Should I decline my firm choice?

My whole university situation is messed up.

Until today I thought I could pick between my firm and insurance on results day itself. I had planned to go for my insurance over my firm after much deliberation, but I have now found out that that is not even an option.

I had also planned to swap courses at my insurance, which I cleared up with my insurance uni last week. But obviously, this information cannot be edited on UCAS as of now, so that only would've been able to sort out later.

I'm wondering if my easiest option now is to just decline my conditional offer at my firm choice university, and try and prepare for clearing. I have read that if I wanted to swap them over I'd have to call both firm and insurance unis but it seems as though that is only applicable within 14 days of the application, so in that case I've gone long past the date of being able to sort a swap.

Any kind of advice would be completely helpful, the stress is really beginning to kick in now

Yes I m afraid it's too late to swap them, if you get accepted into your firm on results day then you can put yourself into clearing but if you get into your insurance then call them and if there's space they might be able to put the course swap through UCAS without having to put yourself into clearing

Thanks for replying! Do you think, in that case, I should decline my place now so that I can enter clearing earlier, because I heard that if you leave declining your firm until results day, you could potentially lose a place on the clearing courses you would like?

you can do it instantly yourself using the button that appears on results day once your place is confirmed so you won't lose anything by waiting.

I’m pretty certain you can’t place yourself in clearing right at this moment because UCAS gets frozen I think 14 days before results days whilst they update everyone’s offers. I found this out last year as I tried to reject my insurance but found out I couldn’t because ucas track was on freeze so no changes could be made.
You can though on results day release yourself into clearing if you want to.

Ohh ok, I see. Eventhough the 'decline my place' button is still click-able? Would it be frozen from that point afterwards? Thanks for your reply, by the way

Ahh, if it’s still active now the deadline must be 7days before results day unless they’ve changed everything this year as there weren’t any papers to mark

Wait this made me realise something.

I’m not getting a grade for my third a level, but I. Have a B for it last year.

My firm wants BBC

obviously I’m going to get only two grades

But does this mean I can’t go into adjustment???

Idek anymore

I’m gonna call UCAS

Wait this made me realise something.

I’m not getting a grade for my third a level, but I. Have a B for it last year.

My firm wants BBC

obviously I’m going to get only two grades

But does this mean I can’t go into adjustment???

Idek anymore

I’m gonna call UCAS

If you have a B for that grade, and exceed one of you other grades, you could still enter adjustment.

So if you end up with ABC or BBB overall, you should still be eligible for adjustment.

Just talked to UCAS

They said it’s best if I amend it the qualification through a form and call up my firm to make a new offer that only requires those to grades so on results day if I exceed those two grades I’ll go into adjustment.

This is actually better as well since I was so nervous that Bristol might reject me on results day for not having a third a level for this year even tho I previously got a B last year.

I did make it clear to Bristol and sent an email and they said it’s fine over phone but waiting to confirm in writing too

That sounds like odd advice from UCAS actually.

Presumably you listed the existing grade on your application, so I'm not sure what you could amend? I don't think your firm will make you a new offer at this stage.

If you exceed those grades regardless, you'll go into adjustment- you need to enter manually.

If you're confused, then talk to Bristol, though.

The listed grade is last year

I also listed a prediction grade for my third a level this year, but obviously I wasn’t given a calculated grade for this year so they advised me to remove that since I won’t be getting a new grade

And then ask Bristol to make an offer based on two grades I will be getting this summer.

He if Bristol has time to issue out that offer in the next few days.

But yh I’m calling Bristol right now but oooks like they’re not as wrong and it’s nearly 5.30,

Might call tomoz

Yeah, it's unlikely you will get through tonight.

You do need to let Bristol know that you won't get a new grade for that subject this year.

But you can use your existing B towards your existing offer without needing a new offer, necessarily. So your current offer would be BC in effect. Or is the BBC offer not your Bristol offer?

No the BBC offer is my Bristol, you’re correct I would need BC

yh I’m gonna call tomorrow hopefully it’ll all sort.

Since the course I’m doing has very specific requirements and 0 flexibility.