Unconditional offers – an update for2018

July 2018

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Unconditional offers
Offers made by providers to applicants are described as either conditional or unconditional.
This depends on whether the provider wishes to attach certain conditions, usually related tothe academic attainment of specific qualifications and subject examination results.
Unconditional offers have always been a feature of university and college admissions, andused in a variety of circumstances. For example:•••to admit mature students who have already achieved sufficient qualifications to meetentry criteria
to make offers to applicants following interviews, auditions, or portfolio reviews
to reduce stress placed on some applicants during the high-pressure examination period

More recently, unconditional offers have been used as one of a variety of approaches toattract and retain interest from applicants in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
The increased prevalence of unconditional offer-making in recent cycles has brought with ita greater interest in the volume of this practice, especially to applicants who have not been
awarded their final qualifications. To better understand this trend, this report focuses on 18year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales – a group that typically apply
with most of their qualifications still pending, and with predicted, rather than achieved,grades. As most Scottish applicants have Scottish Higher qualifications, which often form
part of the entry requirements for courses, they are not considered here.

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Unconditional offers to 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales, increaseby nearly a third, in 2018
The UCAS 2017 End of Cycle Report showed how the number of unconditional offers madeto 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales increased between
2013 and 2017. The number of unconditional offers made in each year across this period areshown in Figure 1 below, alongside the number for 2018.
In 2013, there were 2,985 offers recorded as unconditional, accounting for 0.4 per cent of alloffers to that group of applicants. By 2017, unconditional offers increased to 51,615,accounting for 5.3 per cent of all offers made that year. In 2018, the number of
unconditional offers increased again, by 16,295 (+32 per cent) to 67,915, accounting for 7.1
per cent of all offers.
Figure 1: Number and percentage of all offers to 18 year olds from England, Northern
Ireland, and Wales that were unconditional, by year

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More than a fifth of 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales,
received at least one unconditional offer in 2018The number and percentage of 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, andWales who received at least one unconditional offer is shown in Figure 2. In 2013, 2,570
applicants (1.1 per cent) received at least one unconditional offer. Since then, the number
and percentage of applicants receiving at least one unconditional offer increased each year,
reaching 45,385 (17.5 per cent) in 2017. In 2018, the number increased again, by 29 percent, to 58,385, meaning more than a fifth (22.9 per cent) of 18 year old applicants fromEngland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, received at least one unconditional offer.
Figure 2: Number and percentage of 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland, andWales who received an unconditional offer, by year

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42,100 unconditional offers selected as firm in 2018, with a further 9,185 selected asinsurance
When an offer is made, the applicant may select it as their firm choice, their insurance
choice, or decline the offer. The number of unconditional firm choices, and unconditional
insurance choices, resulting from offers each year between 2013 and 2018, is shown inFigure 3.
Since 2013, the number of unconditional firm choices has increased each year. In 2013,
there were 1,710 unconditional firm choices. By 2017, this number increased to 29,980. In
2018, the number increased again, by 40 per cent, to 42,100.
The number of unconditional insurance choices is lower than the number of unconditionalfirm choices. However, since 2013, the number of unconditional insurance choices hasincreased each year. In 2013, there were 435 unconditional insurance choices, increasing to8,420 in 2017. The number increased again in 2018, by 9 per cent, to 9,185.
Figure 3: Number of unconditional firm, and unconditional insurance choices held by 18year olds from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales

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GlossaryAge

ApplicantConditional offer
DeclineFirm choice
Insurance choice
30 June application
deadline
Main scheme

Offer
Provider
Reply
Unconditional offer

This analysis uses country-specific age definitions that align with the cut-offpoints for school and college cohorts in the different administrations of theUK. For England and Wales, ages are defined on 31 August, and on 1 July for
Northern Ireland. Defining ages in this way matches the assignment ofchildren to school cohorts.
A person who has made an application in the UCAS system. Counts ofapplicants in this report refer only to those who applied through the mainscheme.
Provider decision to offer a place to an applicant, subject to the applicant
satisfying academic and/or other criteria.
The decision by an applicant to decline an offer, and not select it as either
their firm or insurance choice.
An offer made by a provider, which has been confirmed by the applicant as
their first choice.
An offer made by a provider, which has been confirmed by the applicant as
their second choice.
The final date by which an applicant can submit up to five choices to study ona higher education course through the UCAS main scheme. Applicants who
apply after this date go directly into Clearing.
The main UCAS Undergraduate application scheme, through which up to fivecourse choices can be applied for. Applications can be submitted in
September.
Provider decision to offer a place to an applicant. May be subject to theapplicant satisfying academic and/or other criteria.
A higher education provider – a university or college.
Applicant response to an offer they received – this could be firm, insurance, ordecline.
Provider decision to offer a place to an applicant that is not subject to thethem satisfying academic, and/or other criteria. Based on the offer status at
the 30 June application deadline.

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