Insurance/Firm Problem

Hi,

Firstly, I had applied and got offers for Actuarial Science course at CASS, Economics and Statistics at UCL and Queen Mary - Economics & Mathematics (AAB offer)

I had initially applied for the foundation course BBB at CASS but they told me my predicted grades were more suitable to the main course - the A*AA course and so they gave me an offer for the A*AA course within a week. I then asked if I do not get A*AA, will I get into the foundation course. They replied saying they will prioritise my place IF I make them my firm choice.

Now my problem is I wanted to make UCL my firm choice all along.

I got my January results after few weeks of my offers. I done really bad and now I am on a low A in Economics, medium B in Maths and high C in further Maths (ABC).

I feel if I work hard, I can get an AAA but realistically looking at the results, it doesn't look like I can do it.

First question - Can I make CASS my firm and UCL my insurance and IF I do get AAA, can I accept my insurance?

Also, do you think it's worth taking the risk to make UCL my firm and Queen Mary my insurance OR Cass my firm Queen Mary Insurance OR even CASS firm and UCL insurance.

I prefer going to UCL first and CASS 2nd.

So that's my dilemma. Any suggestions what I should do? I have to make my firm and insurance choices before May 9th.

Just curious but what were your AS results which you applyed with?

As for your questions. If you get grades that meet your firm, UCAS will automatically accept the offer come results day. And I'm not sure what your other question is. Cass wants A*AA and UCL wants AAA. If you feel you can meet Cass's offer put it as your firm. If you prefer UCL over Cass, thats fine too, you can put it as your firm. The real question is what you think you will achieve come results day. There's not much point firming one university with A*AA and insurance with AAA if you cant meet the offer.

Cass are saying that they will 'prioritise' and give me a foundation course space if I get minimum BBB (which I will) if they make my A*AA offer as their firm. But UCL's offer is AAA (one less than A*AA). So I'm confused to which university to make it my firm.

And say, if I get AAA on my results day and I had made CASS my firm and UCL my insurance. If CASS STILL gives me a place (despite getting grade lower or giving me place in foundation course), does that mean I can't pick UCL?

Technically if you miss your CASS offer and meet UCL, UCAS will accept it automatically. You will have to ask UCL to release you after that.

Technically if you miss your CASS offer and meet UCL, UCAS will accept it automatically. You will have to ask UCL to release you after that.

Thanks for that. So do you think it is better to make CASS my firm and UCL my insurance?

Thanks for that. So do you think it is better to make CASS my firm and UCL my insurance?

If the OP asks UCL to release them on results day it will be into clearing NOT to their insurance. If you are accepted into your firm choice your insurance becomes defunct and they are not obligated to take you even if you also met their offer.



If you fail to meet the CASS offer on results day and are offered an alternative course of the foundation year (which will come up on UCAS as a change of course that you have to accept) then you will be able to either accept the change of course or go to your insurance; if you meet your insurance offer. However, if you meet the CASS A*AA offer you can't then decide that you want to go to your insurance choice as you've met your firm offer so that's where you're going. You can ask UCAS if you can swap your choices around to make UCL your firm but that requires agreement from UCL as they might say "no sorry, we have no room" as they're not obligated to take people who put them as their insurance, met their grades for their firm but have now decided to go there instead.

If UCL is your favourite then it makes sense for you to put them as your firm. I don't know if accommodation is relevant to you, but I believe UCL have a policy that accommodation is not guaranteed for people who place UCL as their insurance. CASS will also consider people for their foundation course who put the university as their insurance too - the reason they've mentioned firm is basically a marketing poly to encourage you to put them as your firm rather than somewhere like UCL. This is also the reason they've given you such a high offer and encouraged you to be considered for the main course rather than the foundation year. If they'd given you a BBB offer for a foundation year then they can only reasonably expect to be your insurance if they think you're capable of getting A*AA whereas if they give you a A*AA offer then they expect to be your firm. Universities have zero interest in being an insurance choice so they will do/say everything they can to make you put them as your firm which is why they are saying this to you now. If you chose UCL as your firm and CASS as an insurance then that will be fine. Realistically, there are likely to be very few people who will put an A*AA offer as their insurance choice so you're unlikely to be competing against many other candidates who put it as their insurance so I would expect that they will just group all of the near misses from the firm and insurance into one category then decide what to do on the basis of how close you were to it.

If the OP asks UCL to release them on results day it will be into clearing NOT to their insurance. If you are accepted into your firm choice your insurance becomes defunct and they are not obligated to take you even if you also met their offer.



If you fail to meet the CASS offer on results day and are offered an alternative course of the foundation year (which will come up on UCAS as a change of course that you have to accept) then you will be able to either accept the change of course or go to your insurance; if you meet your insurance offer. However, if you meet the CASS A*AA offer you can't then decide that you want to go to your insurance choice as you've met your firm offer so that's where you're going. You can ask UCAS if you can swap your choices around to make UCL your firm but that requires agreement from UCL as they might say "no sorry, we have no room" as they're not obligated to take people who put them as their insurance, met their grades for their firm but have now decided to go there instead.

If UCL is your favourite then it makes sense for you to put them as your firm. I don't know if accommodation is relevant to you, but I believe UCL have a policy that accommodation is not guaranteed for people who place UCL as their insurance. CASS will also consider people for their foundation course who put the university as their insurance too - the reason they've mentioned firm is basically a marketing poly to encourage you to put them as your firm rather than somewhere like UCL. This is also the reason they've given you such a high offer and encouraged you to be considered for the main course rather than the foundation year. If they'd given you a BBB offer for a foundation year then they can only reasonably expect to be your insurance if they think you're capable of getting A*AA whereas if they give you a A*AA offer then they expect to be your firm. Universities have zero interest in being an insurance choice so they will do/say everything they can to make you put them as your firm which is why they are saying this to you now. If you chose UCL as your firm and CASS as an insurance then that will be fine. Realistically, there are likely to be very few people who will put an A*AA offer as their insurance choice so you're unlikely to be competing against many other candidates who put it as their insurance so I would expect that they will just group all of the near misses from the firm and insurance into one category then decide what to do on the basis of how close you were to it.

What if I get AAA and CASS still accepts me for the A*AA course? Can I choose UCL still?