Resits for camb/LSE

ellac2003

So I want to go into investment banking and these are obviously the GO TO places, I was on track to meet the entry requirements but it all went sideways because of the reasons explained below.

During my A-levels, my family life was particularly turbulent with my sister struggling with severe mental illness, this amounted to numerous police visits to the family home, hospital admissions, and a near fatal overdose. Additionally, when COVID 19 hit our family business was forced to furlough the office staff and I had to step in immediately to keep the mechanics of the business going, I was working the job of 2 professionals, usually 85 hours a week. As you can imagine this left no time for my studies but at that point my work was integral to maintaining the essential income of my own family and those who we employ. This continued each time the country was locked down, having catastrophic effects on my grades.

Due to the circumstances explained previously, I did not achieve the grades I was hoping for (coming out with ABE), a major disappointment. I am retaking the BE grades and as I have been revising over the summer and I am now predicted to achieve A*A* in the retakes.

I understand that
Land Ec Cambridge = A*AA
Economics with economic History LSE=AAB
I will hopefully finish with A*A*A

I was hoping to seek advice on whether my application is realistic? Or if anyone knows any other target unis for investment banking that would be more sympathetic to my retakes

Reply 1

McGinger

Original post by ellac2003

Due to the circumstances explained previously, I did not achieve the grades I was hoping for (coming out with ABE), a major disappointment. I am retaking the BE grades and as I have been revising over the summer and I am now predicted to achieve A*A* in the retakes.

Make sure that your referee mentions why you are doing resits in the reference.
You should also check each Uni's policy/process for 'Extenuating Circumstances' (sometimes called mitigating circumstances) in case it requires an additional form. Here, as an example, is the info for Bristol : http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/after-you-apply/your-application/extenuating-circumstances/

Btw, Bristol, Bath and Warwick are all good choices for Economics and progression to IB.

Reply 2

BenRyan99

Careers Forum Helper

I know Warwick are fine with resits and they are still a target uni for economics and maths subjects. I had a friend who go A*AE due to extenuating circumstances, he reapplied with the E being predicted as an A and they gave him an offer for A*AA. Although I think Warwick may have pushed their grades up to A*A*A now, it would be worth checking that.

I don't think Oxbridge and LSE tend to be very lenient on resits, some state that your a-levels need to be achieved all in the same year, a fair few investment banks also require this in the admissions process. I hope your family problems are resolving themselves

Reply 3

finance12345

UCL accept resits. I also want to pursue ib and I retook 2 subjects in my gap year, one was in the autumn exam series which you may want to consider (personally I think this was the main reason behind an offer given). Now going for econ next week!

Reply 4

apricotmoss

hi i know its pretty late but when you were applying after a gap year, did you wait till the result of autumn exam series come out and apply with actual achieved grades on January or did you apply with predicted grades?

Original post by finance12345

Reply 5

finance12345

I applied after my maths result came on dec 17th 2020. I applied with 2 achieved grades and one predicted for the next summer. I got a decent grade but I resat it anyway cos I was bored. GL mate!

Original post by apricotmoss

Reply 6

apricotmoss

Original post by finance12345

I applied after my maths result came on dec 17th 2020. I applied with 2 achieved grades and one predicted for the next summer. I got a decent grade but I resat it anyway cos I was bored. GL mate!

oh thank you so much!!! so does that mean you retook 2 subjects on oct/nov series and 1 subject on june? which means u applied with 2 achieved grades and 1 predicted grades on december? may I know whether u keyed in ur previous grade (first achieved grade) on ucas as well?!