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Firm and Insurance Choices FAQ

Choosing your Firm and Insurance is an important decision and it is worth taking time over it. Don't let worries such as missing out on accommodation choices bounce you into making a hasty decision that you may repent at leisure, and perhaps at length on TSR :wink:

. See also TSR Wiki: Firm and insurance choices, which includes some thoughts on choosing an Insurance with the same, or even higher grades than your Firm.

The most commonly asked questions are covered below, but I will add to it if/as other questions crop up.

Deadlines
Everyone gets a letter from UCAS confirming their personal deadline, once all decisions are in. Check here for the deadlines that apply: Replying to Offers

I've missed my deadline for making my choices, what shall I do?
Ring UCAS immediately and ask for advice.

How do I decide?
It is essential to visit. However wonderful the course, however “prestigious” the university, if you hate the place it is not the right choice for you.

Things to consider include:

Course content

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are you happy with the compulsory modules?

•

how much choice do you get, and when?

•

what if it turns out that the module options that interest you are not available for your year? Are there alternatives that you would be happy with?

Offer conditions
How realistic is it that you will get the grades you need? Don’t assume the worst, but on the other hand it is worth revisiting your predictions in the light of module/resit results from January.

Other useful things to do:

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ask around (but don’t believe everything you read on TSR!)

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try and find the student handbook for current undergraduates – the style and structure of this can tell you quite a bit about the Department, much more than is in the standard prospectus.

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check out the Students' Union and Residences sections of the uni website

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ask your parents/school for their advice – yes, really! You don’t have to take it, but you might be surprised by what they say.

You do not have to have an Insurance choice: you can’t anyway if your Firm is unconditional, or if you are an Extra applicant, but there is no point picking an Insurance if you have no intention of going there (this saves a lot of hassle later).

Do I have to pick my Firm and Insurance at the same time?
Yes. You can't pick a Firm and go back to choose an Insurance later.

I'm trying to make my Firm and Insurance choices and the system won't let me.
Are you sure all your decisions are in? If you have an application pending you don't have to make your Firm/Insurance choices yet. If you are really really sure that you don't want to wait for that last decision, cancel the choice and you should find that you can select your Firm/Insurance offers and decline any others. Whatever you do, make very sure that you are not withdrawing your whole application; if in doubt, ring UCAS before you do anything!

Can I change my mind?
When you have made your choices, UCAS will send you a letter confirming them so that you can check the details are correct, and if anything is wrong you have 14 days to make any amendments. After that, as UCAS tells it, your choices are final, and it is better to work on that basis.

If you have second thoughts about your choices either before you get your confirmation letter from UCAS or within 14 days of receiving it, you can make changes. A common one is to switch over your Firm and Insurance. Some people on here seem to have been able to restore offers they declined, but it would be unwise to assume this is always possible.

After the 14 days, you have a contract and the only way you can get out of it is by the uni/s concerned releasing you (see below).

Can I decide on Results Day which uni I want to go to, if I have met both my Firm and Insurance offers?
No: if you have met the offer conditions for your Firm, or you missed your offer but they decided to accept you anyway, you can’t decide to go to your Insurance instead. If you really don’t want to go your Firm, you either withdraw altogether, or persuade them to release you, in which case you will become eligible for Clearing, not for your Insurance place.

However, if your Firm accepts you but for a different course you don’t have to accept it and can take your Insurance place/go into Clearing instead.

Can I carry an offer over to next year?
No. You can only reapply next year if you have withdrawn completely from this year’s UCAS round.

I’ve decided I would like to defer entry until 2009.
You will need to ask the uni if they would be prepared to consider this. If they are, they will tell UCAS for you.

I want to change course at my Firm/Insurance.
Contact the uni for advice; it is sometimes possible to do this. If the uni agrees to make a change, they will notify UCAS accordingly.

I’m happy with my course choice but want to change uni.
You will only be able to do this by negotiating your release from your Firm and/or Insurance, preferably before Results Day so that you are ready for Clearing from Day 1.

I don’t want to go to my Firm any more: what can I do?
If you have decided this any time up to a week before Results Day, contact the uni and ask to be released. You will need to provide some explanation. If you have an Insurance, this will become your Firm, unless you decide to withdraw from that too (you will need to contact each uni separately). If you end up holding neither a Firm nor an Insurance offer, you will be eligible for Clearing immediately on Results Day, and you may be eligible for Extra until that route closes in July.

In the week leading up to Results Day, unis won’t talk to people as they are processing the exam results. Negotiating a release on or after Results Day takes time and is much better avoided, and note that you are released into Clearing, not to your Insurance.

However, if you have decided that you don’t want to go to university at all this year, then withdraw your application altogether, by contacting UCAS.

I am waiting to see what grades I get before deciding whether to reapply for 2009.
Even if you meet the grades for your Firm and/or Insurance offer, you can decide on Results Day that you don’t want to go. In that case, it is courteous to let the uni concerned know that you won’t be taking up your place, and to do this quickly so that they can offer it to someone else. You will also need to let the Student Finance people know in that case, otherwise things could get complicated and cause you problems later.

*Thanks GB for the suggestions!*

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Good bloke

Excellent! That is a comprehensive guide. I would suggest clear advice to make the choice only when you are sure about it and not to do it without serious thought or too quickly.

There has been a continuous drip of people talking about whether it is possible or wise (and under what circumstances) to choose an insurance with a higher requirement than the firm, so perhaps a sentence or two on that subject might help.

It might be worth mentioning that UCAS Extra candidates cannot have an insurance.

Finally, a mention that some (but not all) universities invite firm (quite often) and even insurance (Warwick, anyway) offer holders to choose accommodation. But not all universities will acknowledge a candidate's choice so don't worry if you don't hear anything.

Reply 2

peteharris

If yes, how? Thanks :biggrin:

Reply 3

rottcodd

Ring up UCAS and ask them :smile:

Reply 4

htid

Highly possible. I JUST did that the other and it was changed on UCAS today. I already rang UCAS before about what to do (also says it somewhere on the website). You have to ask the relevant university if they "allow" you to swap. I swapped UCL and ICL was no problem at all.

Reply 5

peteharris

htid

How would UCAS know that the relevant university allowed you to swap? Would you just tell UCAS "they allowed me to"? Cheers

Reply 6

htid

peteharris

How would UCAS know that the relevant university allowed you to swap? Would you just tell UCAS "they allowed me to"? Cheers

Nope the university (UCL in my case) told them. Also when I rang UCAS they said the university will let them know about it.

Reply 7

βored

Summary -

Before the 14 days there is no need to contact the universities, UCAS can swap them for you.

After the 14 days you'll have to have permission from the universities who will then tell UCAS for you.

Reply 8

roshi

how would i go about resetting my firm and insurance?

Reply 9

Kater Murr

I believe you can change it up to 14 days after you firm/insure. Beyond that, nothing.

Reply 10

roshi

i just chose my firm and insurance today, so do i ring ucas to change this?

Reply 11

Good bloke

Sometimes I wonder why sticky threads exist. Read this:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=550264

and call UCAS.

Reply 12

studyboy

roshi

i just chose my firm and insurance today, so do i ring ucas to change this?

Yup, call or write to them. :smile:

Reply 13

George Lewis

when you have chosen your firm and insurance through UCAS, and then in August, when you recieve your results, how easy is to get out of the contract which states that you will be going to uni ?

thanks for replies

Reply 14

GingerMarshmallow

I don't know but I need to know this too!!!
Sorry, that wasn't very helpful....

Reply 15

Nasher and Basher

Just phone up the uni, on results day make an excuse about wanting to travel etc and thats it.

Reply 16

GingerMarshmallow

Really?
But it's a contract....surely it's more difficult than that.....

Reply 17

Nasher and Basher

But Unis dont want to force someone to come unto a course, if they are not going to interested in studying if there mind is somewhere else. Uni is a business, they give education as they want good results in return.