The 'waiting for news is sooo stressful' uberthread 2014-15

Sent off your application? Checking Track all times of day and night? This thread is for you :tongue:

Some FAQ:

How long before UCAS sends me my Welcome letter?
This comes by email only, usually within a couple of days. Do check it and make sure it's accurate as you won't be able to change any of your choices (or correct any mistakes, eg wrong course code) after 7 days.

Note: UCAS no longer sends hard copies of the Welcome letter, so make sure you check those spam folders, and get UCAS onto your Safe Senders list as soon as you can. It would be sensible to check your email daily as soon as you know your application has been submitted.

How soon can I log in to Track?
Once your status shows that UCAS is processing your application, you should be able to get in to Track a couple of days later. Use the same ID and password as you did for Apply. If you get stuck try the 'forgot password' route.

When does Track update?
Track updates at any time, even at weekends, when the unis send through decisions, and this is supposed to generate an email notification to you. Nevertheless, it is possible to log in and find a decision you haven't received the 'Your Track has Updated' email for.

How long before I hear anything?
Nobody can say. Some people get offers within 48 hours; others wait for weeks or months without hearing anything, not even an acknowledgement. Where used (many unis and/or courses don't send them) acknowledgements are generated automatically and their timing and content are of no significance whatsoever.

By the way, don't forget to keep an eye on those spam folders :smile:

Someone else has got an offer for the same course/uni that I've applied for, but I haven't heard anything yet. Does that mean I'm certain to be rejected?
No.

Will unis be making decisions over Christmas/New Year or during the Easter Holidays?
The university admissions systems don't shut down completely during the holidays, but of course academics (ie admissions tutors) do take leave at these times. Therefore, although decisions will still come through it's likely to be at a slower rate than during term time. There is huge variation by uni and by department, so it's impossible to say what might happen in a specific case.

In practice, you can expect that nothing much, if anything, will happen for the two weeks over Christmas/New Year, and for the two weeks around Easter (which is 3-6 April in 2015). Also, don't forget that snail mail can be drastically held up over Christmas.

When is the latest that unis can send through a decision on my application?
UCAS asks universities to make decisions on applicants who met the 15 January deadline by 31 March, but not all of them achieve this and it's little more than a polite request rather than a deadline. The absolute deadline for universities to make decisions on applicants who applied on or before 15th January 2014 is 8th May. At this point UCAS will automatically enter an 'unsuccessful' decision on Track if the university has not posted its own decision by then.

If you applied after 15th January but before 30th June, unis have until 17th July to make a decision on your application, after which UCAS will enter 'unsuccessful' if a uni has not responded.

Should I contact a uni to find out what's happening?
No, not unless you have new information to give them.

(edited 9 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

greenladybird

I've had emails with all my courses and information etc but I haven't received a physical letter? Do they send out both or is it just the email?

Reply 2

Minerva

Original post by greenladybird

I've had emails with all my courses and information etc but I haven't received a physical letter? Do they send out both or is it just the email?

If you've signed up for emails then you probably don't get a hard copy - I believe there will be a pdf version on your UCAS account instead.

Reply 3

aersh8

Could people from previous years please share how long they waited to get replies from the following unis (engineering/science courses):

Sheffield
Manchester
UCL
Imperial
Cambridge

I've sent my application on September 25th, and all I've gotten so far is an email to register on UCL's portal :s-smilie:

I know that's normal, but I'm just wondering...

Reply 4

izpenguin

I'm still waiting for college to attach my reference and I'm already getting impatient! It's going to be a long few months.
I'm applying for biology at:
Bath
East Anglia
Exeter
Kent
Lancaster

Reply 5

Minerva

Original post by aersh8

I know that's normal, but I'm just wondering...

Varies hugely. Cambridge has a pretty standard process it works through - check out the Cambridge forum for details. Decisions usually come in during the first week of January - there will be an agreed date when they'll be sent out.

As for the other four unis, I would generally expect you to hear from then in roughly the order you've got there, but it will depend on whether they call you in for interview, which they may do for engineering courses. You'll probably have some news by the end of this month, but there are no guarantees.

Reply 6

AmyPilot

Oh I remember fondly pressing that button on UCAS last year - then the endless waiting began! The horrible feeling when all around you get early decisions because their application was based on grades etc whereas I had to go through written interviews at all my choices. Didn't get any offers until end of January and the last decision arrived in April! A long long process.

Then starts the stress of exams/waiting for results and then the getting ready for university.

It has been the most stressful year of my short life and I don't think my mum is over it all yet!

Worth it but its hard at times.

So hang tough everyone - there's a long way to go yet but you will get there.

Good luck all

Reply 7

lucymay97

Does anyone know how long any of these universities will take to reply for Modern Foreign Languages? My application has only been sent today but I'm already constantly checking track. Just want to know now even if they're all rejections :frown:

I've applied to:
Oxford
UCL
Warwick
Bristol
Edinburgh

Reply 8

random_boy

Received my application acknowledged emails from Bristol and Southampton today. (Nothing from Sheffield and Imperial yet) I am applying for Mechanical Engineering.

I am just hoping to get at least one offer.

Reply 9

Minerva

Original post by lucymay97

I've applied to:
Oxford
UCL
Warwick
Bristol
Edinburgh

Well, Oxford publishes its timetable for calling people in for interview, if they're going to, and when the decisions will be sent out - see this page on their website.

As for the others, it will vary - certainly in the past Warwick and Edinburgh have been known to take their time, but it may be different for MFL. I'm afraid you probably are in for a bit of a wait, so I would strongly suggest you try and put it all out of your mind for a bit - and if news comes in sooner, that's a bonus :smile:

Reply 10

happysmile

ooh, a shiny new thread!!! :biggrin:

Reply 11

bethanykmac

I applied to UCAS last Thursday! I keep checking track but nothing has changed yet.

I've applied to:
Edinburgh - Medical Sciences
Strathclyde - Pharmacy
Aberdeen - Medicine
St Andrews - Medicine
Dundee - Medicine

I realise that the Medicines will take a while to get back to me, but does anyone know if Edinburgh or Strathclyde are quick to reply? :-)

Reply 12

Chlorophile

It's been two weeks since I submitted my UCAS application and I've not received a letter, nor does there appear to be a PDF letter on track? Track seems to be working (I got a digital offer letter from a university) but I've not got anything from UCAS?

Edit: UCAS say they said they no longer send out welcome letters and that it's just an email (no PDF on track).

Original post by Minerva

Might want to update the OP to reflect that?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 13

alevels.

Does anyone know when Birmingham or QMUL send out offers? It's been two weeks :frown:

Reply 14

BenF2409

My application got sent off last Wednesday for Computer Science at:
Bristol
Bath
King's College
Southampton
Surrey
Nothing yet. :/

Reply 15

Minerva

Original post by Chlorophile

OK - thanks for the update :smile:

Edit: All done.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 16

BethFirmin

My application was sent last Friday and I've applied for:

Oxford - Biochemistry
Imperial College London - Biochemistry with a year in industry
York - Biochemistry integrated masters with a year in industry
Sheffield - Biochemistry and Genetics integrated masters
Bath - Biochemistry with placement

I received an acknowledge from Oxford on Saturday, York on Sunday and Bath yesterday. I'm getting really stressed about waiting to hopefully get offers. I know it hasn't been long at all, but I'm being so impatient about it. :L I just want one offer so I won't have to worry about getting five rejections. :frown:

Reply 17

JamieMcGuire

Sent my application off last Tuesday. Applying for English Literature at:
St. Andrews
Exeter
Glasgow
Newcastle
Reading

Got an offer from Glasgow on Thursday- Exeter has been teasing me with a stream of emails and St. Andrews has informed me that they generally don't send offers until January.
I know some people haven't had any offers yet, but even once the first one has come through- the desperation continues :frown:

Reply 18

MercedesAnjelica

I only sent in my UCAS today - praying praying praying that the first 'change on my track' will be an offer, I'll be sooo stressed if it's a rejection (as would anyone else) ahhh!

Durham - Anthropology and Sociology
Manchester - Social Anthropology
Birmingham - Anthropology with Classical Civilisation and Literature
Exeter - Anthropology
UEA - International Development with Social Anthropology and Politics