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University Applications

So what exactly are these 'offers'?

I don't think we really get 'offers' here, just lots of junk mail after the SAT and then acceptance/rejection letters, with whatever information colleges we've applied to decide to send us before they make their decision.
 
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Basically, in the UK you apply to unis through a service called UCAS. You give them your personal statement (which is you telling them how brilliant you are and how much you love and adore whichever subject you're applying for), teacher references, grades you already have (your GCSEs and AS grades) and your predicted A-level results. For most courses, you can apply to up to 5 universities, but I think if you're doing something like medicine or vetinary science, it's less.

Then, UCAS sends all your info to the universities you've applied to, and then you have to sit back and wait. Eventually, your universities will respond, either rejecting you, giving you a conditional offer, or an unconditional offer. Or occasionally a summon for an interview, after which they'll either reject you or give you a conditional offer.

Unconditional offers are really rare, and I don't know anyone who's had one, but conditional offers are basically the universities saying "Get [these grades] in your A-levels and we'll accept you into our uni".

So you wait for all the universities you've applied to to respond and see what grades each of the ones that haven't rejected you want. From these, you pick a first choice uni (the one with higher requirements that you really want to go to) and your reserve choice. For example, I applied to Durham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Kent and Leicester. They all gave me conditional offers, but the first three all wanted 3Bs, so I had to pick just one of those for my first choice, and then something lower (ie. Kent) for my reserve.

Then you take your exams, enjoy your ludicrously long summer, and wait in agony for results day. When the day comes, you go into your college, get your results, and see if you got the grades you needed to get into the university you wanted. And even if you didn't get exactly the right grades, there's a decent chance you'll still get in (as in, if a uni wanted AAB and you got ABB; generally, you can safely get one grade lower than the offer, but it varies by uni and course).

If you didn't meet the grade requirements of your first or reserve choice, then you have to go through Clearing, which, I hear, is a long and messy process. Sounds kinda scary.

And that, in a very long-winded, roundabout way, is the British (certianly the English) university application system.

TL;DR: "Offers" are universities saying "We'll take you, if you get the grades we want".
 
I got an offer and an interview invitation from Coventry, and and interview invitation from De Montfort today

I am bloody determined to get 3 Cs at least, I am not getting put into bloody clearing
 
Also, if you respond to a conditional offer (either as a first choice or a reserve) the university is obliged to take you as long as you get what they wanted. There's no backing out if you have the grades (unless you decide "fuck off" and go somewhere through clearing or go to your reserve). So if a universiy gives you an offer of three Cs and you get it, but then they change their mind or the course is full, they still have to take you. Fun times, especially to over-subscribed courses.

My Welsh bac. teacher had an unconditional offer from Aberyswyth. She hated it there, though.
 
My friend Michalina got an unconditional from the University of Edinburgh. And she got rejected from LSE lmao what. Fuckin' AAAAB grades as well!

EDIT: Scotland's uni application system is almost exactly the same, except with Highers you can't ever get an unconditional from an English university. Douchebags! Instead you have to sit three AHs even though they're harder than A-Levels!! IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE

And unless you're like, applying for Oxbridge or KCL or LSE or something good nobody actually wants to go to England. You have to PAY for tuition appfffffft
 
Yeah, I had a friend who applied to a bunch of universities and got offers from all of them, but the lowest offer any of them gave her was Plymouth, which was the uni she most wanted to go to. So she had to pick something else for her first choice (Cardiff, I think) because your first choice uni has to have higher (or possibly equal) requirements than your reserve. Anyways, she got the grades for Cardiff, and then had to go there. It seemed a bit silly.
 
Well, you can decide to withdraw your application from the university if you want and then go through clearing. You still have to go if you choose one, though, yeah.

And the offers have to be at least equal. A girl I know chose two AAA offers as her firm and reserve. I was lke "lol." at her. Bitch got them both, too. :/
 
? Can you put an unconditional as your second choice under a conditional offer or would you have to put it as your first choice?
 
I'm kind of flailing at the moment in case Sheffield gives me a lower offer than Cardiff. It probably won't happen but if it does :/

Either way, firm would be Sheffield and reserve would be Cardiff. Because like. That's how I rooooolllll.
 
Dannichu said:
Yeah, I had a friend who applied to a bunch of universities and got offers from all of them, but the lowest offer any of them gave her was Plymouth, which was the uni she most wanted to go to. So she had to pick something else for her first choice (Cardiff, I think) because your first choice uni has to have higher (or possibly equal) requirements than your reserve. Anyways, she got the grades for Cardiff, and then had to go there. It seemed a bit silly.
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that's lame :(

I'm glad Nottingham have given me the highest requirements so far
 
It's not normally too much of an issue, because the better, more desirable universities are more likely to ask for higher grades (stands to reason, really), but if there's a uni you specifically want to go to for another reason (its location, for example), then it's a real pain :/

Hey Spaekle, so in the US, do you apply to the college/uni and then just get accepted or rejected based on your application, or do you have the "You HAVE to get these grades in your finals to come here" thing like us?

Oh, and Tailsy, I have absolutely no idea.
 
Hey Spaekle, so in the US, do you apply to the college/uni and then just get accepted or rejected based on your application, or do you have the "You HAVE to get these grades in your finals to come here" thing like us?
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Well, most of the time it is just based on your application and whatever supplements they require. Colleges don't really come to you unless you're awesome; you have to go to them. The way each individual school handles things can be different. It usually starts out with you filling out an application that's just basic information and usually questions about classes you've taken and extracurriculars and things. Then every college has a list of supplements to that they require, which usually includes things like a transcript of your grades, a certain number of recommendation letters, an essay, your SAT/ACT scores, and things like that. You can submit this stuff as you get it and they keep it on file, and then after they've received everything they'll make their decision. Some schools send out their decision letters all at once, and others (usually ones with rolling admissions) will let you know soon after you finish applying. Some colleges will let anyone in if they write a good enough essay, others want to see grades and extracurriculars, and so on. Also, public universities tend to favor in-state applicants.


Though most colleges do require a final transcript of your grades even after you've been accepted; that way if you totally mess up and get crappy grades your last semester of high school they can still revoke your acceptance. Which I imagine would burn quite a bit. :[ That's probably the closet thing we have to what you're talking about. And then most colleges have requirements for applying, like you won't be considered if you have below a 2.0 GPA (or you have to do a bunch of extra supplemental stuff to be considered if you do).
 
It hasn't shown up on track yet but Essex emailed me telling me they made me an offer

The email was lovely and it was obvious they'd actually read my whole personal statement lol. When people say OH THEY ONLY READ THE FIRST AND LAST PARAGRAPH it's bullshit :B

I have like a million open days next year

Also: has anyone actually had an interview yet??
 
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:( THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY Dundee and Napier you douchebags

(now I can stalk my track even though I KNOW I won't hear anything for at least a fortnight.)
 
Mike the Foxhog said:
Just that minute sent my application off~ Now to play the waiting game and maybe start working hard.
They wouldn't let me talk about Phoenix Wright in my statement, though. Spoilsports D:

Tailsy I want your tutor's mouse

(I also realised while paying that there's a symbol on my Visa card which looks far too much like goatse ;-;)
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Okay, now it really is sent. I got my AS grades wrong on the Education section because Edexcel didn't bother giving me a grade for one of my Maths modules so I left it off, and it got returned.
 
Also: has anyone actually had an interview yet??
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Yes. Relax: they won't bite your head off, they won't try to catch you out, all they'll do is ask you questions about the things you have professed an interest in. So long as you've been sincere about your preferred direction of study, you'll be fine. Oh, and my interviewers didn't expect me to know everything, so don't worry if you stumble a few times.
 
opaltiger said:
Yes. Relax: they won't bite your head off, they won't try to catch you out, all they'll do is ask you questions about the things you have professed an interest in. So long as you've been sincere about your preferred direction of study, you'll be fine. Oh, and my interviewers didn't expect me to know everything, so don't worry if you stumble a few times.
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Yeah they said in the letter it'll be informal... ok I'm less nervous now :B even though it's not for another 2+ months
 
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