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?

Different subject, but DS heard fairly quickly from Sheffield - within two weeks maybe? It’s a pre-Christmas blur now.

I am hoping it’s because they are cognisant of not pulling candidates out lessons in the term before exams? I was guessing he’s not had a straight offer because of his slightly dodgy GCSEs but he is convinced they pretty much always interview for MPhys, so is pleased. I think…

That's interesting, ds has 4 unconditionals from Scottish Unis including Edinburgh and still waiting to hear back from St Andrews, which of course is his first choice, what subject did your ds apply for?
Like your user name, that was my favourite book when I was a teen.

Oh yay, that’s great. Big congrats to DS. I still don’t think we’ve heard anything from Durham here. Would you mind saying what subject if it’s not too outing? Thanks

Just wondered whether anyone else has been to a Uni of Manchester ‘visit day’/interview? Couldn’t find an historic thread on it so wanted to check before starting one! All I’ve found out, via a freedom of information request someone did in 2018, is that 70% of UK-resident students are invited to the visit days (though some decline and have zoom interviews) and 100% of those that attended between 2016 and 2018 received offers…

@CautiousLurker2 May I ask what subject it is, please?
DS had an economics offer from them, but he didn't mention interview / visit day. I will check with him.

I think Manchester only interviews for a few subjects, physics rings a bell for one, but they just gave out offers for my DS subject so no visit/interview needed. Sure some others on here will have had them and there's bound to be threads about them on reddit.

@CautiousLurker2 my DS went to a visit day / interview at Manchester two years ago (he applied for maths and physics). He was told that being invited basically meant that he was going to get an offer anyway, but the advantage of attending the interview is that the offer might be a grade or two lower.

It’s physics/MPhys. Acc to the website the interview is offered to every UK candidate that meets the entrance criteria/etc and is an integral part of the process for physics candidates. DS’s GF has an offer from the engineering department and didn’t have an interview, but their admissions process doesn’t seem to weight interviews in the same way?

Wow - a slightly lower offer would be amazing!! On paper he needs A*A*A, so if we could get one or two of those lowered to just A’s it would really help. Manchester is his dream choice (seminars with Prof Brian Cox is apparently as attractive as being with his GF!).

Great news @Fabfabfab! I’m looking forward to the OHD 😊

Dd has offers from 4/5. Including her 1st choice so very excited!
Just waiting for Abertay!
Dds told me she can't accept until she's had all 5 back?
Can she withdraw or do we wait?
She's desperate to accept her 1st choice.

She can withdraw from any she hasn’t heard from.

@HighburyHope do you know if it would have any negative impacts?

We really want to lock down Dundee. If we accept early we'll get a choice of accommodation on campus about a 2 min walkto class, important as she's physically disabled .
Also (for me financially. Dundee offers a cash incentive for choosing them early) we can them plan travel and accommodation as I'm sure it'll get very busy

That’s amazing news! Well done to her. And yes, as another PP has said, if she has offers from her preferred and the one she wants to insure, she can withdraw from no 5 and accept her offer. Very exciting times!

No negative impact, unless she suddenly regrets losing the option that she withdrew from!

She should be sure to make the chosen uni aware of her disability at the time of applying for accommodation, so that her needs are taken into account in the allocation.

Oh Dundee - it's been a great choice for my DS.

It's for History. What about your DC? Hope they hear soon!

@Fabfabfab oh thanks. She’s waiting to hear from Durham for english and philosophy. Just be good to know either way, I guess, I expected them to be late but we’ll see!

@Mediumred Yes agree, not nice with the uncertainty and hope you hear soon. The next thing, though, is the uncertainty of whether they will actually meet their PGs grades in the actual exams! DC's PGs are the same as the grades needed for the Durham offer and we now have to consider if it's realistic or not (think I heard somewhere that 80% of people end up with lower grades than predicted), or whether to go with Bristol which is a grade lower.

St Andrew's unconditional for my DS today, Scottish student, non-contextual, science subject. His friend also received one a few days ago. He has 4/5 with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and St Andrew's, just waiting for Strathclyde now.

Got all excited for a nanosecond as DS received email from Birmingham… but it was just a ‘thank you for your patience while we review your application’ - something something something, then reasons it may need longer include waiting until after the Jan 14th deadline and also possibly referring it on to the admissions tutor to review. Oh and there MAY be an interview needed.

Am thinking this is like a combination of those things, isn’t it? Slightly poor GCSEs (despite amazing AS levels) and the fact the course may be heavily subscribed?

Great news. An unconditional from St Andrews is a real feather in his cap!

Great news!
Still waiting for DS to get his first offer, got be patient I suppose

Thank you both, as another poster said, it was quicker than we expected, so a bit shocked, but delighted for him.