My favourite Uni has lower UCAS requirements than my second?

I planned to finalise my UCAS options this weekend and choose my firm and insurance choices.

I have been told by many people that it is completely silly for your insurance choice to have higher UCAS points than your firm because if you do not get into your first choice (firm), then you definitely will not get into your insurance choice so you have just wasted your insurance choice option as it would not count at all.

Anyway, out of my 5 offers the Uni I liked the most has a requirement of 320 UCAS points to get in. While my second favourite Uni has a 340 UCAS points requirement to get in. My 3rd favourite is also 340 UCAS points.

I am in a dilemma because I do not see the point in choosing either my 2nd/3rd favourite Uni as my insurance because if I do not get the grades for my first choice (my firm), then I definitely will not get the grades for my insurance!

Could someone give me some advice in this scenario please? Thanks

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Reply 1

Choppyy

I'm in the same scenario as you, I prefer my firm choice with lower grades than my insurance. Personally, I think you should choose the university/course you're going to enjoy the most as your firm, regardless of what grades you may need - you are paying for the privilege after all!

Stick to your guns, go for your favourite and really back yourself to nail these exams and get yourself in to the university which you'd feel the happiest with! Best of luck.

Reply 2

niksta

I don't see a problem with putting an insurance that has slightly higher ucas requirements that your firm. Sometimes your insurance could make allowances for a dropped grade etc, whist your firm doesn't, as they could have more spaces available etc if that makes sense. Also there is always clearing if worst comes to worst. Go with your gut-instinct as you don't want to end up in a uni you don't like :smile:

Reply 3

hamburgerandbeans

Original post by niksta

Just thought i would mention, I am going on a gap year so I have deferred entry. Therefore if I do not get the grades I want, I can always reapply during the next academic year.

Reply 4

Melikeyflute

Like Niksta said, sometimes universities accept you even if you don't meet the grades so you may as well put the higher offer as insurance.

Reply 5

niksta

Original post by hamburgerandbeans

Just thought i would mention, I am going on a gap year so I have deferred entry. Therefore if I do not get the grades I want, I can always reapply during the next academic year.

There you go then :smile:

go for it! :smile:

Reply 6

stud(ious)

Don't worry about this... Go with your firm choice as the chooser equipment one.

I think if you choose the other university just because it asks for higher points would you would very quickly regret it by sounds of it.

Which unis are they?

Reply 7

hamburgerandbeans

Original post by stud(ious)

The other 2 Uni's are still pretty good and I would still be fairly happy there, but I reckon I would be more happy at the Uni I hope to make my first choice. Bath, Brighton and Portsmouth.

Reply 8

KJane

Original post by hamburgerandbeans

Just thought i would mention, I am going on a gap year so I have deferred entry. Therefore if I do not get the grades I want, I can always reapply during the next academic year.

I made the mistake of putting another university as my firm because it had higher entry requirements and my favourite as an insurance, luckily I got into my insurance anyway.

But if you know that's where you want to go, put the lower offer as your firm, don't forget that it's possible that a firm might accept you anyway if you fall slightly below offer if they have spaces, and the same for an insurance too. If not, like you said, with a gap year you can just reapply next year anyway. :smile:

Reply 9

fluttershy

It's important to remember that once you are accepted by your firm choice, you then either have the choice to either accept the place, or to pull out of the system and if you want go through clearing. You cannot reject a place at your firm choice and accept your reserve. Your firm choice should be the University you most wish to go to.

Reply 10

hamburgerandbeans

Original post by stud(ious)

I am thinking of choosing Portsmouth as my firm (320 points) and Bath as my insurance (340 points). Before anyone says, I know Bath has a lot better reputation but Portsmouth has extremely high student satisfaction generally, as well as extremely high for my course (this is shown by ALL league tables, and on unistats about 96% of current students are saying they are happy/enjoying the course/time at the Uni).

Reply 11

blair turgott

Difficult situation. Just go with your gut feeling

Reply 12

scriggy

I did this, and was oddly rejected by my firm but accepted by my insurance. :tongue:

Reply 13

blair turgott

Original post by scriggy

I did this, and was oddly rejected by my firm but accepted by my insurance. :tongue:

That is strange. What were the grades your firm was asking for and what was the grades your insurance was asking for? And what was the grade you ended up getting?

Reply 14

Dan1909

I did exactly this.

My insurance choice had higher grade requirements than my main choice. However I knew that even if I got the grades to get into the higher requirement uni, I would still have chosen the one I did, so I may as well put it as main.

Reply 15

dylantombides

Original post by blair turgott

Difficult situation. Just go with your gut feeling

The thing is though, he is trying to go with his gut instinct but he doesn't have a clue which to choose.....

Reply 16

hamburgerandbeans

Could anyone else help please as the UCAS deadline is approaching very soon so I don't have long to make a decision!

Reply 17

kpwxx

Original post by hamburgerandbeans

Could anyone else help please as the UCAS deadline is approaching very soon so I don't have long to make a decision!

I agree with the above, put your favourite as your firm. As you still would like to go to your second of put that as your insurance, like others have said you may get in if they are more lenient. Plus though people may say it's a 'waste' of your insurance choice it's also a waste if you put your fourth or fifth choice as your insurance and end up not going at all because you'd rather Resit and try again (which from what you've said sounds likely), when you could have had a chance with your second.

Xxx

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my MB526

Reply 18

blair turgott

Very difficult situation

Reply 19

britchick

I've also been faced with the same situation as you - teachers thought I was crazy when I firmed ABB and put my insurance as AAA. But the ABB uni is the one I absolutely fell in love with. And it's impossible for me to get AAA (I don't even know why this uni gave me this offer) so it would be pointless putting the AAA as my firm if I already KNOW all I could potentially get is the ABB, so I put the ABB as my firm as this will guarantee me accommodation if I get the grades (I've already been told my room number now and everything!)
I think you have to trust your gut instinct. If 320 points is the lowest out of all your uni choices you might as well firm it, as you'd be choosing it as insurance anyway, and if getting 340 is quite unrealistic anyway (like me) then you might as well firm the one you want, where you'll be spending the next 3-4 years and spending so much on the course, and you can choose accommodation etc.