uktony

Chemistry D
Maths D
Graphics C

He'd been offered a place at Uni if he got 3 C's, so he's a bit down. Anyone know if he's still got a chance of getting in? Does he 'phone them and plead?

Any thoughts or advice gratefully received.

Tony

ProperCharlie

He will definetly be able to get into a university with those grades, it will just depend on how well subscribed the course that he wants to do is. may be worth considering alternative unis if his first choice won't take him.


[Edited by ProperCharlie - 8/14/2003 12:32:29 PM]

uktony

More responses like that please

Neil Smalley

Tony,
It's worth going into clearing and phoning up the Uni to see what they say. I was 1 point off of my required results and I phoned up the uni to see what my options were. They let me in anyway

There's also the HnD option, sometimes you can go onto the second year of the degree course if the first years HND results are good. Again talk to the uni to discuss options.

It's not the end of the world, and he really has as many options now as he did before the results came in.

He could also take a year out and work for a year. Then with some money behind him it'll make the student life a lot more comfortable.

EvoBarry

Isn't this what the clearing system is for? To find him a place somewhere? Get him to ring them up and see what can be done. Those marks are respectable enough though, he's got nothing to get too down about imo.

hail-hail

Was his work level throughout the year at D level?
If his general work is seen by his teachers as C or B level for example, he can appeal along the lines of:

"I was incredibly nervous in the exam"
"I wasn't feeling well that day"
etc.....

If the teaches will back him up he will have a good chance.
If the teachers see him as a D student then the appeal will be less likely.

hail-hail

I meant appeal to the Exam board as oppossed to the uni

wannabeScooby

taking a year out is a very good idea. But hard to get back in to the routine of studying!

Regarding getting in to you, it all depends on the Uni. If they need the students he'll easily get in. If they don't, well then they'll basically take the ones with the best grade. I would strongly recommend getting on the phone to every Uni that does the course he wants, maybe even driving down and seeing what its like. He will be living there for 3-4 years. Also call UCAS or go to the web-site for a bit more professional advice. From my experience, he needs to move very quick, very calmly, and know exactly what he's after in terms of course and surroundings in Uni.

Mus

ProperCharlie

ahhh - i didn't know about that option, hail-hail. If I had done I would have appealed on the grounds that I had 12 pints the night before and was concentrating on not puking in the exam room.

(my mate got a job in a pub the week my a levels started; he let me drink for free all night - too good an opportunity to miss )

[Edited by ProperCharlie - 8/14/2003 12:42:04 PM]

uktony

Hail-hail

When he was doing GCSEs (5 A*, 4A and 2B), there were high expectations of As and Bs at A level.

Since then he's worked his n*ts off but found it very very difficult. I think the teachers would have expected something a little higher though.

Tony

[Edited by uktony - 8/14/2003 12:44:02 PM]

uktony

Wannabe,

He's been doing the rounds this year, which prompted him to pick the three uni's he wanted. Top of his list, in terms of course content, distance, birds etc was also the one with the "lowest" entry requirements.

I think he's worried about ending up miles from anywhere but, hey, that could be good for him.

T

hail-hail

Tony, definaltey worth a try then, arrange a meeting with his teachers to discuss the exam results and see if they will help.

My sister was an exceptionlly hard working throughout the year, but just couldn't sit exams. She would panic, get nervous etc and basically blow the exam.

She appealed with help from the teachers and got the grade she needed for uni. She then chose a continous assessment course at uni and came out with a degree.

hope all goes well

Poor Guy

well ive fooked up!
Maths - unclassified
Chem - "
Phys - "
Eng lang - "

General studies - C



retakin the year

unclebuck

I suppose he could always think the unthinkable and get a job

Richard Askew

I've never been an academic person. I got a C, D and 2 E's at A level and I went to University.

Heap as much praise as you can on your lad - he's done well to get as far as A- Level and even better by passing them.

Theres plenty of people that havent done as well as him. Yes he's probably disappointed after his predicted grades but he'll still get a place at Uni via clearing.

Well done to him

chaos.

Well Im gunna get ready to get mine :-S I tell you, he did well getting a D in chemistry, I expect to have failed it Ill soon find out however...

Gordo

as Unclebuck implies, university might not be the best option for him - I'm not an expert but those grades to me do not justify 3 years at a mediocre university on a pointless course.

IMO this is where the schools let kids down - the local careers teacher has sod all knowledge of the real world - regional experts with real 1st hand knowledge of the world outside academia ought to be in place to guide him at this key and difficult juncture in his life.

Good luck whatever he decides.

Gordo

Boss Hogg

I didn't get my grades but still got onto the course I was after - they're not a million miles off and his GCSEs will stand him in good stead. Depends what sort of course it is, but I'm sure a phone call to the admission tutor/course tutor will clarify things and can let him sort his plans out.

He should be ok I'd of thought...

CooperS

We needed 12 points (3 D's) to get onto our course, one of the girls on the course got 2 E's and still got onto our course.

They may still take him, he's not far off

Andy

[Edited by CooperS - 8/14/2003 1:43:00 PM]

mel

I got 1 grade down for what the university wanted originally so i had exactly the same thing and i was devasted to start with.

but i rang the university as soon as i got my results and they told me i had been accepted with my grades so it should be fine.

I've heard of other people messing up a bit worse than this, eg getting half the points they needed and often they can get in but have to do a foundation year before starting the proper course (just an extra year in uni, can't see many people complaining about that ).

weapon69

CLEARING!! UCAS have got a new system now, so your son will probably get on the course he wanted, although maybe at a different university to the one he chose as his firm choice

ADP

depends

I got bbc and needed bbb

they turned me down, but offered me a similar course, so I was well happy, turned out better anyway

trouble is Id qualified for my second choice so had to get them to drop me and put me into clearing, but of a pain, but all ok in the end.

call em up

scoobyster

He needs to phone the uni he wanted as soon as. I did that with Sheffield last year, was meant to get ABB, got BBC (plus an A at AS - half an A level) and they let me in without me needing to grovel (I was prepared to though!). If they say no, he's committed (well, relitively) to his second choice as put on the UCAS form when applying (if he's made the grades for that, and if he specified a second choice). Otherwise it's clearing through UCAS (see whichever broadsheet paper the info is in - think it was the Telegraph, or the website). Radio One have been on about their advice line all day too, might be worth a go if he's unsure which way to go - 0800 110 100 off the top of my head (best check the website ).

Best of luck.

Ben

Franx

It's worth thinking about getting them remarked - I did that, when I did mine, (with similar grades to those), and three of them went up a grade. Phone up the university as well, as he may still have got in, if they aren't too far off. Again, I did just that, and got in.

Even if that doesn't work though, let him know it really isn't the end of the world. It only means a slight change of plan, perhaps even for the better. Think how many people you know didn't go to university, and what jobs they do. Quite a lot, I think, and not bad jobs either. Whatever you do though, don't make him feel bad about it anyway, (as I'm sure you wouldn't), and Clearing still has hundreds of perfectly good courses for those grades. Phone em up and find out.

Best of luck.
C.

Madjay

ah dont even talk about exam results went shopping for vinyls today and i bumped into a girl from me school, she said have u been run to get ur results yet. i was a bit confused what results would that be? ur A levels OOOPS i know i failed all my classes but i dunno when i'll find out

uktony

Thanks to all for your comments and good wishes.

Thanks also to UB for his usual forthright, uncomplicated no-nonsense views

The story now is that he has spoken to his first choice uni who have declined to take him. However because he has "got 200 points" (does anyone know how this works?) they have offered him a one year foundation course. If he passes this, it's the equivalent of bringing him up to 3 C's and he can do the course then.

His second choice uni have accepted him aleady on the points rating but it's not his preferred course.

The foundation course has to be accepted or declined through UCAS on Monday; the second choice is open for a while after that.

I'm sure he'll come to the right decision once he gets out the pub

I'm still dead proud of him; after all he's got 3 A levels, which is 3 more than his father.

Tony