Can high predicted grades be a disadvantage?

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

Mollymod

15

They can be a disadvantage, yes. If you've achieved highly at AS (which I assume you have), then Universities won't find it too suspicious.
If all goes wrong, you are pretty much stuck, but clearly you are very able if teachers are willing to predict you that highly.
Usually teachers are reluctant to predict A*s so you must be absolutely outstanding :smile:

It's wonderful that you have the potential, but you will have issues with insurance offers really.

I understand that people want to be predicted highly, but I'm not too sure about many people envying your situation.
I'm sure people would be just as happy to be predicted AAA/AAB, as it gives them some leeway to exceed those predictions.
In a way, it's a bit better. Not to put you down at all.

Reply 2

TheNamelessGrace

6

Original post by DavidH20

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

I have never heard of this before; usually the standard offer that universities state on their websites/in their prospectus is applicable to everyone, unless you have extenuating circumstances whereby they would decrease the standard offer. However, I have heard of applicants to Cambridge who received a higher offer due to slight worries about a deficiency in a certain subject (normally in scientific courses).

Reply 3

roflcakes1

14

I've only ever heard of Oxbridge increasing offers to A*A*A - A*A*A* when the offer should be A*AA or AAA. Maybe other top universities like Durham might do it too, but I don't know for sure. My friend got an AAA offer for Southampton when her course should have been ABB but she was predicted higher than this. A lot of people say this it just to 'push' students to their best, or to ensure that the candidate it suitable if their AS grades are a bit dubious, or to make up for other factors such as the personal statement. As your AS grades are good (as you've been predicted A*s), as long as your other application components are as good, they're unlikely to do this. I doubt that a lot of lower AAB-ABB universities would put their grades up to A*AA - you're likely to only get AAA offers at the most if they put them up.
Don't worry about it - they'll only ever ask for 3 A* grades anyway, so you have a bit of leeway since you're taking 5.

Reply 4

When you see it...

16

Original post by Mollymod

Usually teachers are reluctant to predict A*s

Not really a fair comment because it depends on the specific teacher/school - some will be really lenient with predicted grades.

Reply 5

Alexandra's Box

17

Wow, you must have got mega UMS scores! Good luck, looks like you can succeed :tongue:

Reply 6

username937760

16

Original post by DavidH20

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

I think the only time you're liable to experience this is if you go to a university interview and they feel that you aren't as good as you're supposed to be on paper. In this case, they may want higher grades in a specific subject to compensate. I wouldn't worry about it too much, especially if you're confident you have the potential to get 5 A* grades anyway.

Reply 7

User944645

OP

2

Thanks for the comments - I did receive what I am told are very good UMS scores which is the reason why I have been predicted such high grades. Would it be worth asking one or two teachers to actually drop the grade to an A if I explain my difficulties, or should I not worry too much about firm/insurance offers as I would need mid-to-low-range C's in three subjects at A2 to drop below AAA?

Reply 8

lizolove

19

Original post by DavidH20

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

Yes and no. Whilst some universities may ask for AAA-AAB, there tends to be a grade in difference. Some people may be offering you AAA, obviously, as your capability shows you can get that. Others may be offered AAB. But, with your predictions and the general idea that people are predicted one grade less than some, you aren't really at a disadvantage. You can also apply pretty much to all institutions, whilst those with AAB predictions, cannot.

Reply 9

lou_100

15

Original post by DavidH20

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

Yes I'm in a similar situation (although taking 3....not 5....) and that is true to a certain extent. However, it only applies if you are applying to Universities which have and do give out A* offers. I will use myself as an example. I'm applying to Bristol where standard offer is AAA, but they admitted they offer A*AA to "more able candidates". So in that sense, higher predicted grades would be a disadvantage. However, I am also applying for Leeds (ABB), where an offer of A*AA would be ...well...pretty impossible/very unlikely. You have to be smart about your choices and choose one or two Universities where you know you would not be given that A* in the offer. You're also at risk of being offered A*A*A (currently only a a couple Unis are known to be doing these high offers, and commonly for subjects such as Maths or Natural Sciences) - so careful.

At the end of the day, making your choices wisely will hopefully guarantee at least one offer of AAA or lower, just incase your world falls apart the day before the exams start and things go drastically wrong (unlikely but that's why a candidate like you would need that insurance) :smile:

Reply 10

lou_100

15

Original post by DavidH20

Thanks for the comments - I did receive what I am told are very good UMS scores which is the reason why I have been predicted such high grades. Would it be worth asking one or two teachers to actually drop the grade to an A if I explain my difficulties, or should I not worry too much about firm/insurance offers as I would need mid-to-low-range C's in three subjects at A2 to drop below AAA?

Continued from post up there ^ ...Don't ask your teachers to drop a couple grades - it isn't going to be worth it as you'd still have 3 or 4 A* predictions, and an offer is only for 3 grades anyway. As long as you secure one AAA offer (even if it means applying for a Uni where standard offer is ABB or AAB JUST IN CASE they raise it) then you will be able to safely tell people you are going to Uni next year.

Reply 11

flyylikejetz

11

Original post by DavidH20

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

I don't think so when it says standard offer that is usually the offer they give to all applicants they want to make an offer regardless of different predicted grades. E.g. Person X could have A*AA prediction and person B A*A*A however they both get an offer for A*AA

Reply 12

Mollymod

15

Original post by When you see it...

Not really a fair comment because it depends on the specific teacher/school - some will be really lenient with predicted grades.

Leniency isn't always a good thing.

Reply 13

Doglamlico

16

Original post by TheNamelessGrace

I have never heard of this before; usually the standard offer that universities state on their websites/in their prospectus is applicable to everyone, unless you have extenuating circumstances whereby they would decrease the standard offer. However, I have heard of applicants to Cambridge who received a higher offer due to slight worries about a deficiency in a certain subject (normally in scientific courses).

Yes, this is true. People who take more scientific A-levels, for example, may be asked for an extra A* in a specific subject related to the course they're applying for, if they're applying for an Arts subject like Languages.

Reply 14

Etoile

20

I wondered this too, because my tutor said he was a bit concerned about people being predicted lots of A*s in case they then got high offers. But I think it's pretty unlikely that you'll get an A*A*A* offer and your teachers must think that you are capable of it anyway!

Reply 15

When you see it...

16

Original post by Mollymod

Leniency isn't always a good thing.

I didn't say that.

Reply 16

DJkG.1

17

No it's not a disadvantage don't be silly.

It'll help you in your applications for sure and offer will be easily achievable.

Reply 17

angyyy

cambridge is the only uni which will make you a higher prediction but this would be abnormal as everyone has straight A*'s. and at worst it would be something like A*A*AA

Reply 18

dragonkeeper999

17

Original post by DavidH20

I have been informally told by my teachers that I will be predicted 5 A* grades at A2. I am delighted with this and am confident I have the potential to reach them, but I have heard that some universities are likely to make higher offers to students predicted high grades. I am intending to apply for natural sciences, and if I am given all A*AA offers I will be in a tricky position with regards to firm/insurance options. Does anybody else have experience of this or any advice for this situation?

N.B. I am not in any way complaining about my predicted grades and I appreciate that many people would envy my position etc. - I am only querying.

Thanks :smile:

I'm in exactly the same position as you - 5A*s predicted, going for NatSci!
Three of the uni's I'm applying to have A*AA as their standard offer (Cambridge, Durham, Bath), and so I planned to put Nottingham as my insurance. However, at the open day they said that they make A*AA offers to any student who is predicted A*s because they want to be everyone's firm choice and not their insurance!!! Which is really rather annoying. That leaves Lancaster as my insurance choice (assuming they don't do the same thing, and actually give me an offer!).
If you fail to meet your insurance choice, I think you can still phone them and beg to be allowed in anyway - particularly if they've made lower offers to everyone else. Hopefully :P
Good luck with your application!

Reply 19

Ajka

8

I don't think it's an disadvantage, I was predicted A*s and my offer at Cambridge was A*AA, they will only give you a tougher offer if you didn't impress as much as other candidates. If they want you they will give you the lowest they can, the fact you are doing 5 A levels will show them you are a hard worker and having high predictions means you give everything your best. You should not worry about such trivial things, the system is designed so that truthful information is portrayed, you shouldn't be able to change your predictions.

Can high predicted grades be a disadvantage?

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