2026 UCAS - Offers, Rejections and Waiting to Hear

[EducatingRosemary]

For those whose DC have submitted their UCAS application without having yet taken the A-level (or equivalent) exams…

How are your DC getting on with hearing back from the universities?

Dd has just heard that the Durham OHDs are 14 March and 25 April this year!

DC has offers from Bristol and Durham and has just received offer holder invites for both.

Word of warning for Durham March date- engineering works on train route to London that weekend so there’s a rail replacement bus for some of the journey

Yes that does sound a bit manipulative doesn’t it? My DD had unconditional from Brighton which surprised us but I think that’s if she picks it for her firm, don’t think it’s dependent on attending the offer day but then I haven’t seen the emails. She may well go to the offer day anyway to see what she thinks as it was a last minute choice thinking it might be a good insurance option so she hasn’t visited yet but all depends on any other offers she gets I guess.
Think all you can do is encourage her to think where she’ll be happiest for 3 years and compare the courses carefully but I understand her temptation, my DD is also tempted by the unconditional as she sees it as taking away the stress over grades for the rest of this year! I’m not so sure it’s the best place for her really but we’ll have to talk it through once mocks are over. Still waiting on 3 more places so there’s time yet.

For people thinking about clearing, just be aware that while there may be places at Warwick etc on results day, places can go very quickly. If that’s your plan, you need to make a decision and get on the phone straight away.

I am pretty sure the Durham offers are all pretty much gone before results day, take by people with grades in hand.

@BrieAndChilli If they're that desperate for people to firm them, I'd expect there'll be places in clearing anyway so she doesn't need to be swayed into firming it when it wasn't truly her first choice. Hope she can hold her nerve and pick the right place for her not be scared into going for the safe option that closes all other doors.

Yes stupidly I didn’t check this before DD booked for 14 March so it looks like we’re in for the bus, unless I can face doing the 5.5 hour drive ☹️

Are the holding dates for Durham for all offers or just set departments? My daughter has an unconditional offers from Exeter and Durham. Exeter have a few in March so wouldn't want to clash with Durham.

I was considering doing all visits by Train as I would like her to understand coming home for the weekend from either won't be me shooting 5hrs up the motorway and back down over a weekend, she's going to have to get used to the train.

I think Durham is all departments on the same date.
Suffolker- we’ve also booked 14th March. I’ll have to do a similar length drive!

Has anyone else got an "on hold" from Bristol for law, just wondering how long the decision will take. DC got that in December. Also waiting for Manchester but has 3 other offers already (Leeds, Nottingham, Liverpool). She's looking for any clues on how long Manchester and Bristol might take!

Anyone heard on politics & IR or IR from Durham? My daughter applied for both courses as v keen on the department and Durham in general. Got 3 other offers so far but nervously waiting for these still….

DN has been waiting for Manchester since October. She's got Nottingham, Leeds, ManchMet and awaiting LSE after (Lnat). No idea what Manchester are doing.
Lots of her friends with lower predicted grades (but EC?) have got offers already.

@Suffolker Also got email re Durham OHD today, and it will have to be the March one for us too, as the April one clashes with something. I just came to share warning about the unfortunately-timed LNER engineering works but @bettyjane got there before me! We'll have to brave it, it's too far to drive. Perhaps we can all have a picnic on the rail-replacement bus to York...

Thanks for the info re Bath timelines last year @PatriciaHolm , that's very useful to know

I’m so fed up of LNER’s engineering work, every single date I have wanted to travel over the next couple of months (either for offer days or other things) has had works. Just had an invite to something else and the date is blocked in case of works. FFS.

anyway, I digress, a few people have mentioned Warwick being in clearing last year, is there a definitive list of which courses were in clearing last year? I wish I’d thought to check.

DC had an offer for P & IR from Durham on the 19th Dec

Which one is the top choice?

Not sure yet! We also have two still to hear from, and one rejection.

Great offers.

Good idea! I’m definitely not driving so we’re braving the train/bus (going up Friday afternoon).

DS’s friends who applied for pol/pol ir at Durham also got offers on 19th dec

we have booked three days at Durham around the offer day. It’s just too far to drive for the day. Figured DS would do the offer holder stuff and DH and I can do some sightseeing and maybe see the accommodation.

Imperial have shared more ESAT/TMUA scores information for their 2024/2025 admissions cycle, it now shows mean scores for home non-wp, home wp and International students separately rather than just for all applicants. If you click on a specifc score and select "show data point in the table" you can also see a list of the scores achieved for that point.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/undergraduate/process/admissions-tests/understanding-your-esat-and-tmua-scores/

Photo of table showing mean scores for home non-WP, WP and overseas applicants, and then a snapshot of the data table for home non-WP scores which received offers
(WP= widening participation)

edited to add- this is TMUA score for maths, you can filter by subject on the link

Thanks for this.
Where did you find the table of results? I can’t seem to get it.

Not to worry @bettyjane . My DC has looked at it and all sorted. They were delighted with this info…😀

Surprised no one has corrected this but LNER is purely the train operator and therefore has no control over engineering works. The engineering works are pre-planned by Network Rail and are planned months in advance in order to be most cost-effective. Whilst it is frustrating for ourselves, it is fairly unjustifiable for Network Rail to burden the taxpayer because a particular university has decided to hold an event that would require commuters to pass through the particular part of the track that is being upgraded.