Home Work & Study
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

Can unis email you directly to give you an offer?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
One of my friends said a uni has emailed her with an offer directly - not from ucas as she hasn't had her letter for track yet. Do unis actually do this? I thought it was all done through ucas and you sometimes got a postcard to say they have recieved your application?
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yep.

    From my experience it's more common on the less popular courses, I got letters, emails, face to face offers and phone calls from departments offering me places, either before or after it came up on track, but usually before the letter from UCAS every time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I could understand if you were emailed an offer if you'd applied directly to that university. However, why they'd email someone directly with an offer if you made your application through UCAS, is something I'm not entirely sure about. The personal touch, perhaps - who knows.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ^^

    In my case (and my brothers) we had both applied through UCAS for engineering courses, less sure about him but am pretty sure in my case they were trying to win me over, I was a strong female applicant for engineering courses.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ^^ In my case (and my brothers) we had both applied through UCAS for engineering courses, less sure about him but am pretty sure in my case they were trying to win me over, I was a strong female applicant for engineering courses.
    I could go into a long rant about this subject, but I'll keep it brief. Every student counts for universities. They're all desperate to attract more, as more students = more income. Hence why they go further and further every single year to get more students.

    I've got some personal experience of this. Following some unfortunate events last year, I decided to defer my place at MMU until September this year. Since I made that decision, I've been deluged with mail from the university. Are they that desperate to keep me? Yes and no. No, they're not desperate to keep me personally. Yes, they're desperate to get their hands on my money.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yup.

    And people are easy targets to charm when they are waiting for responses. The uni knows you are reasonably interested, and slightly stressed about whether or not you'll get an offer, so know they can go right up in your estimation by getting back to you 'fast' (aka before UCAS do).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well the uni she's applied to wants BBB - even though she's only doing 2 A2 levels this year so she can't get 3 full grades. It seems strange that they've still offered her a place. She's doing an AS but is doing the A2 for that next year.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    Well the uni she's applied to wants BBB - even though she's only doing 2 A2 levels this year so she can't get 3 full grades. It seems strange that they've still offered her a place. She's doing an AS but is doing the A2 for that next year.
    I'm glad I never had to deal with this. :p Places have to be filled, and if "adjusting" the criteria is what gets bums on seats, that's what they'll do.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    I'm glad I never had to deal with this. :p Places have to be filled, and if "adjusting" the criteria is what gets bums on seats, that's what they'll do.

    I thought they didnt do this until clearing - aparrantly its a very competitive course.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    I thought they didnt do this until clearing - aparrantly its a very competitive course.
    Notice the word "apparently" there? Might not be as competitive as the uni likes to make out. :p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    Notice the word "apparently" there? Might not be as competitive as the uni likes to make out. :p

    They're probably just trying to get as many potentials as possible - but she can't get the required grades this year so why raise her hopes?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    They're probably just trying to get as many potentials as possible - but she can't get the required grades this year so why raise her hopes?

    Unis say that you need certain grades for a course but usually accept people if they get lower.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lipsy wrote: »
    Unis say that you need certain grades for a course but usually accept people if they get lower.

    Not much point in having them then? This whole thing is so confusing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    Not much point in having them then? This whole thing is so confusing.
    They're more guidelines than anything else. As I understand it, admissions tutors can use a certain amount of discretion when making offers.
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    When I was applying for uni I had letters and things with offers direct from the uni. They would get in touch with you and UCAS at the same time. UCAS then confirmed them a bit later on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also, you find a lot of uni's hand out standard offers whilst hardly reading the application form.

    It's worth remembering that any course that has fewer than 5 applicants per place is really after students, because almost every applicant applies to 5 unis.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina wrote: »
    Not much point in having them then? This whole thing is so confusing.

    Bums on seat concept. If a course isnt very popular or they uni really want you on a coure then they'll take you. My brothers grades where a fair bit under his offer and he still got on his degree course.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    a couple of unis i've applied to have sent me a letter with the offer before making it official via UCAS
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also, you find a lot of uni's hand out standard offers whilst hardly reading the application form.

    It's worth remembering that any course that has fewer than 5 applicants per place is really after students, because almost every applicant applies to 5 unis.

    Isn't it 6 now? :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    Isn't it 6 now? :)

    I only had 5.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ShyBoy wrote: »
    Isn't it 6 now? :)


    I'm not sure, hence why I went for the lower of the two.

    I had 6, but have heard of more recent applicants only having 5.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh right, I had 6 too. I'm no expert on the matter :). But your logic does make sense - they like to say 'Every place we have has 3 people fighting for it' but never explain, that out of those 3 people only has a 1/5 or 1/6 chance (making the simplistic assumption that all courses are equally desirable / attainable) of choosing that course as their firm.
Sign In or Register to comment.