Durham University offers

[mike1880]

There's a graph somewhere on TSR which shows when people have received offers from Durham in previous years. They seem to make very few before 15th Jan then dribble them out at a pretty constant (slow!) rate until about the end of March. The fact that there's a thread with a graph tells you something about their offer process...

Daughter is also waiting for Durham. I'm somewhat pessimistic given that she hasn't already got one despite her predicted grades. At least we can blame the quota if she doesn't get one .

[bondgirl]

I'm hoping that because DD's applying for a less popular course and from a state school, they may overlook one of predicted grades being just under their published ones. She's predicted 2 points over the overall IB points required, but one of her HL subjects is 1 point below. I'm not even sure Durham is her top choice but it will be nice to have options!

[KS10]

DS got his offer for Maths last year at some point in February. It said on the website (for Maths, I think) that the longer the wait the more borderline they think you are, or words to that effect. I think it was towards the end of the month but whenever it was, the offer came through very late.

[bondgirl]

Thanks for the feedback KS10. Did he end up going to Durham?

[KS10]

Yes, he did. Not everyone's cup of tea, but he likes it there.

[bondgirl]

Just a quick update - DD got an offer from Durham this week. The offer is 2 points under the published points required on their website for her course I personally feel she would be mad not to make Durham her firm choice but she is keen to still go for an interview and another university’s offer holders’ day. Ultimately it’ll be her choice of course

[Amber]

personally feel she would be mad not to make Durham her firm choice

Why?

As KS10 says, it is not everyone's cup of tea. She must decide which environment will suit her better and I would caution against letting her know you think that she 'would be mad' not to take it. Not to say it isn't a really great university - of course it is - but the pressure of turning a great university down can be hard to bear when you are 17 if that is what you want to do.

I am going to PM you.

[ToadMum]

Just a quick update - DD got an offer from Durham this week. The offer is 2 points under the published points required on their website for her course I personally feel she would be mad not to make Durham her firm choice but she is keen to still go for an interview and another university’s offer holders’ day. Ultimately it’ll be her choice of course

DS1 got achievable offers from all five universities he applied to - plus, two of them were offering 'unconditional if firmed'. At that point, his favourite was Southampton And I'm sure that if he had just said, 'Okay, Firm, Southampton, insurance, (one of the others)' and ended up at Southampton, he would have had a great time there. However, having attended all the offer holders' days, he found that his order of preference changed and he eventually firmed Birmingham. No insurance needed, as this was one of the 'unconditional' offers, but had he needed one, it would have been UEA rather than Southampton. Warwick, which I thought that he would have loved, fell to fifth place on second sight, for precisely the feature of the campus which I thought would swing it for him .

So if your DD can go to another offer holders' day, don't stop her - she's the one who will be spending the next three or four years there, wherever she goes .

[bondgirl]

Thanks Toadmum and Amber. Yes, she has 2, possibly 3 offer holders’ days she wants to go to, plus an interview day before decision time. DD had already decided against Warwick after an open day visit last year - she just didn’t like the remote feeling of the campus.

It will be an interesting few months ahead and I’m sure she will make the right decision.

[mad?]

So if your DD can go to another offer holders' day, don't stop her - she's the one who will be spending the next three or four years there, wherever she goes .

I'd totally agree with this. DD1 at Durham and it has been perfect for her, DD2 turned down Edinburgh and others for 'a former poly' both course and 2nd visit related decisions, and in the latter case not what I had expected. You will be worried enough about them when they go, if it does all go pear shaped (which it can do anywhere tbf) the last thing you need it to blame yourself (well except of course we all do don't we?), or worse for them to be able to blame you rather than being accountable themselves. Well done Babybondgirl and good luck.