Durham Economics Rejection??
Hi I was wondering if anyone could advise me on how the admissions process works for Durham Economics. I have 4A*s predicted in Maths Further Maths Economics Geography, as well as 99999999988 at GCSE and was rejected a few days ago. Does anyone know whether Durham consider the TMUA for Economics, as this is the only reason I can think why I would have been less competitive, but they also don't mention that they consider the TMUA or recommend it for Economics on their website. The reasoning I received was strong competition, but I'm not sure what I could've done better?
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
Happened to lots of friends last year. Loads with all 9s at gcse or just a couple of 8 and A*s predicted at a level .
Trouble is too many with these stats are applying. The average a levels for accepted Durham econ are triple A* if u check the ucas website. That’s just the average!
Too many high calibre and not enough places.
Unless you’re non uk in which case you can be accepted with lower grades but then you’re paying more money in fees to universities desperate for cash ….
Trouble is too many with these stats are applying. The average a levels for accepted Durham econ are triple A* if u check the ucas website. That’s just the average!
Too many high calibre and not enough places.
Unless you’re non uk in which case you can be accepted with lower grades but then you’re paying more money in fees to universities desperate for cash ….
That's very unfortunate I'm sorry - I'm sure with your profile you'll have other great options. Durham don't consider the TMUA, I know because I scored poorly (3.1) and got an offer a couple of weeks ago. It is much harder for home students to get offers, and for home students I believe they consider contextual factors quite a bit. Are you perhaps from a high achieving private school? And what did you write about on your PS? These are the only other things I think that they could consider.
Reply 3
Original post by Anonymous
Hi I was wondering if anyone could advise me on how the admissions process works for Durham Economics. I have 4A*s predicted in Maths Further Maths Economics Geography, as well as 99999999988 at GCSE and was rejected a few days ago. Does anyone know whether Durham consider the TMUA for Economics, as this is the only reason I can think why I would have been less competitive, but they also don't mention that they consider the TMUA or recommend it for Economics on their website. The reasoning I received was strong competition, but I'm not sure what I could've done better?
Reply 4
Original post by thegeek888
Have you also applied to LSE? Cambridge? Oxford? Imperial? KCL? UCL? Edinburgh? Warwick? Bristol? Nottingham?
Yes, Oxford LSE St Andrews
Reply 5
Original post by crock77
That's very unfortunate I'm sorry - I'm sure with your profile you'll have other great options. Durham don't consider the TMUA, I know because I scored poorly (3.1) and got an offer a couple of weeks ago. It is much harder for home students to get offers, and for home students I believe they consider contextual factors quite a bit. Are you perhaps from a high achieving private school? And what did you write about on your PS? These are the only other things I think that they could consider.
I do go to a relatively high performing private school, but I just don't understand what I should have done to improve my application because obviously I can't control contextual factors, also my personal statement was straight econ directed with relevancy to their course, and the quality was supposedly very good according to my school
Reply 6
Original post by Anonymous
Yes, Oxford LSE St Andrews
I believe it must be your UCAS Personal Statement not being a 'stellar' one amongst 100s of other PS's read by admissions. ☹️
Reply 7
Original post by thegeek888
Did you recieve an offer from any of them?
I believe it must be your UCAS Personal Statement not being a 'stellar' one amongst 100s of other PS's read by admissions. ☹️
I believe it must be your UCAS Personal Statement not being a 'stellar' one amongst 100s of other PS's read by admissions. ☹️
Original post by Anonymous
I do go to a relatively high performing private school, but I just don't understand what I should have done to improve my application because obviously I can't control contextual factors, also my personal statement was straight econ directed with relevancy to their course, and the quality was supposedly very good according to my school
Honestly when unis ask for these kind of grades it’s usually just the difference between an excellent personal statement and an absolutely outstanding one. Don’t take it too harsh, you may not have been able to do anything to improve your chances.
Reply 9
Original post by Anonymous
Yh I do have an offer from St Andrews and I got an interview from Oxford (which has a lower interview rate than Durham has acceptance) but nothing from LSE yet
St. Andrews is also prestigious.
Reply 10
Original post by thegeek888
Wow...Durham usually rejects those who are also considering Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL and Warwick. ☹️
St. Andrews is also prestigious.
St. Andrews is also prestigious.
Reply 11
Original post by Admit-One
Honestly when unis ask for these kind of grades it’s usually just the difference between an excellent personal statement and an absolutely outstanding one. Don’t take it too harsh, you may not have been able to do anything to improve your chances.
Thank you for your reply, I was just thinking in terms of if i take a gap year what could I do to improve my personal statement, as I'm not really sure what could differentiate an excellent vs outstanding PS, but i may need someone external to review it since its not easy to judge for yourself
Reply 12
Original post by Anonymous
Why do you say they usually reject people considering those universities?
Reply 13
Original post by Anonymous
Hi I was wondering if anyone could advise me on how the admissions process works for Durham Economics. I have 4A*s predicted in Maths Further Maths Economics Geography, as well as 99999999988 at GCSE and was rejected a few days ago. Does anyone know whether Durham consider the TMUA for Economics, as this is the only reason I can think why I would have been less competitive, but they also don't mention that they consider the TMUA or recommend it for Economics on their website. The reasoning I received was strong competition, but I'm not sure what I could've done better?
Hi, I’m so sorry you didn’t receive an offer as you have amazing stats. I don’t think Durham considers the TMUA for economics as it’s not stated on their website and I also didn’t take the TMUA
Original post by thegeek888
Wow...Durham usually rejects those who are also considering Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL and Warwick. ☹️
St. Andrews is also prestigious.
St. Andrews is also prestigious.
?? Unis don't know where else you've applied - please don't mislead!
Original post by Anonymous
Why do you say they usually reject people considering those universities?
The poster is incorrect as unis don't know where else you've applied.
Reply 16
Original post by Anonymous
Yh I do have an offer from St Andrews and I got an interview from Oxford (which has a lower interview rate than Durham has acceptance) but nothing from LSE yet
I heard a conspiracy that claimed unis like Durham try to have a mix of students with a realistic chance of taking up their offers. Apparently, some offer holders have declined their places for ‘better’ options like Oxbridge which has caused issues for the uni. I do not have evidence but that’s what i have heard from multiple people (independently).
Since you had an interview with Oxford and offer from Andrews, I would suggest that it was not really your application but factors beyond your control.
Good luck
Reply 17
Original post by Anonymous
Hi I was wondering if anyone could advise me on how the admissions process works for Durham Economics. I have 4A*s predicted in Maths Further Maths Economics Geography, as well as 99999999988 at GCSE and was rejected a few days ago. Does anyone know whether Durham consider the TMUA for Economics, as this is the only reason I can think why I would have been less competitive, but they also don't mention that they consider the TMUA or recommend it for Economics on their website. The reasoning I received was strong competition, but I'm not sure what I could've done better?
Reply 18
Original post by Hyakkimaru
I have the exact same GCSEs as you, go to a private school and was predicted A*A*A and received an offer, unfortunately it might be the personal statement
I do wonder, with these highly oversubscribed courses and so many applicants with top grades, whether there's inevitability going to be an element of luck/bad luck 🤷*♀️
There probably is an element of luck….and bad luck in your case.
They are probably looking to meet self-set quotas of offers from different types of school, with different A Level predictions, international,home, contextual etc. And even with an excellent PS there could be too many of your type of application.
The only thing re PS that people sometimes suggest, is that you need to state what you’ve learned from your wider reading etc, or where there is debate, which argument you think is stronger and why, and what further reading the earlier reading has led you onto. So you need to comment on the wider engagement and not just list it. At be you did all that or maybe you didn’t.
But ultimately you didn’t do anything wrong. You clearly have a strong application. You’ve got as St A offer and got to the interview stage at Oxford. Your PS can’t be too weak can it!
Was Durham your favourite behind Oxford? It’s hard if that’s the case. Will you go to St A if the others don’t come through?
As you know, Econ is more competitive than any5i g else at the moment. You are an excellent candidate and there are just too many like you. Some get lucky and get the offer and some don’t.
And I do think there’s a numbers game to offers too. They will give some offers to those with just one A star or 2 A stars and reject some with all A stars. I do think they have to consider how likely someone is to accept and firm their offer…and those with the very top profiles and Oxbridge applications might choose somewhere else, whereas those with maybe 1 A star or 2 might have less options and firm Durham. There’s a lot of complicated number crunching and probability rating of applicants …it isn’t simply that the very best X number get an offer. And that’s hard to take if you know people with lower grade profiles who got offers when you didn’t. And it won’t be the case they all had superior PS. Sorry this happened. Hope LSE comes through.
They are probably looking to meet self-set quotas of offers from different types of school, with different A Level predictions, international,home, contextual etc. And even with an excellent PS there could be too many of your type of application.
The only thing re PS that people sometimes suggest, is that you need to state what you’ve learned from your wider reading etc, or where there is debate, which argument you think is stronger and why, and what further reading the earlier reading has led you onto. So you need to comment on the wider engagement and not just list it. At be you did all that or maybe you didn’t.
But ultimately you didn’t do anything wrong. You clearly have a strong application. You’ve got as St A offer and got to the interview stage at Oxford. Your PS can’t be too weak can it!
Was Durham your favourite behind Oxford? It’s hard if that’s the case. Will you go to St A if the others don’t come through?
As you know, Econ is more competitive than any5i g else at the moment. You are an excellent candidate and there are just too many like you. Some get lucky and get the offer and some don’t.
And I do think there’s a numbers game to offers too. They will give some offers to those with just one A star or 2 A stars and reject some with all A stars. I do think they have to consider how likely someone is to accept and firm their offer…and those with the very top profiles and Oxbridge applications might choose somewhere else, whereas those with maybe 1 A star or 2 might have less options and firm Durham. There’s a lot of complicated number crunching and probability rating of applicants …it isn’t simply that the very best X number get an offer. And that’s hard to take if you know people with lower grade profiles who got offers when you didn’t. And it won’t be the case they all had superior PS. Sorry this happened. Hope LSE comes through.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- When Should I expect to hear back from UCL, Durham, Bath, Bristol for economics.
- Update your offers on this page
- PPE applicant when resitting two a levels?
- How to pick unis when predicted really aspirational grades?
- Gap year to reapply
- BSc Economics at UCL, KCL, St Andrews or Durham?
- For Economics at a top uni apart from cambridge or lse is fm recommeneded heavily?
- What uni and course should I chose to get into high finance like IB ?
- Still waiting on University offers
- what unis do i realistically and brutally honestly have a chance of getting into
- Official Economics Applicants Thread 2025
- Durham Course Change
- Is this LSE course a business course or an econ course????
- Durham or Leeds for maths and economics
- KCL vs Durham for Investment Banking
- Will Lse accept predicted A* A* B
- Mathematics and Economics Applicant Thread
- Bath economics rejection
- Durham University is not what it seems, do not go here! Please read!
- Should I take a gap year
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
Official Durham University Offer Holders Thread 2025 entryDurham University
148
154
Last reply 3 months ago
I'm a working class trans guy going to Durham University- will i be okay?
