UCAS submission - Does it make any difference when, as long as in time?

[lazymumofteenagesons]

With the final date for submission as Jan 15th, why do people rush them in? Surely, universities treat all applications the same as long as they are in on time. Otherwise everybody would be submitting in september or whenever they open.

I have personal interest in this as DS1 has not finished his personal statement yet or even decided on more than 2 universities. In fact we are going to visit one next week. will we find all the others are next years prospective applicants?

I think the thinking is that, if you've got it in by the Oxbridge deadline (last week) you've applied there and so have been seen by your school as being in that 'calibre', as it were. That aside, it prob doesn't hurt to look ultra-efficient and focussed by getting it in well ahead of the deadline.

Btw my dd1 has already had 2 acknowledgement emails for hers, so they do start the process of dealing with your application ahead of 15 Jan if they get it earlier.

DS1 specifically didn't want his going in for oxbridge deadline. His first choice is Durham and wanted them to know he hadn't applied to Cambridge cos thought they prefer not to be second choice.

DD applied for Cambridge, and some of her friends who applied later had offers before any of hers came through!

Some others had offers before the deadline had shut, but the Uni's have to allow time for everyone to apply before they allocate all places.

Also, she didn't visit all she applied to (eg Durham - was too far) but decided she would visit when all her offers received.

Some universities don't even start to offer places until after Jan 15 deadline (Warwick is one I think) others offer quite soon. It does all get a bit hysterical (been through it twice with older DCs) but in the end I don't think it makes any difference when the application is sent, as long as it is on time. They are all meant to wait until the deadline has passed before allocating all the places.

The early Oxbridge deadline will indicate to some universities that those applicants are of a certain calibre.

If you look on www.thestudentroom.co.uk and follow the 2010 offers thread you will see that some offers not just acknowledgements have already been given out. Surely it is better for all DCs to get their forms in as soon as possible so that then they can concentrate on their A2s.

Universities can NOT discriminate against candidates who apply later, but before Jan 15th. Once they receive the applications they will of course be looking at them - otherwise we'd be looking at several thousand on the 16th Jan!

However admissions dpeartments tend to know that they will receive a certain number of applications in November, a certain number in December and a (much higher!) number in early January, so they make offers based on how many more applications they expect to come in for that time of year if that makes sense.

So there's no real advantage to getting your application in early (Oxbridge and med school application excepted). Applications received AFTER Jan 15th however do NOT have to be treated the same, and a candidiate with the same profile as one you applied on time and received an offer may not get an offer if they apply late.

Good luck!

Titchy, that makes sense. I know it would be better to have got it out of the way earlier, but try telling that to my son! Actually, his school has a huge amount of oxbridge/medicine applications and I think his tutor concentrates on those first and is quite happy to have his to deal with after oct 15th. He is in a very small minority who is not applying to oxbridge.

LMOT - very impressed with your son's lateral/strategic thinking re Durham - he should go far!

c of M you're not part of Durham admissions are you?! I think they actually take into account being second choice to oxbridge by adjusting the number of offers they give, ie. they know the proportion that will use them as a back up. Although, DS1 has chosen a course that has AAA as standard offer.

I think a lot of schools are keen to get the UCAS applications in by half term so that they can concentrate on other things in the second half of the autumn term. DS2 has just submitted his form and his college seemed keen to get it all done now.
Anecdotally, when DS1 applied he received a couple of offers almost immediately, two more during Nov/Dec, but the university course he was most interested in only made its offers after the Oxbridge offers and pooled places had been sorted.

My dd1 has just had her first offer! Was from what we consider her 'insurance' choice, but we are relieved nonetheless as she had started to panic she had 'aimed too high' as lots of girls had put their choices further down the Sunday Times League table, iyswim. The good thing is she really liked the place so wouldn't be sorry to go there.

congratulations to your DD CCM. Must be a relief. I'm dreading all this next year when DS will be in that situation, am worrying that he is aiming too high

I would say MoS that its better to aim high - dd has upped her game considerably this past year and a half, as a result of seeing the universities she liked best, and realising she needed good marks to get there. This has been in direct contravention of the prevailing advice at her school, where a few science-oriented girls have been picked out at GCSE year and pushed, and everyone else advised to aim fairly low. I'm really pleased dd has rebelled at that in a good way! Maybe go with what he wants, and then have a back-up option.

We've been told by the school that it is an advantage to get your application in early as universities do start making offers.

We are going through this for the first time, and DS's application is with his tutor for the reference. It should be submitted sometime next week.

I don't think there's anything wrong in aiming high as long as your DC has an insurance offer that they are confident of reaching at a uni they would be happy to go to. As a secondary teacher, I see too many students who set their hearts on courses which all require the same (high) grades and need to have a realistic back-up.

If you get your application in early then you might get an offer early. I know when DD1 appled for university she had to apply by October ass she was apply for a vetinary course. She also applied for Zoology at Cardiff University and got an offer by the December.

Hi, newish here.
My son has just had an offer back from Birmingham, he was interviewed last week. Almost all of the other students being interviewed had applied to Oxbridge as well. He's got manchester next week, so fingers crossed. I'm not sure oxford is the place for him really, high pressure, but applying certainly hasn't looked bad so far. happy that he's got some positive responses already.

Well done on getting his first offer - that's always such a relief

What course is he applying for?

Thanks Milliways,
Geology, or Earth Sciences depending which uni. Think Earth science is more all encompasing, deals with absolutely everything, but what do i know, just a mum!

Yay, offered a place at Manchester yesterday, needs 3 B's.
I have to say, get those applications in as early as you can, it does seem to helping him beating the rush.

Warwick is definitely one that doesn't offer till after the deadline - DS didn't get his form in till after Christmas & still got offers from all 6 of his choices, including Warwick (which he's just graduated from) He didn't get the Warwick offer until March.