Who gets the last place?
Maya / admissions coordinator
Fictional educational scenario. Read the shared case before using this card. Keep this card to yourself during the first information exchange.
What you know
- Applicant A applied first and received an automated acknowledgement, not an offer.
- A has a camera but cannot afford the course fee.
Your priority
Recognise A’s financial need and earlier application without inventing a guaranteed place.
What to ask
Ask what specific access barriers applicant B faces.
Negotiate
Explain your information accurately. Ask what the other person knows before making assumptions. You may change your preferred solution after hearing their evidence. Do not invent extra money, permissions or facts.
Useful language
- If fairness is understood as…, then…
- A reasonable objection would be…
- This addresses… while leaving… unresolved.