University Decisions and Results Day

Once a student has submitted their application to UCAS they will start to receive decisions from their chosen institutions, some universities respond very quickly whereas others can take a little longer – but this is not something that a student should panic about! The first place that will notify an applicant that a decision has been made will be their UCAS Hub, this will then be followed with a communication from the university themselves. Watch our short film to understand more about the different types of responses a student can receive.


Find out all you need to know about the different university decision types that you may receive after submitting your UCAS application and how you make the key choices in the next stage of your journey towards Higher Education.

Firm and Insurance Choice

Once a student has received all of their decisions it will be time to decide which is their first choice of institution (their Firm choice) and which is their second choice (their Insurance choice). This is an important decision and once made the other offers that a student may be holding will be automatically declined. A student will make this selection on their UCAS Hub.

When selecting a firm choice students’ should consider everything that was important to them in their initial research, course, location and student experience are just a few of the key areas. This is a big decision and one that should be given careful thought.

Results Day

The penultimate stage of the UCAS application is receiving results – a nerve wracking experience for all. Students should be reminded that all over the country there are others in the same position, all sharing the same mix of excitement and anxiety.

Hopefully the grades obtained are in line with the student’s expectations and they can begin to celebrate and prepare for university life. In the event that the grades are not as high as a student has hoped there are still plenty of options available to them, each year thousands of students enter Higher Education via Clearing and find a place on a course and a university which they love.

Preparing for University

Once your place has been confirmed it is time for the student to make the final preparations to begin their university life. They should be reminded to ensure that everything is complete with their student finance application and were necessary accommodation is booked. Students may also wish to join social media groups to make friends with those who will be on their course, sharing their living space or belong to sports teams and societies that they are interested in joining.