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!

Some universities offer a discount on train travel (Bristol did) so it might be worth waiting until you book the open day before booking. Does your son have a YP Rail card? It's worth getting one if he hasn't.

We tried to arrive at Open Days for 9am as talks and tours tended to start at 9.30 or 10am.

Yes @Ventress I would definitely make sure he has enough on both History and Politics because it's quite important he addresses his interest in both, whether that be any specific books for both history and politics (depending on any speicifc intetests he has) or online lectures he's watched (Gresham College is great for this, online or in-person, but online is free and they an archive of old lectures to watch as well). I think the most important thing is their own opinions so not just I read this book and I learnt x but I read this book, I thought x but then the opinion of the writer on x made me wonder x. I think it would be interesting to consider x Iin the context of x election and the make-up of the electorate which showed a change or development from .... and so and so on. I also think they should do it on something they genuinely find interesting, I talked about the racist and sexist history of gynaecology and how I initially didn't want to do History GCSE or A-level because I was so alienated by the topics which focused on western supremacy and ignored so many complex ideas of the modern world but then I talked about learning about how different histograpgy (feminist or looking at racial undertones) meant that I realised the power of how stories are told, can essentially change the story in the mind of the majority of he public (even if the facts differs). I also referenced how by doing that historians often negate the deep oral history of Africa.

Yes I think it's fair to only do a 3 year degree if he wants to do a law conversion as well. I'd recommend to him doing vacation schemes (if he wants to be a solicitor) during uni and start applying from early in 2nd year (they can do winter or spring and summer). He can also do insight schemes in Y1 as well which will get him networking and experience so when he's applying for a training contract he's got good experience. I'd also look at trying to get a TC in Y3 (because they recruit two years I'm advance) as they'll often pay for the SQE and the exams, some even give a good maintenance grant.

Oh I was going to mention if it's still happening as I know they're getting rid of many of the admissions test slowly so wasn't sure if it's this year or after. This year they got ride of the English one as well.

I was wondering what the general consensus is about which sitting to do the additional entry exams are. My son is going to be taking the TMUA and is not applying for Oxbridge so in theory could do Jan. But it may be helpful to get it out of the way in Oct and also to know whether it's worth using an application to apply to these tougher unis if he cannot get the required score.

Interested to hear your thoughts.

@AuntyBulgaria TMUA exam dates for Jan 2026 are only a few days before the equal-consideration UCAS application deadline of 14 Jan, so results won't yet be known. If he's likely to want to use his TMUA result strategically in order to decide which courses to apply for, it would seem sensible to get it done in October.

@TeenWhisperer The target scholarship is the Emile Boutmy one, specific to Sciences Po. (It is a very long shot indeed).

Not qualified to advise on the exam part but I do think all applicants should be wary of having too many "reach" applications.

No matter how tough they think they are about rejection it will still hurt and will almost inevitably make going through clearing feel like a second best.

My DD didn't make her A-Level offer but went through Clearing two years later. It was impossible to convince her that the places she applied for where she met the grades would bite her hand off and she refused to consider any reach applications. I didn't really undertstand that at the time but in retrospect it was obvious that she'd convinced herself that "no one really wanted her"

So make sure they have one or two safeties on the list.

I heard last year that the systems failed and the room full of test takers just couldn't take it at all - do you think this is why they're suspending it, due to technical issues?

(I was also at York. 88-91)

Anyone else struggling with the UK - UAT website when trying to book the TMUA or other tests? Every time I try to log in - I get the 502 bad gateway error code. Test booking was due to open at 3pm today.

I have tried to book TMUA today, too. But it still says to me that it is not open for booking and it will open on 31/07/2025. 🤷‍♀️

DD having the same issue, she's trying to book the TARA test.

@planestrainsautomobiles OK. Now I have upgraded to bad gateway, too.

DS is giving up ...will try every hour and hope it might start working later. If we have any success I'll update here later. Very frustrating. Booking the TMUA appears more difficult than getting Oasis tickets!

Thanks @planestrainsautomobiles . I’m at work and getting frustrated that DS hasn’t booked his TMUA yet today- perhaps he’s not been able to rather than not tried!

Afternoon… May I join… this is my third time round…eldest is going into year 3 of 5 of a medical sciences course in Aberdeen and next child is awaiting results for Advanced Highers next Tuesday to determine if she’s met conditional for her conditional offer for English Lit & French at Queens, Belfast or will be going to her insurance choice of St Andrews where she has an unconditional.

I’m in Scotland so it works slightly different in that you often receive unconditional offers if your Higher results are good ( sat in 5th year so you have the results before you start the UCAS process).

Youngest will be applying for Art College to study Illustration/ Communication Design at Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and Robert Gordon’s. The list is in preference order. She is austistic, dyslexic and extremely anxious but a very talented artist and a hard worker. She may not be able to cope with living away from home, but that may be managed by me moving to wherever she goes as I am able to be flexible about where I live.

We shall find out about her higher grades in Tuesday, but predicted grades would suggest she would meet academic conditions for all the courses. But obviously portfolio is more important anyway.

So although it my third time round with UCAS this is the first arty application involving a portfolio and the new personal statement format…

If he's anything like my DS, he's probably been pressing refresh frantically for the last hour. He keeps getting a little further but never to the page when you can select the test date / time. Shame they couldn't organise an online queueing system!

@Aboutmeabouttime I think foundation courses are a great idea, unfortunately dd isn’t interested in doing one. To be fair we are in Scotland and there is really only one stand alone foundation available and most people who do a degree with it being integrated into the first year stay at that uni, rather than it opening up further options.

@MysticCatLady ds has really enjoyed Imperial. He’s involved in lots, has friends from the uni and from other clubs and sports he’s joined. He found the workload straight forward in first year and it stepped up a bit in second, but he still manages all his extra curric and his last exams there put him at a first. So, I think it suits him. I agree it’s quite competitive.

DD also looking at a History degree. Currently interested in Durham (although doubtful as predicted grades are AAA, with 8 as average for GCSEs, and not contextual), Bristol, York, Warwick or Exeter. Has done very little so far this summer holiday though but there is still time......

Does anyone have any thoughts on whether applying for the TMUA as well as the MAT might be seen as harming your chances if applying to Oxford? As in, not being committed to Oxford as your first choice?

If there is some lack of clarity about this, is there any harm in applying for both and withdrawing from the TMUA if you decide not to go ahead with it? Apart from losing £70?

DC won't be able to discuss with college till September...

@WhisperingAngelisnotbad there’s no problem at all about entering for both. Oxford admissions tutors know full well that there are many more talented applicants than they have places for, and having other irons in the fire is both sensible and expected.

Me again...quick update. DS has booked TMUA. All time slots still available at our local test centre. Very glitchy but with some persistence it does appear to be working. Good luck for those who are still trying to book. It was down for some maintenance earlier so that seems to have helped.

@planestrainsautomobiles we’ve managed to log in and select the test. It then says ‘candidate not found’ despite ds’s full name and candidate id number being shown underneath!

Same here. Very frustrating 😕

@Muchtoomuchtodo yes, had the same, but kept refreshing and then it worked. Stressful as he thought he hadn't registered properly. It then links to a different website where you can select test centre and then date / time. As soon as you are on the 'other' website it works without any problems. I think you are nearly there.

Not trying to appear smug here, just want others (who are trying to secure a test slot) to know that it is working (albeit after 3 hrs of trying!!!) I really hope you can get a test soon.

My ds is looking at a variety of engineering degrees, However, he dislikes big cities so we're trying to balance the two needs.

Favourites so far are Plymouth, Swansea, Oxford Brookes, Portsmouth and UWE. We're doing the round of open days. He's applied for several leading graduate apprenticeships too.

I'm quite enjoying the travelling with him. 😊

My son's further maths teacher has half hinted that there might be a problem with Oxford not liking people doing the MAT (but also said he didn't really know); we can't discuss with anyone else from his sixth form college right now as it is the holidays.

We also have access arrangements to sort out and I am worried that if we leave the TMUA till early September it will be very difficult to book a test place let alone with access arrangements.

It is hard enough getting DC to focus on the MAT application and he knows he defintely wants to do that.