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?

Hopefully good news very soon!

We are still waiting for a first offer too. Applied in October!

@Llangewydd57 I was wondering about your DS - as I know you were keen to hear something before Christmas. Has your DC applied to top tier unis/slow responders? Like LSE or Imperial?

Yes, still waiting. Applied to Imperial, Warwick, UCL and LSE. Sat TMUA in October.

@Llangewydd57 ooh yes they're some great universities but definitely often late to respond. I'm sure he'll hear something soon now that the deadline has passed.
It's hard when everyone around you are getting offers. I'll keep my fingers crossed for him (sorry if it's a DD).

Thank you. Yes, very hard when most of his mates have offers. Just one would make us all relax.

He’s applying grades in hand and has checked that they all accept gap year students and also deferred entry students before he applied. In fact their website says they welcome gap year students.

Finally got offer from Manchester University for Law. Phew!

Congrats @HeyAunty bet the mood and lifted a bit in the Aunty household tonight?!

Noticed on Facebook that someone received an offer from Bath (economics) today. That’s the first I’ve seen but hopefully means they are coming sooner rather than later!

My daughter as an offer from Bath business school.

Late to this thread but keen to join the party as my DD had first offer this week for York (psychology) and waiting for the rest, particularly Bath which she has everything crossed for! Only applied on 5th Jan so I know she probably needs to wait a while yet but it’s so nerve wracking!

Has anybody heard of offers coming in from Edinburgh? Specifically for RE/Theology? DD has had an offer from St Andrews but really liked Edinburgh

Can I join the thread?

DS has 4/5 offers back now, including his favourite.
Slight spanner in the works yesterday though, as he has applied for one course with an integrated foundation year (thinking it would be a back-up option if things were going really badly come May/June). They have offered him the course but with the same entry requirements that they state they want for the standard course (foundation is supposed to be 4 grades lower, according to their website).
It’s now his highest offer. Not sure if it’s likely to be a mistake, but he definitely has no intention of firming or insuring it now!

😲
that sounds like a mistake? have they upgraded the course to the non foundation one?

No they haven’t upgraded the course, that was my first thought too, but definitely still says with foundation year.

@AmIUsingMadeUpWords I would drop a line to their admissions team as that sounds wrong? If they’ve asked for higher than required grades for the foundation year it must be a clerical error?

I’ll suggest to DS that he E-Mails - though it has rather put him off them anyway. But more sensible to get it clarified, I agree.

Can understand that - as it doesn't bode well for their admin or the care they give their students, does it?

Tbf, if he really needed a foundation course place on results day, I would suspect that there will be sufficient places available in clearing? Depending on his course/subject, that is. Someone more experienced may be along in a moment to confirm or deny this assumption, hopefully.

I’ve seen the same situation occur a few times on the student room…I suspect if you are applying for both a standard and foundation course at the same uni they may pigeonhole you as someone not as likely to make the grade. If you firm / insure for a course at a uni that also runs a foundation year, and you don’t make your firm /insure grades then that same uni also has the option of offering you the foundation programme anyway on results day (as they have already decided you worthy of an offer in the first place).

He didn’t apply for the non-foundation course at that uni, because he felt the standard order was slightly too high.

He’s predicted ABC. Standard course is ABB, foundation is supposed to be CCC, his offer is ABB.

His other offers are actually ucas points totals rather than grades, highest is 120, which is equivalent to ABC (or BBB), lowest is 104 (or BCC).

Good point that foundation courses might be available in clearing if needed.

Ah, so it sounds as though they are unable to offer a place on the full course because of his predicted grades, but by offering the foundation course, they can upgrade it to the non-foundation route on offer day if a) DS gets ABB or b) they are in a position to lower the offer grade to ABC on results day (ie have places available in clearing). I have seen this being discussed as happening before.

I think you can clarify this with a quick call/email?

Fair enough I suppose, but the point is he doesn’t want the standard course anyway.
He wants a “banker” lower grade option in case year 13 goes badly and he doesn’t think he’ll make his predicted grades.
Not an offer that requires him to gamble on getting high grades, otherwise he’d just have applied for the standard course in the first place.
But you live and learn! We’ll know not to do this when dc2 is applying.

It was physics.

Like you couldn't imagine @CautiousLurker2 😂 We screamed the house down, had takeaways and 7ups in champagne glasses! I was the best aunty ever.
All back to normal now with the back chat and arguing and all 🙄
She's very happy and walking on air though so, all that matters ❤️🤗