do universities favour grammar schools?

If you were to have two students with A*A*A at A Level, one went to a state comprehensive and one went to a grammar they would favour the state comprehensive I believe. This is because you normally get more academic and pastoral help at a grammar than you would get at a comprehensive (not saying all grammar schools and all comprehensives are like this at all) therefore showing that the student at the comprehensive is more independent and hard working. However, people at grammar schools usually get better grades, so it's sometimes the case where you get a grammar school pupil with A*A*A and a state comprehensive pupil with AAB or something. Basically, grammar schools can usually get the pupil to achieve higher grades, which is what universities ultimately want, but anecdotally they would favour the comprehensive pupil if they achieved the same as the grammar school pupil.

Reply 3

Dot.Cotton

Ideally they would, grammar school pupils are much higher in quality than state school pupils.

All this rubbish about lower offers for applicants from bad schools is PC gone mad.

Reply 4

handmedowns

3

I go to a grammar school and will stay on for sixth form. If you think you'll do well in that state school (ie getting straight A's at AS because that would be beneficial for medicine) then definitely stay there because it may have a lower grade average than a grammar school so you will stand out. However, having been in a grammar school for the past five years, I've noticed that a lot of the students are very ambitious and this definitely motivated me to work harder but I'm not sure about the atmosphere and attitudes of students at the state school you go to. Plus the grammar school will have many internals so you have to ensure that you can make friends easily and are sociable too.

Reply 5

Original post by Dot.Cotton

Ideally they would, grammar school pupils are much higher in quality than state school pupils.

All this rubbish about lower offers for applicants from bad schools is PC gone mad.

Not everything in society is PC gone mad.

If a student attends a poor school with poor teaching quality and less learning resources and comes from a poorer area/ socioeconomic background but still manages to achieve high A level grades in an environment where students average the bottom 40% of A level grades - why shouldn't they receive a slightly lower offer? It's only lowered by a grade or two.

Reply 6

Dot.Cotton

Original post by Cubone-r

Not everything in society is PC gone mad.

If a student attends a poor school with poor teaching quality and less learning resources and comes from a poorer area/ socioeconomic background but still manages to achieve high A level grades in an environment where students average the bottom 40% of A level grades - why shouldn't they receive a slightly lower offer? It's only lowered by a grade or two.

Why should one group of pupils receive a lower offer? It really isn't fair on those with the higher offer, is it? I thought you lot on the left wanted equality?

Reply 7

Isinglass

16

Grammar schools are state schools, by the way...

Reply 8

Original post by Dot.Cotton

Why should one group of pupils receive a lower offer? It really isn't fair on those with the higher offer, is it? I thought you lot on the left wanted equality?

Why have you assumed my political leanings already?

It is fair relative to our current education system. One group has access to better educational resources and are therefore more likely to reach the typical offer and the other group has access to poorer educational resources and so are less likely to reach the typical offer.

This does not equate to equal opportunity for university places when one group is receiving (essentially) a better education than another group - hence why contextual offers are needed for some students who come from poor schools/colleges and areas of the country where access to higher education and A level attainment is incredibly low.

Contextual offers will only go away once all schools/colleges become more equal in terms of teaching quality and resources.

Reply 9

ClarrdePlarr

7

I know someone who didnt get into uni because they moved to a state school for college

Reply 10

citibankrec

18

Original post by ClarrdePlarr

I know someone who didnt get into uni because they moved to a state school for college

Sure.

Reply 11

turbanator165

OP

8

Original post by handmedowns

I go to a grammar school and will stay on for sixth form. If you think you'll do well in that state school (ie getting straight A's at AS because that would be beneficial for medicine) then definitely stay there because it may have a lower grade average than a grammar school so you will stand out. However, having been in a grammar school for the past five years, I've noticed that a lot of the students are very ambitious and this definitely motivated me to work harder but I'm not sure about the atmosphere and attitudes of students at the state school you go to. Plus the grammar school will have many internals so you have to ensure that you can make friends easily and are sociable too.

I reckon I can get straight As at AS so would staying be better?

Reply 12

turbanator165

OP

8

Original post by citibankrec

No.

You may end up benefiting from going to a bad school as some universities such as bristol give contextual offers.

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/study/undergraduate/documents/English-aspiring-state-schools-2018-cycle.pdf

thing is would there be many offers that are contextual for medicine as it is so competitive

Reply 13

turbanator165

OP

8

Original post by Rex Onocrotalus

If you were to have two students with A*A*A at A Level, one went to a state comprehensive and one went to a grammar they would favour the state comprehensive I believe. This is because you normally get more academic and pastoral help at a grammar than you would get at a comprehensive (not saying all grammar schools and all comprehensives are like this at all) therefore showing that the student at the comprehensive is more independent and hard working. However, people at grammar schools usually get better grades, so it's sometimes the case where you get a grammar school pupil with A*A*A and a state comprehensive pupil with AAB or something. Basically, grammar schools can usually get the pupil to achieve higher grades, which is what universities ultimately want, but anecdotally they would favour the comprehensive pupil if they achieved the same as the grammar school pupil.

so a comprehensive school would be better if I can pull off the same grades as what others would be getting?

Reply 14

username2324315

Even if they both had A*A*A? Surely the one at the comprehensive would have a higher work ethic as it's usually more difficult to get A*s at comprehensives compared to grammar schools?

Reply 15

username2324315

Original post by turbanator165

so a comprehensive school would be better if I can pull off the same grades as what others would be getting?

If you perform really well, then yes. But you've got to remember that the quality of teaching might not be good and you might discover you need the support of teachers etc. which would be more accessible at a grammar during your A Levels. It's swings and roundabouts really.

Reply 16

StressedCoffee

14

They don't care. If you go to a bad state school then you'll be considered differently but if you're at any other school then they only care about your grades and personal statement.

Reply 17

How does one's classmates affect an individual's aptitude for completing a degree (if they have met the entry requirements)?

Reply 18

Surely if two candidates (one from a private college and the other from a state funded college) have got the same A level grades in the same subjects (from the same exam board) then they have done the same/similar amounts of work to achieve those grades.

Universities do not favour grammar/private school candidates. It's just that private schools have better quality teacher and more resources and so their students are more likely to achieve higher grades and attend university than state school students; hence the disparity between students from private school students and state school students overall, at university.

Reply 19

AspiringUnderdog