Durham University Have Asked me to Re-Apply for a Different Course

Hello guys.

This application cycle I applied for International Relations at Durham University. My predicted grades were A*A*A*, and in the 3 subjects I'm doing at A2 Level, I averaged 97.5% in my AS grades. Yet they rejected me for that course.

Anyway, a week later, they have Emailed me asking me to re-apply to one of the courses on their 'referral courses' list- seemingly undersubscribed courses, such as Sociology, Criminology and a myriad of combined honours with Education Studies courses. My question is, is this just a standard, arrogant Durham practice? Or have I been selected because my application was judged to be good, but not good enough for that course, but nonetheless good enough for one of these courses?

What I'm asking is basically, do all Durham rejectees get this opportunity or is it selective.

Thanks

Hello guys.

This application cycle I applied for International Relations at Durham University. My predicted grades were A*A*A*, and in the 3 subjects I'm doing at A2 Level, I averaged 97.5% in my AS grades. Yet they rejected me for that course.

Anyway, a week later, they have Emailed me asking me to re-apply to one of the courses on their 'referral courses' list- seemingly undersubscribed courses, such as Sociology, Criminology and a myriad of combined honours with Education Studies courses. My question is, is this just a standard, arrogant Durham practice? Or have I been selected because my application was judged to be good, but not good enough for that course, but nonetheless good enough for one of these courses?

What I'm asking is basically, do all Durham rejectees get this opportunity or is it selective.

Thanks

Hello guys.

This application cycle I applied for International Relations at Durham University. My predicted grades were A*A*A*, and in the 3 subjects I'm doing at A2 Level, I averaged 97.5% in my AS grades. Yet they rejected me for that course.

Anyway, a week later, they have Emailed me asking me to re-apply to one of the courses on their 'referral courses' list- seemingly undersubscribed courses, such as Sociology, Criminology and a myriad of combined honours with Education Studies courses. My question is, is this just a standard, arrogant Durham practice? Or have I been selected because my application was judged to be good, but not good enough for that course, but nonetheless good enough for one of these courses?

What I'm asking is basically, do all Durham rejectees get this opportunity or is it selective.

Thanks

Another example halfway down this thread:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2946133&p=53674655

this seems to be quite common amongst universities. Bristol turned down someone for medicine but offered other biomedical courses. my view is if a uni does not want you for a subject why should you assist them fill their other places. you are probably holding places for other good unis. go to one of them and do a course YOU want to study for. Unfortunately courses like English and History at the likes of Durham and Exeter are oversubscribed and getting in is very much a lottery as OP has found out. The difference between Durham and your other chosen uni is likely to be very small and Durham's loss will be someone else's gain. perhaps the lesson is that applicants need to have a range of options and not put all their choices in top unis.

this seems to be quite common amongst universities. Bristol turned down someone for medicine but offered other biomedical courses. my view is if a uni does not want you for a subject why should you assist them fill their other places. you are probably holding places for other good unis. go to one of them and do a course YOU want to study for.

Well said. This is particularly the case when the offered course is barely related to the original application. Durham appear to have a very lofty view of their own appeal if they expect International Relations applicants to switch to Sociology or Criminology simply for Durham's reputation. It smacks of the same disdain with which they treated people in Clearing in the past.

When I applied to Durham in 199*cough* I received a long lecture in my subject interview about how applicants should chose their university first and *then* the subject (because it was clear from my application that I'd applied to 6 universities offering a specific specialised course).

Doesn't look like the culture has changed much in the last 20 years or so

I did enjoy telling them where to stick their (BCC) offer

When I applied to Durham in 199*cough* I received a long lecture in my subject interview about how applicants should chose their university first and *then* the subject (because it was clear from my application that I'd applied to 6 universities offering a specific specialised course).

Doesn't look like the culture has changed much in the last 20 years or so

I did enjoy telling them where to stick their (BCC) offer