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?

My friend’s daughter is still waiting to hear from Edinburgh for Theology. She was also hoping for St Andrews. I hope it’s not a bad sign that she hasn’t heard anything yet, if offers are being made. Congrats to your DD.

Hopefully the Edinburgh offers will start coming in soon and fingers crossed for your friend's daughter and St Andrews.

If I'm completely honest (and I would NEVER say this to my DD) I would prefer her to go to Edinburgh, for many selfish reasons - the extra cost of getting to St Andrews to start with.

DS has an offer from Bath for Maths (Astar, Astar, A) through last week, and an offer from Southampton of AAB, which they very kindly sent through about 3 months ago. Still awaiting Warwick and Bristol. TMUA score of 5.8 in October, so hoping that would be enough for Warwick? Maybe they are waiting to look at the January results before deciding how exactly to peg the grades on their offers?

Sadly, didn't get an interview for Oxford, though in a way, there has been a lot of other stuff happening, and it is helpful that the agony wasn't prolonged.

We’re similar here @WhisperingAngelisnotbad

ds applied to Bath for maths and stats with a professional placement year and has been offered A ⭐️ ,A, A or A ⭐️,A⭐️, B.

No interview at Oxford either but he’s heard from Warwick for MORSE - A⭐️, A⭐️, B with at least a C in Welsh Bacc.

Manchester has offered A⭐️,A, A for maths and stats and he’s still waiting to hear from LSE

They’re all such similar, high offers, the course and location will be the deciding factor I think. He’s looking forward to the OHD to get things clearer in his mind.

Thanks for sharing this.
My DC is hoping for an Imperial offer ( waiting for Cambridge, eeek)
Contextual
TMUA 6.2
A A A* B
Offers from Warwick and Durham
Waiting on St Andrews.
Their interview for Cambridge did not go well, so all hope is for Imperial, but the low TMUA is not great.

That should say 3 A stars.

The wait for Imperial is stressful! I think 6.2 contextual could be ok 🤞🤞 Good luck x

Thanks. With the inevitable knock back from Cambridge the wait for Imperial is very stressful.

Feel for your DC and others waiting for Oxbridge/Imperial. We decided that we didn’t have the bandwidth to cope with that stress on top of A Levels and doing ESAT/TMUA so didn’t do the extra exams or apply (my DC suffers from anxiety/ND). We may regret that one day, but am thinking of the DCs out there who were brave enough to give it a try. 🤞

a prospective parent has asked on the Warwick parents Facebook page what everyone’s dc got for their TMUA and people are giving them answers.

That sounds remarkably similar to my DC’s position for Maths. But strangely the Bath offer is slightly lower than for your DC and the Southampton offer slightly higher!
I too was assuming Warwick was waiting for the second sitting TMUA results before considering some candidates. They seem to be giving out some offers for Maths, but maybe those applicants have a much higher TMUA score.

I didn't know my DC was anxious at all before this experience. Cambridge has always been his dream, he said the Maths paper he sat at interview was just too hard.

No offer here yet for Warwick and they applied early.
7.8 on the TMUA so 🤞

DS just got his first offer for Geography at Southampton.
He was starting to get worried he hadn't submitted the UCAS form correctly.

So pleased for him. Must be a relief to have one great university in the bag finally.

Spookily was just on the UCAS website checking there was nothing there. Offer from Southampton 2-3 weeks ago and invitation to interview day received 10 days ago from Manchester and nothing else!!

Seems to take soooo long. Sense my DS is beginning to loose faith too.

@cautiouslurker2 Thanks. He was really pleased. I dont know quite why it takes so long. When ds1 was applying he didn't have his final offer until April which was too late for the offer day.

Yes, the offer days either seem to fall before many get their offers… or in the two weeks before the exams start so far too late!!

Southampton is a real feather in his hat. Hope he can catch his breath for a bit now, at least?

Hooray, after not hearing anything at all DD has suddenly got offers from Liverpool, Sheffield, York and Leeds! She really didn't expect to get Leeds so is very happy. Now waiting to hear from Newcastle which is her joint favourite with Leeds... wonder if she'll have to make a list of pros and cons of each.

@postitnot wow!! Those are all the unis I applied to 30-40 years ago (with Birmingham as my 5th rather than Newcastle!). I anticipate a mass of OHDs ahead of you. :)

I know, I applied for the same ones, except manchester where I went and we stayed. She didn't apply there because she wants to move away, but is sad because manchester is the best!

It'll be a tough decision if she gets an offer from Newcastle, she loved both (selfishly I want her to go to Leeds, its just closer!)

Funnily ds is hoping for Manchester - and we are getting out heads around the idea he may never come back as I understand the city has the highest number students who remain permanently in the city after graduating. It looks like an amazing city! But your DD may come back, though. I loved York when I went and would have stayed had there been any jobs in the 90s, though.

DD submitted her UCAS form on 12th and got 2 offers yesterday, from Salford and AUB. Her other choices, UAL, NTU and Edinburgh have all asked for portfolios, so there will probably be a long wait to hear from them. The AUB offer is really good to have, as it's one of the top courses for her subject.

DS had got offers from Edinburgh (1 A star and 2 As), Bristol (1 A star and 2 As) and Exeter (AAB). Still waiting for Durham and UCL, although I think he would be happy to go to Edinburgh (despite never having visited - he just thinks it looks cool from what he's seen on tv!!!)

It's all so exciting for them!

CautiousLurker2 I wonder how many kids do come back to their home town after uni? Not many of my friends did tbh. My DD has very seriously taken this into consideration- she needs to know that where she goes to uni could be her forever home! I told her it's not compulsory....
She does want to live in London, but maybe just for a year.

Tabbycat: Edinburgh is a lovely city, I could definitely live there!

@tabbycat897 - elder DD is at Edinburgh studying a humanities subject + a language (now in her third year but abroad). She absolutely loves it.