The Student Room Group

Scroll to see replies

Should be fine. As long as you don't put your Firm & Insurance having the same requirements (both requiring AAA for example), go for it.
yeah choosing about the same grades could be risky but as long as you are confident theres no reason why you shouldn't choose them
Reply 42
I've got most of my offers, with the exception of Warwick (who are really taking their time...ahem), but I really can't decide my insurance choice.

I do IB, and I've got people recommending me to maintain a 6 point gap between my firm and my insurance, but some people say that I should just pick the top 2... and jump into clearing if I miss them both...

Any advice? especially from the graduates out there....

Thanks in advance!
Reply 43
Cindaaay
I've got most of my offers, with the exception of Warwick (who are really taking their time...ahem), but I really can't decide my insurance choice.

I do IB, and I've got people recommending me to maintain a 6 point gap between my firm and my insurance, but some people say that I should just pick the top 2... and jump into clearing if I miss them both...

Any advice? especially from the graduates out there....

Thanks in advance!
I'd say not to bother to worry about the size of the gap; instead look at which universities/courses you actually like!
Reply 44
I'm going to firm my sheffield offer (I've been rejected from SOAS, just haven't updated sig) but now I'm not sure what to do about my insurance. The choice is between Manchester (ABB the same as Sheffield) and Oxford Brookes(BBC which I'm sure I will get)

Would it be silly of me to put Manchester as an insurance when I could quite easily get the grades for my Oxford Brookes offer?

I was thinking maybe if I missed my offer just slightly one of the two may still let me on the course, but this is a big risk and I really don't like the thought of reapplying. Athough I don't really like the Oxford Brookes course.

Any advice, anybody?
Kelsieee
I'm going to firm my sheffield offer (I've been rejected from SOAS, just haven't updated sig) but now I'm not sure what to do about my insurance. The choice is between Manchester (ABB the same as Sheffield) and Oxford Brookes(BBC which I'm sure I will get)

Would it be silly of me to put Manchester as an insurance when I could quite easily get the grades for my Oxford Brookes offer?

I was thinking maybe if I missed my offer just slightly one of the two may still let me on the course, but this is a big risk and I really don't like the thought of reapplying. Athough I don't really like the Oxford Brookes course.

Any advice, anybody?


If you don't like the OB course then don't put it - you will be much better off on a course you actually enjoy and like rather than on a course you just put down because it seemed more logical from a grades perspective. It is perfectly fine and very common to have your insurance choice with equal or even higher grades to your firm - just because one place doesn't let you in if you missed your offer it doesn't mean another place will do the same, although yes, this year it does look like there will be little movement for people who don't meet their offer.

Basically you've got a choice of put the courses you like down and yes, run the potential risk of reapplying and losing a year or put down a course you don't actually like just for the sake of going to uni this year. With something like Japanese a year out would benefit you and your application more than anything as you would be able to focus your efforts on learning Japanese (or building on what you already know) in preperation for university.
Can people give me their opinions on this please?

Should I have an insurance?

From the two uni's I'm weighing up I have an offer of BBB (Leicester) and another for 300 UCAS points (Reading). I preferred the UCAS open day at Leicester by far and am definatly going to firm it. But should I have Reading as the firm still? With 300 UCAS points it is effectively BBB (or ABC). If I was to get ABC do you think that Leicester would still take me on or not?

Courses are both Ancient History and History.
Reply 47
SirMasterKey
Can people give me their opinions on this please?

Should I have an insurance?

From the two uni's I'm weighing up I have an offer of BBB (Leicester) and another for 300 UCAS points (Reading). I preferred the UCAS open day at Leicester by far and am definatly going to firm it. But should I have Reading as the firm still? With 300 UCAS points it is effectively BBB (or ABC). If I was to get ABC do you think that Leicester would still take me on or not?

Courses are both Ancient History and History.


Yeah, put Reading as the insurance just in case Leicester doesn't accept ABC, for example. Also.. that 300 points may include an AS?
olive*
Yeah, put Reading as the insurance just in case Leicester doesn't accept ABC, for example. Also.. that 300 points may include an AS?


Thank you

It doesn't include AS as it states from 3 A-levels and also I've continued all 4 from AS level so won't have any UCAS points for AS.
Could you please look at my sig and tell me where you would go and why. I have completely ruled out Exeter and Manchester by the way :smile:

Any help would be great :smile:
Reply 50
I would say Manchester becuase its an amazing city and the uni is very very good. But since you've ruled that out i would say Birmingham not because im from there lol. but my brother goes there and they are realy good at getting you jobs - they intoduce to to employers so you can network and build contacts and overall they're are really good uni

But you've already firmed and insured so why are you asking?
Reply 51
Hello people. I am holding offers for Economics from the following unis with these offers

LSE - AAAE, A in Maths, E in Further Maths, 7+ in all IELTS components
UCL - AAAe, A in Maths and Economics
Warwick - AAAB, to include both maths and further maths
Durham - AAA, A in Economics
Nottingham - ABBB

Im firming LSE and I want to put UCL down as insurance just in case my IELTS do not work out. Lets say I miss out on the IELTS requirement and cant get into LSE, I can still get into the UCL course right?

What would you advice, considering the other offers I am holding?
If it's just your IELTS that you're worried about then yeah that's a good idea.
Durham, because Durham is amazing. Yes, I'm biased. Durham is my firm. :P

Since you sound pretty confident about everything except IELTS, it doesn't really matter which one you put down as your insurance. Just go with whichever university you like the most.
xxAFFxx
I would say Manchester becuase its an amazing city and the uni is very very good. But since you've ruled that out i would say Birmingham not because im from there lol. but my brother goes there and they are realy good at getting you jobs - they intoduce to to employers so you can network and build contacts and overall they're are really good uni

But you've already firmed and insured so why are you asking?


I haven't already firmed and insured. I just put what I'm thinking of doing in my sig lol.
UEA ... amazing natural surroundings :smile:
Welllll... I'd choose Exeter! But I applied there and it's a lovely place, really friendly staff too. Why have you ruled it out, out of interest?

From the remaining three - Birmingham (ABB), UEA (BBB) or Sussex (AAB/A*BB)... Do you have a preference for the course? History and Philosophy sounds brilliant to me, but then you may have a different view. Have you visited them? Basically, initially ignore the grades and go for the location and course that appeals to you most. Then, factor in the grades to make a good decision based on firm and insurance choices.

Taking all five into account, I'd put Exeter as my firm and UEA as my insurance. Ruling out Manchester and Exeter, I'd put Birmingham as my firm and UEA as my insurance, as you're thinking of doing.
Reply 57
Hey all, after regretting my firm choice Uni after replying 17 days ago, I've decided I really want to swap around my insurance choice with my firm choice. Can this be done? Who should I contact to change my choices? Thanks
I'm not sure, try calling UCAS.

It might be possible to ask to be released from your firm, but you wouldn't be able to put it as your insurance as far as I know.
Reply 59
I don't think it can be done. You can be released from your firm but I don't think you can then swap... Ring them :smile:

Latest