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Worried about rejection from uni

I've applied for Optometry. In my application I included a period from 2002-04 and 2004-05 where I attended college and uni respectively. I failed college and dropped out of uni, because of this I left the qualifications achieved section blank, my tutor checked my application and told me to either fill in some qualifications or remove the entries. The college course I took was from so long ago I couldn't find it in UCAS (AVCE business studies) so I decided to totally remove both entries.

My tutor approved the application and it was sent off to ucas, a few days later I got an email from the admissions team at the uni I've applied for, they were asking for further details and asked me to explain the gaps, I explained what I was doing in that time and why I didn't add it to my application and have heard nothing back since then.

I called the Uni up to explain and the admissions tutor said "we're just looking out for people who failed and try to hide this from us", since then I've been worried that they think I tried to lie on my application and am now really anxious as to whether I'll get an offer or not.

Do you think it looks bad? My tutor said don't contact the uni again as I'll look desperate, she advised to just wait for the uni to either make an offer or reject.

Am I right to be worried?
Original post by ApplyYourself
I've applied for Optometry. In my application I included a period from 2002-04 and 2004-05 where I attended college and uni respectively. I failed college and dropped out of uni, because of this I left the qualifications achieved section blank, my tutor checked my application and told me to either fill in some qualifications or remove the entries. The college course I took was from so long ago I couldn't find it in UCAS (AVCE business studies) so I decided to totally remove both entries.

My tutor approved the application and it was sent off to ucas, a few days later I got an email from the admissions team at the uni I've applied for, they were asking for further details and asked me to explain the gaps, I explained what I was doing in that time and why I didn't add it to my application and have heard nothing back since then.

I called the Uni up to explain and the admissions tutor said "we're just looking out for people who failed and try to hide this from us", since then I've been worried that they think I tried to lie on my application and am now really anxious as to whether I'll get an offer or not.

Do you think it looks bad? My tutor said don't contact the uni again as I'll look desperate, she advised to just wait for the uni to either make an offer or reject.

Am I right to be worried?


I don't want to make you lose hope, but yes you are right to be worried. You failed to disclose qualification you studied when you should have, you should tell the universities you've applied to and ucas qualifications the truth for that gap. The fact the qualification is old so didnt come up is no excuse, ucas has an other option to add qualifications they don't list for a reason.
Original post by claireestelle
I don't want to make you lose hope, but yes you are right to be worried. You failed to disclose qualification you studied when you should have, you should tell the universities you've applied to and ucas qualifications the truth for that gap. The fact the qualification is old so didnt come up is no excuse, ucas has an other option to add qualifications they don't list for a reason.


I have already told the universities and waiting to hear back from them.

Is this a guaranteed rejection?

Also, I was in a real bad place when sending my application due to the death of my brother, should I mention this a factor to the unis or just sit tight and await their decisions? I have already mentioned loss of brother in personal statement.
Original post by ApplyYourself
I have already told the universities and waiting to hear back from them.

Is this a guaranteed rejection?

Also, I was in a real bad place when sending my application due to the death of my brother, should I mention this a factor to the unis or just sit tight and await their decisions? I have already mentioned loss of brother in personal statement.


Sit tight, I m afraid that universities take this sort of things seriously, you ll just have to see if they ll overlook your dishonesty. I don't think mentioning you were grieving will do any good.
I'm afraid I have to agree with @claireestelle here - not declaring a course that you've failed could have some pretty serious consequences. It's the first thing they're on the look out for, as they told you on the phone. I don't understand how the death of your brother is connected to your deceitful UCAS application, so I'd wouldn't mention it for fear of making a bad situation worse.

Let us know what they say when they get back to you.
(edited 7 years ago)
@claireestelle
@Reality Check


Thanks both. Definitely careless of me but was not being deceitful, not been fully with it since loss.

I do see how not mentioning it could seem like I was being deceitful and now wish I'd not have been so careless.

Will let you know how it goes.. if it does mean rejections I'll have to reapply next year. Will rejection on these grounds affect future applications to the same unis for the same course?
Original post by ApplyYourself
@claireestelle
@Reality Check


Thanks both. Definitely careless of me but was not being deceitful, not been fully with it since loss.

I do see how not mentioning it could seem like I was being deceitful and now wish I'd not have been so careless.

Will let you know how it goes.. if it does mean rejections I'll have to reapply next year. Will rejection on these grounds affect future applications to the same unis for the same course?


I'm afraid that if the universities withdraw the consideration of your application due to this issue, it's unlikely that they would be willing to consider another application from you. It's not impossible that they will, but unlikely.
This does seem weird to me I mean a university rejecting people for failing a degree 12 years ago don't get me wrong it doesn't look great, but people are young like 18 it's their first step outside home they may not take it seriously and make the same effort they could be a totally different person later in life.

I thought of you failed to get a qualification you don't have to declare it I guess that's wrong. Like if I sat an a level but failed got a U or etc I don't have to declare it. That looks to be false here.
You have to declare U grades if you plan on resitting the exam according to UCAS (this happened to me and my brother), otherwise if you didn't get a qualification it's okay to not declare. If you did get qualifications then you have to declare even if you got a bad grade.

UCAS makes you agree to a declaration saying that you have included all that, and to not declare is fraudulent and can result in the withdrawal of an offer (they can even revoke places if you've already got a place at uni, or revoke degree awards). My course also wasn't an option on UCAS but I just worked around it, which just involved a lot of typing.
Original post by RachaelBee
You have to declare U grades if you plan on resitting the exam according to UCAS (this happened to me and my brother), otherwise if you didn't get a qualification it's okay to not declare. If you did get qualifications then you have to declare even if you got a bad grade.

UCAS makes you agree to a declaration saying that you have included all that, and to not declare is fraudulent and can result in the withdrawal of an offer (they can even revoke places if you've already got a place at uni, or revoke degree awards). My course also wasn't an option on UCAS but I just worked around it, which just involved a lot of typing.


I got a U and never resat, nor do I plan on resitting, does this mean it was ok not to enter the qual? The qual was a vocational diploma not A level

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