Unconditional offers

Do you agree or disagree with universities giving unconditional offers? Who should unconditional offers be given to?

I know that if they ever gave me one, I wouldn't complain 🤷🏾*♀️😂

Reply 1

999tigger

19

Original post by namelessfeelsx

Do you agree or disagree with universities giving unconditional offers? Who should unconditional offers be given to?

I know that if they ever gave me one, I wouldn't complain 🤷🏾*♀️😂

I dont care. At the moment its normally lower unis trying to get students to fill their course.

My advice is unless its oxbridge or an elite then o to the uni you really want to and back yourself to make the grades.

Reply 2

harrysbar

21

Original post by namelessfeelsx

Do you agree or disagree with universities giving unconditional offers? Who should unconditional offers be given to?

I know that if they ever gave me one, I wouldn't complain 🤷🏾*♀️😂

Most people wouldn't complain if they got one! My son accepted an unconditional offer to study at Birmingham Uni and was very happy with that offer - although Birmingham was one of his top choices anyway.

I think they can be very useful but sometimes they are a bad thing, such as when the student then stops putting in maximum effort, or when they decide to Firm a Uni that they would not otherwise have selected.

It's not just weaker Unis that give unconditional offers - some Russell Group Unis do too, such as Birmingham and Nottingham. But its true that some low ranking Unis give them out to try and get students with better A level predictions putting them first.

Reply 3

swanseajack1

19

Original post by harrysbar

Most people wouldn't complain if they got one! My son accepted an unconditional offer to study at Birmingham Uni and was very happy with that offer - although Birmingham was one of his top choices anyway.

I think they can be very useful but sometimes they are a bad thing, such as when the student then stops putting in maximum effort, or when they decide to Firm a Uni that they would not otherwise have selected.

It's not just weaker Unis that give unconditional offers - some Russell Group Unis do too, such as Birmingham and Nottingham. But its true that some low ranking Unis give them out to try and get students with better A level predictions putting them first.

It isnt just low ranking universities that use them to try and get people in. So does Birmingham. In fact Birmingham were the first university to offer them. A number of years ago all universities had set quotas and could be punished if they exceeded their quota. The government removed the quotas and universities like Exeter increased their intake. The first year this happened Birmingham did not fill their numbers and reacted by introducing unconditional offers which the likes on Nottingham and others have followed. It is done to get students to choose their universities over others not for the students benefit. From a students perspective there are 2 main issues. They should only use them if it is their preferred choice and they need to be aware they are committed and cannot use adjustment.

Reply 4

Simbasoul

19

I think for those courses where students have to jump through a million hoops before even applying, and then have extended interview processes to succeed at before getting an offer, unconditional offers shouls be given.

I'm talking about Medicine/Veterinary and Dentistry, as well as Oxbridge. The students have already proved their academic ability with (usually) straight A* GCSEs, additional qualifcations, usually straight A*/A Alevel predictions and have had to sit a nationally ranked test in the BMAT/UKCAT. Their academic ability is beyond question - they have also had to complete a huge amount of voluntary work/work experience, whilst maintaining these grades, and have then had to go through rigourous interviews, (assuming they actually get any interviews!) I don't think giving a UC at that point would make much of a difference to their actual grades and Unis could always offer a sweetener (like a ipad or a token amount of money if they achieve 3 As or whatever).

I also think Oxbridge should return to their UC days - in my day it was a 2E offer if you got throught the process (UCs didn't exist then!) It seems ridiculous to me that the above students have to run the gauntlet of all that and still achieve, whilst otehrs don't even have to visit the uni before they apply and can be offered a UC.

Reply 5

Routeri

15

I got two unconditional offers and I wish they were both just conditional. It'd make my decision much easier without them since both of the universities i liked a lot. You have to think about what choice to pick more deeply cause if it's an unconditional... you'll be stuck with it. I'd prefer if unconditionals would not be given out at all.

Reply 6

harrysbar

21

Original post by Routeri

I got two unconditional offers and I wish they were both just conditional. It'd make my decision much easier without them since both of the universities i liked a lot. You have to think about what choice to pick more deeply cause if it's an unconditional... you'll be stuck with it. I'd prefer if unconditionals would not be given out at all.

I'm not sure what you mean by that because you would still have to have a Firm choice, and go there if you got the grades.

Why don't you just choose the Uni you would have Firmed anyway? Theres no hurry to decide either.

Reply 7

Routeri

15

Original post by harrysbar

I'm not sure what you mean by that because you would still have to have a Firm choice, and go there if you got the grades.

Why don't you just choose the Uni you would have Firmed anyway? Theres no hurry to decide either.

I like both options equally. And if i didn't get the grades but still had an unconditional offer, I'd feel a sense of guilt with going somewhere even though my performance was bad. Firming an unconditional is a guarentee... there is no room for a later change of mind. If they were both conditional, I could firm which ever i felt like in the moment then later I could change my mind if I really wanted to.

Reply 8

harrysbar

21

Original post by Routeri

I like both options equally. And if i didn't get the grades but still had an unconditional offer, I'd feel a sense of guilt with going somewhere even though my performance was bad. Firming an unconditional is a guarentee... there is no room for a later change of mind. If they were both conditional, I could firm which ever i felt like in the moment then later I could change my mind if I really wanted to.

You could still change you mind if you really wanted to. You would have to ask the Uni to "release" you, which is just the same for people with conditional offers who have Firmed a particular Uni then changed their mind. And as long as you have tried hard, there would be no need to feel guilty about not achieving the grades they normally ask for. That is the deal with unconditional offers, that some students will do better and some worse than their A level predictions. Unis understand this.

I understand that you have a hard decision to make as you like both Unis equally but all you can do is research as much as you can into them both and attend Applicant days get more a feel for them both.

Reply 9

namelessfeelsx

OP

13

Original post by Simbasoul

I think for those courses where students have to jump through a million hoops before even applying, and then have extended interview processes to succeed at before getting an offer, unconditional offers shouls be given.

I'm talking about Medicine/Veterinary and Dentistry, as well as Oxbridge. The students have already proved their academic ability with (usually) straight A* GCSEs, additional qualifcations, usually straight A*/A Alevel predictions and have had to sit a nationally ranked test in the BMAT/UKCAT. Their academic ability is beyond question - they have also had to complete a huge amount of voluntary work/work experience, whilst maintaining these grades, and have then had to go through rigourous interviews, (assuming they actually get any interviews!) I don't think giving a UC at that point would make much of a difference to their actual grades and Unis could always offer a sweetener (like a ipad or a token amount of money if they achieve 3 As or whatever).

I also think Oxbridge should return to their UC days - in my day it was a 2E offer if you got throught the process (UCs didn't exist then!) It seems ridiculous to me that the above students have to run the gauntlet of all that and still achieve, whilst otehrs don't even have to visit the uni before they apply and can be offered a UC.

I completely agree with you 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Reply 10

skills0786

7

Hey guys,
So, basically I have got an unconditional offer and I'm thinking of firming it as it is the uni I like and want to go to. So once I firm my offer, what is the process that I will have to do on results day? or is there none since I have already got the offer? The reason I am asking this is because I want to know if I must stay in the country during results day. Because I have an occasion to attend abroad during this period. So does it matter that I'm not here, bearing in mind that I will have someone to collect my results and I have firmed my unconditional offer? (Also if it something to do on UCAS track, I can do it online abroad too right?)
Any advice?
Thanks!

Reply 11

harrysbar

21

Original post by skills0786

Hey guys,
So, basically I have got an unconditional offer and I'm thinking of firming it as it is the uni I like and want to go to. So once I firm my offer, what is the process that I will have to do on results day? or is there none since I have already got the offer? The reason I am asking this is because I want to know if I must stay in the country during results day. Because I have an occasion to attend abroad during this period. So does it matter that I'm not here, bearing in mind that I will have someone to collect my results and I have firmed my unconditional offer? (Also if it something to do on UCAS track, I can do it online abroad too right?)
Any advice?
Thanks!

Congratulations on your unconditional offer to the Uni you want to go to!

You are in the fortunate position of now knowing exactly where you are going in September and will soon get to pick your accomodation. Unlike people with conditional offers, there is no possibility of you needing to go into Clearing and no need for you to be around when your results come out - just inform your school who will be collecting them for you, or ask if they will send them to your home.

As you say, you can just monitor your emails from abroad - you don't physically need to be in the UK.

Reply 12

skills0786

7

Original post by harrysbar

Congratulations on your unconditional offer to the Uni you want to go to!

You are in the fortunate position of now knowing exactly where you are going in September and will soon get to pick your accomodation. Unlike people with conditional offers, there is no possibility of you needing to go into Clearing and no need for you to be around when your results come out - just inform your school who will be collecting them for you, or ask if they will send them to your home.

As you say, you can just monitor your emails from abroad - you don't physically need to be in the UK.