Rejection from all 5 applications in gap year

2

I’ve applied to 5 Universities in my gap year for the start of the 2025 academic year, and was rejected from all of them.

I hold AAB in Econ, History and Maths and was applying to a variety of Economics and Finance degrees.

I am confused as to why I received no contextual offers at all, for example I applied to Exeter for Finance and Economics, holding the requirements for a contextual as per UCAS and their own website, yet was still rejected.

What should I do now with regards to the UCAS extra application, I am very stuck as I have not landed 1 position.

Reply 1

sophieee789

14

I applied to uni a very long time ago but - Were you applying to courses that you meet the requirements in and what do the universities say about contexual offers - it may still not be guaranteed you'll get an offer there. You can contact them to ask about it and you'll need to find courses that you meet the requirements in, that sounds obvious but you'll have to just apply to new courses, one by one

Reply 2

user100400x

10

Original post

by un0co

I’ve applied to 5 Universities in my gap year for the start of the 2025 academic year, and was rejected from all of them.
I hold AAB in Econ, History and Maths and was applying to a variety of Economics and Finance degrees.
I am confused as to why I received no contextual offers at all, for example I applied to Exeter for Finance and Economics, holding the requirements for a contextual as per UCAS and their own website, yet was still rejected.
What should I do now with regards to the UCAS extra application, I am very stuck as I have not landed 1 position.

i think you should contact all the admissions team and let them know about the contextual offer situation but do realise it unfortunately doesn’t guarantee you a place but maybe they missed it

Reply 3

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

21

Ask for feedback from all choices. As above, let them know that you thought you’d be eligible for a contextual offer.

Reply 4

un0co

OP

2

Original post

by sophieee789

I applied to uni a very long time ago but - Were you applying to courses that you meet the requirements in and what do the universities say about contexual offers - it may still not be guaranteed you'll get an offer there. You can contact them to ask about it and you'll need to find courses that you meet the requirements in, that sounds obvious but you'll have to just apply to new courses, one by one

Yes on all of the applications bar one I was sat on the right requirements (one was one grade above for a subject), as stated on UCAS and the independent sites. I know they’re not 100% guaranteed but to not have 1 from a possible 5 seems so unlikely.

Reply 5

un0co

OP

2

Original post

by user100400x

i think you should contact all the admissions team and let them know about the contextual offer situation but do realise it unfortunately doesn’t guarantee you a place but maybe they missed it

Yes, I knew that it’s not 100% a guarantee, but to go 0/5 I thought was strange. Considering I had the requirements for a contextual offer and would have thought considering I had them my chances would have been likely.

Reply 6

ilovespareribs

14

Original post

by un0co

I’ve applied to 5 Universities in my gap year for the start of the 2025 academic year, and was rejected from all of them.
I hold AAB in Econ, History and Maths and was applying to a variety of Economics and Finance degrees.
I am confused as to why I received no contextual offers at all, for example I applied to Exeter for Finance and Economics, holding the requirements for a contextual as per UCAS and their own website, yet was still rejected.
What should I do now with regards to the UCAS extra application, I am very stuck as I have not landed 1 position.

What uni

Reply 7

sophieee789

14

Original post

by un0co

Yes on all of the applications bar one I was sat on the right requirements (one was one grade above for a subject), as stated on UCAS and the independent sites. I know they’re not 100% guaranteed but to not have 1 from a possible 5 seems so unlikely.

yes it's strange but apply to other unis right now, and then when clearing comes the unis you got rejected from (most likely)will lower the grade requirements and then apply then, make sure you have a list of unis you want to call up for clearing after your exams

Reply 8

Muttley79

20

Original post

by un0co

I’ve applied to 5 Universities in my gap year for the start of the 2025 academic year, and was rejected from all of them.
I hold AAB in Econ, History and Maths and was applying to a variety of Economics and Finance degrees.
I am confused as to why I received no contextual offers at all, for example I applied to Exeter for Finance and Economics, holding the requirements for a contextual as per UCAS and their own website, yet was still rejected.
What should I do now with regards to the UCAS extra application, I am very stuck as I have not landed 1 position.

I echo what others have said - go back and ask for feedback quoting the reasons you think you should have a contextual offer.

Reply 9

FiBox

12

Original post

by un0co

Yes on all of the applications bar one I was sat on the right requirements (one was one grade above for a subject), as stated on UCAS and the independent sites. I know they’re not 100% guaranteed but to not have 1 from a possible 5 seems so unlikely.

You mention UCAS and independent sites, but did you look at the university websites and both the entry requirements there and what they consider contextual and how they deal with that? Therein may lie your answer.

Reply 10

SoasRepMK

Official Rep

5

Original post

by un0co

I’ve applied to 5 Universities in my gap year for the start of the 2025 academic year, and was rejected from all of them.
I hold AAB in Econ, History and Maths and was applying to a variety of Economics and Finance degrees.
I am confused as to why I received no contextual offers at all, for example I applied to Exeter for Finance and Economics, holding the requirements for a contextual as per UCAS and their own website, yet was still rejected.
What should I do now with regards to the UCAS extra application, I am very stuck as I have not landed 1 position.

Hi,

First off, sorry to hear you're in this situation — it’s more common than people think, and you still have several solid options.

It’s worth double-checking your eligibility for contextual offers — sometimes there are specific postcode, school, or other criteria that can get missed even if you meet the UCAS indicators. Also, universities don’t guarantee a contextual offer, even if eligible.

It’s usually recommended to apply to at least one or two safety choices — universities with entry requirements slightly below your achieved grades — so if you didn’t already, that might explain the outcome.
Since you haven’t received any offers yet, I’d recommend reaching out directly to admissions teams at the universities you applied to — sometimes a conversation or request for feedback can help clarify the decision or open up new possibilities.

And don’t forget UCAS Extra and Clearing — for example, SOAS University of London typically makes Clearing offers, often on the same day, and is well-regarded for Economics and Finance (especially if you're interested in international development or global perspectives).

You’re definitely not out of options — and this could still lead to the right place for you.

Marjan Karim
SOAS Student Rep

Reply 11

un0co

OP

2

It’s all good now, I sorted it all out with some emails and I am heading to Exeter to study Bsc Finance.

Reply 12

user100400x

10

Original post

by un0co

It’s all good now, I sorted it all out with some emails and I am heading to Exeter to study Bsc Finance.

that’s great news! goodluck and congratulations

Rejection from all 5 applications in gap year

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