Missed offer? How to phone your firm choice?

HI guys,

So my offer for my firm choice is pretty high and in case I just miss it I want to be able to ring them up and try to convince them to let me in basically. My course is pretty competitive and the university is very well respected so I'm not sure how to go about it. What exactly should I say on the phone? Could I ask them to consider me for a totally different course which I am also interested in or would that not be a good idea? I really love the university and it would be amazing if I got in so thanks for any help!

HI guys,

So my offer for my firm choice is pretty high and in case I just miss it I want to be able to ring them up and try to convince them to let me in basically. My course is pretty competitive and the university is very well respected so I'm not sure how to go about it. What exactly should I say on the phone? Could I ask them to consider me for a totally different course which I am also interested in or would that not be a good idea? I really love the university and it would be amazing if I got in so thanks for any help!

Don't phone them if it says you have been rejected. The university has had your results since last Friday and has decided against you. If it has not offered you a change of course, then they have decided there is no way in which they can take you. If you find yourself in clearing, then you can apply for a complete change of course.

They know how close you were. If they have said no, it means they have looked at all the options and not found in you enough to overlook the failure to meet the grades. I know that sounds harsh, and I hope that you aren't in that position, but if it says Unsuccessful on Track, it really is game over. If it still says Conditional, then call them up and ask what is happening, but that's the only time to contact them.

If Track is still conditional at noon, call them up and ask them what the situation is and when you can expect a decision. The university admission system is not based around expecting applicants to abase and humiliate themselves by pleading for favours. It's based on academic decisions regarding an applicant's suitability. If the university still haven't decided about you, what will swing it will be what they decide about other applicants and therefore how many spaces they have to play with. Unless you have any new information to add to your application, they will make their decision based on the content of the application they already have from you, not on the basis of your grovelling.

Hey, I m sorry to say but a rejection is a no you can't convince them otherwise as they ve had days to decide if they want you or not.
If it was an entirely different course you want to try for then maybe worth a try if it was a course you really wanted to do but generally not worth it to call up for similar courses to the one you originally applied to.

Ok, but what if I want to consider a completely different course? I applied for maths in early october and a lot has changed since then. Would it be a bad move if I asked them to consider me for an engineering degree perhaps? (just gave as an example)
Thanks for the help

You can apply for a different course, such as the example you give. However, you need to check that the course requirements match what you have. You may also have to send a second ps or at least be prepared to explain your interest in the new course sufficiently well to convince them, so preparing a PS in advance would be time well spent. It will help you to decide what you really want to do.

Don't phone them if it says you have been rejected. The university has had your results since last Friday and has decided against you. If it has not offered you a change of course, then they have decided there is no way in which they can take you. If you find yourself in clearing, then you can apply for a complete change of course.

They know how close you were. If they have said no, it means they have looked at all the options and not found in you enough to overlook the failure to meet the grades. I know that sounds harsh, and I hope that you aren't in that position, but if it says Unsuccessful on Track, it really is game over. If it still says Conditional, then call them up and ask what is happening, but that's the only time to contact them.

If Track is still conditional at noon, call them up and ask them what the situation is and when you can expect a decision. The university admission system is not based around expecting applicants to abase and humiliate themselves by pleading for favours. It's based on academic decisions regarding an applicant's suitability. If the university still haven't decided about you, what will swing it will be what they decide about other applicants and therefore how many spaces they have to play with. Unless you have any new information to add to your application, they will make their decision based on the content of the application they already have from you, not on the basis of your grovelling.

Just a quick question:
Is it worth calling when you've been rejected if, say, you have sent off for a remark if you were only a few UMS points away from meeting your offer?

If you are getting a PRIORITY remark (and it has to be that as there is no guarantee any other remark will be back in time) then call them and tell them you're doing that and ask them if they will hold back until you've got it. They don't have to do this, btw.

Hi just another question. If i get rejected by my firm choice but get into my insurance with better grades than they asked for would I be eligible for adjustment to go to a higher uni than my insurance?

HI guys,

So my offer for my firm choice is pretty high and in case I just miss it I want to be able to ring them up and try to convince them to let me in basically. My course is pretty competitive and the university is very well respected so I'm not sure how to go about it. What exactly should I say on the phone? Could I ask them to consider me for a totally different course which I am also interested in or would that not be a good idea? I really love the university and it would be amazing if I got in so thanks for any help!

Hi just another question. If i get rejected by my firm choice but get into my insurance with better grades than they asked for would I be eligible for adjustment to go to a higher uni than my insurance?

If you are getting a PRIORITY remark (and it has to be that as there is no guarantee any other remark will be back in time) then call them and tell them you're doing that and ask them if they will hold back until you've got it. They don't have to do this, btw.

This is what the uni of Sheffield FAQ says:
What happens if a result is delayed, or I want to get a priority remark?Universities are obliged to accept any Firm applicant who meets the conditions of their offer and whose results are confirmed by 31 August.

So if I miss my grades, but apply for a remark, it's only a matter of being polite to inform the uni of my firm choice that I might get better grades and if I do they will be obliged to accept me. Which means that the uni does have to keep a place for me until 31 of August. Am I wrong?

This is what the uni of Sheffield FAQ says:
What happens if a result is delayed, or I want to get a priority remark?Universities are obliged to accept any Firm applicant who meets the conditions of their offer and whose results are confirmed by 31 August.

So if I miss my grades, but apply for a remark, it's only a matter of being polite to inform the uni of my firm choice that I might get better grades and if I do they will be obliged to accept me. Which means that the uni does have to keep a place for me until 31 of August. Am I wrong?

It's a bit of a grey area and a hot potato. The official line has always been that an applicant has until 31st August to make the grades. Unfortunately, many universities simply ignore that and attempts to make it stick legally have failed. It's always therefore been pragmatic to advise that the university may try to get out of it so that an applicant is prepared. There is something in the pipeline involving consumer law which is intended to make it enforceable, but it's not my area of expertise and I only know rumours. If Sheffield has taken the laudable step of making that statement publicly, then that is excellent news. Good on you, Sheffield! (My home town!)

Thank you very much for your reply. So it turns out that not only the admission system is ridiculously complicated and unnecessarily stressful for all parties, but the rules themselves are not quite clear.

Ah, need to be careful with the wording there. The university is only obliged to consider the first set of results they receive, provided those are received by August 31st. If they have already received results from you, they do not have to consider any changes to those results. So what they've said is only half true.

Ah, need to be careful with the wording there. The university is only obliged to consider the first set of results they receive, provided those are received by August 31st. If they have already received results from you, they do not have to consider any changes to those results. So what they've said is only half true.