A bit confused - how many choices?

Hi Guys.

I'm in the process of filling out my application at the moment, but I'm a bit confused. After we get offers, do we have to narrow it down to two? A first choice and an insurance?

Reply 1

HALe

Yup, 6 first, then narrow down to 2, one firm n one insurance.

Reply 2

Clearing and Applications Advisor

5 first for this application cycle

Thanks.

5 first for this application cycle

Omg? Really? That's so cruel, haha, I was struggling this time last year to narrow my list of 15 or 16 preferred unis down to 6 and it was hard I can tell u, I didnt really want to cross out any of them, and this year cycle only allows 5 choices.

Reply 5

XEROX

Do you have to narrow it down from 5 to 2 straight away, or do you narrow it down one by one??

Reply 6

bballer4life

you pick your 5, then you wait til you get offers from them. (you probably won't get offer's from all 5, no offence) Then you pick 2, one as you firm choice and one as your insurance

Reply 7

Innocent_Angel

There's a deadline in April/May (can't remember) for you to choose your Firm and Insurance but you can choose them once you have heard from all of the universities; whether it be an offer or rejection.

Reply 8

Poet

You make 6 choices and send off your application. (teachers or careers people ought to help you if you need it) They make you offers (or if you're unlucky they don't) and you think about it, whatever.

On UCAS, you have a deadline to reply to the uni's to either accept 1 as a firm choice (1st), another as an insurance choice (2nd) and to decline the other four. However, don't reply the sooner all of your offers are through because my Uni later lowered my offer so woo-hoo!

So you then choose 2 out of the 6 which have accpeted you/made you offers as your firm and insurance and after results you have one Uni left ta-da!

Hope that didn't confuse anyone. :confused:

Reply 9

Clearing and Applications Advisor

*Bryony*

You make 6 choices and send off your application.

no

For this years application cycle you make only 5 choices.

Reply 10

Poet

Really? Last year I got to make 6. Dude they're being stingy to you lot this year, aren't they?

Reply 11

Dionysus

You apply to 5 universities (used to be 6 back in the day) and then you'll get offers from some. The ones who don't give you an offer are 'unsuccessfuls'. You then consider the offers and the grades they're asking for and select a 'firm' and 'insurance'. The insurance is the Uni you go to if you don't meet the grades for the firm, so choose something with a lower offer. If you miss both and neither decide to let you in with a reduced offer, you go into clearing, in which Unis with spare places offer them for considerably reduced grades.

Reply 12

kellywood_5

1) Apply to 5 choices. If you're applying for medicine (and I think veterinary medicine and dentistry as well, but I'm not sure) you can only use 4 of your choices for that, but you can use the 5th for a different course. You can apply to the same uni for more than one course if you want, but each course counts as a separate choice.
2) Receive offers and/or rejections.
3) Once you've had all your decisions, select your first choice as your firm and your second choice, which should usually have a lower offer, as your insurance. You don't have to put an insurance if you don't want to, and if you choose an unconditional offer as your firm, you can't have an insurance. The deadline for choosing your firm and insurance varies depending on when you receive your last decision, but you'll be told the date by UCAS.