Just who are Admissions tutors anyway? Leaving some UCAS choices til later. And what you learn from falling over.
😊 Welcome
This week we take a closer look at how universities make admissions decisions, and find out “Just who are Admissions tutors anyway?”. We discuss whether there are any benefits from leaving some UCAS choices blank until later in the year. And we find out exactly what you learn from falling over.
✍️ Just who are admissions tutors anyway?
This newsletter is all about you making better university choices, and of course, making a great application. But what of the universities? They make decisions too, and most specifically they’ll decide whether to accept your application and offer you a place!
In this article, I’ll give you a bit of insight into how universities make decisions, who makes the decisions, and the processes they use.
💡 Did You Know?
When applying through UCAS, you don't have to use all five choices right away. You can apply to one or two first, and then add the others later.
Sensible reasons for this might be:
You’ve finalised your choice for Oxford or Cambridge (or Medicine for that matter), but just need a little time to finalise your remaining shortlist.
You’ve applied to, say, three super-competitive courses (say Cambridge, Imperial and UCL), and want to see if you get a place at one of these before finalising your last two choices.
But, I have seen some chat recently on discussion boards about whether it is a good idea, strategically, to apply for one choice initially (particularly when that choice is Oxbridge) and add the others later.
The concern seems to be that some universities might be less likely to make an offer if they suspect you have also applied to Oxbridge. So the theory would be that by applying later for your remaining choices, you hide the fact that you’ve applied to Oxbridge.
The reality, however, is that Admissions Tutors can’t see which other universities you’ve applied to, and literally don’t have the time or the inclination to second guess whether you may or may not have applied to other high demand courses. Moreover, they are not going to be remotely concerned if you have. Most admissions tutors will be delighted to share applications with other high demand programmes.
So… I can see no strategic benefit, from an admissions perspective, in waiting before completing all your five choices.
If, however, you have not yet finalised all five of your choices, but need to hit the 15th October deadline for Oxbridge or Medicine, then you can certainly put in one or two choices now, and add the others later.
📢 Quote of the week
“Everything is a learning process: Any time you fall over, it’s just teaching you to stand up the next time.”
Joel Edgerton, Actor and Filmmaker
This is a lesson I learned far too late in life. From an early age, I always strived to get things at least approximately right first time. I had no idea that failure could actually teach far better than success!
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
📖 Writing your Personal Statement?
Why not download How to Write Your Personal Statement, my short (and FREE) guide to help you make the best possible application and maximise your chances of getting into your first choice university. Also available on Amazon and Apple.
🎯 In case you missed it
Just how ambitious should you be with your initial five UCAS choices?
📅 Next week
Next week we look at how to prepare a portfolio for Art and Design courses.
