Can a university accept me if I get AAA instead of an A*AA offer.

they can't force you to attend if you do not meet the conditions of the offer. At least, this is how I read it when I replied to my offers. If there is something in the small print that contradicts this, I would be particularly interested in seeing it.

My Firm - A*AA - CASS Actuarial Science. (Not very competitive as most people go to ucl/lse/imperial/oxbridge with those requirements although Actuarial Science is generally regarded as a competitive subject). CASS gives me a grant if I get A*AA (nothing below it)

My Insurance - AAA - UCL Economics & Statistics. (Very Competitive, so an AAB would not get me a place).

Problem is I want to go to CASS ONLY if I can get a grant. Now I get an AAA, and CASS still offer me a place in their A*AA course - will it automatically reject my insurance or will it show up as a message or something as a change so I can accept either UCL or CASS.

I understand that people who miss the grades frequently get on the course for various reasons. However, on the UCAS website it says

"If you accept a conditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college if you meet the conditions of the offer. You can accept another offer as an insurance choice."

Why have you only left 1 grade between your firm and insurance choices?

Is there some rule of thumb in your school that one should leave more? Lots of people have insurance offers that have the same requirements as the firm.

You are quite right - they cannot force you to attend. However, what happens when a firmly-accepted offer is confirmed - for any reason - is that the insurance becomes null and void. Not attending the firm involves going to clearing (which could take days to achieve in practice), where the insurance offer may no longer be available, or leaving the system altogether.

I see. Could a simple letter to UCAS or the institution requiring that the terms of the agreement be adhered to (to the letter) solve this?

Why have you only left 1 grade between your firm and insurance choices?

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This is what I've interpreted from your post (please clarify if I've got anything wrong):

- You've put Cass as your firm and UCL as insurance.

-Both universities are asking for grades of AAA.

-However, Cass have stated they would award you scholarship if you achieved at least A*AA in your exams.

-For that reason you put Cass as your first choice.

-However, you feel that if you didn't get A*AA and subsequently missed out on the scholarship/grant, you would instead prefer to go to UCL (who in effect made the exact same offer of AAA).

-Hence, you're asking that if on results day you got AAA, could you withdraw from your offer with Cass and attend UCL instead?

The answer to this is a bit tricky. Obviously Cass and UCL will know the results a few days beforehand to help them allocate places. If you got AAA and kept the choices as they are Cass would confirm your place and in that effect UCL would assume that you are no longer interested in them and you'd effectively "no longer be on their books". They would therefore allocate places in the instance to those who put them down as a fist choice and then anyone who put them as an insurance (who didn't get the grades for their firm offer).

Whilst you are at liberty to contact institutions on results day and ask UCL if they would be willing to consider yoou give the situation I outlined above it could be incredibly tricky as UCL would be under no obligation to accept as you didn't stipulate them as a first choice. It's not impossible or unheard of but could be potentially tricky. Even then there is also the likelihood they may not be able to provide you accommodation as all of this would have been allocated to those who put UCL as a firm and internationals (I had this issue a few years back with a London University).

It might be best if you start making enquiries now although I'd recommend you just focus on yourr exams and get the grades you need. Obviously you'd be in a better bargaining situation with the grades tto hand. One alternative would be to ask UCAS (and the universities) to reverse your choices i.e. put UCL as your firm and Cass as second choice. I'm sure that might be feasible at this point but then obviously you'd be missing out on the potential grant from Cass if you did end up getting at least A*AA and attended UCL instead.

Hope that was helpful.

"If you accept a conditional offer, you are agreeing that you will attend the course at that university or college if you meet the conditions of the offer. You can accept another offer as an insurance choice."

Now, to my untrained eye, it looks like, whilst they always have the option of allowing you to attend, they can't force you to attend if you do not meet the conditions of the offer. At least, this is how I read it when I replied to my offers. If there is something in the small print that contradicts this, I would be particularly interested in seeing it.

Is there some rule of thumb in your school that one should leave more? Lots of people have insurance offers that have the same requirements as the firm.

I was under the impression that your insurance was an insurance ie. theres bit of a fallback in case something goes wrong on the exam day, more than 1 grade.

That's exactly how I read it. So doesn't that mean CASS can't force me to go to an A*AA (conditional offer) course when I only got AAA?

Re-read my previous posts. They cannot force you to go, but the system gives you few options when a firm offer is confirmed (even if you don't attain the requirement) - and accepting the insurance is not one of them.

Yup that's what I meant. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I prefered to go to the insurance choice (UCL) but my firm (CASS) gives me a grant if I get an A*AA. So if I get AAA, I want to go to my insurance choice, not my firm.

I'm assuming you're doing a Business related degree? in which case CASS is better than UCL (as cass is a business school)...unless its economics at UCL

you can try ringing up UCL and ask if you were to get A*AA, would they accept you?

Then should I email CASS to release me/give me a place at their foundation course if I get an AAA?

No, since (a) time is all-important and (b) the university has discretion to confirm any offer it wishes. In any event we are not dealing with contract law here; we are operating within a process with rules.

If you get AAA and you need A*AA you wont get in.

Yes, I understand your opinion on the matter but what I was wondering was if you had any evidence to back it up.