The Student Room Group

weird reason for unsuccessful offer??

I finally got my UCAS form sent away on Friday and I heard back tonight from one of my choices - English and Journalism & Creative Writing at Strathclyde - to find that I'd received a rejection outright. Upon viewing the details of the rejection it said "your personal statement does not adequately explain your academic history." I am confused as to what they mean by this, considering I am only one grade short of the entry requirements. I perceive it as saying I didn't talk about the subjects I'm currently studying within my personal statement, however, I have revised my personal statement again and that is not the case. I am studying advanced higher english and drama this year, as well as higher psychology and my personal statement mentions all of these, with particular focus on my love for english. It also appears to suggest that I should've listed my qualifications within the personal statement, which every site tells you explicitly not to do as it is a waste of characters and the information is already available for universities to see in the education section of the application. My mum, is a teacher herself who has handled UCAS applications for years in her own school and has never heard of this response, nor has anyone else she's asked. I am confused to what they mean by it and will be phoning the Strathclyde admissions office first thing tomorrow morning, but I would like to know if anyone else has any experience of receiving a reason like this as an excuse for rejection and how they handled the situation?

Thanks,

Lois
Have you contacted them to query it?
My friend had a similar issue from Liverpool John Moores. She was initially rejected for not having written about her work experience which clearly wasn't true when you read her statement. She rang them up and appealed it and has now got an interview for paramedic practice. Sometimes they just don't read it properly so it's always worth ringing up and appealing it. Hope that helps :smile:
Reply 3
Original post by Dusky Mauve
Have you contacted them to query it?


I only got the rejection tonight and the admissions office had already closed for the day at the time so I'm phoning them up first thing tomorrow.
Reply 4
Original post by Hannah1099
My friend had a similar issue from Liverpool John Moores. She was initially rejected for not having written about her work experience which clearly wasn't true when you read her statement. She rang them up and appealed it and has now got an interview for paramedic practice. Sometimes they just don't read it properly so it's always worth ringing up and appealing it. Hope that helps :smile:


Thank you! It makes me feel a bit better knowing that this has happened to someone else and it's been sorted out. I'm going to phone them up tomorrow and hopefully get it resolved, or at least explained.
Original post by loismcgougan
I finally got my UCAS form sent away on Friday and I heard back tonight from one of my choices - English and Journalism & Creative Writing at Strathclyde - to find that I'd received a rejection outright. Upon viewing the details of the rejection it said "your personal statement does not adequately explain your academic history." I am confused as to what they mean by this, considering I am only one grade short of the entry requirements. I perceive it as saying I didn't talk about the subjects I'm currently studying within my personal statement, however, I have revised my personal statement again and that is not the case. I am studying advanced higher english and drama this year, as well as higher psychology and my personal statement mentions all of these, with particular focus on my love for english. It also appears to suggest that I should've listed my qualifications within the personal statement, which every site tells you explicitly not to do as it is a waste of characters and the information is already available for universities to see in the education section of the application. My mum, is a teacher herself who has handled UCAS applications for years in her own school and has never heard of this response, nor has anyone else she's asked. I am confused to what they mean by it and will be phoning the Strathclyde admissions office first thing tomorrow morning, but I would like to know if anyone else has any experience of receiving a reason like this as an excuse for rejection and how they handled the situation?

Thanks,

Lois


Probably because you didn't meet the requirements - and you didn't mention in your statement why you didn't. It's always a risky move applying to unis with higher requirements than your predicted grades.
Reply 6
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
Probably because you didn't meet the requirements - and you didn't mention in your statement why you didn't. It's always a risky move applying to unis with higher requirements than your predicted grades.


But I am predicted to gain two advanced highers this year at an A and a B at least, plus another higher at an A so I would more than meet the conditions. I wasn't necessarily expecting an unconditional offer, but I was expecting at least a conditional. I know other people applying to similar courses who have lower grades than me, yet have still received offers.
Original post by loismcgougan
But I am predicted to gain two advanced highers this year at an A and a B at least, plus another higher at an A so I would more than meet the conditions. I wasn't necessarily expecting an unconditional offer, but I was expecting at least a conditional. I know other people applying to similar courses who have lower grades than me, yet have still received offers.


If they weren't at the same university for the same, I wouldn't read too much in to it.
you said you were one grade short of the requirements for something? If it's a GCSE or something, it doesn't matter if you'd meet the offer, you'd still get rejected.

(I'm not an expert on Scottish grades, but it works the same at English universities).
Reply 8
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
If they weren't at the same university for the same, I wouldn't read too much in to it.
you said you were one grade short of the requirements for something? If it's a GCSE or something, it doesn't matter if you'd meet the offer, you'd still get rejected.

(I'm not an expert on Scottish grades, but it works the same at English universities).


They got in to Strathclyde for the English course, I was applying to a joint degree of English and Journalism & Creative Writing. The entry requirements for both subjects are the same because it is in the same faculty and they received an unconditional offer which makes no sense?
Original post by loismcgougan
They got in to Strathclyde for the English course, I was applying to a joint degree of English and Journalism & Creative Writing. The entry requirements for both subjects are the same because it is in the same faculty and they received an unconditional offer which makes no sense?


Did they meet the entry requirements though
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
Did they meet the entry requirements though


nope, they had a grade below what I had, so two grades below entry requirements.
Original post by loismcgougan
nope, they had a grade below what I had, so two grades below entry requirements.


Complain
Original post by GradeA*UnderA
Complain


I'm going to call up tomorrow and inquire about it with the admissions office.
Reply 13
Original post by loismcgougan
Upon viewing the details of the rejection it said "your personal statement does not adequately explain your academic history."


Hmm, did you previously have "poor" grades at Standard or Higher level? Resits? Something like that...? Although really those things would be expected to be covered by your reference not your PS.

It's definitely worth following it up with them, as you already plan to do.

Good luck!
Original post by jneill
Hmm, did you previously have "poor" grades at Standard or Higher level? Resits? Something like that...? Although really those things would be expected to be covered by your reference not your PS.

It's definitely worth following it up with them, as you already plan to do.

Good luck!


I've never failed anything, with the majority of my highers being A's and my National 5's being a mixture of A's and B's. I got one C in modern studies at higher and in biology at national 5 in fourth year. I've never had to take any resits, so it didn't make much sense to me. I phoned up Strathclyde admissions the other day and the reason they gave for the rejection was completely different from what is on UCAS track as the reason, although still seems totally bizarre
Thanks to everyone for the advice, I phoned up Strathclyde the other day and the woman I spoke to said that it was because I can't be considered for two courses at Strathclyde (something that is apparently both on their website and in the prospectus- I've checked and couldn't find it anywhere, plus it was asked during an english lecture at the most recent open day if we could apply for more than one course within the uni and we were told there would be no issues with that), so the decision panel chose the course out of the two they felt my personal statement was more fitted for to consider (english and psychology). I still don't understand how it links up to the apparent reason for rejection but my school are going to inquire with UCAS about it so hopefully I'll get a proper explanation soon.
Original post by loismcgougan
Thanks to everyone for the advice, I phoned up Strathclyde the other day and the woman I spoke to said that it was because I can't be considered for two courses at Strathclyde (something that is apparently both on their website and in the prospectus- I've checked and couldn't find it anywhere, plus it was asked during an english lecture at the most recent open day if we could apply for more than one course within the uni and we were told there would be no issues with that), so the decision panel chose the course out of the two they felt my personal statement was more fitted for to consider (english and psychology). I still don't understand how it links up to the apparent reason for rejection but my school are going to inquire with UCAS about it so hopefully I'll get a proper explanation soon.


Did you get an offer for the other course at strathclyde then?

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