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Durham clearing?

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Original post by jandanjan
I have complained to UCAS but the Dept of Education is NOT responsible for Durham , nor is the next group they sent me too nor the next dept so I now have ranted to Universities UK and asked them if they are responsible. :mad:


The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible for higher education. Vince Cable is Secretary of State and David Willetts is the relevant junior minister.

However they are not responsible for Durham any more than DEFRA is responsible for Farmer Giles or the Department of Culture Media and Sport is responsible for Manchester United.
Original post by jandanjan
Before I go and make anymore phone calls about this can someone confirm to me that Durham don't normally do Clearing ? I was surprised to see them there so is it because of Adjustments that they did it this years? Would explain the mess we experienced. I am meeting with my MP tomorrow and would like to know if anyone has any sort of official quotable information.
Thanks a lot for everyone's help and comments


I would contact the Durham Maths Director of Admissions and explain the situation.

The Clearing staff are often just message takers, so won't know what is actually going on.

Professor Steven Abel is your man: Tel: 0191 334 3086 Email: [email protected]

Good luck!
Original post by jandanjan
Before I go and make anymore phone calls about this can someone confirm to me that Durham don't normally do Clearing ? I was surprised to see them there so is it because of Adjustments that they did it this years? Would explain the mess we experienced. I am meeting with my MP tomorrow and would like to know if anyone has any sort of official quotable information.
Thanks a lot for everyone's help and comments
I would very much appreciate an update on this, as my son too went into clearing after speaking to Durham and dropped his place at UCL
Original post by rowena7338
I would very much appreciate an update on this, as my son too went into clearing after speaking to Durham and dropped his place at UCL
I really admire your quest, I am too worried to take things any further in case it stops them giving him a place next year:frown:
Reply 124
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AGB919
This has been handled EXTREMELY badly by Durham. I applied for a clearing place last friday morning and was told that the form had been filled out and that I would be emailed with a result. It has been a week now and I hadn't heard anything until today which was an email by someone outside of clearing that I emailed last week who, in the email, was speculating about what is going on and advising me to take up a place somewhere else. In addition, the phone lines for Durham clearing and adjustment were supposed to be open until 6pm on some days and when I phoned at 5pm there was a message saying that the lines were closed. Luckily I have place somewhere else which I am attending, but I am shocked at how Durham has completely ignored applicants and left them waiting and having to turn down other options because they don't know what the result of the application will be. The whole point of clearing is that it should be quick to allow students to alter where they are going and the lack of communication from Durham has been extremely poor.
Reply 125
Avatar for jandanjan
jandanjan
Original post by rowena7338
I really admire your quest, I am too worried to take things any further in case it stops them giving him a place next year:frown:
well Ive given up now I too don't want to rock the boat as we want to apply for 2014. I am of fto see my MP today but then will leave it sometimes systems suck. Thing is I used to be a great Business Process Engineer and Consultant and if even I can figure out how to streamline the process and make it work OK then I would expect them to be able to too. We will apply 2014 as she liked it as well as to others and pray - to be honest I wont actually believe now she is at university until she comes home for Xmas in 2014 :biggrin: just so annoying she has to spend another year at school while her friends are off to uni but at least she will get her German A2 and she loves German so that's all OK. BTW we did ring Dept Business and Innovation they say nothing to do with them uni can do what it likes :frown:
Original post by jandanjan
well Ive given up now I too don't want to rock the boat as we want to apply for 2014. I am of fto see my MP today but then will leave it sometimes systems suck. Thing is I used to be a great Business Process Engineer and Consultant and if even I can figure out how to streamline the process and make it work OK then I would expect them to be able to too. We will apply 2014 as she liked it as well as to others and pray - to be honest I wont actually believe now she is at university until she comes home for Xmas in 2014 :biggrin: just so annoying she has to spend another year at school while her friends are off to uni but at least she will get her German A2 and she loves German so that's all OK. BTW we did ring Dept Business and Innovation they say nothing to do with them uni can do what it likes :frown:

How did you get on yesterday? I feel exactly the same as you, I am actually a teacher, with a responsibility for careers for the 6th form. I have never come across anything like it neither have my colleagues. Although my son was not given an verbal offer, he was told to give up his insurance at UCL, he was informed that as long as he has the grades he would get a place. Hence he too is without anything for next year. What concerns me further is he has known people who have already obtained A* s being rejected from Uni. On the positive side, we should know by the end of March latest if they have been accepted, so at least they will know where they are going by then.
Reply 127
Avatar for jandanjan
jandanjan
Original post by rowena7338
How did you get on yesterday? I feel exactly the same as you, I am actually a teacher, with a responsibility for careers for the 6th form. I have never come across anything like it neither have my colleagues. Although my son was not given an verbal offer, he was told to give up his insurance at UCL, he was informed that as long as he has the grades he would get a place. Hence he too is without anything for next year. What concerns me further is he has known people who have already obtained A* s being rejected from Uni. On the positive side, we should know by the end of March latest if they have been accepted, so at least they will know where they are going by then.

Well without wanting to cause you any pain it helps me to know my daughter is not alone in having this happen to here- I have been blaming myself since UCAS said no and we ended up with nothing and I still am as all we want is the best for our children and she slogged her guts out to get those grades and we haven't really been able to celebrate them. Our MP said he would write to the vice chancellor about the process and that's about all we can do now. Her head of sixth form rung them on Friday but it seems no one is ultimately responsible. Like every other knock back we've had we just have to make the best of it and get on to 2014 applications now.
Original post by jandanjan
Well without wanting to cause you any pain it helps me to know my daughter is not alone in having this happen to here- I have been blaming myself since UCAS said no and we ended up with nothing and I still am as all we want is the best for our children and she slogged her guts out to get those grades and we haven't really been able to celebrate them. Our MP said he would write to the vice chancellor about the process and that's about all we can do now. Her head of sixth form rung them on Friday but it seems no one is ultimately responsible. Like every other knock back we've had we just have to make the best of it and get on to 2014 applications now.
Like you we felt unable to celebrate the amazing results, we too are getting on with the 2014 process, I just hope having a year out will not affect the application. Worst nightmare to have no offers at all! I also will have a son in Year 13, but it will go quickly I am sure. I also felt better knowing someone else was in the same situation - everyone we know finds it difficult to believe or understand. Good luck for next year to your very hardworking clever daughter. Maybe we will go on next year with better news. Both our children should know by end of March the latest, if not before.
Reply 129
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iano101
9
It seems to be all luck at the end of the day. Pity really.
Durham just gave me an offer today!! Cannot believe it! Obviously I'm very happy but I was told I'd been unsuccessful last week- they have been so badly organised!
Original post by applicant20
Durham just gave me an offer today!! Cannot believe it! Obviously I'm very happy but I was told I'd been unsuccessful last week- they have been so badly organised!

Good lord! I'm very pleased to hear that. I'm sure a lot of people on this thread would like to hear the full story.
Original post by applicant20
Durham just gave me an offer today!! Cannot believe it! Obviously I'm very happy but I was told I'd been unsuccessful last week- they have been so badly organised!


May I ask what subject? I just got my offer reinstated by email, totally out of the blue...
Reply 133
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Good lord! I'm very pleased to hear that. I'm sure a lot of people on this thread would like to hear the full story.
They certainly would!

Original post by applicant20
Durham just gave me an offer today!! Cannot believe it! Obviously I'm very happy but I was told I'd been unsuccessful last week- they have been so badly organised!


Original post by FrogInABog
May I ask what subject? I just got my offer reinstated by email, totally out of the blue...


We're all ears :tongue:
Original post by Minerva
They certainly would!

We're all ears :tongue:


Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but I'll tell all anyway :tongue:

My offer from Durham was A*AA, ended up with AAB on results day, so I found a place at Bath in clearing. Unfortunately, to accept it, I had to reject Durham, who still hadn't made a final decision. Anyway, since the 16th, I had accepted the situation, and was getting all excited about going to Bath, until... Two days ago, I got the results of remark, and as a result, UCL (my insurance) agreed to reinstate my place there. So, for the last two days, I've been pumping myself up for life in London, and then... This afternoon, I glanced at my phone to find an email from Durham, telling me they'd decided to give me my place back there too (despite still not having the grades, and not even having asked for it).

Long story short, I've gone from begging for university places on the 15th August, to having to turn down two universities in the last few days... Now all I have to do is decide - UCL or Durham? :s-smilie:
Original post by FrogInABog
May I ask what subject? I just got my offer reinstated by email, totally out of the blue...


Combined arts! I received an email about a week ago telling me all the places were full (it made it sound like they had been filled before I applied). Then I got a call today telling me there were still places and still considering me but thankfully they phoned me later telling me I'd been accepted!
Original post by applicant20
Combined arts! I received an email about a week ago telling me all the places were full (it made it sound like they had been filled before I applied). Then I got a call today telling me there were still places and still considering me but thankfully they phoned me later telling me I'd been accepted!


Wahoo another combined person- I got in through adjustment and have since been stalking these threads to find fellow august applicants! :colone: What subjects are you doing?
That's really weird... Surely they can't have had that many people drop out since they filled the places?
Reply 137
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by FrogInABog
Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but I'll tell all anyway :tongue:

My offer from Durham was A*AA, ended up with AAB on results day, so I found a place at Bath in clearing. Unfortunately, to accept it, I had to reject Durham, who still hadn't made a final decision. Anyway, since the 16th, I had accepted the situation, and was getting all excited about going to Bath, until... Two days ago, I got the results of remark, and as a result, UCL (my insurance) agreed to reinstate my place there. So, for the last two days, I've been pumping myself up for life in London, and then... This afternoon, I glanced at my phone to find an email from Durham, telling me they'd decided to give me my place back there too (despite still not having the grades, and not even having asked for it).

Long story short, I've gone from begging for university places on the 15th August, to having to turn down two universities in the last few days... Now all I have to do is decide - UCL or Durham? :s-smilie:
Not being sarky at all :smile: Nice choice to have to make - very glad to hear that UCL are honouring the remark - but some rollercoaster you've been on. Never heard anything quite like that before!
Reply 138
Avatar for jandanjan
jandanjan
Us too!!!! Durham offered via Adjustment on Thursday but they sent it to an email account we weren't looking at but luckily they rung me as I had made so many phone calls etc to them and UCAS etc. Anyway upshot is they offered my daughter her MMaths course. She was away and came back yesterday , filled in forms on UCAS and we now have the printed confirmation on the fridge as I didn't believe it. I did keep a constant pressure on them as did her Head of Sixth who was a total star but she got the grades ( A* A* A) so its her effort. I think the place she got is someone else deciding to go elsewhere. What a terrible two weeks but the outcome is good - we shall now celebrate it all.
Reply 139
Avatar for Minerva
Minerva
17
Original post by jandanjan
Us too!!!! Durham offered via Adjustment on Thursday but they sent it to an email account we weren't looking at but luckily they rung me as I had made so many phone calls etc to them and UCAS etc. Anyway upshot is they offered my daughter her MMaths course. She was away and came back yesterday , filled in forms on UCAS and we now have the printed confirmation on the fridge as I didn't believe it. I did keep a constant pressure on them as did her Head of Sixth who was a total star but she got the grades ( A* A* A) so its her effort. I think the place she got is someone else deciding to go elsewhere. What a terrible two weeks but the outcome is good - we shall now celebrate it all.
I am SO pleased to read this! Having seen the recent posts in this thread I did wonder whether you might have had some good news too, and it's great to see that you did. Many, many congratulations to your daughter - and to you, for keeping faith.

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