DD submitted her UCAS application to study MFL just before Christmas and has heard from 4 of her 5 applications so far - just waiting to hear from Durham. Does anyone know if she will get a decision one way or the other and by when? Are Durham known for taking their time or am I just being impatient?! Having had a quick look at the UCAS website, it wasn't clear (to me!) when the offer/decision deadlines are. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

They have a reputation for being super slow. DS applied in October as an early entry candidate. Offers from 3 of the universities came straight away and the Durham one didn't arrive until January, just before Oxbridge offers came out. I think this latter point may have something to do with it - Durham know they are a fallback for many Oxbridge candidates and I think they wait to see who rejects them in January.

They are also I think the only university who operate a formula for increasing state school access - I do know of someone last year who was rejected and somehow accessed an explanation which was that they had met their quota of privately educated candidates for the course.

Chances are that your DD will hear pretty soon - my own DD had offers from them for two separate courses some years back (she already had her grades) and they came last of all. Well; before Manchester, obviously.

Thanks Amber! Ok, so we just need to be patient She has also applied to Manchester and has an interview there in early March - hopefully we'll have their decision before the IB results are out in July!

I have two dds who applied to Durham this year. DD1 applied in October and is still waiting to hear, (she already has her grades) DD2 applied on the very last day of application without grades and got her offer 48 hours later.

It is not to do with the subject as DD1 got an offer for the same subject last year in early January. (She would have deferred but Durham only allow students to defer for medical reasons.)

But it certainly could be to do with Durham receiving rejections after the Oxbridge offers come through.

She will hear one way or the other. All applicants receive either an offer or a rejection.

DG

DG - it's nothing to do with Oxbridge.

A uni CANNOT give out all its offers before the Jan 15th deadline - it HAS to give all candidates equal consideration. When you apply makes absolutely no difference to whether you get an offer.

To be fair to DG that was my suggestion not hers, though I wasnt suggesting they would give out all the offers, only weigh up applications in light of losing a chunk of their applicants in January. It was strange here as DS got his Durham offer two days before Oxbridge results came out. And Durham does run some kind of quota system. Like DG's daughter, my own applied the day of the deadline in January and got an offer (different subject from her original offer).

Re Manchester bond girl- don't hold your breath. The year DD applied they offered in June and the deadline for accepting other offers had passed so she couldn't even do that till they got round to it. (They then got her details wrong in the offer letter, which was littered with terrible spelling mistakes as well. Not great. Hopefully they have sharpened things up since then!).

Wow! Thanks for the feedback re Manchester. Makes me question if there's even any point going to the interview, especially as DD has good offers from others?!

I had assumed Durham were waiting for the 15th Jan deadline before deciding who to make offers to but that doesn't seem to be the case if others have received offers before that date. Thanks for the feedback.

Sure she must go, unless she already knows for certain that she wants to go elsewhere. And then still go! DD disliked it and her interview was a catalogue of errors with incorrect information and some rather strange comments from the interviewer. But we know several people who are really happy there and love it. Horses for courses - we are all different. I was only mentioning it as they did rather sit on their decisions and it pushed the deadline over for accepting offers.

My understanding is that you cannot respond, that is, choose your firm and insurance, until all the universities you have applied to have responded to you? Your 'reply by' deadline being set by the date by which this occurs:
https://www.ucas.com/ucas/events/find/cycle/2018/scheme/undergraduate/type/key-date?keywords=Reply

You only lose your offers if you don't respond by the next deadline after you receive your last response.

The alternative is to withdraw your application to those universities which have not responded, if you are sure that you want to firm / insure ones which have done already.

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Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx

Thanks Toadmum. That was the page I was looking at earlier but it makes sense now you’ve explained it. It could be a long wait