[ennC]

Hey guys,

I got offers from Nottingham and Bristol for a graduate diploma in economics - I have had the offers for a while and suddenly felt like I should have accepted them by now. So I panicked slightly and accepted Notts.

1) Before I go and blindly accept Bristol's offer, how bad is it to accept both offers and tell one of them in a few weeks time that I'm cancelling?

2) More importantly I got a 2:2 in my 2nd year, but have made huge efforts to change learning styles, etc. since taking those exams. Somehow I managed to get reasonably ill for ~6 weeks in my second term this year and as a result I'm submitting a mitigating circumstances form. I finished my final exams yesterday and doubt that I'll get a 2:1 because of the amount of catching up I had to do.

Should I tell the universities I've got offers from about the circumstances now, before I get my results or just wait? (if I do it now it seems more believable?)

Bristol want 63% and Notts just want a 2:1 but I'm gonna apply to other places soon, with lower entrance requirements, just incase - Oh and I'm a finalist BSc dude

[evantej]

(Original post by ennC)
Hey guys,

I got offers from Nottingham and Bristol for a graduate diploma in economics - I have had the offers for a while and suddenly felt like I should have accepted them by now. So I panicked slightly and accepted Notts.

1) Before I go and blindly accept Bristol's offer, how bad is it to accept both offers and tell one of them in a few weeks time that I'm cancelling?

2) More importantly I got a 2:2 in my 2nd year, but have made huge efforts to change learning styles, etc. since taking those exams. Somehow I managed to get reasonably ill for ~6 weeks in my second term this year and as a result I'm submitting a mitigating circumstances form. I finished my final exams yesterday and doubt that I'll get a 2:1 because of the amount of catching up I had to do.

Should I tell the universities I've got offers from about the circumstances now, before I get my results or just wait? (if I do it now it seems more believable?)

Bristol want 63% and Notts just want a 2:1 but I'm gonna apply to other places soon, with lower entrance requirements, just incase - Oh and I'm a finalist BSc dude

Special circumstances should be sorted before you graduate; your undergraduate university knows you personally, and know how illness has likely affected your performance, and by how much, so they are the ones who can change things.

Even if they take your circumstances into account there is no guarantee you will graduate with a 2.1 so I think looking at other universities is a sensible option.

[ennC]

(Original post by evantej)
Special circumstances should be sorted before you graduate; your undergraduate university knows you personally, and know how illness has likely affected your performance, and by how much, so they are the ones who can change things.

Even if they take your circumstances into account there is no guarantee you will graduate with a 2.1 so I think looking at other universities is a sensible option.

Thanks for the response.

I was kind of thinking that if my uni doesn't think the circumstances are enough, there might be a chance that another uni might be more sympathetic and let me in anyway. I guess it can't hurt to mention it to them?

[threeportdrift]

(Original post by ennC)
Thanks for the response.

I was kind of thinking that if my uni doesn't think the circumstances are enough, there might be a chance that another uni might be more sympathetic and let me in anyway. I guess it can't hurt to mention it to them?

If the university that knows you and has a history with you doesn't accept mitigating circumstances, why on earth would a new university that knows nothing about you accept mitigation?

They take a lot of very significant issues on trust from your previous university, the quality of your teaching, your research skills, your exam grades etc. Why would they also not take on trust the fact that your request for mitigation was not sufficient to be accepted?

[evantej]

(Original post by threeportdrift)
If the university that knows you and has a history with you doesn't accept mitigating circumstances, why on earth would a new university that knows nothing about you accept mitigation?

They take a lot of very significant issues on trust from your previous university, the quality of your teaching, your research skills, your exam grades etc. Why would they also not take on trust the fact that your request for mitigation was not sufficient to be accepted?

My thoughts exactly.

[ennC]

(Original post by threeportdrift)
If the university that knows you and has a history with you doesn't accept mitigating circumstances, why on earth would a new university that knows nothing about you accept mitigation?

They take a lot of very significant issues on trust from your previous university, the quality of your teaching, your research skills, your exam grades etc. Why would they also not take on trust the fact that your request for mitigation was not sufficient to be accepted?

Turns out this whole admissions process thing, as I expected, is quite subjective. I spilt my guts in an email to the Nottingham admissions tutor and they let me in

Just told them the truth and it was all good. But then they have a financial incentive to accept me since not many take up the course so I wonder how much of what I said was taken into account

Anyway thanks for the responses guys