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High Uni Offers - Quite Worried!!

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum, but wondered if any of you could possibly help me out with something.. I'm a mature student (22), joined on an Access to HE course September 2012, and it's all going fairly well. Applied through UCAS to my five choices, and I've heard back from 4 of them with conditional offers, the fifth has offered me an interview. The problem is all four seem extremely high offers; we complete 45 credits on an Access course, and all four want 30 distinction credits and 15 merits. I've spoke to other people on my course at college and no one seems to have anywhere near as high demands, in fact there are quite a few who only need to pass the course! Also, one of the offers I received is from a University which stated on their website that I'd need 27 credits at distinction, is their info on the website simply an example? Or could I ask them whether they would consider lowering the offer to what their website states? (having to meet 30 or fail to get into Uni is worrying me hugely at the moment!)

So basically I was wondering, has anyone else done an Access course and think these offers are quite high? Is there anything I can do?

Thanks in advance for any help, advice, I would really appreciate it! :smile:

Reply 1

Biddyish

Right now, best advice is to take it as a challenge.

You've got the offers - pick your preferences and then get on with the course and put unis out of your mind. You can't do anything about their offers at this stage and in any event you want to do as well as you can on your access course now - by the time you complete a degree you'll think it was worth the effort and much easier than you thought.

Once you've done your best, if you met the requirements, no issue. If not then ask your choices to reconsider at that point or look at clearing.

In the worst case scenario you reapply next year - 22 is still young in the grand scheme of things so you have some time to make it up. But now is the time to pull your standard up in your access course as high as poss.

If it helps, one of my relatives did an access course and got high offers. She ended up exceeding them quite considerably (the offers gave her a kick up the backside) and decided not to go to the places she'd applied to but she ended up at a top tier uni and got a 2:1. If you'd asked me if that would have happened without the high offer, I'd say no - she'd have just worked enough to scrape it.

It's a lifelong journey, education. Embrace it.

Best of luck.

Reply 2

TenOfThem

Original post by olderstudent90

Thanks in advance for any help, advice, I would really appreciate it! :smile:

Presumably you have applied to more competitive courses/universities than your classmates

The 27 will have been a guide and they may well have had more applications this year and, therefore, have increased their offer

All you can do is choose one and then work hard, hoping that your PS was good enough to sway them if you just miss the offer

Reply 3

matthewoingram

You could try and 'network' with your admissions tutors at Open Days/Visit Days or simply by emailing them? If you make a good impression, it could be enough to make them want you if you do miss out on your offer :smile: