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?

That’s good to hear re Leeds. It’s business she’s waiting for but she changed her mind re course at the last minute and the one she went for needs a 6 in GCSE Maths & English. She was ill during exams and only got a 5 in maths ( 7 in English) so it could well be a rejection! I’ll be a bit frustrated if so as other courses only ask for a pass but she school apparently said it was worth a chance. Will just have to wait and see I guess!

DS has offers for Maths from Durham, Manchester & Birmingham. Rejection from Oxford. Waiting for Warwick.

Great set of offers - think Warwick must be at the stage of offering atm as we’ve just had ours. Hope DS is not to crushed by Oxford outcome?

Warwick is our closest & his favourite option so fingers crossed. He wasn’t at all upset with the Oxford rejection as he’d walked out of MAT very early, laughing that he found the style of questioning difficult. Although his school runs an ‘Aspire’ programme to encourage Oxbridge/Med/Vet/Law applicants they don’t seem particularly strong on Maths. He’s the only pupil in Year 13 (90 kids) applying for a Maths degree! There are a few joint honours applicants but I was very surprised.
Congratulations to your DC on the Warwick offer.

Do any universities just not reply, and that’s effectively the rejection? Ds waiting for Durham for geography which is his aspirational choice and he is a grade below the usual offer, not dazzling GCSEs but good for where he was then and a strong personal statement. I know they offer late, and he is happy with the offers he has (Lancaster, Notts, Exeter, Rhul) but just wondering whether anyone had experience of no reply at all.

Am hoping for more offers. DS has Cam offer but would like to know what the others are going to be. He wants Glasgow as insurance but zilch. LSE would be silly as insurance but KCL might be feasible if it is AAB. His college has said hang on for full set before firming but not sure why

It's way too early to Firm at the moment. Universities are well within the UCAS timing and under no obligation to have responded to applicants. I understand that the wait is long but that is the system.

Yes, there is an automatic decline function within UCAS if universities haven't responded by a certain date (at the end of March for most universities). Still ages to go!

I think they are all required to reply by the mid May date so you will hear eventually. My DS had less than sparkling GCSEs and I do think that meant he did not get instantaneous offers (unlike his sister who had 3 offers within days of applying, but she had mainly 9s at GCSE). He’s also been invited for interviews for several, but apart from Manchester - who interview UK applicants for physics as standard - he has offers in hand and the interviews are about the opportunity of a lowered offer grade and our way of ensuring they know who he is if there is a mishap in the actual exams. However, 3 of the unis he applied to are top 10 for physics and he doesn’t seem to be disadvantaged despite his mess up, so please stay positive about Durham. 🤞

It is so hard for dc waiting for late offers. Elder ds made his decisions after Manchester had still not offered so accepted his first snd insurance without an offer from them so it is definitely possible if they have had the offers from the unis they want. Ds no offer yet from Newcastle but has had communication from the coach of the sport he does so we think it will depend on if they want him or not!

DS has heard from all but Warwick, I believe the Unis have until May to decline/accept. I do feel that May is very late for a decision & particularly unfair on those who need to travel long distances to offer holder days. My son & a couple of his friends only heard from Durham within the last ten days or so.

I dont think it really counts as late offer yet, having been through this once before. Some in my older child's year didnt hear until April.

Considering the fair consideration date was only just over a month ago I don’t think not hearing yet is a problem. It does feel like ages ago that early applications went in but for others it’s not been long at all.

ds had 3 quick offers last October - Bath, Warwick and Manchester, then a no from Oxford and is still waiting to hear from LSE. Hopefully now that the second set of TMUA results are out he won’t be waiting too much longer for their decision.

DC just received an offer from UCL 😁

@gentilleprof7 I can’t offer much insight on Edinburgh Theology offers I’m afraid other than to say that they are always notoriously late.

DD did apply to Edinburgh but only because Nottingham withdrew their course right before she submitted her form - she was never really seriously considering it. It’s an excellent faculty, but as DD is planning some further study post UG a 3 year degree was preferable for her, and Theology is one of the subjects where you can’t go straight into 2nd year with A levels.

She got offers from 3/5 within a few days/week of applying in October, and then got her Durham offer early December. As it was always the firm favourite, she then withdrew her Edinburgh application so she could firm Durham, insure Exeter and put it out of her mind.

Interesting that Edinburgh still haven’t made offers. Where else has your DC applied to?

Congrats, great news-well done to your DC. My DC had UCL last Wed 😀.
Now waiting on Imperial and LSE.

Well done to your DC on great offers. My DC got Warwick a couple of weeks ago and I know they have been filtering through. I expect you’ll get an offer very soon 😀

I’ve been nervously waiting since I saw a few offers popping up on here! Any news of an offer holder day?

May I please ask if anybody’s DC applied after the UCAS deadline? Mine applied 2 weeks after the deadline - I’m just wondering when we can realistically expect to hear from the universities…

So pleased your DC has an offer too.
Nothing about offer holder day yet.
Now, waiting on imperial 🤞🤞

Durham offer received today after I posted this morning! Think it would be a long shot but still nice to have in hand.

Great that you heard from Durham!

DD got a reduced offer today compared to an offer she already had from that uni. They have also detailed that tuition for the whole course is free!! Is that a massive red flag? Anybody else’s DC had this? I feel like the course must be undersubscribed?

Congratulations on the Durham offer!

Wow! I’ve never heard of such an offer. Does your child have an outstanding talent eg sports or performing arts which has triggered a bursary? Such an offer really does put pressure on the decision making process. Best of luck.