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Do universities work on a first come first serve basis???

Hey im applying this year and i was wondering if unis work on a first come firt serve basis. I want to make my PS really good and dont want to rush it :frown: if i applied in December would i be diasdvantaged? I will be receiving unconditional offers as im taking a gap year and receiving my alevels this summer


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(edited 10 years ago)

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No, it's not, that would be a terrible move by the unis, what if a fantastic applicant or applicants came along and they'd already given out as many offers as they could to average applicants? They base it on your AS/A2 results and your personal statement.
The sooner you apply the better. It shouldn't take more than a month to write a PS: it's only one page.

Original post by Superunknown17
No, it's not, that would be a terrible move by the unis, what if a fantastic applicant or applicants came along and they'd already given out as many offers as they could to average applicants? They base it on your AS/A2 results and your personal statement.


Because generally, the better candidates apply earlier and unis know students like getting responses as early as they can.
Original post by Secretnerd123
Hey im applying this year and i was wondering if unis work on a first come firt serve basis. I want to make my PS really good and dont want to rush it :frown: if i applied in December would i be diasdvantaged? I will be receiving unconditional offers as im taking a gap year and receiving my alevels this summer


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No, you won't be disadvantaged at all if you don't apply until December - universities have to give equal consideration to everyone who applies by 15th January (for some courses and all Oxbridge applicants, this is October 15th), and they always give out more offers than they have places. Provided you provide by the 15th January, you'll be fine - it's much better to spend some extra time making your PS as good as possible.

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Reply 4
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pricey26
15
Original post by Secretnerd123
Hey im applying this year and i was wondering if unis work on a first come firt serve basis. I want to make my PS really good and dont want to rush it :frown: if i applied in December would i be diasdvantaged? I will be receiving unconditional offers as im taking a gap year and receiving my alevels this summer


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No you wouldn't be disadvantaged. We were told to apply early though, because if you think about it the later you apply, the more offers the uni will have given out. But if you have a strong application then I don't think it would matter too much. Some unis don't even consider the application until after the deadline, but some do: when I applied to York this year, I got an offer a week later. My friend applied just after a week after me and didn't receive an offer until mid February. (the same course)
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 5
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Jkizer
16
You can sometimes get offers before christmas if you apply early, which may help with booking accommodation


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katie55
I applied at the beginning of June and still got 5 unconditional offers from pretty good uni's, so no you will not be at a disadvantage, don't submit your application until you are really happy with it although before the January deadline is probably a good idea just in case. Good luck :smile:
To be honest writing a PS takes at most a few hours, perhaps even a few days if you are likely to write a terrible one that will need to be fixed. Either way there is no reason you shouldn't be able to apply well before December if you so desire. To answer your question(s) though: no they don't, and you might be but probably not in any meaningful way.
Original post by katie55
I applied at the beginning of June and still got 5 unconditional offers from pretty good uni's, so no you will not be at a disadvantage, don't submit your application until you are really happy with it although before the January deadline is probably a good idea just in case. Good luck :smile:


Wow beginning of june??? Thats a big risk! How did you get in? Your PS must have been amazing


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No they don't.
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katie55
Original post by Secretnerd123
Wow beginning of june??? Thats a big risk! How did you get in? Your PS must have been amazing


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I was in the process of finishing the first year of a different uni course and decided the course was not for me and started looking for different courses. I still finished the year though. I didnt think my personal statement was very good i did about 5 versions in the space of a week or two but it was still rushed and I realised I had no extra curricular activities either so it was probably average. I got good A level grades though which I think was the main bit. I always thought applying late all the decent unis and courses would be full but there were only two others I would have applied too and I think the course and uni I am going too is much better for me anyway so I'm happy I did apply as I was originally going to wait and apply for 2014. Just proves it doesnt really matter when you apply and you will deffinetly be fine.
Original post by katie55
I was in the process of finishing the first year of a different uni course and decided the course was not for me and started looking for different courses. I still finished the year though. I didnt think my personal statement was very good i did about 5 versions in the space of a week or two but it was still rushed and I realised I had no extra curricular activities either so it was probably average. I got good A level grades though which I think was the main bit. I always thought applying late all the decent unis and courses would be full but there were only two others I would have applied too and I think the course and uni I am going too is much better for me anyway so I'm happy I did apply as I was originally going to wait and apply for 2014. Just proves it doesnt really matter when you apply and you will deffinetly be fine.


Thanks for the info and im happy for you :smile: what course are you doing in sept if you dont mind me asking?


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During the period of application, they must provide equal consideration to all applicants. If you apply on the first day or the last day, if your qualifications and experience are the same, you should both be offered a place. Nottingham Science have a video on the UCAS application process from an admissions tutor's point of view.


That said, you could easily start researching the personal statement and start writing it now. It shouldn't take that long to write a very competitive letter.
Reply 13
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katie55
Original post by Secretnerd123
Thanks for the info and im happy for you :smile: what course are you doing in sept if you dont mind me asking?


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Thank you and Marketing Management at Lancaster University.

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A great deal of misinformation has been written here, some of it very misleading.

I am an Admissions Tutor at a leading RG Uni, so here is the correct information:

If you apply before the mid-Jan 2014 deadline your application will be treated equally. THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE IN APPLYING IN OCTOBER.

Universities have been involved in undergrad admissions a great deal longer than any of you. We know the rough % of offers that convert into confirmed places, both at the '5 choices' stage and at at the 'Firm/Insurance' stage. This is based on years and years of experience and statistics. There is not a finite number of offers available and once those are 'used up' we stop making offers. It doesnt work like that.

I would urge all of you thinking of applying early to step back and think carefully. Go to Open Days BEFORE you apply and think about the reality of the course for which you are applying. It is NOT a race, nor is it a competition with your school friends. It is about where you will spend three very important years of your life. Make your choices wisely and with the maximum of time and thought. Remember, it is NOT 'First One to get an Offer is the Winner'.
Reply 15
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Munrot07
18
A question (sorry if this has been asked before) but I heard that if you apply to oxbridge, for the 15th of October, you send your application off to all other universities and they can tell that if your application was sent off by the 15th of October that you have applied to oxbridge so will be less likely to give you a place, is this true because I really want to go to imperial as well and don't want them to be put off because of the fact I'm applying to oxbridge (specifically oxford)
Original post by Munrot07
A question (sorry if this has been asked before) but I heard that if you apply to oxbridge, for the 15th of October, you send your application off to all other universities and they can tell that if your application was sent off by the 15th of October that you have applied to oxbridge so will be less likely to give you a place, is this true because I really want to go to imperial as well and don't want them to be put off because of the fact I'm applying to oxbridge (specifically oxford)


Not all early applicants are applying to oxbridge but you are correct that an early application may indicate this to other universities

Wether Imperial or anyone else is put off by OxbridgeI do not know - others may

However, it is possible to apply to 1 or more before the October deadline and then add the others at a later date
Original post by Munrot07
A question (sorry if this has been asked before) but I heard that if you apply to oxbridge, for the 15th of October, you send your application off to all other universities and they can tell that if your application was sent off by the 15th of October that you have applied to oxbridge so will be less likely to give you a place, is this true because I really want to go to imperial as well and don't want them to be put off because of the fact I'm applying to oxbridge (specifically oxford)


We dont care. We know that many, many people applying to Oxbridge wont get a place. Most will actually end up at RG Unis just like ours. We arent in the business of judging applications on where else you've applied. We are only interested in that you've put us as a choice and do we want to make you an offer or not. We dont play 'games' like strategic offers based on where else you've applied. We havnt got time for that sort of nonsense.
Reply 18
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Munrot07
18
Original post by returnmigrant
We dont care. We know that many, many people applying to Oxbridge wont get a place. Most will actually end up at RG Unis just like ours. We arent in the business of judging applications on where else you've applied. We are only interested in that you've put us as a choice and do we want to make you an offer or not. We dont play 'games' like strategic offers based on where else you've applied. We havnt got time for that sort of nonsense.


Awesome thanks :biggrin: actually imperial is my first choice :P (i know most people find it weird if oxbridge isn't ur first, i love oxford but imperial is just slightly better for what i want)
Original post by returnmigrant
A great deal of misinformation has been written here, some of it very misleading.

I am an Admissions Tutor at a leading RG Uni, so here is the correct information:

If you apply before the mid-Jan 2014 deadline your application will be treated equally. THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE IN APPLYING IN OCTOBER.

Universities have been involved in undergrad admissions a great deal longer than any of you. We know the rough % of offers that convert into confirmed places, both at the '5 choices' stage and at at the 'Firm/Insurance' stage. This is based on years and years of experience and statistics. There is not a finite number of offers available and once those are 'used up' we stop making offers. It doesnt work like that.

I would urge all of you thinking of applying early to step back and think carefully. Go to Open Days BEFORE you apply and think about the reality of the course for which you are applying. It is NOT a race, nor is it a competition with your school friends. It is about where you will spend three very important years of your life. Make your choices wisely and with the maximum of time and thought. Remember, it is NOT 'First One to get an Offer is the Winner'.


Thanks so much for the information, really helped. Btw im taking a gap year so obviously wont be in college anymore so i was wondering who would be able to be my referee?


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