Will I have any chance of getting into a good uni?

So due to medical/mental health issues, my A levels have been a bit of a car crash so far. I started sixth form in Sept 2012 taking AS levels in English, Sociology, History and Biology, but only managed to attend lessons for about 2 months before I got so overwhelmed with depression/anxiety issues that I just couldn't go into school anymore. I convinced myself I could study at home, but was in such a bad place that I struggled to do any work, and when my exams came around I panicked and didn't attend any of them.

I retook year 12 this year self studying (but still semi-enrolled in my school) doing English, Sociology and History. It's gone better than last year, I think I'll get As or Bs in sociology and history. Unfortunately a panic attack got in the way of me attending my English exam again, but I didn't completely fail because I got nearly full marks on the coursework which is worth 40%, so my grade will just be based on that.

My school have been great and have said they'll probably let me carry on to A2 next year, and let me retake the English exam next May. I'm gonna work so hard next year and maybe get a tutor, and I think I might be able to get something like ABB in my final A level results if all goes to plan.

So bearing all this in mind, would I have any chance of getting into a half decent uni to study English or History- if I were to get something along the lines of ABB? I mean on the one hand it will have taken me 3 years to achieve what most others will have in 2 years, plus a lot of people will have an extra AS level (I've thought about picking one up next year but idk if my school would let me), and I will technically have resat that one English exam 3 times (although does it count as sitting it if you never attended and so never got a grade? Or does not sitting it at all actually look even worse?). But then I do have valid medical reasons (I could get doctors letters and stuff), and maybe the fact that I self studied would show independence or something?

Typing it all out now actually makes me feel like my chances are slim, but if anyone could give me any advice (how my situation will look to unis, what unis might accept me, if taking an extra AS level will help, etc.) that'd be really really great :smile:

!! Sorry this is so long hahaha :colondollar:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

x__justmyluck

English and history are both competitive courses, have a look at prospectuses or whatuni to see which unis have ABB entry requirements. Having medical reasons may go in your favour but it may go against you and make the uni think you won't be able to cope with a degree.

Next time if you're too ill to sit an exam get a doctors letter to send to the exam board and they'll give you your predicted grade. That's what I did for one of my AS exams.

Reply 2

Zottula

Original post by asdfghjkl123456

Well it does depend on what you consider to be a 'good' uni really.

But after a quick look there are some universities offering History for ABB or less, including Kent, UEA and Hull.

Leicester offers combined History and English for ABB.

English and History are competitive courses, but have a look around at entry requirements as there will be a few.

Reply 3

asdfghjkl123456

Original post by x__justmyluck

Having medical reasons may go in your favour but it may go against you and make the uni think you won't be able to cope with a degree.

Yeah I did wonder if the impact the medical stuff had had on my studies might worry universities :confused:

Maybe if I were to emphasise that it's not as much of an issue now as it was in the past, that would explain why I had to retake year 12 without making them think it would interfere with uni.

Original post by x__justmyluck

Next time if you're too ill to sit an exam get a doctors letter to send to the exam board and they'll give you your predicted grade. That's what I did for one of my AS exams.

My exams officer told me that as I'm technically in year 12 they wouldn't view it as my 'last opportunity' to take the exam and so wouldn't award a grade for medical reasons. I guess in their view I can just retake it next year. But I mean she didn't really look into it properly and just abruptly said that as soon as I told her I couldn't come in (I think she thought I was skipping the exam on purpose to try and get a predicted grade :mad:

Reply 4

asdfghjkl123456

Original post by Zottula

Is there a chance unis would raise their grade requirements for me? I've heard some do that for people who've done retakes :s-smilie:

But if it is just a case of meeting the grade requirements then maybe I could try Queen Mary? Their requirement for English is 320 UCAS points/ABB, but maybe it'd be hard to get in there because it's a Russell Group uni.

Reply 5

username638250

Original post by asdfghjkl123456

Is there a chance unis would raise their grade requirements for me? I've heard some do that for people who've done retakes :s-smilie:

Russell Group doesn't equate to being the best necessarily; QM isn't that hard to get into on a relative scale to most of the other RGs.

Reply 6

Iazo

I did worse than you at my first shot at A Levels. I decided on results at last year that my firm choice wasn't right for me and I knew I could do better with more input from myself. I'm now resitting two exams in the coming weeks and am holding an offer from (what I consider to be) a pretty good university for history, one that definitely was out of reach a year ago with my circumstances.

Long story short, anything is possible, and ABB aren't bad grades by any stretch of the imagination. Get your personal statement looking good and you could easily get offers from some fine universities.

Reply 7

1drowssap

Original post by yl95

Russell Group doesn't equate to being the best necessarily; QM isn't that hard to get into on a relative scale to most of the other RGs.

Although I don't disagree with you on the first sentence, I have a few contentions about the second. QM's entry standard for English isn't the lowest out of the RGs.

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?g=Russell+Group&o=Entry&s=English

Reply 8

asdfghjkl123456

Thanks for all your answers, they've been really helpful :smile:

I was also wondering if my AS results that I get this August are something like an A in History, B in Sociology and D in English (due to not attending the exam), would it be worth trying to apply to unis with those? Like if I told them why I couldn't attend the AS English exam and told them I was retaking it next May? Or will I have to wait till I get my final A level grades next August, and then apply with those to attend uni in Sept 2016? I don't know if that made any sense haha

Reply 9

Zottula

Original post by asdfghjkl123456

Thanks for all your answers, they've been really helpful :smile:

If you really want to go to university next year, and if your predicted grades are high enough then it's worth a shot applying with those AS grades for History (especially if you can get an A in History this year). They'll be able to see on your UCAS form that you will be retaking, and in the reference the situation with you not attending the exam can be explained.

But if you are happy to take a gap year then that is also an option and you would have the advantage of actually knowing your A level grades which avoids the issue of low AS grades/predictions and you are judged on your actual results. A gap year can also be a really great experience.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 10

SlowlorisIncognito

Original post by asdfghjkl123456

Thanks for all your answers, they've been really helpful :smile:

There is nothing stopping you applying with your current AS results, and you have nothing to lose by applying. However, you do need to be realistic about your applications- Although you have extenuating circumstances, universities might question your ability to raise your grades massively e.g. to AAA. There is no harm in applying to some ABB/BBB level universities and seeing how they consider your application. Even if they reject you, and you get better than expected A2 results, it won't harm your chances if you decide to reapply the year after.

Your extenuating circumstances should ideally be discussed in your reference. You can mention them briefly in your personal statement, but your PS should still focus mainly on why you want to study the course you want to study. Your referee should explain why, despite your problems in sixth form, you will be capable of coping with a university course, as this may worry some universities- Most universities have lots of support available for students with MH issues, but they won't want to set you up to fail.

However, you should also consider your own ability to cope with the extra stresses of applying for uni alongside your A2s and retakes. You also might want to consider how you will cope at university- it would be a good idea to talk to student support etc at universities you are interested in before applying, as this will help you get an idea of where you feel you will be comfortable and the right kind of help will be available to you.

If you decide you want a gap year, that's not a problem. Being older isn't a problem socially, and you can spend the time improving your mental health and maybe find some work experience or something else positive to do?

Reply 11

asdfghjkl123456

Ok well it's good to know it might be an option to apply for next year :smile:

How do you think unis feel about people who apply after A2 though? Would it be seen as a good thing because you've already secured your grades? Also would unis like the fact that I self studied my A levels or would it not matter?

Sorry for asking so many questions :colondollar:

I'm just not very familiar with this stuff and you guys are really helping me understand my options :smile:

Reply 12

iBladerz

Original post by x__justmyluck

WHAT?!??!?!?!?!?! So I could pay my doctor money to get me straight A's (which is what I'm predicted)? No way..

Reply 13

Georgie_M

Just briefly mention it in your personal statement, but focus on the positive I.e. How you overcame your difficulties and are now much stronger etc. This should be concise and you should be able to say it in a line or two without any specific details of the situation - you don't want it to seem like a sob story. As long as you have a solid personal statement, predicted grades and reference then you should be absolutely fine.

Reply 14

Old_Simon

If the OP finds academic study so stressful uni might not be the best place anyway.

Reply 15

asdfghjkl123456

Original post by Georgie_M

That makes sense :smile:

I wouldn't want to labour the point too much because then they might see it as an ongoing issue that would continue to affect my studies at university. I mean it is still a problem but it doesn't interfere as much academically as it did before.

Original post by Old_Simon

If the OP finds academic study so stressful uni might not be the best place anyway.

I did rule out uni for a while, but recently things have improved and with that so have my grades and interest in studying, which has made me start to think about the possibility of uni and how I should approach it :smile:

Reply 16

x__justmyluck