Monday 31 March 2008

Don't leave me hanging on... UCAS track


I was labouring under the misapprehension that today was the day that up to 7 months of agonising wait came to an end for thousands of 17-18 year olds. That today was the final day for universities to accept or decline undergraduate applicants.

I for one was looking forward to an end to the torrent of Facebook statuses declaring:

"Anna has just had an offer from Sheffield!"

"Richard is pleased to finally have an offer from LSE!"

Clearly expecting reactions such as:

"Oh, I must 'write on Anna's wall' to congratulate her!"
or
"My, isn't Richard clever!"

But more often evoking thoughts such as:

"Ha, Sheffield!"
or
"Oh no, I've not heard from LSE yet! Nothing left to do but stick head in the AGA!"
or simply
"Knob!"

In fact, today is simply the suggested deadline. What institution, bar UCAS, would set a suggested deadline?!

Oxford have everyone's application in by the middle of October, and every candidate is acknowledged and in some cases examined by he end of the month. The next four weeks see applicants either receiving rejections or a call to interview, and by mid-December the entire process is complete. Edinburgh, in comparison, have had my application since the beginning of October, and have done nothing except send me a password for a website which tells me that, yes, I have applied to Edinburgh university...

As it turns out, the actual deadline is the beginning of MAY! After this, no doubt, any university that still hasn't quite managed to make their final decision has until the eve of your 89th birthday to put you out of your misery.