Well, I said in my post on the serious shortage of university places in 2010, that the roll over effect into 2011 would be a serious problem. Well, with the proposal to rise tuition fees in 2012 coming into play, you now have a double rush of people applying to university now to avoid the tuition fee rise and all the students that missed out on a place at university in 2010.
I think it is fair to say, that with the funding cuts and cost cutting at the universities and colleges, plus the rise in mature students applying for places in 2011 as a result of the recession, and the double hit of all the students that missed out in 2010 and all those rushing to get in before the proposed rise in fees; that getting a place at university in 2011 is going to be the toughest yet!
If this fills you with fear, it should if you are applying in 2011, then take a look on-line at the alternatives if you don’t get in and how to improve your chances. I outlined a few ideas on what to do if you don’t get into university in a recent blog post. The studying abroad options at universities in Europe and the USA was covered in the Sunday Times on Sunday 24th Oct 2010, so that is a bit of an endorsement if this idea tickles your fancy.
Good luck everyone!
p.s. If you’d like to do something about this, the NUS and NCU demonstration on Wednesday 10th November 2010 is a great place to start!