Lower grades due to extenuating circumstances...

OP

Original post by Juno

If you were actually very ill and not just a bad cold you should get your referee to explain. Ideally they should already have done this, but get them to do it ASAP. If you wait until results day then it will look like an excuse

I gave all the evidence from my doctor to the school before and during the exam season (as it was ongoing for a month prior) and I know it's gone to the exam board and I was told the unis would be informed.. But just in case, should I call as well on results day?

Reply 3

Original post by Ellie96

I gave all the evidence from my doctor to the school before and during the exam season (as it was ongoing for a month prior) and I know it's gone to the exam board and I was told the unis would be informed.. But just in case, should I call as well on results day?

I m afraid to say, if your referee already mentioned it and the uni already knows then there's nothing more you can do if they were to reject you on results day, ec's can make them more lenient than usual but if you re well off your offer then there might not be much you can do , sorry.

Reply 4

Juno

20

Original post by Ellie96

I gave all the evidence from my doctor to the school before and during the exam season (as it was ongoing for a month prior) and I know it's gone to the exam board and I was told the unis would be informed.. But just in case, should I call as well on results day?

No. The unis need to know in advance. There is no reason for you to call on results day because they have already taken everything into account. If you think they haven't then you should check with your referee now.

Reply 5

OP

Thanks for the answers, everyone. I admit, I'm not holding out much hope for my firm even if it's taken into consideration (which honestly, I've accepted and don't really mind) but I'm hoping as my insurance originally wanted lower grades, I would meet them at least.. If not, Clearing.

Reply 6

Original post by Ellie96

Thanks for the answers, everyone. I admit, I'm not holding out much hope for my firm even if it's taken into consideration (which honestly, I've accepted and don't really mind) but I'm hoping as my insurance originally wanted lower grades, I would meet them at least.. If not, Clearing.

I wouldnt stress yourself out over it too much, i had ecs as one of my grandparents had a heart attack in the middle of my a2s didnt get my firm choice but they called me up and offered me a place on another course through clearing.
I m sure it will work out for you somehow, if you need any help on results day, there will be plenty of people on here who can help you through clearing but stay positive and hope it doesnt come to that.

Reply 7

Carnationlilyrose

18

The maximum you would get in terms of special consideration is 5% extra, and that is for the death of a parent or sibling in the immediate period prior to the exam. Since this is not the case with you, then you would get considerably less, if anything. Only you and the exam boards know how much that possible small extra amount may have made a difference. I would not expect anything much to happen as a result of your claim, tbh.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by claireestelle

I wouldnt stress yourself out over it too much, i had ecs as one of my grandparents had a heart attack in the middle of my a2s didnt get my firm choice but they called me up and offered me a place on another course through clearing.
I m sure it will work out for you somehow, if you need any help on results day, there will be plenty of people on here who can help you through clearing but stay positive and hope it doesnt come to that.

I'm glad everything worked out for you! If you don't mind me asking, what was the offer for your course originally?
I hope it works out, but I honestly want to go to my insurance over my firm now anyway (due to home circumstances) but it's too late to change the offer (I contacted the uni), so either way, should I have to go into clearing, I hear I can apply to the same uni on a different course (Without them offering, that is..).. So, I'm hopeful!

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 9

Original post by Ellie96

I'm glad everything worked out for you! If you don't mind me asking, what was the offer for your course originally?
I hope it works out, but I honestly want to go to my insurance over my firm now anyway (due to home circumstances) but it's too late to change the offer (I contacted the uni), so either way, should I have to go into clearing, I hear I can apply to the same uni on a different course.. So, I'm hopeful!

Well i applied for adult nursing, needed CCC and got BEE which is way too far off, they then offered me Health and social care HND so i ve just graduated from that and now going onto to do the mental health nursing BSc ( glad i didnt get into my firm in the end as i had time to think and decided i definitely wanted to swap fields).

So your firm wouldn't let you get out of the offer? so their expecting you to have to ask on results day to get out of it (that doesn't sound right to me)?
You can definitely apply to the same uni as long as its for a different course and you meet the entry requirements :smile:

Reply 10

thewishfulwriter

10

I'm in a similar situation as I missed almost half of my year due to health problems, including being ill during exam time. I did contact the uni (so try and do this, even if just emailing admissions to ask what they recommend you do). I'm still worried they might not accept me >.<

Good luck! :smile:

Reply 11

OP

Original post by claireestelle

Well i applied for adult nursing, needed CCC and got BEE which is way too far off, they then offered me Health and social care HND so i ve just graduated from that and now going onto to do the mental health nursing BSc ( glad i didnt get into my firm in the end as i had time to think and decided i definitely wanted to swap fields).

So your firm wouldn't let you get out of the offer? so their expecting you to have to ask on results day to get out of it (that doesn't sound right to me)?
You can definitely apply to the same uni as long as its for a different course and you meet the entry requirements :smile:

Ah, so when they offered the change of course did they contact you or did you contact them? Again, I'm glad it worked out for you and it was to a course you saw as a good change!
(I'm somewhat worried if I get offered a change of course from my firm that if I reject it, I won't be able to go to my insurance?)

I actually contacted my insurance to ask that, should it be mutually agreed between the unis, could I change them to a firm (So, if I were released from my firm, I'd have a conditional place there) but I missed the deadline.. So, either way, I'd have to contact etc. on results day if it comes to that. (If I get into my firm, I may have to ask for a release for preference to my insurance.. I know I'd go into Clearing but here's hoping..)
Here's hoping that perhaps the entry requirements are lowered in clearing :colondollar:

Reply 12

OP

Original post by thewishfulwriter

I'm in a similar situation as I missed almost half of my year due to health problems, including being ill during exam time. I did contact the uni (so try and do this, even if just emailing admissions to ask what they recommend you do). I'm still worried they might not accept me >.<

Good luck! :smile:

I think you would be taken more into consideration than myself, especially considering the amount of lesson time you missed.. Did you get a response from the uni? I want to contact my insurance (As I see it more likely to get closer grades to their requirements..) but I'm not quite sure what to say yet.
I'm sure you'll be ok, I mean, it's not something they can overlook!
Good luck to you too! :smile:

Reply 13

Original post by Ellie96

Ah, so when they offered the change of course did they contact you or did you contact them? Again, I'm glad it worked out for you and it was to a course you saw as a good change!
(I'm somewhat worried if I get offered a change of course from my firm that if I reject it, I won't be able to go to my insurance?)

I actually contacted my insurance to ask that, should it be mutually agreed between the unis, could I change them to a firm (So, if I were released from my firm, I'd have a conditional place there) but I missed the deadline.. So, either way, I'd have to contact etc. on results day if it comes to that. (If I get into my firm, I may have to ask for a release for preference to my insurance.. I know I'd go into Clearing but here's hoping..)
Here's hoping that perhaps the entry requirements are lowered in clearing :colondollar:

They phoned me themselves but i think its pretty rare for unis to do that. If your firm offers a new course change instantly on your ucas, i dont think that necessarily overides having an insurance as you have to click accept for it to become unconditional but i dont know for definite how it works as i didnt have an insurance choice myself. sometimes the entry requirements are lowered but not always, i m afraid you ll have to wait and see.
Hope it works out for you :smile:

Reply 14

Cate1976

13

The extenuating circumstances allowed by exam boards is only 5%. Have you asked both firm & insurance uni's if they'll take a letter from your teachers saying what grades they predict you'd have got if you hadn't been ill during the exam period? Might be a long shot but if you don't ask, you don't get is one of my mottos'.

Another option is if you're going for single subject but get offered a
joint including your chosen single, accept it then when you get results for first year, ask if you can drop the second subject & only do the single for years 2 onwards.

Another option is to do your chosen subject with foundation year which will have lower requirements. Worth asking about that as well.

The next option is to do an HND as close as possible to your chosen subject then use that to get into the second year at uni, from my knowledge I don't think you can go into 3rd year from an HND.

The last option is to take a year out, then do an Access course and use the results of that to get into uni.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 15

username1118458

21

Original post by Ellie96

... Is it worth calling the university to explain this on results day if they reject me?

Hey,
So, in short, I was very ill during exam season, especially during the beginning when I had to take the exams most relevant to my course. I was wondering, should I have gotten lower grades due to this and the university rejects me, should I try calling and pleading my case or not..?
Thank you!

Define 'ill'...

Reply 16

OP

Original post by Cate1976

The extenuating circumstances allowed by exam boards is only 5%. Have you asked both firm & insurance uni's if they'll take a letter from your teachers saying what grades they predict you'd have got if you hadn't been ill during the exam period? Might be a long shot but if you don't ask, you don't get is one of my mottos'.

I suppose every little helps..
I haven't actually, but I'll definitely do that as well as contact my referee (again) concerning what they advise I do from now..

Reply 17

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by Cate1976

The extenuating circumstances allowed by exam boards is only 5%. Have you asked both firm & insurance uni's if they'll take a letter from your teachers saying what grades they predict you'd have got if you hadn't been ill during the exam period? Might be a long shot but if you don't ask, you don't get is one of my mottos'.

Any extenuating circumstances must be communicated to the exam boards via the school's exams officer as soon as possible after the event. It is far too late now. The predicted grades in the application are what the teachers predicted OP would get without being ill. They are already there on the UCAS form.

Reply 18

OP

Original post by yellowcopter

Define 'ill'...

A fairly severe case of Glandular fever.. I have all the documentation that well, confirms it from my doctor and I could ask the hospital too but the doctor should be enough, I've been told.

Reply 19

alexs2602