I have just sent in my application for an MA at a uni in the North West of England.
I have called their Admissions Office twice with queries. The first time the person I spoke to was very rude and sullen and clearly didn't know the answer to my very simple question, but wouldn't admit it nor did she have the foresight to refer me to someone who could answer it. I thought this was a one off. No.
I called them again yesterday and got a man this time whose attitude and manner was practically the same.
It's a good job I had spoken to the admissions tutor for my course already, because if I were to go on the attitude of the people that work in the Admissions Office I certainly wouldn't go there!

Before I started my PhD I had a temp job at a uni in admin/admissions funnily enough in the north and I have to admit that some of the staff really didn't give a sh*t about the students and were just there to do their 9-5. I wouldn't be too put off by them its nothing personal alot of the women I worked with had been in the job for years and they had no real qualifications and so they felt stuck in a rut as younger people with more qualifications would come in as their line managers and they didn't like these 'new' ideas.. In addition I found that because of management changes and funding influences they were under the impression that 'things aren't as good as they used to be'.. I found it quite amusing as they were like broken record players, however I can see how frustrating it would be if you are trying to get information!

oh, let me continue the rant!

i think it might be a general thing with admissions offices! at my university, in london, not the north, they really don't want you to call, instead you should go through the web contact form. but i NEVER received answers to even simple questions like "i am bilingual, but grew up and went through education in a non-english-speaking country, do i have to take a TOEFL?" (so in the end i did take the test - cost me lots of money...)

also the people who decide if you will pay home or overseas fees, i think they are part of admissions. although the university's guidelines state clearly that in my case it is home fees, they classed me as overseas. the "didn't receive" my fee status reconsideration application (it was sent by registered mail, and it WAS delivered and signed for). they brought me to tears, insisting that it's overseas fees, when i was just quoting their own regulations to them. they only relented when i told them UKCOSA had said it would be against the law, and gave them the phone number so that they could call up there and check for themselves.

Hi Guys

Just remembered after reading your messages. The Admissions Office at Teesside is fabulous!

Hey shani

I think I am going to have to argue with them aswell as to whether I am an overseas or home student regardig fees. I have been working overseas these past two years and I spoke to UKCOSA who think I should be treated as a home student, but we will see.

Glad you got your sorted out.

ilovebdt

ilovebdt,
well if you have EU citizenship, AND the places you have been, overseas, were EU countries (or Switzerland), then it should be alright. (also some other cases)
UKCOSA are very good, they really know the rules. DO NOT believe any university's admissions office if they tell you one thing and UKCOSA tells you different. in my experience UKCOSA was always right.

Hi all!
All the admissions people I've come across really can't be bothered either - I rang one guy who basically said "the letters went out last week, you'll have to wait to get it", I insisted he told me and it took him 10 seconds to check on the system. Furthermore, my uni tried to get me to pay overseas fees on the basis that I study Yugoslavia, and they didn't believe someone English would speak Serbo-Croat! I was born in Manchester, and only lived abroad for one year of my life. Mentalist admin pillocks!