Could an unconditional offer be retracted?

Original post by liv_laughlove

Hi all,

Disclaimer beforehand: I'm autistic - please be kind!

A couple of weeks ago after a successful interview for a politics course starting in September (an interview which genuinely felt like the best interview I've ever done, I felt so confident and the interviewee seemed friendly enough) I was rung up by the uni 50 minutes later to tell me that they had made me an unconditional offer, later that day, I accepted it and here we are.

On the offer itself, it said

"In recognition of your academic achievement to date, we are delighted to make you an unconditional offer of a place on the above named course.

Your qualifications and gradesYour offer is based on your achievement of the following qualifications:

GCSE in English grade Pending

Please check that the above qualification and grade details are correct and contact us immediately if there are any inaccuracies."

Because of complicated circumstances (bullying at the time led to bad mental health problems which forced me to have to take a break from education as GCSEs begun) I was unable to do my GCSEs and A Levels at the same time as everyone else (a lot of complications have occurred) but over the last year, I've been working to get my Maths & English GCSE... only for something to go wrong.

On the second exam, due to an incident with delayed public transport and my ID not letting me into the building and thus being stuck at reception for what felt like an eternity, I was late to the exam and despite an intervention from my English teacher to try and get me in, they weren't able to let me sit the exam owing to this and so what should've been a pass in English (in mocks I had achieved a 7 and was predicted an 8) I ended with just a 3 from the one paper I did (for reference, that's 56/80 marks on the paper I sat and 0 on the one I was unable to sit) which led to a 3 - just below a pass.Cue panic because the uni needs certificates sent in as part of the enrollment process; my English teacher and SEN keyworker both wrote separate statements explaining what had happened and vouching for my case - I've sent those off now but I'm really, really worried they'll revoke the offer.I emailed them a few days ago to ask for clarification on the offer - whether it was conditional or unconditional (because it said unconditional but the above quote seemed to list conditions?) and admissions replied back with the following...

"Thank you for your email. I am not sure why it says GCSE English (Pending), however as you have applied for BA (Hons) Politics (with Foundation Year), GCSE’s are not a requirement. I can confirm you do have an unconditional offer. Kind regards,"

I accepted it the same day, have received a welcome pack, made some wonderful friends (this is perhaps what's breaking my heart the most, being on the verge of something great and it potentially being ripped away) and have even paid the deposit for my uni accommodation (second payment due Sep 1st) but with this new information, I am so fearful they will turn around and go "You failed GCSE English, never mind the prospect of A Levels, this has all been one big admin mistake on our part because we thought you were just a regular A Level student who had missed their grades."I'm really worried.

Also just to clarify; in spite of my lack of & disappointing qualifications, I did not spend that time sat around, I've done so much volunteering and other stuff in the world of politics - including standing for election in local elections - I may not have the pieces of paper to prove it but I do genuinely believe that I know my stuff and have what it takes to succeed (Before the interview, I had even sent the interviewee a 2000 word mock essay I'd written, although they never responded/acknowledged it so no idea if that played a part in my offer or not)
.

Will they retract my offer? I'm really worried. Please be kind.

You have an unconditional offer. There are no conditions.

The only potential condition (which they've since retracted) was getting an English Language GCSE. You have an English Language GCSE. It not the grade you could have wanted, but it's still a GCSE.

You have a confirmed place at uni. It cannot be withdrawn. Congratulations! :smile:

Reply 2

OP

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by DataVenia

You have an unconditional offer. There are no conditions.

The only potential condition (which they've since retracted) was getting an English Language GCSE. You have an English Language GCSE. It not the grade you could have wanted, but it's still a GCSE.

You have a confirmed place at uni. It cannot be withdrawn. Congratulations! :smile:

Ahh thank you. Your optimism is so appreciated.

I can't sleep because of anxiety over this - do unis retract unconditional offers? I've just looked at their terms and conditions page and when it comes to Level 2 qualifications, it says a C in GCSE English is required (which because of all of the above I don't have) so I'm absolutely terrified... I'm not sure what to do.

I attached the statements from my English teacher and SEN keyworker to the enrollment thing where you put your certificates but I'm also scared they may see that as being sneaky?

I'm terrified that they'll turn around and go "You failed GCSE English, have not even one A Level and want to be let into university? Absolutely not, lol"

For what it's worth I did send them a disrupted studies form as part of my application (basically a form explaining what had happened to cause my disruption in studies; bullying, etc) backed up by my SEN keyworker writing a statement backing that up alongside a note from my GP (he was the one who authorised me taking a break from school at the time you see, thus the note) - I sent them this after they emailed me to ask for more information regarding my application i.e "Do you have any Level 3 qualifications, etc?" which was when I then sent them all my documents explaining what had happened and they responded with

"Thank you for your email.

We are currently under Embargo due to the processing of exam results, so unfortunately we are unable to respond to your query at this time. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. We will be able to respond to you after the 8th August.

We thank you in advance for your patience."

It was on the 9th that they invited me for an interview on the 18th so I assume(???) that surely must've been in response to my email providing all the documents? Also in the subject, they referred to the interview as an "Ad-Hoc Interview" - not sure if this is common practice or because they saw my documents and thought "Hmm, ok, let's do an interview but moreso to get a better idea of what we're dealing with here so it's more of an ad-hoc one."

Sorry for the rambling, I'm so stressed.

Reply 3

DataVenia

Original post by liv_laughlove

Ahh thank you. Your optimism is so appreciated.

I can't sleep because of anxiety over this - do unis retract unconditional offers? I've just looked at their terms and conditions page and when it comes to Level 2 qualifications, it says a C in GCSE English is required (which because of all of the above I don't have) so I'm absolutely terrified... I'm not sure what to do.

I attached the statements from my English teacher and SEN keyworker to the enrollment thing where you put your certificates but I'm also scared they may see that as being sneaky?

I'm terrified that they'll turn around and go "You failed GCSE English, have not even one A Level and want to be let into university? Absolutely not, lol"

For what it's worth I did send them a disrupted studies form as part of my application (basically a form explaining what had happened to cause my disruption in studies; bullying, etc) backed up by my SEN keyworker writing a statement backing that up alongside a note from my GP (he was the one who authorised me taking a break from school at the time you see, thus the note) - I sent them this after they emailed me to ask for more information regarding my application i.e "Do you have any Level 3 qualifications, etc?" which was when I then sent them all my documents explaining what had happened and they responded with

"Thank you for your email.

We are currently under Embargo due to the processing of exam results, so unfortunately we are unable to respond to your query at this time. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause. We will be able to respond to you after the 8th August.

We thank you in advance for your patience."

It was on the 9th that they invited me for an interview on the 18th so I assume(???) that surely must've been in response to my email providing all the documents? Also in the subject, they referred to the interview as an "Ad-Hoc Interview" - not sure if this is common practice or because they saw my documents and thought "Hmm, ok, let's do an interview but moreso to get a better idea of what we're dealing with here so it's more of an ad-hoc one."

Sorry for the rambling, I'm so stressed.

When a uni makes an offer, it does so based upon the assumption that the achieved grades listed on your UCAS application are genuine. If that turns out not the be the case, the offer is invalidated. That's really the only scenario where they can revoke an unconditional offer - fraud.

You didn't list any achieved grades on your UCAS application, therefore you cannot be guilty of having misrepresented those grades.

I realise that this is causing you a lot of anxiety (I suspect you're a bit of an over-thinker anyway :wink:

), but you have to believe the university when they tell you "GCSE’s are not a requirement. I can confirm you do have an unconditional offer."

What would put your mind at rest? Actually enrolling on the course? Moving into accommodation? Attending your first lecture? Having your first essay marked? Taking your first exam? Graduating?! :smile:

Reply 4

OP

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by DataVenia

When a uni makes an offer, it does so based upon the assumption that the achieved grades listed on your UCAS application are genuine. If that turns out not the be the case, the offer is invalidated. That's really the only scenario where they can revoke an unconditional offer - fraud.

You didn't list any achieved grades on your UCAS application, therefore you cannot be guilty of having misrepresented those grades.

I realise that this is causing you a lot of anxiety (I suspect you're a bit of an over-thinker anyway :wink:

), but you have to believe the university when they tell you "GCSE’s are not a requirement. I can confirm you do have an unconditional offer."

What would put your mind at rest? Actually enrolling on the course? Moving into accommodation? Attending your first lecture? Having your first essay marked? Taking your first exam? Graduating?! :smile:

Ahh you're a wee gem, thank you so much for your kindness & patience - you are right that I am an overthinker, I think it's reflex from previous experiences or somet, who knows?

I suppose the thing is is that getting this far isn't something I really thought would happen? I've spent the last couple of years in limbo being isolated without a consistent setting, feeling behind everybody else, etc (perhaps made worse by the fact I live rurally ages away from anyone I do know - and that's one of the things I was/am looking forward to with uni - being able to just leave my front door and see my friends within minutes, no public transport or shelling out for a taxi!) obviously that isn't the main reason (the course content is so good, the amount I could ramble on a lot of these topics, omg) but hopefully you understand it's a bit of a factor... and having the chance to finally get to this point in spite of all the pushbacks and so long falling through the gaps in the system and in spite of me not having the usual entry requirements everybody else does, it feels like... idk, I've cheated? Maybe? Not sure if that makes sense but, like, does it make sense(?)

Thank you again for being so kind :smile:

OP

Bump

OP

Hello everyone,

I'm in a bit of a stressful situation and would really appreciate your thoughts. A couple of weeks ago, I had what felt like the best interview of my life for a Politics course with a Foundation Year starting in September. Shortly after the interview, I received an unconditional offer from the university, which I accepted the same day.

The offer letter read:

"In recognition of your academic achievement to date, we are delighted to make you an unconditional offer... Your offer is based on your achievement of the following qualifications: GCSE in English grade Pending."

Here's where it gets complicated. I haven't taken the traditional academic route due to some personal challenges, including bullying and mental health issues. This led me to defer my GCSEs and A-Levels. Over the past year, I’ve been working hard to get my Maths & English GCSEs. However, I missed one of my English exams due to transportation issues and security delays. Despite good mock results where I'd achieved a 7 and was expected to receive an 8, I ended up with a grade of 3 in English, just below a pass.

I panicked because the university needs certificates for the enrollment process and so my English teacher and SEN keyworker have both written statements on my behalf explaining the situation, which I've sent as part of the enrollment. I also emailed the university for clarification on what my offer was (as it was unconditional but the above quote seemed to imply conditions) and received the following response:

"GCSE’s are not a requirement for your course. I can confirm you do have an unconditional offer."

While this is reassuring, I'm still worried that there might be a misunderstanding, and they might think I'm an A-Level student who missed their grades - during the interview, the interviewee made reference to "so the reason we're interviewing you for the foundation year is basically because your tariff points would've been too low for direct entry onto the degree" (for reference, I have no tariff points)

For context, I've been involved in politics, including standing for election in local elections, and have a strong interest in the field, despite my non-traditional academic background.

Also for reference, I was entirely truthful in my application and had sent them various forms (such as an extenuating circumstances form & a note from my doctor all explaining what had happened to cause me to have only just sat GCSEs, alongside the lack of A Levels)

Basically what I am worried about is... what if they made the offer thinking I was an A Level student who had just missed their grades, rather than... what the situation actually is? Thus the email saying "we aren't sure why the letter says GCSEs as GCSEs are not required" - because they think I'm someone who's sat A Levels - so why would they need to see my GCSEs?

And if so, what happens if they have made this mistake and decide to retract the offer as a result? Would they be allowed to? Where would I stand? (I've already paid accommodation fees too, if that counts for anything)

Reply 7

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Please don’t create multiple threads for the same topic

Reply 8

PQ

You have written confirmation from the university that your offer is unconditional. What further reassurance are you hoping for from strangers on the internet who don’t know which university you’re talking about and don’t work for that university?

Reply 9

OP

Original post by PQ

Please don’t create multiple threads for the same topic

This is different(?) I'm asking what to do if it turns out that they thought I was a A Level student and a mistake was made on their end in thinking so (Please be kind I'm very stressed and don't mean to spam/cause bother)

Reply 10

OP

Original post by PQ

You have written confirmation from the university that your offer is unconditional. What further reassurance are you hoping for from strangers on the internet who don’t know which university you’re talking about and don’t work for that university?

While I understand that having written confirmation should ideally be enough to quell any concerns, the complexities of my situation make me a bit apprehensive. I understand where you're coming from.

Written confirmation from the university is a strong indicator that I should be okay, and logically, that should be enough to set my mind at ease. However, stress and worry aren't always logical.

Sometimes, hearing from others who might have been in a similar situation, or who have insights into how these things generally work, can offer a different type of reassurance. Even if it's not from the university itself, community experiences can offer another layer of peace of mind.

My concerns mostly stem from the possibility of an administrative error or misunderstanding on the university's part, especially since the interviewee seemed to think I had tariff points, which I don't. I'm well aware that the best and most reliable reassurance can only come from the university itself, but sometimes it's helpful to get opinions or insights from others who might have faced similar situations. The anonymity and collective experience of a forum can sometimes provide a different perspective that I might not have considered.

Reply 11

Sorcerer's Storm

20

You've already made a thread about this and the answers you got on there cleared up the matter, the offer's unconditional.

Reply 12

OP

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Sorcerer of Old

You've already made a thread about this and the answers you got on there cleared up the matter, the offer's unconditional.

So for clarification: if it turns out the university made the offer because they were mistaken regarding my qualifications - I will be fine? That's what I'm asking.

(Please be kind; I hope you can understand I'm not posting these threads with any malicious intent or intention to spam the forum or anything but out of genuine need for the input of others, I appreciate the responses I received on the previous thread. My apologies for the repetition in any case.)

Reply 13

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by liv_laughlove

This is different(?) I'm asking what to do if it turns out that they thought I was a A Level student and a mistake was made on their end in thinking so (Please be kind I'm very stressed and don't mean to spam/cause bother)

They can't amend or retract your offer without your explicit permission anyway as I understand it and hence if they made an offer through a mistake they are still contractually bound to uphold it (via their contract with UCAS) to my knowledge. The only way I'm aware they can nullify an offer unilaterally is if you made a fraudulent application via UCAS, which presumably you didn't.

As previously advised, just accept that you now have a place at uni and start getting ready for beginning your new course :smile:

Spoiler

Reply 14

artful_lounger

Original post by liv_laughlove

So for clarification: if it turns out the university made the offer because they were mistaken regarding my qualifications - I will be fine? That's what I'm asking.

(Please be kind; I hope you can understand I'm not posting these threads with any malicious intent or intention to spam the forum or anything but out of genuine need for the input of others, I appreciate the responses I received on the previous thread. My apologies for the repetition in any case.)

As noted above I have now merged your two threads into one, here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7392189

Please post in this one going forward on this topic :smile:

Reply 15

OP