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Changing your Firm and Insurance **FAQ 2011**

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Original post by TheFoxBlip
There seems to be a large number of people wanting to swap their choices. Did you just pick your firm and insurance at random without little thought? I struggled to select an unconditional from four offers but finally settled on one and made the right choice.



It is like this every year. Nobody listens to advice that they should think carefully before making their choice. People are too keen to accept quickly so that they can choose accommodation, which is clearly useless if they later change their minds.
Reply 361
Avatar for BigV
BigV
9
Original post by Good bloke
It is like this every year. Nobody listens to advice that they should think carefully before making their choice. People are too keen to accept quickly so that they can choose accommodation, which is clearly useless if they later change their minds.


I know someone who has done exactly this, due to living a long way away from the Uni's and being worried about being 'homeless'!.

Can anybody tell me, what is the situation if an applicant at this stage in the cycle, changes their mind after becoming an unconditional firm at their first choice? (bearing in mind this person already has results confirmed).

Is it possible for that person to contact their insurance choice and see if the place is still available if the firm choice will play ball and reject them?

Would the firm choice release that person into clearing if the insurance place was gone?

Or would they need to withdraw from the cycle all together and re-apply next year?
Hi there guys. I've applied for entry to uni as an undergraduate this year (UCAS 2011). My firm choice is Finance at De monfort uni and my insurance choice is Economics and Finance at De monfort uni. I'm still happy to do my firm choice (but don't really want to do my insurance course), however I've decided that i'd definately prefer to do a degree In Mathematics, ahead of Finance at DMU. I wouldn't mind even doing a foundation year in Mathematics first, providing the uni is decent. So is there anyway I could Choose to do Mathematics at a different uni (as De montfort don't offer Mathematics) now? Or is it too late? I'm expecting the following grades: Maths(C defo, 10% chance of getting a B), Economics (Firm C) and Sociology (Very high C or low B). Thanks for the help guys.
Hi there guys. I've applied for entry to uni as an undergraduate this year (UCAS 2011). My firm choice is Finance at De monfort uni and my insurance choice is Economics and Finance at De monfort uni. I'm still happy to do my firm choice (but don't really want to do my insurance course), however I've decided that i'd definately prefer to do a degree In Mathematics, ahead of Finance at DMU. I wouldn't mind even doing a foundation year in Mathematics first, providing the uni is decent. So is there anyway I could Choose to do Mathematics at a different uni (as De montfort don't offer Mathematics) now? Or is it too late? I'm expecting the following grades: Maths(C defo, 10% chance of getting a B), Economics (Firm C) and Sociology (Very high C or low B). Thanks for the help guys (It is much much appreciated).
You can phone De Montfort and ask them to reject you for both of those courses, and then use Clearing to apply for a maths degree. Bear in mind the risk of this is you don't get a place in Clearing and then have to reapply next year.
Reply 365
Avatar for Knindza
Knindza
I have a conditional ABB offer from Lancaster, I gained an A in my January retake so I know Im pretty much in.......HOWEVER, I have really warmed to the idea of staying in London but don't want to risk getting released now only to find out I don't like anything in clearing.

Can I ask to be released on the day of results day once clearing options are available?
Original post by Knindza
I have a conditional ABB offer from Lancaster, I gained an A in my January retake so I know Im pretty much in.......HOWEVER, I have really warmed to the idea of staying in London but don't want to risk getting released now only to find out I don't like anything in clearing.

Can I ask to be released on the day of results day once clearing options are available?


You can do that, but don't expect the release to be instant, it can take days to actually go through. You would be able to talk to universities in this time, but you would not have a clearing number so they would not be able to view your application, and you would not be able to make an offer. It depends on whether a university would be prepared to hold an offer for you, which is less likely if its a popular course/uni.

Saying that, given your situation, if you definitely want to go to uni this year, and would not mind going to your firm/insurance choices, then it is by far the safer bet to do this.
Original post by Good bloke
Secondly, in such circumstances your insurance offer would no longer be available to you (as you had met or exceeded your firm offer).


I'm not sure that there are any rules which prevent you from using adjustment to go to your insurance, provided you're eligible for adjustment. Of course, your insurance place will no longer exist once your firm becomes unconditional, but so long as the insurance will still take you then it is hypothetically possible, I believe, to adjust to your insurance university, in a similar way to being picked up by your insurance in clearing if you get released by your firm.
Original post by TheSownRose
You can phone De Montfort and ask them to reject you for both of those courses, and then use Clearing to apply for a maths degree. Bear in mind the risk of this is you don't get a place in Clearing and then have to reapply next year.


Ok cheers for that.:smile:
Original post by F1 fanatic
You can do that, but don't expect the release to be instant, it can take days to actually go through. You would be able to talk to universities in this time, but you would not have a clearing number so they would not be able to view your application, and you would not be able to make an offer. .


I have a question about this :smile:

I need to stay at home due to an illness in the family and so I wanted to go to my Insurance (Northumbria) over my firm (Leeds) but when I rand northumbria they said I would have to wait to see if any places left in clearing and to ring up when i get my results.. but I am almost sure I will get into Leeds so will I have to wait until Leeds releases me until I can apply for Northumbria again? Can they not already see my application due to it being my insurance?
Original post by xxstace123xx
I have a question about this :smile:

I need to stay at home due to an illness in the family and so I wanted to go to my Insurance (Northumbria) over my firm (Leeds) but when I rand northumbria they said I would have to wait to see if any places left in clearing and to ring up when i get my results.. but I am almost sure I will get into Leeds so will I have to wait until Leeds releases me until I can apply for Northumbria again? Can they not already see my application due to it being my insurance?


Once you get your results, if you meet your Firm offer, both unis are informed of this and your Firm becomes Unconditional whilst your Insurance place disappears. So yes, you would have to wait til Leeds released you before you could then re-add Northumbria (technically as a Clearing choice).
Original post by xxstace123xx
I have a question about this :smile:

I need to stay at home due to an illness in the family and so I wanted to go to my Insurance (Northumbria) over my firm (Leeds) but when I rand northumbria they said I would have to wait to see if any places left in clearing and to ring up when i get my results.. but I am almost sure I will get into Leeds so will I have to wait until Leeds releases me until I can apply for Northumbria again? Can they not already see my application due to it being my insurance?


It is possible to get released by your firm ahead of results day but you need to do it by 10th August (wednesday) and you need to contact both your firm and insurance to get them to agree to it. Call your insurance again first, explain the reasons for you wanting to go to them instead (because of family illness) and ask if they are ok for you to become their firm if your current firm releases you. Hoping that they say yes, call up your firm and ask them to reject/release you (for reasons as above) but state very clearly that you want to be rejected to your insurance, not into clearing. If they all agree to this, then the end result is that your insurance becomes your firm and you have no insurance, but it needs to be done before 10th August when Track goes into lock-down.

By results day, as Becca-Sarah said, if your firm becomes unconditional, you will lose your insurance place, and you will have to be released into clearing and hope that Northumbria is in Clearing, for which there are no guarantees.
Reply 372
Avatar for ShottaYB
ShottaYB
Yep, im like the rest wanting to change lol ..im just having 2nd thoughts because of the distance and waiting to stay closer to London maybe im just nervous. I had an unconditional offer from both of my unis just last week because i do btec...tbh my mind switches every couple of weeks or so

so is it possible to change since i had unconditional offers before results day and would I still be able to change course (the courses are still under the same tree..Travel and Toursim to International Tourism management )
Original post by ShottaYB
Yep, im like the rest wanting to change lol ..im just having 2nd thoughts because of the distance and waiting to stay closer to London maybe im just nervous. I had an unconditional offer from both of my unis just last week because i do btec...tbh my mind switches every couple of weeks or so

so is it possible to change since i had unconditional offers before results day and would I still be able to change course (the courses are still under the same tree..Travel and Toursim to International Tourism management )


Once your firm offer becomes unconditional, you lose your insurance place, so you can't swap. To go to your insurance now, you would need to get released by your firm and then apply to your insurance in clearing (if they are in clearing). Obviously that is a big risk to take, and you probably want to wait until A-level results day when clearing places are announced, unless you really know you do not want to go to your firm.
Reply 374
Avatar for Kim_xx
Kim_xx
9
I'm currently holding an unconditional offer, but I have changed my mind about the course. I want to know if I can get my firm to reject me (I only have a firm, no insurance) and then go through clearing? Also how do I go about getting them to reject me do I email them?
If you course you want to change to is offered by your firm and you'd like to do it, there's no need to go through clearing. Provided you meet the entry requirements of the course just give admissions a call and ask. In my experience universities are very happy to change courses (I've changed mine three times!).

If it's other universities you're after tell your firm to reject you. Good luck
Reply 376
Avatar for BigV
BigV
9
Original post by F1 fanatic
Once your firm offer becomes unconditional, you lose your insurance place, so you can't swap. To go to your insurance now, you would need to get released by your firm and then apply to your insurance in clearing (if they are in clearing). Obviously that is a big risk to take, and you probably want to wait until A-level results day when clearing places are announced, unless you really know you do not want to go to your firm.


Presumably if the student contacts the insurance, explains the situation and asks if they will keep a place open in clearing, then they are fairly safe to ask for a release from the firm choice?

My friend is doing this and having seen the results, the insurance have basically said yes, contact us with the UCAS ID and clearing number when you are released.

But it seems a bit risky to me? Anyone ever heard of a Uni agreeing to keep a place in clearing for somebody and then not doing so?
Original post by BigV
Presumably if the student contacts the insurance, explains the situation and asks if they will keep a place open in clearing, then they are fairly safe to ask for a release from the firm choice?

My friend is doing this and having seen the results, the insurance have basically said yes, contact us with the UCAS ID and clearing number when you are released.

But it seems a bit risky to me? Anyone ever heard of a Uni agreeing to keep a place in clearing for somebody and then not doing so?


It is unusual for them not to follow through with it, but the best advice I can give is to get it in writing (in an email) from the insurance that they are prepared to hold a place in clearing and then if they were to go against their word then you can bring it up with UCAS with evidence rather it being your word against theirs. However, this is just a precaution, and all should work out if they've committed to giving you a place.
Reply 378
Avatar for cook92
cook92
I confirmed my firm choice of BBC and insurance of BBB. i would now prefer to attend my insurance. Is there anything that can be done to alter this once i know my results or do i need to cancel my firm and risk not achieving the BBB and therefore ending up in clearing?
Original post by cook92
I confirmed my firm choice of BBC and insurance of BBB. i would now prefer to attend my insurance. Is there anything that can be done to alter this once i know my results or do i need to cancel my firm and risk not achieving the BBB and therefore ending up in clearing?


You should alter it now. Contact your insurance and ask if they're happy to become your firm. If they agree, contact your firm and ask them to reject you now. If they do this, you go into results day with just your current insurance.

It can be done after results, but is much harder - you need to get released on results day, which can take a few days, and then hope your insurance is in Clearing.

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