The Student Room Group

The 'waiting for news is sooooo stressful' uberthread 2013-14

The 2014-15 thread is here.

Sent off your application? Checking Track all times of day and night? This thread is for you :tongue:

Some FAQ:

How long before UCAS sends me my Welcome letter?
Usually within a few days. Do check it and make sure it's accurate as you won't be able to change any of your choices (or correct any mistakes, eg wrong course code) after 7 days.

How soon can I log in to Track?
Once your status shows that UCAS is processing your application, you should be able to get in to Track a couple of days later. Use the same ID and password as you did for Apply. If you get stuck try the 'forgot password' route.

When does Track update?
Track updates at any time, even at weekends, when the unis send through decisions, and this is supposed to generate an email notification to you. See this thread for examples of how randomly timed these can be. Nevertheless, it is possible to log in and find a decision you haven't received the 'Your Track has Updated' email for.

How long before I hear anything?
Nobody can say. Some people get offers within 48 hours; others wait for weeks or months without hearing anything, not even an acknowledgement. Where used (many unis and/or courses don't send them) acknowledgements are generated automatically and their timing and content are of no significance whatsoever.

By the way, don't forget to keep an eye on those spam folders :smile:

Someone else has got an offer for the same course/uni that I've applied for, but I haven't heard anything yet. Does that mean I'm certain to be rejected?
No.

Will unis be making decisions over Christmas/New Year or during the Easter Holidays?
The university admissions systems don't shut down completely during the holidays, but of course academics (ie admissions tutors) do take leave at these times. Therefore, although decisions will still come through it's likely to be at a slower rate than during term time. There is huge variation by uni and by department, so it's impossible to say what might happen in a specific case.

In practice, you can expect that nothing much, if anything, will happen for the two weeks over Christmas/New Year, and for the two weeks around Easter (which is 18-21 April in 2014). Also, don't forget that snail mail can be drastically held up over Christmas.

When is the latest that unis can send through a decision on my application?
UCAS asks universities to make decisions on applicants who met the 15 January deadline by 31 March, but not all of them achieve this and it's little more than a polite request rather than a deadline. The absolute deadline for universities to make decisions on applicants who applied on or before 15th January 2014 is 8th May. At this point UCAS will automatically enter an 'unsuccessful' decision on Track if the university has not posted its own decision by then.

If you applied after 15th January but before 30th June, unis have until 17th July to make a decision on your application, after which UCAS will enter 'unsuccessful' if a uni has not responded.

Should I contact a uni to find out what's happening?
No, not unless you have new information to give them.
(edited 9 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
AHHHH I am sending my application off this week and I am soo excited! :biggrin:
Original post by HollyOnIce
AHHHH I am sending my application off this week and I am soo excited! :biggrin:


Me too, the excitement is amazing! :biggrin:
Reply 3
Glad you guys are excited, quite frankly I feel sick :s-smilie:
Sent mine on Friday night, mine will be unconditional as I've already got my A levels. Can't wait for offers now. Good luck everyone, I hope you get where you want to go! :biggrin:
I'm horribly nervous... sending mine in this week too. I'm an international student and I'm 22 (from California) so I'm sort of going into this blindly but holy crap if it works out I will be STOKED!
Reply 6
Original post by hannbann5678
I'm horribly nervous... sending mine in this week too. I'm an international student and I'm 22 (from California) so I'm sort of going into this blindly but holy crap if it works out I will be STOKED!


Wow best of luck!! 🎈🙏


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 7
Sent mine off, about 2 and half weeks ago now, seems like ages, I have one offer which has helped ease my anxiety but im still addicted to track :frown: I check at least once an hour, even in the evenings or at night when I know they wont add one then, its madness! Help me Uni's please help my suffering :smile:
I've logged into Track so often I've memorised my Personal ID...
Reply 9
Sent my application literally 1 minute ago and its already unbearable lol.
I'm scared. The waiting is killing me. It's only been a day. *cries in corner*
Reply 11
Original post by liamagic
Sent mine off, about 2 and half weeks ago now, seems like ages, I have one offer which has helped ease my anxiety but im still addicted to track :frown: I check at least once an hour, even in the evenings or at night when I know they wont add one then, its madness! Help me Uni's please help my suffering :smile:


At least you've had an offer... :/
Original post by liamagic
Sent mine off, about 2 and half weeks ago now, seems like ages, I have one offer which has helped ease my anxiety but im still addicted to track :frown: I check at least once an hour, even in the evenings or at night when I know they wont add one then, its madness! Help me Uni's please help my suffering :smile:


Which University is your offer from and for which course?


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by TheHolubowskyj
I've logged into Track so often I've memorised my Personal ID...


this literally made me cry...because I know that as soon as UCAS clears my application (sent to them today!) I will be EXACTLY the same ;')
Original post by capri
Sent my application literally 1 minute ago and its already unbearable lol.


I am practically your twin right now :')
Reply 15
I sent my application off on Friday and received my first decision today.. It was a decline unfortunately :frown: Don't want to check track anymore! Unbearable! :frown:
Reply 16
It's agony :frown:

LSE emailed saying they will update me in two weeks regarding my application. Going to be a VERY long two weeks
Reply 17
It's only been a day and it's already killing me! Did you guys all apply to Oxbridge or Med?
Anyway, you can get decisions already? I thought they would reply in like March or something :eek: now i am nervous...
Original post by schlili
It's only been a day and it's already killing me! Did you guys all apply to Oxbridge or Med?
Anyway, you can get decisions already? I thought they would reply in like March or something :eek: now i am nervous...


Sent mine off about 2 hours ago, just waiting for the school reference as they do the Oxbridge applicant's references first. Thought I was going to apply to one of them until I visited the one I chose the other week and changed my mind based on that so they've already started my reference :biggrin:

Where are you applying? So far I've put Newcastle, Durham and Sheffield and have left space to add another course later.
Reply 19
Original post by goodmorningworld
Sent mine off about 2 hours ago, just waiting for the school reference as they do the Oxbridge applicant's references first. Thought I was going to apply to one of them until I visited the one I chose the other week and changed my mind based on that so they've already started my reference :biggrin:

Where are you applying? So far I've put Newcastle, Durham and Sheffield and have left space to add another course later.


Applying for Oxford, LSE, UCL, St. Andrews and Durham :tongue: (I know, I know, I don't really have a "safe" uni :rolleyes:)
Which Durham college did you choose?