The Student Room Group

Which university to choose as my insurance?

Hi,

Now that I have got my offers, I can now pick my firm and my insurance :biggrin:.

My firm want AAB

But I don't know what to pick as my insurance. My lowest offer is BBC, and my second lowest is 360 UCAS points (BBB/ABC + 60 points).

Thing is, I don't really want to go to my lowest offer and instead go to my second lowest.

What are the chances of them slightly lowering their entry requirements or taking me in if I narrowly miss their entry requirement?

I just don't want to go to my lowest offer, simply because it is away from home and doesn't really interest me now.

Thanks

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
They probably won't considering 360 UCAS points is equivalent to AAA, which is higher than your firm. However if you get A*A*C then your firm might reject you and your insurance accept you as you've met their requirements of 360 UCAS points.

I wouldn't advise choosing a uni you don't want to go to as your insurance as you need to be willing to go there if you miss the grades for your firm. An insurance unlikely to accept you if you miss your firm offer is better than no insurance choice, and you have nothing to lose so I'd say insure the 360 points offer.
Reply 2
Original post by StacFace
They probably won't considering 360 UCAS points is equivalent to AAA, which is higher than your firm. However if you get A*A*C then your firm might reject you and your insurance accept you as you've met their requirements of 360 UCAS points.

I wouldn't advise choosing a uni you don't want to go to as your insurance as you need to be willing to go there if you miss the grades for your firm. An insurance unlikely to accept you if you miss your firm offer is better than no insurance choice, and you have nothing to lose so I'd say insure the 360 points offer.


Oh ok.

My second lowest offer which was 360 UCAS points accept points from the AS subjects I dropped as well :biggrin:. So I got 60 points last year since I took an additional two a-levels. I am now left with the possibilty of getting ABC or BBB. The question is what happens if I get BBC, for example?

Because then that would be 340 UCAS points??
Reply 3
Original post by exam2k10
Oh ok.

My second lowest offer which was 360 UCAS points accept points from the AS subjects I dropped as well :biggrin:. So I got 60 points last year since I took an additional two a-levels. I am now left with the possibilty of getting ABC or BBB. The question is what happens if I get BBC, for example?

Because then that would be 340 UCAS points??


In that case definetely insure the 360 UCAS offer, as you've got a good chance of still getting in, and even if you don't you've said that you don't really want to go to your other potential insurance so if you get BBC and they don't accept it then you'd be better off going through clearing or taking a gap year/3rd year at college and reapplying for next year with your grades (with your firm where you really want to go and an insurance which matches your current grades and you'd still be happy to go to).
Reply 4
Original post by StacFace
In that case definetely insure the 360 UCAS offer, as you've got a good chance of still getting in, and even if you don't you've said that you don't really want to go to your other potential insurance so if you get BBC and they don't accept it then you'd be better off going through clearing or taking a gap year/3rd year at college and reapplying for next year with your grades (with your firm where you really want to go and an insurance which matches your current grades and you'd still be happy to go to).


Oh ok thanks. :biggrin:. Do you know if in the past, universities have accepted applicants who have narrowly missed their grades?
Hypothetically speaking, I get 340 UCAS points and they want 360 UCAS points.
How will I know the outcome of whether I got rejected or not?
Will I know on results day or would I have to call them up?
Thanks
Original post by exam2k10
Oh ok thanks. :biggrin:. Do you know if in the past, universities have accepted applicants who have narrowly missed their grades?
Hypothetically speaking, I get 340 UCAS points and they want 360 UCAS points.
How will I know the outcome of whether I got rejected or not?
Will I know on results day or would I have to call them up?
Thanks


It does sometimes happen depending on the course and university. You'll know on results day.
Reply 6
Lots of unis accept students who miss their grades. They have places to fill and would rather go with someone they know than to go through clearing.

You'll find out on Results Day. UCAS will either show "Congratulations! You have a place at Uni of (firm or insurance)" or will state that you can go through Clearing. Even if you didn't get your firm or insurance, would recommend that you phone them up, they may still have places in Clearing and could reconsider. You never know until you ask.
Reply 7
Original post by hassi94
It does sometimes happen depending on the course and university. You'll know on results day.


Oh ok. Thanks :biggrin:
Reply 8
Original post by glf2110
Lots of unis accept students who miss their grades. They have places to fill and would rather go with someone they know than to go through clearing.

You'll find out on Results Day. UCAS will either show "Congratulations! You have a place at Uni of (firm or insurance)" or will state that you can go through Clearing. Even if you didn't get your firm or insurance, would recommend that you phone them up, they may still have places in Clearing and could reconsider. You never know until you ask.


Oh Ok. Thanks.

Just out of interest, why do a lot of universities say over the phone or directly that if I miss my grades, they may reject me?

I got a feeling that they might not and like you said 'Lots of unis accept students who miss their grades. They have places to fill and would rather go with someone they know than to go through clearing'.
Reply 9
Original post by exam2k10
Oh Ok. Thanks.

Just out of interest, why do a lot of universities say over the phone or directly that if I miss my grades, they may reject me?

I got a feeling that they might not and like you said 'Lots of unis accept students who miss their grades. They have places to fill and would rather go with someone they know than to go through clearing'.


The essential word is "may". Unis make more offers than they have places. It's all about balancing numbers and getting the calibre of student that they want. They may have vacancies if the offers that they've made don' t Firm or Insure/meet their offer etc.
Reply 10
Original post by glf2110
The essential word is "may". Unis make more offers than they have places. It's all about balancing numbers and getting the calibre of student that they want. They may have vacancies if the offers that they've made don' t Firm or Insure/meet their offer etc.


Ok. So what happens if everyone gets an offer then ??
Reply 11
Original post by exam2k10
Ok. So what happens if everyone gets an offer then ??


Do you mean if everyone who gets an offer then Firms? Then they stuff up and get heavily fined (Think Exeter did this a couple of years ago and they pleaded with applicants to defer a year). Unis usually get it right-ish.
Reply 12
Original post by glf2110
Do you mean if everyone who gets an offer then Firms? Then they stuff up and get heavily fined (Think Exeter did this a couple of years ago and they pleaded with applicants to defer a year). Unis usually get it right-ish.


No sorry. I mean what happens if the people who got offers from the university all meet the entry requirements. Then what happens?
Reply 13
Original post by exam2k10
No sorry. I mean what happens if the people who got offers from the university all meet the entry requirements. Then what happens?


If they've firmed then the university is obliged to take them if they meet their offer. If the uni have taken too many then they get fined. If you don't meet your firm but do meet your insurance, then they are obliged to take you.
Reply 14
Original post by glf2110
If they've firmed then the university is obliged to take them if they meet their offer. If the uni have taken too many then they get fined. If you don't meet your firm but do meet your insurance, then they are obliged to take you.


Who my insurance? Or my firm?

Sorry, I'm just a bit worried. Thats all :smile:.

I really want to go to my firm who want AAB. I was predicted ABB and was given an offer. My mate was also predicted the same grades and also applied to the same course as me. However, we think AAB is a bit too much for us. We know if we try really hard we can get ABB.

So hypothetically speaking, we get ABB, and they want AAB, what happens??
Reply 15
Original post by exam2k10
Who my insurance? Or my firm?

Sorry, I'm just a bit worried. Thats all :smile:.

I really want to go to my firm who want AAB. I was predicted ABB and was given an offer. My mate was also predicted the same grades and also applied to the same course as me. However, we think AAB is a bit too much for us. We know if we try really hard we can get ABB.

So hypothetically speaking, we get ABB, and they want AAB, what happens??


They don't have to take you. You have to meet the offer to be "guaranteed" the place. If you miss it, then it is purely down to the discretion of the uni whether they wish to take you or not and you won't find out until results day on UCAS. If your insurance is ABB then they would be obliged to take you if your Firm rejected you. Hope this helps.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 16
Original post by glf2110
They don't have to take you. You have to meet the offer to be "guaranteed" the place. If you miss it, then it is purely down to the discretion of the uni whether they wish to take you or not and you won't find out until results day on UCAS. If your insurance is ABB then they would be obliged to take you if your Firm rejected you. Hope this helps.


Yh it does. Thanks.

Will my insurance know who I have firmed?
Original post by exam2k10
Yh it does. Thanks.

Will my insurance know who I have firmed?


Yes.

There is a point where universities get transparency on this.
Reply 18
Original post by exam2k10
Yh it does. Thanks.

Will my insurance know who I have firmed?


Yes.
Reply 19
Original post by glf2110
Yes.


Damn. Isn't that a bad thing?

Quick Reply

Latest