Changing UCAS application in January

I have offers from Durham (AAA), Bath (ABB) and Exeter (AAB) to study French and Italian. I'm still waiting on Oxford and Edinburgh. I think, if I were to get an offer from Oxford (pretty unlikely) I would make it my firm. But I don't really want to study French and Italian anymore....I would like to study History, perhaps with French...

Would I be able to find a place in UCAS Extra this year for history at:
Manchester
Warwick
Leeds
Liverpool
Southampton
Bristol
Nottingham

Do these places do Extra? I don't know what to expect! I really want to go to uni this year!

Reply 1

Palatine

Original post by BeautifulPotato

No-one knows for certain but I would think it extremely unlikely as I would be surprised if History at any Russell Group university did not close to new applications on January 15th. You could try adjustment in August (if you're eligible) but in the meantime, have you approached the universities you've applied to and asked if they would consider you for an alternative course? You have nothing to lose by asking and as it is before the deadline, they may still be able to at least consider the request.

Reply 2

SlowlorisIncognito

I think most of the places you have mentioned use UCAS extra, however, obviously they may not have space on their courses, and history is quite a popular course, so this makes it less likely there will be spaces in extra. If they do have spaces in UCAS extra, these could be very few, so you may have to make a decision before you get a response from Oxford. Would you be happy to do this?

However, these universities will judge you based on your initial application, which will have a PS for Italian and French, so this could count against you WRT getting offers.

If any of the universities have say they have space available in extra, it may be best to contact them by email first and explain your change of heart. This will also enable you to confirm they still have spaces available. In this case, the universities may allow you to submit another personal statement, although they do not have to. It would probably be best to email the universities you are interested in before withdrawing from your other offers.

Reply 3

returnmigrant

In order to enter Extra you would need to reject ALL your Offers/current choices. You would have to do this without any guarantee that you could get an Offer on a course you wanted. VERY risky!

A much better option is to contact the Unis you have currently applied to and ask if you can be considered for a course change (check you have the right admissions requirements first). You can hang onto your current Offers etc whilst you do this. If they can't offer you anything, you still have as many of your current Offers as you want.

The other alternative is to drop your entire UCAS application this year and apply next year with a totally fresh PS and a considered choice of where you want to go and do. You would be applying with known grades and would have the chance to do Open Days etc. You don't have to go to Uni this year - what one year's wait to get the course/Uni you really want?

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

BeautifulPotato

Original post by returnmigrant

Thank you for your advice. I think I will just wait and see how this year pans out as I didn't realise how risky UCAS extra was etc. I might reapply next year, will it be OK going to uni aged 20? I have already taken a gap year earlier on for health reasons...worried I'll be too old!

Reply 5

returnmigrant

Original post by BeautifulPotato

Will it be OK going to uni aged 20? I have already taken a gap year earlier on for health reasons...worried I'll be too old!

People go to University right up to and including retirement. You will still be one of the 'younger' ones at 20, and in any case at Uni actual ages cease to be significant - you are all just 'students'.

Reply 6

emma2013

I used UCAS extra last year, and got a place through it at Warwick.

If memory serves me correctly, all of those unis participated to at least a certain extent in extra, but this would obviously depend on the course. I was using extra for classics/modern languages courses, which is obviously a less oversubscribed option than history, so it may be slightly more difficult to find history courses.

What I found is that joint honours courses, particularly with modern languages, were more likely to be available through extra, hence I would say you would be more likely to find a course going for history and french.

You have a few options:
(1) contact the unis you already have offers from and ask if they would consider letting you change course- they're not going to take your offer away for asking!

(2) If you're still unhappy then there is the option of declining your offers and using extra. Bear in mind that there is no guarantee of securing a place in extra, so be aware of what you are giving up.

(3) using a post-results day service such as clearing or adjustment to secure a place, but again places for single honours history are likely to be thin on the ground- history and french will be a more viable option.

Also bear in mind that using extra unis will see your original modern languages PS, you can however contact the unis in question and ask if they are happy for you to email them a history personal statement- warwick were more than happy for me to do this.

Finally, don't decline your current offers until you're absolutely sure that you can't change course and are definite that you don't want to go there- you should keep your options as open as possible if you definitely want to go to uni this year.

Hope this helps!

Changing UCAS application in January

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