Deferring a college place - need some help

newcollegemum

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me. My DS is extremely confused about what to do after today's CAO offer. He was offered a Level 8 course and also a level 6/7. Both of the courses are what he is looking for but he is finding it extremely difficult to make a choice. From what I can gather he would only be able to defer one of the courses. Also I just don't think he is ready for college this year. He has applied for a PLC course.

Anyone with any guidance as to how go about things would be very much appreciated.

Lau2976

newcollegemum wrote: »

Hi I wonder if anyone can help me. My DS is extremely confused about what to do after today's CAO offer. He was offered a Level 8 course and also a level 6/7. Both of the courses are what he is looking for but he is finding it extremely difficult to make a choice. From what I can gather he would only be able to defer one of the courses. Also I just don't think he is ready for college this year. He has applied for a PLC course.

Anyone with any guidance as to how go about things would be very much appreciated.

It had been quite a few years since I deferred my course so this information may be out of date but yes he can only defer one course. Also a condition of my deferall was not being able to take any other course while holding my place for the year after so if he wants to defer and then take the PLC, it might negate the saved place.

From a personal point of view, taking the year out was definitely the better option for me. I was much more prepared for college. I'm not sure I would have stayed in my course had I not taken that time.

randylonghorn

Lau2976 wrote: »

Also a condition of my deferall was not being able to take any other course while holding my place for the year after so if he wants to defer and then take the PLC, it might negate the saved place.

No, you could only include the deferred course place on your CAO the following year if you wanted to have it guaranteed!

In other words, newcollegemum, if he wants to take up the place held for him next year, that's the only one he can enter on his CAO form next January.

He's fully entitled to change his mind ofc and apply for something else, but if he does, he's in the general pool relying on his points to get him in to it.

Taking up the PLC this year won't affect him in the slightest, there's no problem there.

Canard

All else aside, a good solution would be to defer the Level 8 rather than the level 6/7, even if he feels he'd opt for the latter -- after a year out, things might change, and I would imagine it had higher points, so in that sense it's a safer bet to defer that one properly unless he was well within the points range.

Lau2976

randylonghorn wrote: »

Taking up the PLC this year won't affect him in the slightest, there's no problem there.

Apologies for the misinformation. It was definitely a condition of mine.

randylonghorn

Lau2976 wrote: »

Apologies for the misinformation. It was definitely a condition of mine.

Fair enough, but that certainly would be quite unusual.

In fact, I'm not sure I've come across it before at all.