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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Gap year - ask for deferral or grades in hand

19 replies

bellinisurge · 03/07/2024 15:39

Quick question. Dd wants to take a gap year. Which is better apply this round and ask for a deferral. Or apply during gap year with grades in hand?
Thanks

OP posts:

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HobbitDreader · 03/07/2024 15:49

Why not try deferral and if that doesn't reap results, go the grades in hand route?

stressedespresso · 03/07/2024 15:57

What subject is she applying for?

YellowAsteroid · 03/07/2024 16:09

It depends ...

When I was Admissions Tutor at a selective university/department/programme, we'd not confirm deferrals unless they had achieved our offer very clearly, because we knew we could find better applicants the next year, rather than relax a grade on a deferral.

But if the applicant made our offer, we were happy to confirm, and then accept a deferral. It meant we had a bit more certainty the following year (several FTE in the bag, as it were).

bellinisurge · 04/07/2024 06:23

@stressedespresso she's looking at Maths

Thanks all

OP posts:

AphraBean · 04/07/2024 06:47

Not an expert at all - first DC applying for uni- but he's decided to apply for a deferred place so he can have the support of school to go his ucas form and any reference - and to get it out of the way! Plus if he doesn't get his predicted grades or changes his mind he can always re apply the next year with grades in hand.

AphraBean · 04/07/2024 06:52

I saw a thread on here recently where posters said unis don't like students applying for maths to defer a year? can't recall if they said that was all unis or just some - so your daughter might want to check that out with admissions depts.

bellinisurge · 04/07/2024 10:52

@AphraBean we thought so too but when I asked a few RG ones directly they said they, in principle, don't mind. I think they want her to demonstrate some proof of keeping up her maths. We're planning to get her on some online courses she can do remotely to keep it fresh

OP posts:

TomeTome · 04/07/2024 10:53

Apply for deferred and then apply again if needed.

poetryandwine · 04/07/2024 10:57

YellowAsteroid · 03/07/2024 16:09

It depends ...

When I was Admissions Tutor at a selective university/department/programme, we'd not confirm deferrals unless they had achieved our offer very clearly, because we knew we could find better applicants the next year, rather than relax a grade on a deferral.

But if the applicant made our offer, we were happy to confirm, and then accept a deferral. It meant we had a bit more certainty the following year (several FTE in the bag, as it were).

Another former admissions tutor in a selecting School confirming this.

However I am in STEM and can also confirm the concern over gap years raised by @AphraBean , and that it is to do with a fear that Maths will be lost. I never shared this as long as the candidate presented a an for keeping up with Maths, or revising before university, and it seems that things are moving in this direction - slowly.

Definitely something that must be confirmed, and not really to do with the parhway.

Best wishes to DD

BettiG · 13/07/2024 06:21

Isn’t it just best to wait until your daughter gets her grades? At east then your daughter will know exactly which unis she can apply for. Will save a lot of wasted time and your Daugher can do a list if unis she wants to visit on open days.
That is what my daughter is doing she is not even looking at any unis until she knows her grades and can go from there.

RookieMa · 13/07/2024 12:15

My DS is starting his maths degree this September and was told in no uncertain terms during the offer holder and open days not to defer a maths place

RookieMa · 13/07/2024 12:16

She'll need A star A star A A to defer at decent uni

RookieMa · 13/07/2024 12:16

If they even allow it

AppleCream · 13/07/2024 12:19

I would definitely apply this year and ask for a deferral. She'll get more support with her application this year from her school, rather than applying after she's left, and also it's possible that she might change her mind about having a gap year so this way she has options.

Then if the uni won't let her defer she can re-apply with grades in hand.

Seabrees · 13/07/2024 13:07

Thank you all; yes, it may be better to apply this year.

She is not doing maths but engineering, she is predicted A and As

WombatChocolate · 13/07/2024 14:04

Worth applying with predicted grades - these are often a bit generous but generates an offer. There is then a chance of student being taken if missing grades. However, if not having the grades when applying with grades in hand, far less likely to get an offer.

The grades you apply with (either in-hand or predicted) determine offers. Most people don’t achieve their predicted grades.

I knew people in the last couple of years who didn’t apply whilst in yr13. Their predicted grades would have got them offers and in those years, the uni would have taken them with the grades they achieved which were a grade (or even 2) below. In one case, this included for a deferral. However, by not applying with oredicteds and applying the following year with grades in hand, they didn’t not receive offers, even when they pointed out, that the previous year, they would have got offers with their predicted grades and been taken with what they had.

People often think that for those who are a bit iffy, in terms of achieving their grades, that applying g with grades in hand is better. But actually, the predicted grades are often the best grades most people will ever have on an application form. It is these which generate offers. Apart from places which can afford to be very selective and turn anyone missing grades down, most places will show some flexibility.

You are in a strong per position though if you apply for the year in question and not deferred, as they need to fill their places and would rather take a known applicant who wanted the place than risk clearing. As previously said, with deferral, they have all the candidates from the year to come available to them…and expect they can get similar people with lesser grades again next year.

Seabrees · 13/07/2024 14:15

WombatChocolate · 13/07/2024 14:04

Worth applying with predicted grades - these are often a bit generous but generates an offer. There is then a chance of student being taken if missing grades. However, if not having the grades when applying with grades in hand, far less likely to get an offer.

The grades you apply with (either in-hand or predicted) determine offers. Most people don’t achieve their predicted grades.

I knew people in the last couple of years who didn’t apply whilst in yr13. Their predicted grades would have got them offers and in those years, the uni would have taken them with the grades they achieved which were a grade (or even 2) below. In one case, this included for a deferral. However, by not applying with oredicteds and applying the following year with grades in hand, they didn’t not receive offers, even when they pointed out, that the previous year, they would have got offers with their predicted grades and been taken with what they had.

People often think that for those who are a bit iffy, in terms of achieving their grades, that applying g with grades in hand is better. But actually, the predicted grades are often the best grades most people will ever have on an application form. It is these which generate offers. Apart from places which can afford to be very selective and turn anyone missing grades down, most places will show some flexibility.

You are in a strong per position though if you apply for the year in question and not deferred, as they need to fill their places and would rather take a known applicant who wanted the place than risk clearing. As previously said, with deferral, they have all the candidates from the year to come available to them…and expect they can get similar people with lesser grades again next year.

Thank you, yes, in fact she is predicted 3 A stars which are aspirational, the real end of year are Astar, A, A.

YellowAsteroid · 13/07/2024 19:49

People often think that for those who are a bit iffy, in terms of achieving their grades, that applying g with grades in hand is better. But actually, the predicted grades are often the best grades most people will ever have on an application form. It is these which generate offers. Apart from places which can afford to be very selective and turn anyone missing grades down, most places will show some flexibility.

I wouldn’t rely on this advice, frankly. Yes, you’ll get offers on predicted grades, but in competitive courses your place may not be confirmed if you don’t make the grades that are in your offer.

As I said above, if we are relaxing our offer for a candidate whom we think will do well in the course even if they didn’t make the exact grades we wanted, we may not always confirm that place with a deferral because we can generally fill our following year’s numbers with those who’ve made their offer.

So it’s a gamble either way. But do not rely on having an offer confirmed at a lower tariff, especially if you want then to defer that place.

WombatChocolate · 14/07/2024 13:11

Of course, meeting your offer puts you in the strongest position.

But you need to get an offer to start with. If you apply with lower grades in hand, and they make you uncompetitive or are even below the standard offer, you won’t get an offer in all likelihood.

I agree (as I said in my final point) that flexibility is more likely to be shown if NOT deferring. A lot depends on how competitive the course is. Most courses are recruiting not selecting courses. Unless a selecting course, if an offer has been made and missed by one grade, many places will confirm even a deferring candidate.

The point I. Was making, is that candidates applying with grades in hand, often have less opportunities if where to apply to or where will give offers, than if they’d applied with their (usually higher) predicted grades, whilst still in 6th Form. It is often weaker candidates who decide to wait and see how they do. They often haven’t worked out what they want to do or been to Open Days etc and decide to wait until they have grades. Yes, that buys them time and means they don’t have to think about uni applications whilst studying - some decide it’s best to just do one thing at a time. But when they achieve their results below their predicted grades (and this is what happens in the vast majority of cases) they close off a number of courses they can then apply to post-grades.

Yes, you can never guarantee any uni will take you if you miss your offer, that’s true. But you are more likely to get an offer with higher predicted grades than lower actual grades. And getting an offer is an absolutely vital part of the process. If you firm an aspirational place which you may well not get the grades for, it’s even more important to have a realistic insurance place.

By applying post grades, you might only be able to put the insurance place as your top choice, as the other place won’t consider you. By applying with the higher predicted grades, you at least have that chance to get an offer. You’re not really worse off if you don’t make it, especially if deferring as accommodation will be allocated following year, and by then you’ll be an unconditional anyway. If you are fully aware that flexibility might not be shown, taking the chance of applying apsirationally, esp if not deferring, is a risk worth taking for lots of people, as they will find themselves on a course with grades slightly lower than the advertised standard offer. In fact, more course than people think will have a good number of people on the course with lower than the advertised standard offer. They need to accept those people on results day in order to fill. And they’d rather take them than risk Clearing which could deliver weaker candidates or nothing.

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