someone please advise

mik1w

I didn't apply to Bristol but want to go and have a look.
1. Can I go and visit the university on an open day in the near future? Or would I just go there and have a look around. Without being allowed to go inside and see the stuff.

official uni open day is on 23rd june. there's nothing stopping anyone looking around the precinct and at the buildings, but ID is required for some buildings like the med school.

mik1w

2. Will I be able to ask them if they have any spare places on maths and physics so that I can go into ucasextra to make a 7th application to them?

AFAIK, bristol don't participate in UCAS extra or clearing.

Reply 2

OP

really? damn. can anyone confirm this?

Reply 3

If you wish to change the university you will need to contact your referee to ask him or her to write to Ucas to support your request, giving the exceptional reasons for the change - as quoted in the "Advice for Applicants booklet".

You can only enter UCAS Extra if you find yourself without any offers and you have used all your six choices.

I think bristol have occasionally advertised a course on UCAS Extra but it is very very unlikely they will allow applications via this route as the normal route is so competitive.

Bristol definitely don't participate in clearing, and you need to have 6 rejections from your unis or decline all offers to enter UCAS Extra. If you definitely want to go to bristol I think that if you don't have any luck writing to UCAS as stated above, you'd have to withdraw and re-apply. I can check this for you.

Reply 4

OP

are you sure? because UCAS said I could go into ucasextra if I decline all my offers?

I can't find the "advice for applicants" book.. could you outline or direct me to somewhere that could give me what counts as "exceptional circumstances"?

thanks very much

Reply 5

mik1w

are you sure? because UCAS said I could go into ucasextra if I decline all my offers?

I can't find the "advice for applicants" book.. could you outline or direct me to somewhere that could give me what counts as "exceptional circumstances"?

thanks very much

Sorry, you can decline all of your offers and go through UCAS extra but this is not the way to go if you want to stand a half decent chance of entry.

Advice for Applicants

You cannot normally change your choice of college or university after we have received your application. But if there are exceptional reasons, such as a change in your family circumstances or any personal problems, you should ask your school or college (or your academic referee if you have already left) to write to us, explaining the situation and recommending that you are allowed to change.

If you really want to go here and writing to them as above doesn't work, withdrawing and taking a gap year would be the only option I can think of.

Reply 6

OP

okay. so first step would be to go there and check that I do want to go
I do already a lot becuase of friends, good course, good city etc. plus other reasons.

after I decide I do, go talk to someone in my college (referee) to try to change my ucas?
I don't really want to take a gap year. I dunno what I'd do. I'd probably lose all momentum and get bored.

so ucasextra would not be an option? do they even consider the applicant at all because I doubt I'd be the typical person using it (I assume typical means getting no offers by being an ... how do i saw this 'undesirable' applicant?)

Reply 7

mik1w

so ucasextra would not be an option? do they even consider the applicant at all because I doubt I'd be the typical person using it (I assume typical means getting no offers by being an ... how do i saw this 'undesirable' applicant?)

Is there something major which has changed your mind since you applied? I'm not saying it's impossible to get an offer via UCAS extra, but extremely unlikely as their places will have already been accounted for, so you have to be prepared for the fact you could end up with a forced gap year if you end up doing it this route.

My advice would be to get your school to write to UCAS requesting a change with a good reason after having a good think about it.

I'd also think it would be a good idea to PM PQ (the moderator) to ask her if she'd look at this thread and check that the information given by me is correct as she'd know more about the UCAS Extra system and university admissions than I do.

Reply 8

OP

okay, thanks for the advice. I'll talk to my college and figure out my reasons.

out of interest what kind of "family circumstances or personal problems" would allow you to change? I can't think of any reason except someone made the wrong decision.

Reply 9

mik1w

out of interest what kind of "family circumstances or personal problems" would allow you to change? I can't think of any reason except someone made the wrong decision.

I don't know, but I'd assume you'd only have a decent chance of changing your UCAS choices a short time after you've submitted the form. By this stage, most offers will have already been given out so I'm not sure the worth in asking UCAS to change.

As I said, PM PQ and ask nicely :smile:

Reply 10

OP

damn it.
do you think I should email the bristol admissions thing to explain the situation and see what they think?
or just tell my college and see how they deal with it

I don't want to have done all that through UCAS and then they have made all their offeres anyway. bristol is quite popular I guess.

having said that it is physics which is usually under applied for?

I sent the PM but no response as of yet... does she have a life or something? :redface:

Reply 11

OP