Accepted an unconditional but looking out for a different course at a different uni?

I've accepted an unconditional for UEA and love it, however my top choice would be for Uni of Bristol. I firmed UEA as it was same grades as Bristol but it would have been too risky to firm Bristol. I know I've made an agreement to go to UEA but I've been told I can technically still change uni. If I did see my course at Bristol advertising in clearing how would I go about applying for it come results day?

P.S. I appreciate this may not make a lot of sense so feel free to ask me any questions you may have

I know you're not asking for comments on your past choices, but the sensible thing to do would really have been to firm Bristol and chose a sensible insurance choice.

As you have an unconditional, you won't be eligible for adjustment. This means the only way to change uni course is via clearing.

You can find a bit more out about the clearing process here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5510628&p=79225420&page=2#post79225420

You can only add a clearing choice to track if you are not holding any other offers, so at some point you will have to get UEA to release you. On results day, this usually takes at least 24-48 hours.

Normally, in clearing it is quite hard to get an offer without a clearing number, as the unis you're applying to can't see your UCAS application. However, as you originally applied to Bristol, they will still be able to see your application and may be willing to make you a clearing offer without a clearing number. If they do give you an offer, make sure they know you still need to be released from UEA, so you need a long deadline to add this offer to track. If they'll only give you 24 hours to add the offer to track, you end up in a situation where UEA could take too long to release you, and you end up with nothing.

You have nothing to lose by phoning Bristol on results day, if the course you want is in clearing, but be prepared for them not to consider you if you don't have a clearing number. Switching courses via clearing can be risky and you could end up with neither course if things go wrong.

I hope this helps you make sense of your options.

I know you're not asking for comments on your past choices, but the sensible thing to do would really have been to firm Bristol and chose a sensible insurance choice.

As you have an unconditional, you won't be eligible for adjustment. This means the only way to change uni course is via clearing.

You can find a bit more out about the clearing process here:
https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5510628&p=79225420&page=2#post79225420

You can only add a clearing choice to track if you are not holding any other offers, so at some point you will have to get UEA to release you. On results day, this usually takes at least 24-48 hours.


Normally, in clearing it is quite hard to get an offer without a clearing number, as the unis you're applying to can't see your UCAS application. However, as you originally applied to Bristol, they will still be able to see your application and may be willing to make you a clearing offer without a clearing number. If they do give you an offer, make sure they know you still need to be released from UEA, so you need a long deadline to add this offer to track. If they'll only give you 24 hours to add the offer to track, you end up in a situation where UEA could take too long to release you, and you end up with nothing.

You have nothing to lose by phoning Bristol on results day, if the course you want is in clearing, but be prepared for them not to consider you if you don't have a clearing number. Switching courses via clearing can be risky and you could end up with neither course if things go wrong.

I hope this helps you make sense of your options.

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Thanks for your reply, it is really helpful!

I did have Northumbria as my insurance but when weighing up the risk of firming Bristol then missing the grades and getting Northumbria, I realised I'd be better off with my offer from UEA given they're better than Northumbria.

I guess it's worth a try phoning Bristol on results day if they do have my course as you say and then if they don't I'm perfectly happily at UEA anyway!

Thanks again for your help

I think you should call UCAS, because I also am holding an unconditional offer but I'm eligible for adjustment because my offer was originally conditional, and became unconditional once I firmed it.

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Thanks for your reply, it is really helpful!

I did have Northumbria as my insurance but when weighing up the risk of firming Bristol then missing the grades and getting Northumbria, I realised I'd be better off with my offer from UEA given they're better than Northumbria.

I guess it's worth a try phoning Bristol on results day if they do have my course as you say and then if they don't I'm perfectly happily at UEA anyway!

Thanks again for your help

Why didn't you firm Bristol and insure UEA?

Is the Bristol course actually in Clearing now?

Posted from TSR Mobile

My unconditional for UEA was only available if I had firmed them, it was AAB conditional (same as Bristol) before I firmed them and would have been if I had them as insurance. I've tried looking on the Bristol website to find out if my course is in clearing but I can't find out (as far as I know) until results day

And this is why you shouldn't firm "unconditional if firm" offers unless the university is actually your preferred choice and the unconditional aspect hasn't affected your decision making...

I think you should call UCAS, because I also am holding an unconditional offer but I'm eligible for adjustment because my offer was originally conditional, and became unconditional once I firmed it.

But then you run the risk of underperforming and missing out on more than just your first choice.

Not really. And many universities will allow a 1 grade miss anyway.

And what happens if you do get the originally required grades... and you then think: hold on I could have gone to my preferred choice after all but now they don't have any places in Clearing. Or they do have places but all the "good" university accommodation have gone. (eg. Bristol doesn't have an accommodation guarantee for Clearing students).

Applying like this through Clearing is a much riskier strategy than just firming your preferred university in the first place.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Of course there's a risk. In the scenario you describe, picking the unconditional was a bad idea in hindsight

But what if you miss the offer of your preferred uni and they don't let you in anyway? It sounds like OP would rather go to UEA than Northumbria so in that scenario, the unconditional gets them their 2nd choice instead of their 3rd choice. Or what if you miss the offer for your insurance as well? Then instead of getting your second choice with the unconditional you have to roll the dice in clearing and might end up somewhere you don't really want to go.

OP could have Firmed Bristol (their ideal uni apparently) and Insured UEA (their 2nd choice uni). Bristol tends to be stricter on requirements, UEA is often more flexible.

And *if* they had missed both choices then that's exactly what Clearing is there for.

Or you resit and try again. Bristol are fine with resits for most courses.

The vast majority of people end up at their Firm choice.

UEA had the same offer so again you run the risk of missing both of them. Yes there's clearing for that but you could have guaranteed a place at your second choice with the unconditional whereas in clearing you could end up somewhere you like much less.

Resit when? As in take a gap year?

I know it's not common to miss your offers but it is possible and the risk of it should be taken into account when making the decision.

I'm afraid you aren't, unless what you mean is that you had a conditional firm that became unconditional once you met your offer. If it's simply that the uni updated it to unconditional after you picked them as your firm, regardless of your results, this means you can't use Adjustment.

Has UCAS told you you're eligible for adjustment? Normally, if your offer has been made unconditional before results day you aren't eligible for adjustment. You can't exceed an unconditional offer. Everyone can see the adjustment button on track, BTW.

The final decision is actually with the university you apply to via adjustment, but unis don't want to be accused of stealing applicants, so they won't consider you to have exceeded your offer.

I rang UCAS who said I'm eligible for adjustment as I originally had conditions to my offer before I firmed it and became unconditional.

It's interesting you were told that as TSR does arrange UCAS training for their advisors, and certainly the official line from UCAS is that if you hold an unconditional, you can't exceed it- but as I say, the final decision does rest with the universities you contact, so it's really them you have to convince.

I wonder if the person you spoke to on the phone thought you had already received your results (e.g. Scottish student, BTEC, IB) and that's why your offer was unconditional- in which case you could obviously use adjustment on results day.

I have found in the past, when speaking to UCAS staff in the call center, the lower level staff don't always give the best advice and in one case they intentionally or otherwise gave me completely incorrect information regarding my PGCE application.

I can understand why you'd believe UCAS over us, but you do need to be prepared that things may not work out like you are expecting on results day.