Just got rejected from my top choice, how can I convince them to change their minds?

I applied to study Law at a few different universities, including the University of Manchester. Today I found out UoM rejected me. Their typical offer for Law requires A*AA. I got AAB in 2020 after the government messed all our grades up. I was predicted A*AA. (I originally got given ABB, because my predicted A* in English Literature got downgraded to a B somehow, but eventually it got put back up to an A, which I still think is unfair given my predicted A*).

Anyway, in 2020 I managed to get onto the English Literature and German course at UoM through clearing, but I ended up hating it, became depressed at uni, and dropped out before the end of my first year. It's worth noting that the English Literature course requires AAA-AAB. I know I'm intelligent and capable enough for this course, but my government-supplied grades obviously don't reflect that.

I'm going to call UoM in the morning to explain all of this, but I still don't know if that's going to be enough to convince them. My personal statement was really good, and I was consistently getting 2:1s and firsts in my essays for Eng Lit and German back in 2020-2021. Does anyone have any advice for what to say that might help my case?

Generally speaking you're out of luck, sorry. Generally you can't appeal on purely academic grounds, and often you have to have some kind of procedural complaint, (you thought they discriminated against you in some way or didn't follow their policies properly) or information that wasn't available to the admissions team at the time. (you would probably need a reason for not telling them when you applied) I'm assuming you had a reference talking about your good performance at university. If giving them a call will set your mind to rest I'd recommend you do that. Best of luck with your other applications. [don't mean to sound dismissive here]

Did you include your previous university study in your education history?

Maybe try somewhere else? If you have AAB and are willing to really "shop"/retake the B you can probably go somewhere better than manchester. Places like Warwick, UCL, Durham, even LSE for courses like sociology would probably entertain you with those sorts of grades. I don't see why you're so hung up on that one university.

I also don't see why it needs to be law when you can go somewhere like Durham and get a TC doing something else.

I didn't, because I didn't complete my English Literature and German degree. I didn't finish the first year even, because my mental illness was affecting me too much. I'll be sure to mention my previous degree and my performance when I call them tomorrow.

They might have seen that you were a previous drop out and applied apparently trying to hide that (even though ucas asks for a full education history). So if you do mention it try to explain that you left it off in error because you didn’t read the instructions on ucas and not as a deliberate attempt to mislead.

That's a good point! I thought you only had to include completed qualifications/degrees. I know that if I've gotten into the university before, I can do it again. I'm most annoyed at the government for giving me grades I know I wouldn't have got if I'd been able to take the exams. Even with the revisions, their decisions are affecting my career prospects now, and it angers me so much.

If that’s the argument that you plan to use then the obvious response is: so why didn’t you sit the November 2020 exams?

I want to go to UoM because I have family, friends, and my partner all living here. I want to take Law because I am interested in it, I don't want to do sociology. I don't care if there are 'better' places to go, this is where I want to be. Employability for Law outside of Russel Group/Oxbridge is really low, so I want the best chance I can get of starting my career well.

But I literally just gave you a list of Russel group universities that place better than manchester? If you want the "best chance you can get of starting your career well" then surely you'd want to go to universities that place better in law than manchester (i.e all the universities I just gave you).

Also, I don't think I'd make a decision about my future based on proximity to my loved ones, or lack thereof, over a 3 year period. Thousands of international students leave their home countries to come to the top London unis because they know the opportunities those universities provide.

I appreciate your advice, thank you. One thing I didn't mention was that I was diagnosed with ADHD whilst at university the first time. I fully believe that had I been diagnosed younger and been put on ADHD meds like the ones I have now earlier, I would have been able to achieve a much higher performance. I am technically a disabled student because I also have DCD (a coordination disorder that affects fine motor skills and memory), so I could try to use that as leverage somehow. I think since I was not on my ADHD meds whilst at uni before, and was achieving high grades still, that might help me?

Maybe try somewhere else? If you have AAB and are willing to really "shop"/retake the B you can probably go somewhere better than manchester. Places like Warwick, UCL, Durham, even LSE for courses like sociology would probably entertain you with those sorts of grades. I don't see why you're so hung up on that one university.

I also don't see why it needs to be law when you can go somewhere like Durham and get a TC doing something else.

Stop making excuses. Either go back and get the A-level grades or go somewhere else. them's your options.

Stop making excuses. Either go back and get the A-level grades or go somewhere else. them's your options.

All of the universities you listed require AAA-A*AA. I have plenty of reasons for wanting to stay in Manchester, and I don't feel like justifying myself in that regard. I also know that going to Manchester, whilst it isn't the 'best' (a subjective term anyway) university for Law, will not close doors to me. I have Canadian citizenship, so I could train to practice Law in certain provinces and territories through their National Accreditation Committee.

So the physical differences in my brain that make it almost impossible to self-motivate, regulate myself emotionally, control my impulses, and filter memory are just 'excuses'? Guess I can throw these prescription meds away, since you apparently know better than my GP.