What should i put as my security choice? Should I HAVE a security choice?

I've gotten conditional offers from all of the universities i've applied to, and i really have my heart set on Royal Holloway so it will definitely be my second choice. However i have no idea what to put my security choice. I Love London, so it was going to be Westminster but i've heard that it isn't really that good of a university? So i'm considering not putting a security choice so that i go into clearance? But i really do have my heart set on a Psychology degree and i really want to be somewhere around London. Do you think, if i went into clearance, there would likely be a course around London in psychology, or do you think the chances of that are slim?

Any advice for this is welcome, I'm really stressing out about it :frown:

Reply 1

ageshallnot

Original post by demelzahh

Royal Holloway as your 'second choice'??? Given you have your heart set on it do you mean it's your firm?

Of the London universities, I know that Goldsmiths was in clearing for Psychology last year, but not the grades required.

Reply 2

demelzahh

Original post by ageshallnot

Sorry i meant firm choice!Ah okay, thanks for the information.

Reply 3

Knalchemist

Westminster isn't a very good university, no. What are your other choices?

Reply 4

NHSFan

Original post by demelzahh

You have obviously got good predicted grades. I don't understand why you would have even applied to Westminster!

Where else did you apply? As stated by ageshallnot, Goldmiths is a much better bet and was in clearing last year if you don't make the offer from RHUL.

Reply 5

demelzahh

Original post by Knalchemist

Westminster isn't a very good university, no. What are your other choices?

My other choices were Oxford Brookes (it was a potential back up, but i've decided i do not want to go there), Sussex (same amount of point as Royal Holloway but i prefer Royal Holloway) and Brighton, which i just don't want to go to.

Reply 6

demelzahh

Original post by NHSFan

I applied because i needed a back up and the stats for Psychology for Wesminster weren't bad at all!

Reply 7

demelzahh

Also, i should add i'm an IB student. It is extremely good to get predicted a 37/45 in the IB, but few universities recognize this and so options for IB students are often somewhat limited.

Reply 8

Knalchemist

You could insure Sussex if you want to go there.

Just because they have the same entry requirements doesn't mean you shouldn't insure them.

Say the requirements are AAA for both, and you receive AAB. Sure, you miss the requirements for both, BUT RHUL or Sussex may still accept you. Most universities do.

You don't want to go Brighton or Oxford Brookes, so don't bother insuring them. Westminster is a pretty 'low' university so, personally, I wouldn't insure them. As someone else said, Goldsmiths were in Clearing last year, so even if you insures Sussex and didn't get in, you'd have a shot via Clearing.

Reply 9

NHSFan

Original post by demelzahh

I applied because i needed a back up and the stats for Psychology for Wesminster weren't bad at all!

Westminster is ranked 52 for Psychology on the tables that I consider to be most useful. (www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk). Sussex is 8th and RHUL is 10th. I think that if you were one of my kids (not being patronising) I would suggest that you perhaps firm RHUL, insure Sussex and hope that if you miss your offer, you still get a place at RHUL. Applications are down generally and there may be some lenience come results day. There are thousands of psychology graduates and I think that the better the university, the more successful you would be in the future.

Good luck. :smile:

(Btw, I think RHUL is excellent. I did an MSc...not Psychology...there in 2007, and loved it.)

Reply 10

ninuzu

Insure Sussex then, hopefully either your firm or insurance will be more lenient if you don't make the offer. Sometimes what the offer states isn't necessarily what you need to get into the university.

Reply 11

All-in

I don't understand, 37 is a very good score. Why didn't you apply to better universities? Why did you apply to Oxford Brookes and Brighton if you had no interest in going there anyway? Westminister...I understand you would like to be in London, so perhaps you applied to Westminister for that reason, but it is renowned for not being a good university, and frankly applying there with 37 is just a waste imho (they say they require a 32 but I'm pretty sure they would take pretty much anyone). You say you applied because you needed a backup. You only need one backup, not four, and most of these unis will be in clearing anyway.

Anyway, insure Sussex, as you said you would be happy to go there. If you bomb your exams you can into clearing, where Westiminister will probably lap you up no questions asked. RHUL is a good university and if your heart is set on it then happy days, but as your firm offer is 35 and say you do get your predicted 37 (or 36), you can apply for Adjustment, where better unis will possibly be available.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 12

Knalchemist

League tables are useless that one should take with a pinch of salt. There are so many of them and NONE give a 100% true impression, as they are all bias in some way or another.

Some uni's are ranked very low... yet are top in certain departments.

Reply 13

demelzahh

Original post by All-in

Basically, i applied because i needed security choices and in the Ib at my school it is not uncommon to get 3 or more below your predicted grades ( i know one girl who got 9 below her predicted). As i needed a security choice and westminster, brookes and brighton asked for 33, i thought that this amount of point - 2 below my firm- would be a good amount, and i stand by that.

Reply 14

demelzahh

Thanks to everyone for your help. But does anyone know what the chances roughly are of there being a university in or around london in clearance this year? I just don't want to end up with no university at all to go to!

Edit: A london university which has a psychology degree in clearance

Reply 15

Knalchemist

Original post by demelzahh

No one knows.

Reply 16

ageshallnot

Original post by demelzahh

Further to what I said before, I missed off Queen Mary - my mistake.

Surrey was in clearing last year - not too far outside London.

Also note that Royal Holloway was briefly in clearing - so if you slightly miss your offer, you could still have a chance of getting in as they weren't full.