Hey, you've obviously had to tell a lot of people that UMS isn't the be all and end all, and I don't want to add to that... but... Well, I won't ask you to consider if my average UMS is good enough, but maybe if I am a bit more detailed as it's the application in its entirety which is considered. I want to apply for (Biological) Natural Sciences.
GCSE: 12 A*, 2 A
AS Maths, A, 270/300, 90%:
C1 87, C2 90, S1 93
AS Further Maths, A, 269/300, 89.7%:
FP1 84, M1 93, D1 92
AS Biology, A, 288/300, 96%:
Units 1 and 2 both 100%, Practical 48/60
AS Chemistry, A. 260/300, 86.7%:
Unit 1 84/100, Unit 2 128/140, Practical 48/60
AS Physics, A, 245/300, 81.7%:
Unit 1 104/120, Unit 2 96/120, Practical 45/60
So that gives me an average overall of 88.8%, best 3 91.9%, best 3 with maths combined 90.5%.
Honestly, I can't tell if this makes me a good candidate or just a "realistic" candidate. Am I likely to get an interview based on these figures? Where would I be in terms of applicants, around average? I just feel very unsure, like I'm on the borderline. I do also have some contextual flags too - the area that I am from has a very low rate of progression to university, and that said, the school that I did my GCSEs at was the worst in the city in terms of GCSE grades, and in special measures, with frequent teacher changes and Ofsted inspections. None of my family have ever been to university, either.
I also believe that the maths modules taken matter too, right? I have taken the "easier" modules, i.e. D1 instead of M2, but unfortunately this was the only route offered by my sixth form. Will I be penalised, or am I to include this in my application somehow so that it can be considered?
Also, I'm confused about the kind of thing that warrants sending an extenuating circumstances form off for. In the month before exam season, my sister was taken to hospital, and then moved many miles away to a more equipped hospital, and she has only left hospital just over a week ago. A few weeks before my exams, she gave birth extremely prematurely at 25 weeks. After that point, a lot of my time and my family's time was spent with the baby in neonatal intensive care, and it took its toll on my family, as my father became depressed, and my mother struggled to cope. I do think all this effected my grades, in mock exams and past papers I was getting near 100% consistently in Chemistry Unit 1, for example, but the night before that exam, I had spent almost entirely at the hospital in what I would call a "critical" time for my nephew. On several occasions, my parents would argue because of the stress of the situation, I would leave the house to avoid it. To say the least, it wasn't a good atmosphere to study in, and I felt distracted, depressed, tired, and frankly like crap during certain exams.
My problem is, I don't know if that's the kind of thing an ECF is supposed to be for, or if it's more that you missed a lot of school because you yourself became seriously ill, and with a doctors note to prove it. I'm not sure if I should bother including my circumstances, or whether they're not "bad enough", or who I can get to prove that this was my situation at the time. It just upsets me, because I know I would've done better if things had transpired differently. Anyway, sorry if I gave more information than necessary.
Edit: Holy cow, sorry for the wall of text... I am full of questions I guess!