Once you receive an offer from your chosen universities (the five institutions that you applied to via UCAS), you will likely be invited to an Offer Holder Experience Day, sometimes called an Applicant Day at other universities.
These events are much more in-depth and tailored to your chosen subject than the university-wide Open Days you may have attended before your initial UCAS application.
They're also the perfect opportunity to ask any specific questions you may have, as well as to visit any parts of the university or city you were unable to explore at the initial Open Day.
No, attendance is not compulsory for offer-holder events. However, they are invaluable to the all-important decision of which university should be your firm or insurance choice.
If you can attend, it's strongly advised that you do!
At an Offer Holder Experience Day, you will:
All subjects will host their own talks and taster sessions – some may even run a facilities tour or a dedicated employability session.
At Newcastle University, our events help provide a much greater understanding of the degree programme, our community and your prospects post-graduation.
On the morning of our events, you will also have the opportunity to explore our city-centre campus; both by yourself or on an organised campus or accommodation tour. You may have already joined us for an Open Day, but this is your opportunity to visit places you didn't see the first time around – like our libraries, the Students' Union or our Sports Centre.
Plan your arrival and departure times so you are available to explore a while before activities kick off, discover the city and get a flavour of Newcastle after activities finish in the mid-afternoon.
Find out more about why you should attend an Offer Holder Experience Day.
Offer Holder Experience Days typically run from around 9:30-16:00, with a split between general university activity and subject-specific activities.
Often the mornings consist of central university activities, and then the afternoons are run by subject area teaching staff.
There will also be breaks in between subject activities and a full lunch break for you to relax and take in your surroundings. Most Schools will run an informal welcome or Q&A session that comes with free refreshments, too!
You will receive a full schedule of what will happen on the day when you book to attend your event. On the day, you will also be able to get a printed map and prospectus as well as a visitor pack from your subject.
In terms of activities, this differs from subject to subject; but there almost certainly will be talks, informal Q&A’s with current students and staff as well as some kind of taster session or activity. Some subjects will also be running a tour of their buildings and facilities, which will give you a feel for where will be your academic home during your time at University.
Yes. Offer Holder Experience Days are an integral part of your decision-making process. We run these events every year and always receive feedback that offers a real insight into how crucial these events are for offer holders.
Yes. If you're more comfortable bringing someone along to an offer holder event, then of course you can bring them.
Some people bring their parents or carers, some bring a partner, and some bring a friend. You are also welcome to visit without any accompanying guests. In fact, there are always lots of visitors making the visit independently.
Just make sure that when booking on to the event; you book on any guests too (it will be clear on the booking form how you can do this).
As most offer holders do bring parents along, some subjects offer a parent’s session. These separate sessions provide the perfect setting to ask any questions parents may have, and give you a chance to get chatting with your fellow offer holders if you so wish!
Good luck with the rest of your studies and we hope to see you on campus for an event soon. If you’re hoping to start studying in 2024, we have Open Days later this year you can attend! Register your interest in our events to stay up to date.