The University application process is an exciting (but also quite stressful!) time in your academic life. It can be especially pressured when you have finished your exams, and are waiting for your results, and want a confirmation of a place at the University you want to go to.
However, we don’t want you to worry about this process, and we think that knowing about the process as a whole will be something which will help you calm your nerves a little bit. So, if you are interested in finding out about when universities confirm your place, what you should do if your place isn’t confirmed straight away, and what you should do if you have not met the requirements for your course, then this article will be extremely useful for you.
Most Universities should confirm your place on results day, as they will have received your grades a few days before results day so that they can make their decisions. However, you should be aware that UCAS Track often crashes around results day so don’t panic if you can’t access your offers straight away. Universities may also send you confirmation emails, so make sure your details on Track are up to date.
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When Do Universities Confirm Your Place?
So, most students will hear from their chosen Universities on results day. If you have met the entry requirements for a conditional offer made by a University, then congratulations – you will have been accepted on to your chosen course!
You should be aware that the confirmation of places is going to be around this time, but can vary slightly depending on circumstances. A range of different things can affect the day that your place at university is confirmed.
Remember, that adjustments and new applications through clearing can be made after you have received your results, and this will change the time that your place is officially confirmed at University. More information about how to make adjustments can be found on this useful website. Clearing information can be found further on in this article.
You should be aware of the other factors which can affect this change in timeline, and these are detailed in the rest of this article. Make sure that you continue to read if you want to find out more!
Also, if you are researching the whole process of University application, you may want to also take a look at this useful article which answers the question when do universities make offers?
What Should You Do If Your Place Hasn’t Been Confirmed Yet?
There are a number of different reasons why your University place may not be confirmed immediately on results day.
One if the things that you need to consider is the fact that UCAS Track often crashes on results day as a result of the high volume of people trying to access their letters of confirmations from Universities (which will be available at the latest 7 days after results day) and the status changes which appear.
If you manage to log on and a change hasn’t appeared, don’t panic! UCAS can take some time to update your status, and so there is no need to worry. In this situation (especially if you have met the course requirements), perhaps just give UCAS 24 hours to update, and try again later.
You can also look for different forms of contact which may confirm your place. For example, some Universities will email you on results day to congratulate you on your results and place, and to provide you with some more information (such as about accommodation and the course itself).
If you get really worried about your place not being confirmed in UCAS Track, after giving it some time, you can contact UCAS or your chosen university directly to ask about your place, though if you know for a fact that you have met the course requirements, this is not really necessary.
More information about what action you should take depending on what your status appears as in UCAS Track, take a look at the table shown on this useful website. Though don’t forget that there may be delays on UCAS Track on results day because of the number of people using it!
Do You Get Notified Quicker If You Have Not Been Confirmed a Place at Your Chosen University?
The short answer here is no. Universities will take the same amount of time to process your results and decide if you have been given a place or not regardless of the outcome.
There may, however, be some differences in times for confirmation for students who have not met their entry conditions of their offers. This delay is often used for Universities to decide whether or not to offer you a place on your chosen course anyway, or whether to offer you a place on an alternative course (such as one with a Foundation Year).
There are only differences in the time taken to confirm your place at University when there are specific reasons. The end result has absolutely no impact on how long Universities will take to confirm your place on your chosen course.
Don’t panic if your UCAS Track status has not been changed immediately. As I’ve said before, the UCAS Track system can often take some time to update, and crashes on results day, so you may have to be patient!
What Should You Do If You Have Not Met the Requirements of Your University Offer?
If you have unfortunately not met the entry requirements for your firm and insurance choices, don’t worry. This is something that happens to many students each year, and it does not mean that you can’t go to University.
Once you have received your results, and managed to look at your updated UCAS Track status, you may find one which tells you that you are in Clearing. This status will give you a clearing number, which you will need – so make sure you know what it is, and remember that you can always access it through UCAS Track.
Once you have this clearing number, UCAS will direct you to the 50 top matches for you, based on the course that you applied for, as well as the grades that you achieved. However, this does not mean that you are limited to these options. You can look at different courses, joint honours degrees or any specific University.
You can then call these Universities, providing them with your application and clearing numbers, and get informal offers on the phone, so that you have the opportunity to compare Universities. Once you have decided which University you would like to apply to you add your clearing choice to be officially considered by Universities. Remember, you can only do this for one course at a time!
Take a look at the clearing information on the UCAS website to find out more. A page about 5 things to know about clearing plus can be found here.
The most important thing for you to remember is that ultimately, if you want to, there are so many ways to get into University, and you will be able to find a course at a University which you will really love through clearing. University will be an exciting time regardless of the specific University you get into.
When Do Universities Confirm Places For People With Unconditional Offers?
Every unconditional offer is different, and so it is important that you know how the details of your own specific unconditional offer. If you’d like to find out more about how unconditional offers vary, take a look at this useful article.
If you receive an unconditional offer, and haven’t yet done your exams, you should remember that it is very rare for unconditional offers to be withdrawn depending on results, but it is important that you still work hard in your exams to achieve the highest grades you can. Future employers may look at A-Level (or equivalent) results when considering you for a job, and so you want to be in the best position possible in future.
If you have done your exams, you are more likely to get an unconditional offer, as there are not as many things that can vary after you have made your application.
Either way, if you choose to accept your conditional offer, you will not be able to choose an insurance choice, and the University which you have chosen to accept the unconditional offer from will be expecting you to start on their course in the first term of the next academic year.
However, you will be able to make changes to your application if you have changed your mind by the time that you get your results. You can make these changes through clearing, but you will have to decline your unconditional offer first.
So, you should receive a confirmation around results day, and you can make sure that it is the right choice for you and make any changes around this time.