Changing name, before or after University application?

So, I want to change my name before starting University because I want to kinda change my personality in a good way. I want to legally remove my first name and replace it with my middle name and potentially add a new middle name. I understand you must get a deedpool, but I want to wait until after I finish college so nobody will know my new name unless I want them to know.

Do you think I can just let the Uni know around July time that I have changed my name(this time of year because I have finished college then), show the deedpool and new ID to back it up? Or would they not allow this?

Reply 1

999tigger

19

Original post by guiltyintrovert

So, I want to change my name before starting University because I want to kinda change my personality in a good way. I want to legally remove my first name and replace it with my middle name and potentially add a new middle name. I understand you must get a deedpool, but I want to wait until after I finish college so nobody will know my new name unless I want them to know.

Do you think I can just let the Uni know around July time that I have changed my name(this time of year because I have finished college then), show the deedpool and new ID to back it up? Or would they not allow this?

Imo you should change it before you leave school so that the certificates accurately reflect the name change. If you do not then you will need to make sure you have what the uni needs to verify you and the previous name are the same person.

Why would anyone care what you change your name to? No one will. You are unlikely to see most if not all of them ever again. You can leave it to july if you want, but I imagine it will be too late for the exam boards when they issue your certificates.

Reply 2

ughhhhhfam

6

Changing your name before uni applications is much better and less of a hassle. I changed mine in Year 12 which meant I applied to uni with my new name and my A-Level exam certificates also had my new name.

As the person above said, you won't see most of your college peers ever again. I haven't seen any other than my friends. Those peers won't give your new name another moment's thought. They've got other things to think about so I'd say change your name as soon as possible.

Reply 3

csmlady

17

Original post by ughhhhhfam

Changing your name before uni applications is much better and less of a hassle. I changed mine in Year 12 which meant I applied to uni with my new name and my A-Level exam certificates also had my new name.

As the person above said, you won't see most of your college peers ever again. I haven't seen any other than my friends. Those peers won't give your new name another moment's thought. They've got other things to think about so I'd say change your name as soon as possible.

hi I just wanted to ask - do u ever regret it? do u feel like a bad person for changing the name that your parents gave you? and why did you do it? why did it matter so much to you? (sorry, I'm just interested as I would like to do it and have a fresh start but I just feel bad about it and I'm scared lol idk why...)

Reply 4

guiltyintrovert

OP

7

Original post by csmlady

hi I just wanted to ask - do u ever regret it? do u feel like a bad person for changing the name that your parents gave you? and why did you do it? why did it matter so much to you? (sorry, I'm just interested as I would like to do it and have a fresh start but I just feel bad about it and I'm scared lol idk why...)

I am changing mine mainly because its a religious(I'm not religous) and uncommon name everyone ****s up. See my other post for more context. I guess I don't feel any remorse. I haven't changed it yet to answer the last 2 questions, but my other post explains why.

What are your reasons?

Reply 5

guiltyintrovert

OP

7

Original post by 999tigger

Imo you should change it before you leave school so that the certificates accurately reflect the name change. If you do not then you will need to make sure you have what the uni needs to verify you and the previous name are the same person.

Why would anyone care what you change your name to? No one will. You are unlikely to see most if not all of them ever again. You can leave it to july if you want, but I imagine it will be too late for the exam boards when they issue your certificates.

I don't want it to be a big deal and everyone I want to forget about asking my reasons for why. My personality defo sucks rn I won't lie but I am really working on changing that before Uni. As long as I can prove I am the same person like you said the name on the exam certificate does not necessarily matter.

Reply 6

guiltyintrovert

OP

7

Original post by ughhhhhfam

Changing your name before uni applications is much better and less of a hassle. I changed mine in Year 12 which meant I applied to uni with my new name and my A-Level exam certificates also had my new name.

As the person above said, you won't see most of your college peers ever again. I haven't seen any other than my friends. Those peers won't give your new name another moment's thought. They've got other things to think about so I'd say change your name as soon as possible.

I just don't want people to know because I don't want them to be in my life, it's just much easier for them to never know the reasons why ig.

Reply 7

originalbiscotti

16

like others say, its probably best to change them before you leave so that your certificates reflect this.
you can always ask your name stays the same on registers/ask teachers to call you the same name and i doubt anyone would even realise, and if they did, you are under no obligation to explain any of it.

Reply 8

guiltyintrovert

OP

7

Original post by originalbiscotti

like others say, its probably best to change them before you leave so that your certificates reflect this.
you can always ask your name stays the same on registers/ask teachers to call you the same name and i doubt anyone would even realise, and if they did, you are under no obligation to explain any of it.

Yeah, that's actually not a bad idea. The only thing is that on my application it will say my current name rather than my new name, and there is no time to change it because I am sending the application within the next two weeks.

Reply 9

originalbiscotti

16

Original post by guiltyintrovert

Yeah, that's actually not a bad idea. The only thing is that on my application it will say my current name rather than my new name, and there is no time to change it because I am sending the application within the next two weeks.

id speak to your school about this, im pretty sure it can be updated on ucas? if not then stick with it till after and let your uni know once its been processed and they can update it (this will obviously be much easier before you start).

Reply 10

csmlady

17

Original post by guiltyintrovert

I am changing mine mainly because its a religious(I'm not religous) and uncommon name everyone ****s up. See my other post for more context. I guess I don't feel any remorse. I haven't changed it yet to answer the last 2 questions, but my other post explains why.

What are your reasons?

I just don't like tons of people thatve had the same name as me, all of them have had bad morals and I feel like the name kind of corresponds to it, also I'm not that close to my parents and I never have been so I don't want to have what they've given to me if that makes sense, I wanna change my last name too to be honest but it's just giving me anxiety because I know it's just a name but like I have memories of people I actually like and admire calling me it and it's just weird to me..

Reply 11

ughhhhhfam

6

Original post by csmlady

hi I just wanted to ask - do u ever regret it? do u feel like a bad person for changing the name that your parents gave you? and why did you do it? why did it matter so much to you? (sorry, I'm just interested as I would like to do it and have a fresh start but I just feel bad about it and I'm scared lol idk why...)

Sorry for the late reply!

It was actually just my surname I changed because I wanted it to be more ethnically ambiguos. My new surname is still a family name but it's just slightly down the family tree and it's very uncommon. I don't regret it at all.

I would've done my first name too because I hate it and my parents already know this, I've told them but I just couldn't find the right first name and getting the first name change wrong is a big thing. If you're too scared to do a first name change, using a nickname/preferred name can also work - I'm pretty sure you can start using it as early as UCAS application. You'd only see your legal name in official situations.

Don't feel bad. Do what makes you feel happy!

Reply 12

guiltyintrovert

OP

7

Original post by ughhhhhfam

Sorry for the late reply!

It was actually just my surname I changed because I wanted it to be more ethnically ambiguos. My new surname is still a family name but it's just slightly down the family tree and it's very uncommon. I don't regret it at all.

I would've done my first name too because I hate it and my parents already know this, I've told them but I just couldn't find the right first name and getting the first name change wrong is a big thing. If you're too scared to do a first name change, using a nickname/preferred name can also work - I'm pretty sure you can start using it as early as UCAS application. You'd only see your legal name in official situations.

Don't feel bad. Do what makes you feel happy!

Do you think it's a good idea to then write down the name I want to start using on my UCAS application as the preferred name?