Firm choice wait time

TL;DR - if I set one uni as firm choice, can I wait for another uni to send their offer to make that one my insurance choice? Or once I make my firm choice, does that mean I only have the offers I received to pick from for insurance? (I know confusing)

I'm waiting to hear back from the uni I intended to set as my firm choice but I've been really interested in another uni that is quite expensive and honestly a dream experience. I really want to go to that second university but to apply to the finance grants and loans I NEED, I have to apply before the ucas deadline ends for unis to send offers. Accommodation is running out. I won't be able to afford it soon. If I set uni 2 as my firm can I still wait for uni 1 to send offer so I can't choose it as my insurance or will they no longer be interested since they hadn't sent the offer yet. Of course I'm not assuming they will do this but I am hoping they send an offer. I am truly running out of time and uni 1 is notorious for taking MONTHS to respond. If I wait that long Accommodation will completely run out. I am so worried. Please help?

Reply 1

DataVenia

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by chloe0bates

TL;DR - if I set one uni as firm choice, can I wait for another uni to send their offer to make that one my insurance choice? Or once I make my firm choice, does that mean I only have the offers I received to pick from for insurance? (I know confusing)

I'm waiting to hear back from the uni I intended to set as my firm choice but I've been really interested in another uni that is quite expensive and honestly a dream experience. I really want to go to that second university but to apply to the finance grants and loans I NEED, I have to apply before the ucas deadline ends for unis to send offers. Accommodation is running out. I won't be able to afford it soon. If I set uni 2 as my firm can I still wait for uni 1 to send offer so I can't choose it as my insurance or will they no longer be interested since they hadn't sent the offer yet. Of course I'm not assuming they will do this but I am hoping they send an offer. I am truly running out of time and uni 1 is notorious for taking MONTHS to respond. If I wait that long Accommodation will completely run out. I am so worried. Please help?

UCAS Hub requires that you make your firm and insurance choice at the same time. You can't make that choice whilst still waiting for any of your five choices. If you've received offers from the unis you wish to make both your firm and insurance choice (which I realise is not the situation you're in), you could withdraw you applicantion from any others you're still waiting to hear back from.

Having said that, universities are not allowed to put pressure on students to make their firm/insurance decision early, for example by offering accommodation on a first-come first-served basis. You say "Accommodation is running out." Are you sure. Which uni is this? If they're in breach of this rule, I'll happily point that fact out to them and report them to UCAS.