Applying to Uni with known Grades

Hi Everyone,

I am in the position where i already have my A2 grades and have taken a gap year, and now its the time to be applying.

Ive heard many things on the internet, from school etc, that there are advantages of applying with known grades. Such as universities would be more willing to make an offer to someone with known grades than to someone with predicted grades, is this true? Yes - but only if you meet their entry requirements.

I achieved ABB, would i still have a chance with universities who are asking for A*AA in their entry requirements? I want to study Mechanical Engineering - Masters. No. AAB maybe but no hgher.

In my gap year i am on industrial engineering placement at Rolls Royce which i believe will help my application. How much would this help with applying to unis, and would it make up for my lower grades if i were to apply to some A*AA uni's? Might get an AAB uni to take you.

Thank you, any other info regarding applying with known grades would be much appreciated.

I very much doubt the sort of uni that wants A*AA will take you unfortunately.
As for your degree, you can't do a masters without an undergraduate degree first
Your placement will help a lot, especially if you can show what you have taken away from the experience, and you can probably get another reference from there

With ABB and relevant work experience, you might be okay with a couple of AAB universities, maybe an AAA university (but I wouldn't put too much hope in it), but not with A*AA. You're three grades down, and there will be many other people applying with A*AA predicted (and higher), as well as people with A*AA+ achieved applying.

Unis with an ABB requirement could make you an unconditional offer. They would probably give you a place in preference to people predicted ABB and maybe in preference to an AAB prediction as they know many predictions are over estimates. But for unis with higher requirements there may be computer sifts that rule you out from the start. As you can be pretty confident of offers from ABB universities you can afford to have a couple of aspirational applications but recognise that is what they are.

The only reason i ask, is people from my school achieved well below there offers and the offers of the unis, yet still got in this year. Such as my friend has gone to do engineering at Sheffield with ABB, which is an AAA uni.

Hahaha predicted grades are silly, i was predicted A*A*A...
The most annoying thing with my grades, i was 2 off my A*, and 5 off another A, and then my B was average
Id only get unconditional offers this year... ive already got my grades, lol, be funny if they give me an offer haha