Is it better to reply to offers early?

Hi all, I've got all five offers and am pretty certain on my firm offer but am at a loose end with what to put for the insurance choice. If I wait till mid February after applicants day visits, am I likely to miss out on getting decent accommodation etc?

Cheers! :smile:

Cricket43

Reply 1

SophhFrog

15

Hey,

What uni's have you applied to? I'm pretty sure of my choices but I'm waiting for a little while.
I think it depends on your uni. For instance my top choice says that they don't contact you to apply for accommodation until may and even then it's not on a first come basis but obviously preference is given to those who have their firm choice as that uni.

I have a friend whose uni is going to email them in may to apply but there's is on a first come first served basis.

Hope that makes sense

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Reply 2

Riley95

9

A lot of Universities don't open their accommodation applications until Spring, so I would check that with your Universities to double check, so that's one worry off your mind. I would definitely wait until you've visited your choices, as after a visit you may change your mind and there's pretty much no going back! Good luck.

Reply 3

Cricket43

OP

Thanks for the quick responses! I've applied to Exeter, Exeter Cornwall campus, Southampton, Royal Holloway and Swansea to do BSc Geography. I think I'll make Exeter firm, but can't decide between Southampton, Swansea and Cornwall. Haven't really heard anything on accommodation yet but I'll do a bit more research. Relieved to hear that time should be on my side though :smile:

Reply 4

SophhFrog

15

I found out when I could apply for my accommodation at my firm choice as under their accommodation sections on their website it had a section that said when to apply.

I had the same issue when choosing my firm. I considered the distance from home and train costs back home, the cost of living there i.e accommodation costs and how happy I would be there.
In the end I picked the closer uni as it's cheaper to get home and for accommodation. Also they offer a
bursary that I could be entitled to

Good look with choosing but I'd say don't rush it :smile:

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Reply 5

swanseajack1

19

Original post by Cricket43

Thanks for the quick responses! I've applied to Exeter, Exeter Cornwall campus, Southampton, Royal Holloway and Swansea to do BSc Geography. I think I'll make Exeter firm, but can't decide between Southampton, Swansea and Cornwall. Haven't really heard anything on accommodation yet but I'll do a bit more research. Relieved to hear that time should be on my side though :smile:

you should do nothing until you have attended visit days. you have not stated what your offers are. generally Swansea offers the lower grades so might be a better insurance offer

Reply 6

parentlurker

15

My child disliked Southampton when we visited - one of their friends loved it and is now enjoying themself there, choosing it over Swansea, It seems to be a bit of a marmite place. Royal Holloway suffers a bit from proximity to London and people going back to homes in London at weekends. Accommodation for second/ third years can be expensive. However you get a London degree, everyone has heard of London university if you want to work abroad..

You definitely ought to visit first and most universities wont start dealing with accommodation for insurance offer holders until the summer.

Original post by Cricket43

Thanks for the quick responses! I've applied to Exeter, Exeter Cornwall campus, Southampton, Royal Holloway and Swansea to do BSc Geography. I think I'll make Exeter firm, but can't decide between Southampton, Swansea and Cornwall. Haven't really heard anything on accommodation yet but I'll do a bit more research. Relieved to hear that time should be on my side though :smile:

Hi Cricket43, if you would like more information on accommodation at Swansea University please go to the following website:
www.swansea.ac.uk/accommodation/
Applications are now open for student accommodation if you decide to make Swansea University either your firm or insurance choice. I hope that helps?

Reply 8

loperdoper

15

I'm going to quote PQ in here because I'm not sure, but I believe universities aren't allowed to provide any incentives to choosing a firm early, including accomodation priority.

PQ

.

Reply 9

Chlowah

2

I thought you only had 10 days after receiving all five choices to make your decision?

Reply 10

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by Chlowah

I thought you only had 10 days after receiving all five choices to make your decision?

Most definitely not:
http://www.ucas.com/apply/key-dates

Reply 11

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Cricket43

Hi all, I've got all five offers and am pretty certain on my firm offer but am at a loose end with what to put for the insurance choice. If I wait till mid February after applicants day visits, am I likely to miss out on getting decent accommodation etc?

Cheers! :smile:

Cricket43

UCAS tell unis

UCAS admissions guide

4.7 The UCAS calendar automatically sets the reply date
for the applicant. For courses with an early start date, for
example in January or April 2015, you are advised to tell
the applicant that if they want to accept your offer they
should confirm this by a specified date set by you. You may
only ask for an early reply if the start date of the course is
before 1 September 2015."
As paragraph 4.7 states, replies or any other form of
commitment, other than in accordance with the reply
deadline specified by UCAS, must not be requested"
"Do not ask or encourage applicants to reply to offers
before their reply date unless the course has a start
date before 1 September 2015."

ie - universities aren't allowed to offer any incentives or pressure for applicants to commit before the official UCAS deadlines (which are start of May if you have all your offers/rejects by 31March and start of June if any of your unis replies after 31st March). This explicitly includes prioritising accommodation to those who apply early.

You should NOT make any firm/insurance choices with UCAS until April at the earliest - once you commit to a firm/insurance then it is very difficult to get out of it.

On accommodation - every uni will have their own policies/deadlines but they will all fall after the May/June UCAS deadlines

eg for Swansea

Swansea accomm policy

Both new undergraduate and postgraduate students are guaranteed a place in University residence or
SAS properties, provided they:-
 Hold and accept a firm offer to study on a full time course and
 make an application for accommodation by the 30th June"
and
"UNDERGRADUATES
Students will be allocated places in University accommodation in the following order:-
Priority 1. UF Unconditional Firm Offer - Student has been offered a place (includes full year
exchange students who apply before 30th June)
Priority 2. CF Conditional Firm Offer - Met or exceeded offer"

Implies that allocation for CF students takes place AFTER results day (so that those who met their offer can be placed before those who missed their offer grades but got in anyway).
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/media/Accommodation%20Allocations%20Policy%202014-15.pdf - look at Section 8 too - Accom offers for UG students go out in July/August/September as the results come in.

For Southampton the deadline for applying is usually 1st August but noone with a conditional offer will get placed until they have met their offer conditions (ie allocation starts a week after the A level results).

Have a look around on various uni websites for what guarantees they offer for insurance students and the deadlines (lots of people miss out on a place to live at their insurance uni because they simply don't bother applying!!). And maybe contact their accomm offices and ask how many insurance students who wanted a place in hall got one last year (a lot of universities wont guarantee a room but will end up housing everyone anyway).

Original post by loperdoper

I'm going to quote PQ in here because I'm not sure, but I believe universities aren't allowed to provide any incentives to choosing a firm early, including accomodation priority.