UCAS
We’re approaching the time of year when lots of you will be replying to your offers. For some, this can be a tough decision and a nerve-wracking experience. We’ll try to put your mind at ease by answering some of the top questions we get asked at this important time of year:
1. I don’t have an option to reply to my offers. What’s going on?
This is usually because you haven’t had a decision from all of your choices yet. However, if you’re ready to reply and don’t want to wait for the other choices to make a decision, you can choose to cancel them. To do this, click on 'view' for each outstanding choice and then you’ll have the option to 'permanently withdraw from this choice.' Once you’ve done this, the ‘reply to offers’ button will be available.
If you’ve been offered an interview, you’ll need to decline it first and then cancel the choice before you can reply to your offers. If it's an interview you've already accepted, you'll need to call us so we can help you.
2. What do ‘firm’ and ‘insurance’ mean?
Firm: this is your first choice – the place you most want to go to. If you accept a conditional offer and meet the conditions, you’ll have a confirmed place here.
Insurance: this is the choice you’d want if you didn't meet the conditions of your firm choice. If this is a conditional offer, you’d need to meet the conditions for your place to be confirmed.
3. Can I reply to more than two offers?
You can accept a maximum of two choices – one firm and one insurance. You can only have an insurance choice if your firm choice is a conditional offer. If you accept an unconditional offer as your firm choice then the place is guaranteed, so you cannot have an insurance choice.
4. Do you have to reply to all your offers at the same time?
Yes, you have to reply to all your offers at the same time. But that doesn’t mean you need to rush to make a decision as soon as you’re in a position to reply. As long as you reply before the deadline date then your replies will be recorded. That said, it’s not a good idea to wait until the last minute on your reply deadline day – so do give yourself enough time to reply carefully.
5. I've made a mistake with my replies. Can I change them?
You may change your replies once within fourteen days of initially making them. To do this, give us a quick call with your Personal ID and one of your advisers will be able to help.
6. When do I need to reply?
Once you’ve had decisions back from all your choices, you’ll be given a date in which you need to reply. This handy little table will also give you an idea of when you need to reply…
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Last decision by
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Your reply date is
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18 May 2023
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8 June 2023 (except if you're using Extra)
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12 July 2023
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17 July 2023 (including Extra)
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As soon as you’ve replied it’s worth double-checking the information to make sure everything is as you intended. If you notice anything that doesn’t seem quite right after you’ve replied then give us a call as soon as possible so we can look into it for you.
If you have any other questions about replying, get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter.