Anyone else applied to Plymouth University for Dentistry 2026

10

Not realising that they only have 20 places this year?
Why was this not made public knowledge?????
I now feel I have completely thrown away a choice.
I would not have put it if I had realised this and I agonised over my choices. AAAAaaaaarrrgghhh!!!

Reply 1

ru1998

8

Sorry what?? How can they only have 20 places this year, what’s the reason for that?

Reply 2

surfergirls

OP

10

Apparently, they oversubscribed last year so can only offer 20 places this year to stay in their overall dental student quota. Either they have a very big second year or some people are saying that 20 offer places were given a financial incentive to defer from 2025 to 2026 entry so already half the usual places are gone. Its on several forum threads with official uni emails provided so looks genuine. Am going to be phoning their admissions team on Monday to confirm and enquire whether can change my UCAS form because of lack of transparancy and misinformation. Unfortunately, I only just saw the threads after UCAS form gone in which must be same for loads of people as it wasnt made public knowledge - only if you specifically asked the Uni admissions how many places they had available this year or about a month ago a few people posted on here and on Reddit but clearly you had to be looking very closely as I have been on here and not noticed. Plymouth was meant to be my safe choice so now my UCAS heavily weighted to risky options. Am so cross as I spent ages analysing the data and obviously had not factored Plymouth as now a really risky choice. Also if it turns out its only 20 on first year I don't think I would actually want to be in a cohort that small tbh. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news if you put Plymouth as a choice.

Reply 3

surfergirls

OP

10

Some-one on Liverpool thread mentioned it as to a reason why Liverpool had 2500 applications this year, which alerted me to it and then did a bit of digging. As Liverpool and Plymouth seem to have a similar holistic more blanaced approach to interview selection so might attract same type of scoring applicant.
I Also applied to Liverpool so thats also looking a bit riskier. So my two safer options just become not so safe at all!

Reply 4

Amélie-444

2

Original post

by surfergirls

Some-one on Liverpool thread mentioned it as to a reason why Liverpool had 2500 applications this year, which alerted me to it and then did a bit of digging. As Liverpool and Plymouth seem to have a similar holistic more blanaced approach to interview selection so might attract same type of scoring applicant.
I Also applied to Liverpool so thats also looking a bit riskier. So my two safer options just become not so safe at all!

Do you know how they found out that there have been 2500 applicants? surely that sort of thing hasn’t been released yet

Reply 5

surfergirls

OP

10

Think it was at an open day?
Leeds said 2800 applicants this year apparently at open day too . . .

Reply 6

Helpotis and

8

Yh you’re right. Unis like Leeds and Liverpool attract lot of applicants because they more holistic (Liverpool 60/40 weighting to Naf and ucat with ppl getting as low as 2200 in previous year ucats with int). Leeds also released their cut offs for last year, with 2500 for standard (although they are very vague as many with scores much higher were rejected). Ultimately a lot of the lower scoring applicants HAVE to apply their (explains why unis like Bart’s, Brum, Manchester have been getting less and less applicants each year - more people know they have higher ucat thresholds so avoid them

Reply 7

surfergirls

OP

10

Yep I put Manchester and Newcastle as my riskier ucat options (as my GCSE's not all 9's so that factored out quite a few GCSE heavy options) and then Plymouth and Liverpool as my two more holistic options. But that strategising now blown out of the water with the Plymouth 20 places bombshell! My ucat score 2220 Band 1 so hoping might still be in with a chance at Manchester. Fingers crossed.

Reply 8

Amélie-444

2

Original post

by surfergirls

Yep I put Manchester and Newcastle as my riskier ucat options (as my GCSE's not all 9's so that factored out quite a few GCSE heavy options) and then Plymouth and Liverpool as my two more holistic options. But that strategising now blown out of the water with the Plymouth 20 places bombshell! My ucat score 2220 Band 1 so hoping might still be in with a chance at Manchester. Fingers crossed.

Same here!! I got 2250 band 1 and applied to Manchester, Newcastle, Plymouth and KCL… I think we should be fine for Newcastle at least though right?

Reply 9

surfergirls

OP

10

Great minds - I think Manchester better odds than Newcastle for me. Your UCAT a bit more so probably ok for Newcastle too. Going on last years figures comparatively we would have got interviews at both but think Newcastle was a bit of a higher threshold. Both base it primarily on UCAT though. I phoned and checked with both. Also Manchester good bet as we both got band 1 too which gives priority to application. I couldn't apply to KCL as not predicted an A* sadly otherwise I would have, so I put Liverpool instead as they don't really look too closely at your GCSE's. But now I'm having to fill in that awful questionnaire thing. Best of luck - maybe we will see each other at Newcastle or Manchester, heres hoping!!!!

Reply 10

Amélie-444

2

Original post

by surfergirls

Great minds - I think Manchester better odds than Newcastle for me. Your UCAT a bit more so probably ok for Newcastle too. Going on last years figures comparatively we would have got interviews at both but think Newcastle was a bit of a higher threshold. Both base it primarily on UCAT though. I phoned and checked with both. Also Manchester good bet as we both got band 1 too which gives priority to application. I couldn't apply to KCL as not predicted an A* sadly otherwise I would have, so I put Liverpool instead as they don't really look too closely at your GCSE's. But now I'm having to fill in that awful questionnaire thing. Best of luck - maybe we will see each other at Newcastle or Manchester, heres hoping!!!!

Yess good luck to you too, maybe we will!! I suppose it’s just a waiting game as of now, but good luck with the Liverpool questionnaire as well :smile: