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Uni offers lower than entry requirements?

I sent off my uni application for biochemistry last week, and today received offers from both Bristol and York. The standard entry requirements for both of the courses are AAA, but from York my offer is AAB, and from Bristol it’s AAC or ABB.
Is there a reason why they have given me lower offers? I don’t go to a particularly bad school or live in an area with low progression rates so I don’t think it’s a contextual offer? Any thoughts?
Phone Bristol and York and tell them that they’ve made a terrible mistake, and that you wholly deserve a standard offer.
Roll with it dude. Don't be stupid.
Reply 3
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emma64
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Original post by DrSocSciences
Phone Bristol and York and tell them that they’ve made a terrible mistake, and that you wholly deserve a standard offer.

Very funny, I’m just curious!! As I’ve essentially got a contextual offer without meeting any of the criteria!
Reply 4
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emma64
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Original post by Dylan_Poole1
Roll with it dude. Don't be stupid.

I’m not complaining, just wondering!
Original post by emma64
I sent off my uni application for biochemistry last week, and today received offers from both Bristol and York. The standard entry requirements for both of the courses are AAA, but from York my offer is AAB, and from Bristol it’s AAC or ABB.
Is there a reason why they have given me lower offers? I don’t go to a particularly bad school or live in an area with low progression rates so I don’t think it’s a contextual offer? Any thoughts?

Take it as a compliment, they obviously think you are a good applicant and want to encourage you to apply. It's not that unusual
Bristol has a list of schools that they give a contextual offer to, your school May be on it.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! Newcastle offered me BBB the other day
This is Bristol's list of schools whose pupils are eligible for contextual offers: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/study/undergraduate/documents/English-aspiring-state-schools-2020-21-cycle.pdf

York seems to use POLAR 3 or 4, so if your postcode is in the lower two quintiles for progression, your offer could be contextual on that basis?

Either way, enjoy your reduced offers for Biochem, and best wishes in your other applications.
For Bristol this is definitely the contextual offer, but don't be surprised as there are lots of schools that qualify for this and they aren't necessarily what you would think of as 'low-performing' - http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/
i found out last week my schools on the contextual offers list, i had literally no idea and neither did any of my friends who have already put applications in. we aren't a low achieving school whatsoever, based on ALPs we're targeted to go into the top 25% in England within the next year or two if we achieve our expected grades. my school is on it because we have a really (really) low number of people going to uni and my school covers three different counties and so it covers some 'poorer' areas as well and due to the location the majority don't go to uni.
Original post by statsboi2002
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! Newcastle offered me BBB the other day


TBH that seems about right for Newcastle.
Original post by mnot
TBH that seems about right for Newcastle.

The entry requirements for my course on the website say AAB-A*BB
Original post by statsboi2002
The entry requirements for my course on the website say AAB-A*BB

What unis require and what there website says are two different things, lots of unis mislead applicants about required grades.

I would say in OPs case its more unusual for Bristol to have lower grades as they have plenty of applicants capable of getting top grades, and it is probably a sign of confidence in them. I would be interested to know the subject involved as that is often a bigger indicator as to whats going on.
Original post by mnot
What unis require and what there website says are two different things, lots of unis mislead applicants about required grades.

I would say in OPs case its more unusual for Bristol to have lower grades as they have plenty of applicants capable of getting top grades, and it is probably a sign of confidence in them. I would be interested to know the subject involved as that is often a bigger indicator as to whats going on.


Universities do not deliberately 'mislead' applicants - there is whole pile of consumer legislation they have to comply with, and therefore they do not advertise one thing and consistently do something else. If you have actual proof of applicants being deliberately mislead - ie. not 'I've heard gossip that ...' - you should notify the Office for Students immediately : https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/contact/complaints-and-notifications/

At Bristol, lower grade offers are made to Contextual applicants for all courses - the grade sets for these lower offers are given on each individual course page, and the criteria for these offers are explained here : http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/
Bristol therefore does not make random lower offers to applicants just because they 'like' them.

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