still the case, maybe there is some flexibility if the A star is still achieved in History? Historically, Durham are known to be quite firm on grades achieved meeting the offer. But it could depend on how the rest of the cohort do.