2026 UCAS - Offers, Rejections and then the exams! (Thread 2)

[EducatingRosemary]

Starting a new thread as our original is almost full…

Original thread

DS just received an offer tonight for UCL. AAA for politics and IR. That’s 4 offers now and just waiting for LSE, his preferred.

Interesting, thanks.

@Holymolyrigmorole
That’s good news! Where else are the offers from for IR ? Dd has changed her mind about what she wants to study and used her one remaining choice to get an offer from Manchester (also 3xA) to do history and politics so similar aims maybe?

UCL is with IR but his other offers Edin, KCL and QML are politics or with sociology or social anthropology. I suspect he’d want to switch the IR if he decided on UCL seeing the way his interests have evolved since he applied back in Oct. Is your DD in position to firm and insure now then?

She’s not quite. She originally applied to do a very different course and has since changed her mind completely. So, the other offers are all for paediatric nursing and she’s waiting to hear from KCL for that although she doesn’t want to do it, then she’ll firm Manchester and not put an insurance choice. It’s A,A, Distinction so shes putting the revision in and pinning all her hopes on that 🙂😬
They do evolve though, I just think it’s a shame they have the pressure from early on at college to make big decisions, another year would have greatly helped her to know what she wants, she’s July born and it shows at the moment in her readiness for change

I agree, they do need to decide so early especially if they apply to Oxbridge. My DC didn’t apply last year and is on a gap year ( also a young one). They applied in Sept for 2026 entry. Just waiting on LSE now but I think the decision is still between ICL and Warwick. ICL offer holder day is in a couple of weeks and then they will firm one (as grades in hand).

Still waiting for Warwick 🙄 Exams start later this month here (Scotland) so school is technically finished now. Would have liked to get all the wondering and waiting done and dusted before full on exam revision. Ah well. Congratulations to all those that have had all their offers back! Hand hold to everyone still waiting…

Bath OHD for DS today and it’s firmed up that Warwick is his top choice.

He’s still waiting to hear from LSE but I think that’s really out of the running due to the costs of living in London. He’d be flattered to get an offer from them but will decide between Manchester and Bath for his insurance. His offer grades are all so similar it doesn’t really make a lot of difference so he’ll go with where he prefers after visiting Manchester.

We have LSE IR offer. Does anyone know how to choose accommodation for LSE? My other DN has Manchester and we've viewed the accommodation, really easily.
I'm struggling to find the right self catered accommodation with LSE. Any recommendations, welcome.

My DC is attending ICL offer older day later in April and will then make a decision whether it’s ICL or Warwick. Still waiting in LSE too @Muchtoomuchtodo but have accepted that it will be a no this late in the day.
Congrats to your DC on the LSE offer @mumonthehill
Good luck to those still waiting on offers.

I mean @HeyAunty, well done to your DC for their LSE offer.

It’s Warwick, Durham or St Andrews (Maths) for DS. We’re attending the St Andrews OHD tomorrow (arrived today); first impressions gorgeous town/university. Excited for DS, it will be a tough decision, they all offer something different.

Is anyone else still waiting on multiple offers? DS has only heard from 2/5. I feel that at this point the other 3 are really now a no, but it’s hard for him to move on or really motivate himself without knowing for sure.

Posting here as well as my own thread… the college my DS is at has somehow forgotten to apply for special accommodations and he doesn’t have his 25% extra time on the exam board letters that arrived today. I am livid, feel sick and am panicking. He had the extra time in place when we applied for TMUA, for his AS Levels last year (same college, same boards) as we did all the paper work last year with the SEN team (ASD) when he started college. All his mocks etc have had the extra time and he is not the only student who needs it - am hoping someone can reassure me it is still possible as the college have cocked up for them to fix this - and to get it in place for next month’s exams?

@CautiousLurker2 Just jumping in to say, is that just an administrative error on the letter? My dc have had extra time, and the application gets made once, before gcse, and I’m sure the confirmation we got then covered it up until the end of sixth form, if they stay at the same school. One of mine switched schools for sixth form, so the new school had to reapply, but the other dc has stayed at the same school for sixth form and I assume is still covered for accommodations?

@Jennaveeve my DS is still waiting. It’s so painful but still hopeful. It’s such a shame that he’s not been able to take advantage of OHDs

Not sure but the certificate of entry from the OCR and AQA with the exam schedule each showed the extra time listed last year (90min paper, but extra 25%, so extra 22mins, 1hr and 52mins in total). This years show 2hr papers and not extra time (ie, that he should have an additionL 30mins and a total of 2hrs 30mins).

Am hoping that it’s a purely admin error and they can confirm next week that he has his extra time and reissue the certificates. But it looks as though the college admin did not tick the right box or submit his JCQ form (or whatever it is). It is catastrophic. He will not be able to secure the predicted A**/A grades without his extra time. If we cannot correct it, his university dream is finished.

@CautiousLurker2 This sounds very stressful for you both but I’m sure as you’ve spotted this straight away, and he’s previously had the extra time, that college will have time to sort it. Just contact them first thing Monday (I assume they’re back then after the Eater holidays?) .
keep us posted 💐

Yes - back on Monday, though we have messaged his main teachers via Teams in the hope they pick it up sooner and can launch into the fix straight away.

It seems you can do a late application apparently if you have an emergency (broken arms etc) but I’d hope OCR/AQA would fix this easily as they have a record against his student reference number of his accommodations for the past two years of GCSE and AS Level. Am trying not to spiral (am AuDHD, too, so prone to anxiety and especially when it concerns my kids) but didn’t sleep at all last night. I can’t believe they missed this. DH trying to talk me down over my morning coffee, but I am now sleep deprived on top… am super masking so that DS is unaware that it’s a big deal. 😭

My son's official letter with his timetable doesn't have his extra time listed, it never has done. But he has it all the same, since GCSE.

Really? It could have sworn it did last year for AS Levels, but maybe that was unusual or I am muddling it with a second letter/sheet that we’ve not received yet?

I am now feeling much more reassured - hopefully they can confirm I am panicking over nothing on Monday!!

We have only ever had a list of all exams from school showing what he's been entered for (nothing official from exam boards direct) and it seems to be generated by whatever system they are using at the time eg SIMs, now it's Arbor ..so they all look a bit different. But just double checked and the times are standard.

We also have a letter stating his exams access arrangements separately (laptop, small group, extra time) which we got ages ago - also from school, but "official" from the exams officer (not the exam board). This seems to have carried over from GCSE rather than being a new one for A level (same school, I guess we would have a new one if he had moved)

I would ask your college for this if it's missing. It sounds like it should be fine if he's already had the adjustments before and is at the same place!

Just joining this thread! My DS has 4 offers (5th application was Cambridge and he was rejected after interview). He is considering Warwick for his insurance choice (MPhys in Physics - integrated Masters) and Durham for first choice (also MPhys in Physics - integrated Masters). I wondered if anyone knows how long it takes after A level results to be 'confirmed' for an insurance choice DS doesn't get the grades for his first choice but does get the grades for his insurance choice?

I am trying to work out if DS would be confirmed in time to get considered for accommodation at Warwick if it is his insurance choice. Warwick's deadline for becoming the confirmed choice for accommodation is 19 August in order to be in the allocation process for accommodation. Therefore, we are trying to check if he will be able to be included for accommodation allocation if it is his insurance choice? I wondered if anyone has experience with older DCs in previous years as to how long it takes to get your insurance choice confirmed if you don't make the grade for your first choice uni? Also, is there often a 'limbo' period where the first choice uni is considering whether the accept applicants who just missed the required grades and if so how long does this take (especially at Durham, if anyone knows?). Many thanks!

@Getbackinthebox, the uni’s get the A level results 1 week before the schools. If your ds is rejected by Durham and accepted by Warwick this all happens before he logs onto UCAS on results day, he will only see 1 offer or the option for clearing if he has missed his grades. My dd is at Warwick (it was her insurance) and many of the first year cohort had missed Oxbridge / Durham offers on results day, esp for Cambridge Maths due to Step. This is 1 of the reasons that Warwick accommodation closes after results day.

Universities get the grades before students so there is no delay. Students here from Unis on results day, first thing usually.