Unconditional offers

[asdguest]

Apparently, Birmingham have been handing out unconditional offers this year - is this true?

[hermanmunster]

all unis do if the student already has the required qualifications - having said that, there is some burbling on the thestudentroom about the very subject

[scary mum]

There was an article about it last week and Birmingham was mentioned. It said that Oxford and Cambridge had given up making unconditional offers a few years ago,but as herman says, presumably it still goes on - but post results, just not as widespread as before.

[hermanmunster]

couple of posts from "the other place" ... seems they are doing this but not necessarily going well with students

Hi guys!
So I got a letter this morning, and it seems Birmingham have decided to make my offer for BSc Economics unconditional (provided I firm choice it)!
Firstly, has anyone else received such a privilege? I have never heard of this happening before, personally (not suggesting I'm anything special, mind).
And secondly, given my other offers (Manchester, Leeds, Bristol + still waiting on LSE), what would you do in my position? Take the unconditional, breeze through (if not drop) A levels? Or carry on working hard, and aim for (my already lowered AAB) Bristol economics offer, and hold on hope for LSE?
Any suggestions/thoughts welcome!

I also got this letter from Birmingham.

Either me or my parents spoke to all my other unis yesterday. My dad's also spoken to someone he know who works at a uni (why didn't he mention that earlier).

Also spoke to tutor. Consistent advice is don't get put off track my this Birmingham letter.

Seems its probably in subjects where they need students because of loads less applications and where our £9000 goes a long way.....nobody applying for science or engineering seems to have got the letter. Also that they are making the offer to the best candidates cos it means is less likely they will get too many students and get fined by the government (don't really understand what that is about.....something to do with being able to recruit loads of students with best grades).

Said somewhere it was a pilot exercise or something...but seems to me more like a panic exercise...lol!!!...all about getting the numbers and £s they need.

Anyway, thanks to Birmingham for a day of hassle just before my results! Leeds will be my firm (great open day...and really helpful advice yesterday.....), Birmingham declined as I don't trust you!!

[neveragain*]

Hi,

My DD had also had an unconditional from Birmingham, as has one of her friends. She will not be firming it, although she did like it.

[Guest55]

I read in the online press (Daily Telegraph?) that they were experimenting with giving unconditional offers to those with AAA predictions.

found it

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... evels.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stevew61]

This came up at ucas meeting for ds1 in year 12 yesterday.

The school ucas coordinator was surprised that one of her star y13 pupils had received such an offer. As she said it was effectively EE which he could get by cashing in his AS scores! As a teacher she was concerned that it might remove motivation and lead to coasting. She balanced her opinion by saying the boy would get an A* at A2 or she would cut his legs off.

[hermanmunster]

interesting that quite a few on TSR feel that there is either a catch to the whole thing, other problem is that it somehow devalues the course "if it is that easy to get on" and they actually want a challenge.. like everyone else.

[Looking for help]

How absolutely ridiculous , words fail me, tbh.

If this is as a result of inflated fees, then there needs to be a rethink of policy here.

[scary mum]

But it's only how things used to be where high flyers were given unconditional offers so that the university could be sure of getting them. I don't know what is behind it this time, of course.