Met the conditions but rejected anyway. Start clearing right now?

OP

Original post by Decode2583

Hello

The same thing happened to me. I surpassed the requirements but on ucas track it said I had not met my requirements. I phoned the head of the department at the university and explained and he told me the ucas system had recorded me as only a pass. I emailed my access certificates to him and he confirmed my place over the phone.

I think this might be because my individual credits were not put on the ucas system, only the fact I had passed the access course and the university then thought this meant I had only a pass grade (as opposed to distinctions and merits).

I strongly recommend you ring the university asap and email them scans of your certificates detailing all your grades to see if this is the case with you too.

My awarding body was OCN London by the way and I believe they do not report indiviual credits to ucas.

Best of luck.

I rang them immediately and sent the certificate to the woman I spoke to (admin for the department, it's a small department and she has been involved in all of the application process), I sent it to her email and she replied saying she is waiting to hear back from the faculty admissions office but this could take one to two working days.

I didn't think that OCN even updated UCAS - I had to scan in my certificate onto the university's application portal. If that is the case, though, I'm wondering if anyone even bothered to look at it at all and just went by what OCN told them?

Thank you for your reply and advice!

Reply 3

OP

Looks like I can't even go into clearing unless my insurance choice let me go. The entry requirements for my chosen course were either incredibly high or ridiculously low, so my insurance was one of the latter and is not even worth it. I have emailed them and I hope they will withdraw my application, but if they don't and my firm says no then I won't be going to university at all this year.

I'm already 21, this is devastating. I had set backs every year since I was 18... Was really hoping it would work out this year. I even quit my job knowing I had got the results to get into my firm...

Reply 4

Simonion

5

100% hang on and wait for your firm. From what you've said there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't have your place confirmed. There's so many grey areas with access courses. I hope there aren't any others in your situation who have abandoned ship and gone into clearing! Ultimately it undermines the validity of access.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 5

OP

Original post by Simonion

100% hang on and wait for your firm. From what you've said there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't have your place confirmed. There's so many grey areas with access courses. I hope there aren't any others in your situation who have abandoned ship and gone into clearing! Ultimately it undermines the validity of access.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Thanks... I agree. So many universities don't seem to understand how the access course works. You can see it in their offers. My firm was so so vague about it but I showed my offer letter to three different tutors who have been teaching on the access to HE diplomas (one of them taught in many different ones) for years and they all said the same thing: 45 credits at level 3 is a Pass. I got ALL 60 credits at Level 3, more distinctions than they asked for... So confusing. The 15 credits are not supposed to be included, this is what all my tutors told me based on years of experience and knowledge of the board.

Reply 6

mrkl

12

When does clearing actually close ?

Reply 7

Original post by mrkl

When does clearing actually close ?

Mid September-ish.

Reply 8

mrkl

12

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

Mid September-ish.

Really ? As late as that ?

Reply 9

TenOfThem

Original post by paneziaa

This is a bit long sorry.

I met the conditions for my offer but was rejected anyway. I don't know if this was a mistake or if there was a misunderstanding with the conditions. I did an access course and they asked me for a pass with 18 distinctions and the rest merit. A pass is 45 of the 60 credits. I was told by my tutors that the remaining are a bit like an AS and are not really included unless specifically asked for. I'm thinking the problem lies with what they called a "Pass" and what a "Pass" actually is on the access course. I got 24 distinctions, the rest (in the 45) were merits, and in the 15 I got some merits and passes. I'm thinking its the passes they don't like.

I am chasing this up, because I feel like if this is their reason then they were unclear and at fault for using language that means one thing to Access to HE assessors and tutors, but another thing to them. They are going to get back to me some times between tomorrow and Monday.

What I am wondering is if I should start ringing up other universities through clearing now or wait until I've heard from my firm? I suppose it's too late in the day today but tomorrow then. I'm worried that I will have lost out on some good clearing opportunities if I hold out until Monday.

What would happen if I managed to get a place through clearing but then my firm tells me actually I'm in? Would I be able to go to my firm or would I have to stay with my clearing choice? I think the likelihood is small, I feel like my firm will argue that they were clear and tell me no.

Thanks for any advice.

I am not sure where this has come from

The Access website says that you need to achieve 60 credits to achieve a HE Access Diploma - so I would think that your offer was 18 distinctions with nothing below a merit

Reply 10

Original post by mrkl

Really ? As late as that ?

Actually, it's even later that that. Just checked.
http://www.ucas.com/apply/key-dates

Reply 11

oxymoronic

19

Original post by paneziaa

This is a bit long sorry.

I met the conditions for my offer but was rejected anyway. I don't know if this was a mistake or if there was a misunderstanding with the conditions. I did an access course and they asked me for a pass with 18 distinctions and the rest merit. A pass is 45 of the 60 credits. I was told by my tutors that the remaining are a bit like an AS and are not really included unless specifically asked for. I'm thinking the problem lies with what they called a "Pass" and what a "Pass" actually is on the access course. I got 24 distinctions, the rest (in the 45) were merits, and in the 15 I got some merits and passes. I'm thinking its the passes they don't like.

I am chasing this up, because I feel like if this is their reason then they were unclear and at fault for using language that means one thing to Access to HE assessors and tutors, but another thing to them. They are going to get back to me some times between tomorrow and Monday.

What I am wondering is if I should start ringing up other universities through clearing now or wait until I've heard from my firm? I suppose it's too late in the day today but tomorrow then. I'm worried that I will have lost out on some good clearing opportunities if I hold out until Monday.

What would happen if I managed to get a place through clearing but then my firm tells me actually I'm in? Would I be able to go to my firm or would I have to stay with my clearing choice? I think the likelihood is small, I feel like my firm will argue that they were clear and tell me no.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi,

It would be helpful here if you were to clarify exactly what the wording of you offer was, word for word, and then also what you actually obtained.

Usually Access to HE offers also stipulate the number of level 3 credits required and as has been said, to get the Access to HE diploma you need to get 60 credits overall of which you need to have 45 of these at level 3.

Reply 12

parentlurker

15

the date clearing closes and the date when courses are left that you might want to apply for may be different. It sounds like they wanted all results to be at least merits but you passed everything and have more distinctions than they asked for so they make take you, once they've considered your results, even if you haven't technically met the conditions . Meanwhile I would look at where else you might like to go and hope it isn't needed.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 13

KatetheLecturer

11

Original post by paneziaa

This is a bit long sorry.

I met the conditions for my offer but was rejected anyway. I don't know if this was a mistake or if there was a misunderstanding with the conditions. I did an access course and they asked me for a pass with 18 distinctions and the rest merit. A pass is 45 of the 60 credits. I was told by my tutors that the remaining are a bit like an AS and are not really included unless specifically asked for. I'm thinking the problem lies with what they called a "Pass" and what a "Pass" actually is on the access course. I got 24 distinctions, the rest (in the 45) were merits, and in the 15 I got some merits and passes. I'm thinking its the passes they don't like.

I am chasing this up, because I feel like if this is their reason then they were unclear and at fault for using language that means one thing to Access to HE assessors and tutors, but another thing to them. They are going to get back to me some times between tomorrow and Monday.

What I am wondering is if I should start ringing up other universities through clearing now or wait until I've heard from my firm? I suppose it's too late in the day today but tomorrow then. I'm worried that I will have lost out on some good clearing opportunities if I hold out until Monday.

What would happen if I managed to get a place through clearing but then my firm tells me actually I'm in? Would I be able to go to my firm or would I have to stay with my clearing choice? I think the likelihood is small, I feel like my firm will argue that they were clear and tell me no.

Thanks for any advice.

You can definitely ring round now: at the moment, you're eligible for clearing if you've been rejected. Once an offer's been made to you, you have 5(?) days to accept it on track - so there's plenty of time to check out all opportunities.

The terms of your offer were that you had to pass everything, with either distinction or merit - so you needed 18 distinctions and the rest merit, from how you've phrased it here. (Pass in this context means "not fail") However, it's worth asking them even so whether it would be possible for them to accept you - especially if the course itself is still open in clearing, which means there are spaces left. If they do change their minds, and accept you, even if you've been made an offer in clearing, you will stick with your firm choice - you can either reject the clearing offers or just let them time out.

Reply 14

KatetheLecturer

11

Original post by paneziaa

Looks like I can't even go into clearing unless my insurance choice let me go. The entry requirements for my chosen course were either incredibly high or ridiculously low, so my insurance was one of the latter and is not even worth it. I have emailed them and I hope they will withdraw my application, but if they don't and my firm says no then I won't be going to university at all this year.

I'm already 21, this is devastating. I had set backs every year since I was 18... Was really hoping it would work out this year. I even quit my job knowing I had got the results to get into my firm...

You can't go into clearing until you're released, if you've met your insurance offer: but that doesn't stop you from ringing round and getting provisional offers - people do that all the time, and it would show you what's available. Based on what you've written, though, I'm afraid you *haven't* met your original offer - but it's always worth asking again.

One thing, though - this clearing has been the worst for really abusive applicants: we know you're stressed, we know you're desperate, we do understand - but none of us, whether we're admissions admin or admissions tutors deserve to be treated with aggression or rudeness, so if you are super-polite and really nice, and don't go in all guns blazing, you've got a better chance of making it through to someone with the power to make the decision to admit you anyway. Nine times out of ten, this won't be the central admissions office but the academics - and sometimes, it's even up to the senior management of the university.

Good Luck!

Reply 15

mrkl

12

Original post by Carnationlilyrose

Actually, it's even later that that. Just checked.
http://www.ucas.com/apply/key-dates

Wow it says the deadline for adding Clearing choices and unis or colleges accepting Clearing applicants is the 22nd of October.

I guess that must be right since it comes from UCAS ?

I'm not applying, just curious but interesting.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 16

Original post by mrkl

Wow it says the deadline for adding Clearing choices and unis or colleges accepting Clearing applicants is the 22nd of October.

I guess that must be right since it comes from UCAS ?

I'm not applying, just curious but interesting.

Yes, it's right. Of course, what it doesn't say is whether there will be any courses left that people actually want to do by then, but it's always been possible to get onto a course for quite a long time after term has started.

Reply 17

OP

Wow thank you for all the replies everyone!

I do not think they will budge as I am sure now that it was a misunderstanding... Which sucks. They said they wanted a Pass in the Access Course with 18 distinctions and the rest of the level 3 credits at merit. My tutors understood this to mean what most unis mean and thought they were talking about the main 45. You do need to get a grade for the remaining 15 but it's the 45 that hold the weight.

I wonder if I had gotten those few passes at level 2 would I have met the conditions? A bit like being asked for AAA but getting A*AB or something, I've seen that happen loads.

I have begun looking at other universities as I managed to get my insurance choice to release me. I didn't say before but UCL was my firm choice, they don't even do clearing so unless someone takes pity on me it's not gonna happen. Proper gutted... and embarrassed. The worst thing is that I would have been able to replace those passes but my tutor told me I didn't need to because I don't need them. I originally had thought they had meant all merits and distinctions, I don't blame them though I think UCL was very vague. I have the worst luck.

If I get the verbal offer from another university is it true that I can wait a few days to hold out and see what happens? Or should I firm it straight away? I thought I had to straight away or the offer would go to someone else but someone here has said something about 5 days?

Thanks again everyone

Reply 18

Original post by paneziaa

Wow thank you for all the replies everyone!

I do not think they will budge as I am sure now that it was a misunderstanding... Which sucks. They said they wanted a Pass in the Access Course with 18 distinctions and the rest of the level 3 credits at merit. My tutors understood this to mean what most unis mean and thought they were talking about the main 45. You do need to get a grade for the remaining 15 but it's the 45 that hold the weight.

I wonder if I had gotten those few passes at level 2 would I have met the conditions? A bit like being asked for AAA but getting A*AB or something, I've seen that happen loads.

I have begun looking at other universities as I managed to get my insurance choice to release me. I didn't say before but UCL was my firm choice, they don't even do clearing so unless someone takes pity on me it's not gonna happen. Proper gutted... and embarrassed. The worst thing is that I would have been able to replace those passes but my tutor told me I didn't need to because I don't need them. I originally had thought they had meant all merits and distinctions, I don't blame them though I think UCL was very vague. I have the worst luck.

If I get the verbal offer from another university is it true that I can wait a few days to hold out and see what happens? Or should I firm it straight away? I thought I had to straight away or the offer would go to someone else but someone here has said something about 5 days?

Thanks again everyone

Sorry you've had such misfortune. If a university gives you a verbal offer through clearing they will give you a deadline by which you need to reply. It'll vary according to the institution. Good luck.

Reply 19

OP