I’m a US student that received a conditional offer from the University of Edinburgh. The condition is that I get a 4 or above on my AP Calculus exam in May, but I don’t know if I actually fulfill that condition until July when we get the scores back. I’d LOVE to attend the school, and while I’m not worried about actually fulfilling the condition (I’m actually rather confident!), there is just so much risk in this. I have to commit to Edinburgh by early June, before I know whether I can actually attend, and because I didn’t apply to any other schools through UCAS, I can’t have an insurance choice if this falls through. My mom says that I should contact Edinburgh and explain the situation because she is convinced that they will remove the condition once they understand the predicament, but my argument is that they have had thousands of international students, so I can’t be the first person to encounter an issue like this, and so they absolutely wouldn’t just take away the condition.
I was wondering if anyone else has had an issue like this, or if you have any advice on how I should proceed with this situation? Thanks!!
If there is someone in admissions you can talk to about this, I would bring up the situation. Explain that you’re not worried but at the same time it’s a huge risk. See what they say and gauge their reaction by their response. Congrats on the acceptance!
UK schools are conditional, it is how they work. All the UK kids will be waiting on their A levels too. Is your insurance a US school? If so, you just deposit for both.
You can hold any number of US offers are well. They will be your “insurance” offer. What you should do is accept a US university as your insurance. Just be advised that if you don’t meet your conditional offer, your admission will be withdrawn. Edinburgh doesn’t make exceptions.
Incidentally, there aren’t any “deposits” for UK universities.
As excanuck99 points out there is no deposit. As alfonsia points out, conditional offers are the norm in the UK- Edinburgh more than understands the ‘predicament’, as most of their students have the same worry: meeting their conditions. Firm Edinburgh & put a deposit on a US uni, which will be your ‘insurance’. Then get back to studying for the AP. It’s a drag to be the only senior whose AP marks actually affect their college outcome, but you can get through it!
Thank you everyone! I had no idea I could deposit to a US school while holding a firm in UCAS, that helps VERY much!
Yes, though of course if you get into Edinburgh and decide to go there, then you will forfeit your US deposit. Think of the deposit as an insurance premium.