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how to beg your way into a uni place if you miss your grades
seeing how the scots are currently getting their results and we A level peeps will be getting them in 2 weeks....
I reckon its time that we had a thread for all those who just miss their grades, so we know how to beg our way into uni...
so give us your tips, things that we should say, how to do it, etc.
I reckon its time that we had a thread for all those who just miss their grades, so we know how to beg our way into uni...
so give us your tips, things that we should say, how to do it, etc.
Scroll to see replies
According to my assistant principal, short of holding them at gunpoint or bribing them, for courses like medicine there's next to no chance you'd be let in.
^ Aren't I a ray of hope.
^ Aren't I a ray of hope.
The ONLY hope you've got is if on results day you are neither accepted or declined. This suggests you've missed the offer by a small amount, normally one grade. In this situation you can try and talk to the university and make a plea. Apart from that, you're either in or out. It gets more difficult each year, this time around more than ever with quotas of numbers theres little leaway for universities, you really need to hit the grades.
Original post by *Funky-buddha*
According to my assistant principal, short of holding them at gunpoint or bribing them, for courses like medicine there's next to no chance you'd be let in.
^ Aren't I a ray of hope.
^ Aren't I a ray of hope.
haha, the brightest ray ever seen
but this is a general "how to beg" thread....
so any tips?
Original post by infernalcradle
haha, the brightest ray ever seen
but this is a general "how to beg" thread....
so any tips?
but this is a general "how to beg" thread....
so any tips?
Emphasise everything BUT grades? Idk. I'm planning on using a strong personal statement, reference, and a ton of extra-curricular activities and good work experience placements to my advantage, hoping it helps at least a little.
As well as that, I guess there's things like anomalies in results? Eg: my average in Maths excluding the module I messed up is 87%, I had such a bad exam day on the day of C4 that my overall grade's likely to have dropped from an A to a B, I'm hoping to use my other module scores as leverage.
Original post by babarzk
Emphasise everything BUT grades? Idk. I'm planning on using a strong personal statement, reference, and a ton of extra-curricular activities and good work experience placements to my advantage, hoping it helps at least a little.
As well as that, I guess there's things like anomalies in results? Eg: my average in Maths excluding the module I messed up is 87%, I had such a bad exam day on the day of C4 that my overall grade's likely to have dropped from an A to a B, I'm hoping to use my other module scores as leverage.
As well as that, I guess there's things like anomalies in results? Eg: my average in Maths excluding the module I messed up is 87%, I had such a bad exam day on the day of C4 that my overall grade's likely to have dropped from an A to a B, I'm hoping to use my other module scores as leverage.
haha, I love how everyone is complaining about Edexcel C4, AQA geog or OCR bio
hmm..thats the plan for me, although I'm doubtfull that I'd get in if I don't get the grades tbh
Original post by infernalcradle
haha, I love how everyone is complaining about Edexcel C4, AQA geog or OCR bio
hmm..thats the plan for me, although I'm doubtfull that I'd get in if I don't get the grades tbh
hmm..thats the plan for me, although I'm doubtfull that I'd get in if I don't get the grades tbh
Haha, it was absolutely horrible! Never taken a worse paper in my life. & I guess it's the only plan for us really, I mean, we could settle for our insurance options, but do any of us really want to? :/ Worth a shot at the end of the day!
I'm fully prepared to resit year 13 though, if it comes to it.
Original post by infernalcradle
haha, the brightest ray ever seen
but this is a general "how to beg" thread....
so any tips?
but this is a general "how to beg" thread....
so any tips?
Putting aside the pessimism,
I'd say getting your college principal or some one high up to give a call if you are unable to, they can do the begging on your behalf, will have a much more workable knowledge of how to get around these people ( i.e they too are admission tutors but for college) and demand more authority. I know my AP is amazing and has managed to get unis to give deferred offers after rejecting someone.
If principals do phone and things don't go as you wish, you can phone yourself, if you really want to give it another shot. My advice then is let the passion in your voice show by all means, but DO NOT act hysterical or generally sound like you're going to break down, it doesn't portray you as very stable and is embarrassing for both parties.
Original post by Aj12
You can't tbh. If the Uni has a lot of applicants they will go with if you don't have the grade's your not coming in. This was my experience with Kent last year.
By how much did you miss your offer?
Original post by TheEssence
By how much did you miss your offer?
One grade. It worked out at 10 UCAS points short lol.
you might have a chance if the uni is not jammed with offers but seeing as this is the last year for the fee's rise I would't say your going to have much luck.
Original post by Aj12
One grade. It worked out at 10 UCAS points short lol.
you might have a chance if the uni is not jammed with offers but seeing as this is the last year for the fee's rise I would't say your going to have much luck.
you might have a chance if the uni is not jammed with offers but seeing as this is the last year for the fee's rise I would't say your going to have much luck.
What course was that ? sorry for being intrusive
Original post by TheEssence
What course was that ? sorry for being intrusive
History.
Doesn't bother me.
Original post by Aj12
History.
Doesn't bother me.
Doesn't bother me.
shame,better luck this year
Original post by TheEssence
shame,better luck this year
Not too fazed, got into my insurance so just had to take a forced gap year, which worked out better for me anyway
just apply directly and not through ucas....
Aj12 is right here. Having worked at a uni for a while and seen this from the inside it just doesn't happen. You hear stories on TSR so some people will convince themselves that it is viable, fair enough, but prepare to be disappointed on the day when you try and beg your way in and just get stonewalled from the university.
The university gets your grades on the Sunday before the Thursday they are released, in most cases there is a bit of a shortfall in people who actually make their grades (but in a year where there are lots of applicants it is very tight), ie a course may have 30 places on the quota for UK/EU students, they make say 60 offers, end up with 40 accepting as firm, and 25 of them have made their grades which leaves a shortfall of 5. Over the days between Sunday and Thursday, the admissions tutors will be going through the UCAS forms of the 15 who missed their grades and will choose 5 who they confirm anyway (usually the 5 best of the ones who just missed by one grade).
But one thing that has come in recently is increasing quality in Clearing, there are lots of applicants that applied for competitive courses and ended up with no offers, or declined as they wanted to change course etc, and have AAA or AAB in Clearing, so if the uni wanted say ABB grades and have a shortfall, they might choose to confirm the ones who got BBB, but rather than accept people who were 2 grades down that they had made offers to, they will just go into Clearing with a shortfall and easily pick people up.
The quota rules are strict, if the university exceeds its quota there is a fine of about £10k per student. There is a little bit of flexibility within subject areas, eg if you underrecruit by 2 on Economics and Geography and overrecruit by 2 on Economics and Politics they aren't going to fine you, but it is quite a delicate game and one that will leave Heads of Department super stressed on results week because they will get hauled over the coals by the Chancellor if their department ends up causing the uni a fine, and so admissions tutors are always worried about getting hauled over the coals by Heads of Department.
What a lot of 6th formers don't understand IMO is that the university has had four days before the results are officially out, to consider whether to confirm those that missed their grades or not, and they have decided the ones to confirm and fill up the places. A good rule of thumb for whether you can make a case to get accepted is, is that course in Clearing? If it is in Clearing and you originally had an offer then it means there are places so you might be able to get in. If you missed your grades and they haven't confirmed you and they aren't in Clearing that means the course is full and they will be fined for exceeding the quota so you won't be able to talk your way in.
Now I know that for students who are in that situation and desperate to go there they will try anything no matter how remote the chance, so there is one long shot strategy to bear in mind. Every now and then you get people who met their firm, who decide late on that they want to go on a gap yah to Burma, and ring up and ask if they can get deferred. This is a pet hate of admissions tutors especially if it happens a couple of days into clearing because they think they have their numbers tidy but then if they let one defer they have to replace them and might not be able to at that point. So if you are in the situation where you had a firm offer, missed it, and they didn't confirm you, it may be worth giving them a call saying you understand the situation and that they are currently full for numbers, but really want to go, and you'd like them to put you on a reserve list in case any students wish to defer. This might sound a long shot but it could happen....because if someone does ask to defer and you are on their list and managed to convince them that you are a mature and sensible person, they might think fair enough let gap yah kid defer and we will take them.
Not sure how viable that will be this year, if people defer they will probably face the higher fees, but this is the only realistic strategy I can think of.
On results day the admissions tutors are really stressed and busy and their biggest hate of all is when they have spent 4 days agonising over who to let in that missed their grades, and got their numbers sorted, to have to field phone calls from all the people who say "I was LITERALLY 2 marks off an A and am getting it remarked" (the answer will be, well until its remarked its still a B), or "my Nana died and I suffered depression during the exams" (the answer will be, this should have been raised to the exam board at the time). You would not believe how many try these excuses on, there will be one every 10 minutes on the Thursday of Clearing, Admissions tutors will often tell the people staffing those Clearing lines (who are usually undergraduates doing summer work) not to put any of them through, so it just makes them feel bad, having an 18 year old girl in tears on the phone begging. I had a girl say she thought her life was over, all her friends had got in, her parents were shunning her, she just wanted a chance to make up for botching one A level, and it feels bad because you can't do anything, but in that moment the person on the other end of the phone is desperate and doesn't know where to go for help.
The other thing I found is that Admissions tutors often have a cynical attitude towards people who have excuses for not getting their grades, as one told me one time - the ones who do that are the ones who will always have excuses and special circumstances appeals when they are at uni and get a 2:2, and tutors hate all the admin and having to tick all the boxes to show they have treated the student fairly, when that happens, so they won't touch those students with a barge pole.
It obviously depends on the uni and how competitive it is, if the demand for the course is low then you may have a chance, as I say, the best guide is if that course is in Clearing or not, if it is that tells you they have not filled their places. If it is not in Clearing then you are just going to be banging your head against a brick wall because the uni will get fined for exceeding its quota and you will just end up talking to someone who is not allowed to take you and will feel bad, although after a few hours worth of hearing the same excuses you do tend to harden up. You are better using your time phoning round other unis who are in Clearing rather than getting more and more frustrated when you just get told no.
Well thats my advice anyway, I'm sure loads will try it because they are just desperate to get in their firm and I can understand that, but if you do, don't have high expectations.
The university gets your grades on the Sunday before the Thursday they are released, in most cases there is a bit of a shortfall in people who actually make their grades (but in a year where there are lots of applicants it is very tight), ie a course may have 30 places on the quota for UK/EU students, they make say 60 offers, end up with 40 accepting as firm, and 25 of them have made their grades which leaves a shortfall of 5. Over the days between Sunday and Thursday, the admissions tutors will be going through the UCAS forms of the 15 who missed their grades and will choose 5 who they confirm anyway (usually the 5 best of the ones who just missed by one grade).
But one thing that has come in recently is increasing quality in Clearing, there are lots of applicants that applied for competitive courses and ended up with no offers, or declined as they wanted to change course etc, and have AAA or AAB in Clearing, so if the uni wanted say ABB grades and have a shortfall, they might choose to confirm the ones who got BBB, but rather than accept people who were 2 grades down that they had made offers to, they will just go into Clearing with a shortfall and easily pick people up.
The quota rules are strict, if the university exceeds its quota there is a fine of about £10k per student. There is a little bit of flexibility within subject areas, eg if you underrecruit by 2 on Economics and Geography and overrecruit by 2 on Economics and Politics they aren't going to fine you, but it is quite a delicate game and one that will leave Heads of Department super stressed on results week because they will get hauled over the coals by the Chancellor if their department ends up causing the uni a fine, and so admissions tutors are always worried about getting hauled over the coals by Heads of Department.
What a lot of 6th formers don't understand IMO is that the university has had four days before the results are officially out, to consider whether to confirm those that missed their grades or not, and they have decided the ones to confirm and fill up the places. A good rule of thumb for whether you can make a case to get accepted is, is that course in Clearing? If it is in Clearing and you originally had an offer then it means there are places so you might be able to get in. If you missed your grades and they haven't confirmed you and they aren't in Clearing that means the course is full and they will be fined for exceeding the quota so you won't be able to talk your way in.
Now I know that for students who are in that situation and desperate to go there they will try anything no matter how remote the chance, so there is one long shot strategy to bear in mind. Every now and then you get people who met their firm, who decide late on that they want to go on a gap yah to Burma, and ring up and ask if they can get deferred. This is a pet hate of admissions tutors especially if it happens a couple of days into clearing because they think they have their numbers tidy but then if they let one defer they have to replace them and might not be able to at that point. So if you are in the situation where you had a firm offer, missed it, and they didn't confirm you, it may be worth giving them a call saying you understand the situation and that they are currently full for numbers, but really want to go, and you'd like them to put you on a reserve list in case any students wish to defer. This might sound a long shot but it could happen....because if someone does ask to defer and you are on their list and managed to convince them that you are a mature and sensible person, they might think fair enough let gap yah kid defer and we will take them.
Not sure how viable that will be this year, if people defer they will probably face the higher fees, but this is the only realistic strategy I can think of.
On results day the admissions tutors are really stressed and busy and their biggest hate of all is when they have spent 4 days agonising over who to let in that missed their grades, and got their numbers sorted, to have to field phone calls from all the people who say "I was LITERALLY 2 marks off an A and am getting it remarked" (the answer will be, well until its remarked its still a B), or "my Nana died and I suffered depression during the exams" (the answer will be, this should have been raised to the exam board at the time). You would not believe how many try these excuses on, there will be one every 10 minutes on the Thursday of Clearing, Admissions tutors will often tell the people staffing those Clearing lines (who are usually undergraduates doing summer work) not to put any of them through, so it just makes them feel bad, having an 18 year old girl in tears on the phone begging. I had a girl say she thought her life was over, all her friends had got in, her parents were shunning her, she just wanted a chance to make up for botching one A level, and it feels bad because you can't do anything, but in that moment the person on the other end of the phone is desperate and doesn't know where to go for help.
The other thing I found is that Admissions tutors often have a cynical attitude towards people who have excuses for not getting their grades, as one told me one time - the ones who do that are the ones who will always have excuses and special circumstances appeals when they are at uni and get a 2:2, and tutors hate all the admin and having to tick all the boxes to show they have treated the student fairly, when that happens, so they won't touch those students with a barge pole.
It obviously depends on the uni and how competitive it is, if the demand for the course is low then you may have a chance, as I say, the best guide is if that course is in Clearing or not, if it is that tells you they have not filled their places. If it is not in Clearing then you are just going to be banging your head against a brick wall because the uni will get fined for exceeding its quota and you will just end up talking to someone who is not allowed to take you and will feel bad, although after a few hours worth of hearing the same excuses you do tend to harden up. You are better using your time phoning round other unis who are in Clearing rather than getting more and more frustrated when you just get told no.
Well thats my advice anyway, I'm sure loads will try it because they are just desperate to get in their firm and I can understand that, but if you do, don't have high expectations.
Original post by Vitamin D
Have any of you guys ever had experience with TECHNICALLY missing the offer (I missed one grade - a C, needed a B), but getting more UCAS points than the offer stated?
This situation will put you to the top of the queue of the ones who missed their offer, ie if there is a shortfall of places after those who met their grades is confirmed on the Sunday, you will be top of the list for deciding which of the ones who missed out, to confirm. The problem will be if the uni ends up with more meeting their grades than their quota of places, the uni will actually be hoping some students drop out or don't enrol (they legally have to offer them a place if they met their conditions, so the uni will just have to suck up the fine if they exceed their numbers), so if this happens they will say that those who got enough UCAS points but missed the exact conditions, can't come in unfortunately.
I would say it depends on how competitive the uni is, if its a big name uni and a popular course they will never let anyone in who technically misses the offer, but at less oversubscribed ones you have a chance, it definitely does happen, but its one of those where if they can take you, you will find out on the Thursday straight away, rather than being something you can beg your way into.
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