Would I be stupid to apply next year with better grades?

I see.

I was a bit worried about applying to places asking for BBB because I only got AAC at AS, so I know where you're coming from.

I think you'll be okay applying to Durham, Oxford etc.

If you can justify paying £18k extra for a degree, then go for it. If you can't, stick with Soton.

Maybe not stupid... Pretty eccentric though.

I'm going to say, if you'd be happy with Southampton next year, do not take a year out.
If you take a year out, do not apply to Southampton at all.

What would be the point, A) I wouldn't accept you if you applied, declined, and applied again if I were Southampton, and B) You'd just be gambling £18,000 in the hope that places that are unlikely to accept you, decided to.

I took a year out and reapplied, and yeah, best decision of my life, but the uni I'm going to is substantially better than the one I could have gone to last year, and I didn't apply again to the one I declined as there was no point.

In addition, the Guardian league table? Really? Times/Complete uni guide are much much better.

CUG Overall Southampton: 14
For Psychology: 23 (RHUL is 8th for God sake, firm that and be happy.)

I prefer SOTON as a place and their facilities are far better... The neuropsychologist I had work experience with said if I want to do research then go to SOTON.

You'd be fine applying for BBB places with AAC!

I prefer SOTON as a place and their facilities are far better... The neuropsychologist I had work experience with said if I want to do research then go to SOTON.

Firstly, I'd say that if you trusted the neuropsychologist so much, why are you even thinking about reapplying?

Secondly, RHUL Research Index: 2.85 Southhampton: 2.70.

RHUL: Graudate prospects: 65
Southampton: 56.

Put simply, you have offers from some very good universities, you could do better, but you could also do much worse.

Let's look at your chances next year:

Oxford: 23.2%
Durham: 23%
UCL: Not available
Bristol: 27%

So your chances aren't brilliant, but I have a feeling you're going to do it anyway, so good luck mon veiux.

Two words: student loan.

It's not that stupid but is the difference between Southampton and the other unis worth a year of your life?

If I apply with A*A* A I'm more likely to get an offer with the already attained grades. The neuropsychologist gave me the best I could do with what I applied for. He went to UCL and did his degree in two years after switching from medicine.

hmmm - my point exactly LOAN not GRANT- you do actually have to pay it back, so if you wait the year and the fees rise, you will be in a lot more debt when you come out of uni. my family have set up a fund so the debt will be wiped out for me when i leave uni, but £50 000 is a lot and one needs to question if you really want that much debt when you leave uni.

You're overestimating how much A*A*A* is worth.

I've seen people rejected from Oxford and Durham this year with A*A*A* attained.

I'd expect you to get one offer from four at least, but if you're going to apply to Southampton again, what would be the point?

Yeah but you said that ability to afford the £9k fees depends on how wealthy your family is. It doesn't, you can choose to pay back your loan early (don't see why you would but you can) or you can just stick with the standard deduction from your wages.

Not many people next year can afford these fees. That's why we have loans in place.

If you are predicted three A*'s, then why didn't you apply to these 'better' universities in the first place?

I wouldn't pull out unless you really believe that first of all, you could get in, and secondly, if you didn't get in next year, you wouldn't hate yourself and really regret it.

What are you going to do next year? Is it going to be something worthwhile or are you just going to bum around for a year? What exactly makes southhampton not as good as other places? And are the places you're considering really good enough to pay three times the fees?

I didn't achieve as well at AS level but scored 100% in every exam this Jan, hence my predicted grades have soared. I would hate myself if I didn't get any offers, but I'd probably get at least one. If I took a year out I'd do A2 biology self taught (dropped it at AS), find a part time job, perhaps full time and look for more work experience. I may just apply through adjustment and go to SOTON if not successful now.

Yeah but you said that ability to afford the £9k fees depends on how wealthy your family is. It doesn't, you can choose to pay back your loan early (don't see why you would but you can) or you can just stick with the standard deduction from your wages.