[AbsolutePotOfKurry]

Hi fellow studentroomers

I was just reading up about clearing and such, because I assumed that if I don't get into my firm, I didn't have to go to my insurance but could choose clearing options.. apparently that's not the case and you have to beg your insurance to let your go before trying clearing.. I don't know what to do!

The likeliness is that I may get into my firm, but most probably not. But I've changed my mind about my insurance, as I would rather go to University of Sheffield because they offer my course as 75/25 instead of my current insurance which is 50/50. I did choose from what I had applied for wisely, so please don't say i'm silly for just putting down a firm I may not get into and an insurance I don't really want to go to, I'd rather have a uni place than none...

The thing is I may not meet Sheffield's requirements either, or instead of AAB that they want I may get like A*BB.. what do I do? I don't want to beg insurance to let me go, then have Sheffield reject me.. but I also don't particularly want to go to my insurance.

majorly confused

[accountant-future]

(Original post by AbsolutePotOfKurry)
Hi fellow studentroomers

I was just reading up about clearing and such, because I assumed that if I don't get into my firm, I didn't have to go to my insurance but could choose clearing options.. apparently that's not the case and you have to beg your insurance to let your go before trying clearing.. I don't know what to do!

The likeliness is that I may get into my firm, but most probably not. But I've changed my mind about my insurance, as I would rather go to University of Sheffield because they offer my course as 75/25 instead of my current insurance which is 50/50. I did choose from what I had applied for wisely, so please don't say i'm silly for just putting down a firm I may not get into and an insurance I don't really want to go to, I'd rather have a uni place than none...

The thing is I may not meet Sheffield's requirements either, or instead of AAB that they want I may get like A*BB.. what do I do? I don't want to beg insurance to let me go, then have Sheffield reject me.. but I also don't particularly want to go to my insurance.

majorly confused

Is your insurance actually that bad? But if you don't want to go to the insurance that bad then you need to let them know and say you won't be going there no matter what

I shouldn't worry, if you're likely to achieve your firm then all is well

[AbsolutePotOfKurry]

(Original post by accountant-future)
Is your insurance actually that bad? But if you don't want to go to the insurance that bad then you need to let them know and say you won't be going there no matter what

I shouldn't worry, if you're likely to achieve your firm then all is well

It isn't that bad, it's just the course is 50/50, which for the career path I want isn't the best option..

I would rather go there than nowhere though..

And I don't think I'll reach my firm, it was an optimistic choice, as they offered me a place if I get AAA, even though my predicted grades are ABB. Why didn't they reject me then? Maybe means the course was underfilled.

[oxymoronic]

(Original post by AbsolutePotOfKurry)
Hi fellow studentroomers

I was just reading up about clearing and such, because I assumed that if I don't get into my firm, I didn't have to go to my insurance but could choose clearing options.. apparently that's not the case and you have to beg your insurance to let your go before trying clearing.. I don't know what to do!

The likeliness is that I may get into my firm, but most probably not. But I've changed my mind about my insurance, as I would rather go to University of Sheffield because they offer my course as 75/25 instead of my current insurance which is 50/50. I did choose from what I had applied for wisely, so please don't say i'm silly for just putting down a firm I may not get into and an insurance I don't really want to go to, I'd rather have a uni place than none...

The thing is I may not meet Sheffield's requirements either, or instead of AAB that they want I may get like A*BB.. what do I do? I don't want to beg insurance to let me go, then have Sheffield reject me.. but I also don't particularly want to go to my insurance.

majorly confused

So to clarify, where is your firm and insurance?
Or more, where do Sheffield fit into this - is Sheffield currently your firm, insurance or neither of these options?

[accountant-future]

(Original post by AbsolutePotOfKurry)
It isn't that bad, it's just the course is 50/50, which for the career path I want isn't the best option..

I would rather go there than nowhere though..

And I don't think I'll reach my firm, it was an optimistic choice, as they offered me a place if I get AAA, even though my predicted grades are ABB. Why didn't they reject me then? Maybe means the course was underfilled.

Well if you'd rather go to your insurance than nowhere then what's the problem? Seems you've chosen an ambitious (but better) choice for your firm and your back up as an insurance, that's all your insurance is; a back-up

Maybe they accepted you because hardly anyone had the predicted grades of AAA? If not that many people achieve AAA, then the chances of them accepting you if you get ABB increases I think

[TheSownRose]

(Original post by AbsolutePotOfKurry)
X

1. It's not really begging. I've yet to come across a case where a university refused to let someone go or took a lot of persuading - they can theoretically refuse, but in practice they don't want a student who doesn't want to be there. The bigger problem is you won't be their priority on results day, so it may take a bit of time to get released; a couple of days isn't unusual, there are cases where it takes a couple of weeks (although these are cited as worst case scenarios rather than the norm.)

2. Not ending up with anywhere is the risk you take when you willingly enter Clearing. I took it, plenty of other people take it - it works out well for some of us, some of us end up reapplying instead. If you want to play it safe, the best way forward is to wait until results day. If you get into your firm, there is no problem. If you don't and get into your insurance, phone Sheffield and ask about the possibility of getting an offer.

However, they're unlikely to be able to offer anything concrete without having a look at your application, and they need a Clearing number to do this. So, somewhere along the line, you will likely have to decide whether Sheffield is worth the risk. Even if they will make an offer without seeing the application, it won't be binding and there is a chance that the situation will change between speaking to them and actually being in the position where you can add them as your Clearing choice.

To sum it up... Willingly entering Clearing is a risk. You need to decide for yourself whether it's worth it. IMO, you have an insurance that you say yourself you wouldn't mind going to so I wouldn't personally enter it, but then I don't know how much you want to go to Sheffield.

[AbsolutePotOfKurry]

(Original post by oxymoronic)
So to clarify, where is your firm and insurance?
Or more, where do Sheffield fit into this - is Sheffield currently your firm, insurance or neither of these options?

My firm is Southampton (AAA) insurance is Birmingham (ABB) and Sheffield is another uniersity i have found to do my preferred course of 75/25 (like Southampton) rather than 50/50 @ Bham

(Original post by accountant-future)
Well if you'd rather go to your insurance than nowhere then what's the problem? Seems you've chosen an ambitious (but better) choice for your firm and your back up as an insurance, that's all your insurance is; a back-up

Maybe they accepted you because hardly anyone had the predicted grades of AAA? If not that many people achieve AAA, then the chances of them accepting you if you get ABB increases I think

The problem is i'd rather not go to Bham, and instead go Sheffield, but I'm not sure if it's worth the risk or how great the risk of going about clearing is.. but TheSownRose clarifies this a bit
Would it be cruel to hope that others who applied for my course underachieved? Haha.. it's not very popular I think..[Maths w/ German] nevertheless they have set requirements for a reason..

(Original post by TheSownRose)
1. It's not really begging. I've yet to come across a case where a university refused to let someone go or took a lot of persuading - they can theoretically refuse, but in practice they don't want a student who doesn't want to be there. The bigger problem is you won't be their priority on results day, so it may take a bit of time to get released; a couple of days isn't unusual, there are cases where it takes a couple of weeks (although these are cited as worst case scenarios rather than the norm.)

2. Not ending up with anywhere is the risk you take when you willingly enter Clearing. I took it, plenty of other people take it - it works out well for some of us, some of us end up reapplying instead. If you want to play it safe, the best way forward is to wait until results day. If you get into your firm, there is no problem. If you don't and get into your insurance, phone Sheffield and ask about the possibility of getting an offer.

However, they're unlikely to be able to offer anything concrete without having a look at your application, and they need a Clearing number to do this. So, somewhere along the line, you will likely have to decide whether Sheffield is worth the risk. Even if they will make an offer without seeing the application, it won't be binding and there is a chance that the situation will change between speaking to them and actually being in the position where you can add them as your Clearing choice.

To sum it up... Willingly entering Clearing is a risk. You need to decide for yourself whether it's worth it. IMO, you have an insurance that you say yourself you wouldn't mind going to so I wouldn't personally enter it, but then I don't know how much you want to go to Sheffield.

1. That makes sense xD I just read that you have to 'beg' O.o Ah, that's really annoying...

2. How did it work out for you? That sounds like a really good idea
Hm.. maybe I should just wait 'til closer to the time then? And let all fair it's own way on results day...
Have there been cases where they agree to offering a place over the phone, then people can't actually get in? That'd be awful!

thanks everyone, so helpful!

[TheSownRose]

(Original post by AbsolutePotOfKurry)
1. That makes sense xD I just read that you have to 'beg' O.o Ah, that's really annoying...

2. How did it work out for you? That sounds like a really good idea
Hm.. maybe I should just wait 'til closer to the time then? And let all fair it's own way on results day...
Have there been cases where they agree to offering a place over the phone, then people can't actually get in? That'd be awful!

thanks everyone, so helpful!

I was just giving the links to TSR's Clearing guides to someone else and I'm guessing you got 'begging' from them?

It worked out well for me, I got a Clearing offer that I would likely never have been given during the normal cycle. However, I was in a different situation because I would have rather reapplied than gone to my firm or insurance, so there was no risk in me getting released to use Clearing - I was expecting to reapply anyway, so if Clearing didn't work, oh well, I'll go back to the original plan. Having an insurance you wouldn't mind does complicate it.

You may find that waiting clears your mind up on the issue - it took me a while to be sure that I'd rather go no where than my firm or insurance. Alternatively, you may reconsider and decide you do like Birmingham after all and forget about Sheffield.

It can happen. It's not common, but an offer over the phone during Clearing isn't confirmed and there have been a few cases where people find their Clearing choice rejects them (from what I recall, at least one was because the university had given an offer for one place to two people and the other person got in first.)

[AbsolutePotOfKurry]

(Original post by TheSownRose)
I was just giving the links to TSR's Clearing guides to someone else and I'm guessing you got 'begging' from them?

It worked out well for me, I got a Clearing offer that I would likely never have been given during the normal cycle. However, I was in a different situation because I would have rather reapplied than gone to my firm or insurance, so there was no risk in me getting released to use Clearing - I was expecting to reapply anyway, so if Clearing didn't work, oh well, I'll go back to the original plan. Having an insurance you wouldn't mind does complicate it.

You may find that waiting clears your mind up on the issue - it took me a while to be sure that I'd rather go no where than my firm or insurance. Alternatively, you may reconsider and decide you do like Birmingham after all and forget about Sheffield.

It can happen. It's not common, but an offer over the phone during Clearing isn't confirmed and there have been a few cases where people find their Clearing choice rejects them (from what I recall, at least one was because the university had given an offer for one place to two people and the other person got in first.)

Yep I did xD

Hm, I guess that's quite different :/ It's taken me a while to decide on my course, that's why I had applied for a little mix.. and now that I have finally decided I'm essentially in a position where that decision no longer counts if i go to my insurance >_<

Is Sheffield a good uni? any idea? All these league tables are so different on rankings I don't know which to follow

That'd be really unfair. hmm. thanks for your help

[Origami Bullets]

If it helps, I ended up doing that exactly that on results day. I just rang up the admissions tutor, they sighed at me a little (it sounded like I wasn't the first one) and did it quite rapidly.

However, you need to be aware that there is a likelihood that Sheffield won't be in clearing, and so you will have to take a gap year and reapply.

[Jackso]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
If it helps, I ended up doing that exactly that on results day. I just rang up the admissions tutor, they sighed at me a little (it sounded like I wasn't the first one) and did it quite rapidly.

However, you need to be aware that there is a likelihood that Sheffield won't be in clearing, and so you will have to take a gap year and reapply.

For which university, out of curiosity?

[Origami Bullets]

(Original post by Jackso)
For which university, out of curiosity?

Politics at Leicester.

[Jackso]

(Original post by Origami Bullets)
Politics at Leicester.

Ah, alright. Thanks.