You’ve selected up to your 5 universities that you’d like to study at, had the interviews and you’re starting to receive the offers back.

It really is thrilling when you receive an offer but now the hardest and most important part of applying to university is deciding which offer to accept as your firm choice and which as your insurance choice.

This is key to your future so don’t rush the decision when you receive the first two offers back.

You can’t actually input your offers on UCAS Track until you’ve received a decision from all your university choices, so take this time to think it through. UCAS replying to offers is a great video to watch for advice and guidance.

Firm Choice

Your firm choice is the university you definitely want to study at, if you meet the entry requirements, so it’s vital that this really is your first choice and it’s the one you want. Also you need to be realistic about the entry requirements.
If they’re offering you a place on AAA grades only and you’re predicted BBB grades is this a stretch too far? It may not be if you’re predicted AAB grades as this is only a slight difference and some universities can accept slightly lower grades than they actually state, though this isn’t guaranteed.

Have a look at the ‘actual tariff scores’ on the course for previous students on unistats, to see if this has been a possibility in the past.

It’s vital you make the right decision and choose the university you’ll be happiest at as your firm choice. You’ll be living there for at least 3 years.

Once you’ve logged your decision on UCAS Track you can’t suddenly change your mind (though there is a 14 day cooling off period from the date you log your decision).

If your grades come in higher than expected and you meet your firm choice, you’ll automatically be allocated it, even if your insurance choice was the university you really wanted to go to.

Insurance Choice

It’s important to keep remembering that your firm choice is your first choice and your insurance choice is your second choice.

Your insurance choice is optional. If you know you only want to go to your first choice university and nowhere else, then you don’t have to select an insurance choice, or if you only receive two offers back after your interviews, you don’t have to accept them both as your firm and insurance offers. The decision is yours.

An insurance choice really should be a university course with lesser entry requirements than your firm choice. If they are the same entry grade requirements, where is your back-up if you don’t do as well as predicted in your exams? For your insurance choice don’t just pick any of your other offers, pick the one you know you’ll be happy at.

If you haven’t visited your insurance offer university on an open day, do try and go and see the campus before you make your decision.

Remember you don’t have to choose an insurance offer, it’s optional. However, if you don’t meet your firm offer when you receive your grades in August and you haven’t chosen an insurance offer then you’re more than likely find yourself in Clearing.

If you receive 5 different offers all with similar grades, that’s brilliant news, but take your time over which ones to accept as your firm and insurance choices.

Also check to see if they are conditional or unconditional offers as universities can occasionally offer you an unconditional place but only if you list them as your firm choice.

It’s great to have an unconditional offer as it means you have a guaranteed university place; but do you really want to study at that university? Consider all the different aspects of university life:

  • How did you feel when you visited the university?
  • Are you happy with the location and campus facilities?
  • Which course content and modules did you like the best?
  • Which university tutors did you get on well with when you chatted to them during your interview and visit?
  • What was the social scene like at the university?
  • Revisit the UCAS course details for course success rates, graduate employment rates etc.,

Please do chat with your school/college tutors for advice. They’ve had years of experience of their students going to numerous universities across the country.

At the end of the day each university that’s made you an offer really wants you to study with them; so you have the upper hand, it’s your decision.

Choose your firms and insurance offers wisely for realistic entry grades but above all choose where you know you’ll be happy and content.