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The Great AS Fiasco - What are my Chances?

After some poor AS results which resulted in me getting a prediction of ABB (or AAB if I'd taken on my stronger subject to A2), I initially went into a state of apathy about uni. I was going to take a Gap year and apply Post A-Level.

Recently, I had a change of heart. Despite getting a rather unexpected C for History at AS (Ouch indeed), I have decided that I have nothing to lose by applying this year and taking a Gap year if things all go to pot.

The question that I pose to you is this:

Are there any universities worth their salt that will still consider me? I had fairly high aspirations (Durham, Exeter, UCL, Royal Holloway, York, Aberystwyth...), but realise that they may no longer be realistic.

I'm a decent writer and an all-round academic (after History and English, my strongest area is the sciences), which means that I could make a personal statement sound pretty good, but I'm still agonising over this whole application thing.

Help, anyone?

Reply 1

Pandy

You think ABB is bad? I'm predicted a sodding BBC because I was lazy last year. We also do AS and A2 in one sitting, so that's in no way helpful. :/

I reckon you'll be fine mate. Apply to 4 of your "higher" uni's and then perhaps 2 weaker ones? Or 3-3? Or if you know you can get AAA take a gap year and work or something.

Reply 2

*River

Although I can't really speek from experience, I'd say go for it this year because you don't have anything to loose. If it doesn't go to plan, reapply next year. After resits etc I'm sure you'll be able to pull the C up! Good luck anyway!

Reply 3

xemilyx

you think ABB is bad? my gosh! im applying to aber to do modern history and politics they want 300 points so 3 b's you will get in fine with grades like that!

Reply 4

Sweyn Forkbeard

Excellent. I'd rather get one of my top unis though.

Reply 5

angel_flo

How about Cardiff? Good place, excellent reputation, but ABB/BBB general offer for history and joint honours history subjects. Also, a lot of unis don't actually like rejecting people because it makes them look nasty, for want of a better word, so they may give you offers higher than you're predicted grades are, in the hope that you just don't get them and then the blame gets taken off them!

Reply 6

holdencaulfield

Durham want AAA for History. And Exeter and UCL want AAB/AAA. All of the unis you mention probably require an A in History too. AS History is also easier than A2 so if you got a C at AS, getting the AS up as well as doing better on the A2 won't be that easy. At least that's pretty much what our teachers have told people at my school in your position. Good luck anyway. :smile:

Reply 7

Pandy

nighthawk

Aye, I've been hearing that too.

Ah well, good luck everyone. I'm sure it'll work out one way or another.

Reply 8

Hana_1987

i got C at history AS :O don't be so mean!!!! i ended up with a B at A level though :-D <is proud..lol>

some unis will specify in their prospectuses if they want a specific grade in history or if there are some subjects they wont accept in the offer e.g. general studies..

rhul want aab for 2006 entry btw, but they may give abb offers....and they dont specify u need an A for history i think..

Reply 9

exmoorkatie

Newcastle gave me an offer with ABB and im sure there would be lots more! One thing you could consider is applying for a joint honours... which often = lower grade boundaries... and then dropping the spare subject after a few weeks!

Reply 10

quintessence

Excellent Scottish universities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow have their History offers set at BBB...maybe you should check them out?

I agree with exmoorkatie - applying for joint honours is an excellent way of getting into a top university with lower grades. You mentioned that you're good at science - I'm sure a joint honours degree in a history and science is possible and you'd probably get a lower offer too! It would look really unusual and interesting to employers too!

The alternative is to wait and see what your final A level grades are before you apply. If they're higher than your AS's then you'll have a better chance at getting into the 'higher grade' universities. Good luck!

Reply 11

Hana_1987

pippa_87

yeh but u have to give a good reason for droppping to a single honours..it might be harder in a higher grade uni..but i dunno...i was thinkin of doing that but my uni mite get peed off!

Reply 12

ailuros

Will

Durham places great emphasis on GCSEs and will want top A Levels (even though they always offer precisely one grade lower than they truely want), so I'd forget Durham (as the competition would be too tough). However, I don't think you're in too much of a fix, you just need to research. Which specific areas of history are you interested in - Modern, Medieval, Ancient? There are specific courses for all of these and they are often less subscribed too and most people don't wish to specialise so early. Then look at entrance grades and who was in clearing this year (someone will still have an old paper lying around).
Some suggestions: SOAS (a part of the University of London)
University of Wales (particularly Swansea)
Newcastle
Liverpool
Edinborough
Trinity (in Ireland - renowned for its teaching of history)
SOAS in particular has a wonderful history course and it's offers are usually low.
To recieve offers you will need a brilliant, positive personal statement and you will need to stand over the shoulder of whoever writes your reference (it is my experience that males are less attentive to their personal statements, so if you have a 'female' type of statement - a brilliant one - it could really make a difference, particularly as admission tutors won't want to give a lecturer a class of purely giggling girls). Good luck!
P.S. Aberdeen, Aberrystwyth, Bangor, Bristol, Goldsmiths College, Hull, Lancaster (whose grades are high), Leicester (who were particularly bereft in the ancient history zone), Manchester Meteropolitan, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway (don't give up!) and Sunderland were all listed for history in the first of the printed listings for clearing.

Reply 13

exmoorkatie

yeh, dont touch durham with a bargepole lol

Reply 14

Hana_1987

i spoke to the history admissions tutor at rhul and the typical offers the uni gives are aab..but they will deffo give abb offers and they will give a few bbb offers...he told that to me, tryin to convince me to reapply i think tho, so it might not be for all..if you're predicted abb they wont give u a bbb offer i think.
--------------
hmm i shouldnt have said that cos loadsa people will take my place :O

Reply 15

Poica

Will

For York, the offer is typically AAB, and I got a 300 point offer for Aber last year...BUT, with Aber if your personal statement is particularly good they will sometimes offer you a very low offer (2 E's) if you come for an interview, though you have to put them as your first choice. Takes a lot of pressure off though. They offered it to me, but I turned it down because I wanted York.
Exeter has ideas above its station for History - offered AAA even though they are 46th in History rankings...don't even bother with them.

Reply 16

angel_flo

Poica

Exeter has ideas above its station for History - offered AAA even though they are 46th in History rankings...don't even bother with them.

Where did you get that stat from? the times says exeter is 16th and the guardian says 17th. all the history courses are really competitive, about 10 applicants for every place so that's why they offer AAA/AAB.

Reply 17

Hana_1987

angel are you looking at exeter for history or exeter as a uni in the league tables?

Reply 18

angel_flo

exeter for history. as a uni its slipped down cos of the whole chemistry thing, but history is still really strong.

Reply 19

Poica

Yeah, but Warwick and York both offered me AAB, and they're in the top ten for History...Exeter just isn't good enough to demand three As.

Having checked both tables, I can't work out where I got that from for Exeter. But it's still not worth AAA