A question about the UK system

[moderatedbliss]

Does anybody know how long programs (masters in this case) give you to respond to an offer before it expires? Is there a general date, like April 15th for the U.S.? 

One university said that successful graduate applicants have 40 days to respond to an offer before it expires, does anybody know if there is a general or standard amount of time/ date?

Specifically, I'm wondering about Edinburgh, UCL, KCL, Durham, Manchester, and Cambridge.

 

Edit: I was found that UCL was four weeks, wooo!

Thanks!! 

Edited November 21, 2013 by Camus1

[TravelBug92]

I feel like it varies by school. One of mine (Swansea) said that I have four weeks, but Durham gave me a specific date to respond by. It'll tell you on the offer letter when the response is needed.  

 

Best of luck!

Steph  

[St Andrews Lynx]

There isn't anything like the April 15th tax year deadline in the UK system. In the case of PhDs it is the supervisor who agrees/disagrees to take you on, their grant money comes in from various sources and places are just filled up as and when (it is not completely unheard of to get offered a place in the summer for a fall start, a friend of mine was offered a position in November after the new student dropped out). It's all pretty flexible.

 

I think if you tell the universities that you are waiting for other decisions before you respond, then they would understand. 

[moderatedbliss]

Awesome, thank you both.

One more question: What exactly does, "Holding an offer" mean? Does that mean accepting an offer, or merely receiving an offer? 
Some of the scholarships I plan on applying for say that you must "hold" an offer.. not sure about the terminology. 

[St Andrews Lynx]

I think it just means "be in possession of" - so you don't have to have formally accepted it.