How can a university accept me if I don't make the grades?

Hi,

I'm just wondering how this works as I've seen people get into universities with lower grades than required.

I'm just a bit baffled as to how that works, because surely the day before results day when you see the universities either confirming or declining your place on UCAS, if you don't make the grades - they decline you?

Yet some get in with ABB for a university where the entry requirements are AAA.

Please advise,

Thanks.

Reply 1

black1blade

It depends how many places there are available. Say if they have 500 places and gave out 1000 offers but only 400 people actually get the grades, then they'll accept the 100 people who's grades are closest to the requirements :smile:

Reply 2

username853993

Original post by The1AndOnly1

If they still have places left once they have confirmed everyone who met the grades (which is common for most subjects) they then just take people who missed by one/two grades until they have filled the course. more students = more money

Also most universities use grade inflation as they know that students are encouraged to put the highest offer as their firm so they want to make the highest offer they can within reason to compete with other unis offers. So while a course may ask for AAA they in reality will pretty much always take AAB and in some cases ABB (most unis do this, only the super competitive courses/unis dont)

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 3

username2694731

Original post by The1AndOnly1

You won't see if you're in or not until results day, but Unis can choose whether to accept or decline people who've missed their offers, and it's not automatic- they get results a bit under a week before results day and then pulse decisions onto UCAS when it's shut down for results

Reply 4

The1AndOnly1

Original post by madmadmax321

So how does it work? Do you have to call them on results day or they confirm your place the day before?

Reply 5

emigla

it very much depends on how other people did in their a levels and the amount of uni spaces available in a a particular year. for example if nationally all a level results dipped then unis are more likely to accept people who didn't quite get the grades because otherwise they wouldnt have ebough students! when applying do not rely on this though to get into your chosen uni

Reply 6

username853993

Original post by The1AndOnly1

So how does it work? Do you have to call them on results day or they confirm your place the day before?

if they are your firm/insurance they will either have accepted you or rejected you by the morning of results day (you find out via ucas track), no need to ring as if they rejected you they dont want you with the grades you got (assuming you missed your offer that is)

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 7

username2694731

Original post by The1AndOnly1

So how does it work? Do you have to call them on results day or they confirm your place the day before?

Magic, they update the Live UCAS database- which on results day updates Track

Reply 8

The1AndOnly1

Original post by DreamlinerFinder

Aaaaahhh, so you'll see it on UCAS

Reply 9

Paulington

As others have said, if they give out 200 offers of AAA, but only 50 people get AAA then they will start going down the list and inviting the AABs, then the ABBs, then the BBBs etc until they have filled up that cohort.

Plus, not everything is academic. My university (Bristol) puts a huge amount of weight on personal statement/interview, so if your grades are one or two grades below the standard offer but your personal statement and extracurriculars are amazing, you might still get in.

Just try and get the absolute highest grades you can, that's a good first step. :smile:

Reply 10

DrawTheLine

Original post by The1AndOnly1

So how does it work? Do you have to call them on results day or they confirm your place the day before?

You log on to UCAS Track and it'll tell you around 8am on results day if your place at your first choice uni has been confirmed or not. You find out if you've gotten in before you find out your grades.

Reply 11

username2694731

Original post by The1AndOnly1

Aaaaahhh, so you'll see it on UCAS

Track updates 8amish on results day

Reply 12

R2Ritu

Ok but I'm only speaking for international students here and I'm not entirely sure on this either but just sharing it. I had the exact same thing happen to me. I was fit for my Insurance but not my Firm. On results day, I did not get any notice, not by email, not by UCAS. I wrote to my Firm choice too in case their decision could be reconsidered with no immediate response. I later found out some students had results coming out ten days after mine, that is when UCAS said I was accepted at my firm choice. This baffled me and to some point I thought I was a very special sweet little cookie my uni couldn't afford to lose so I dug into the matter and found universities have a quota of how many local and international students they take. I don't know about other countries, but for UK, residents pay £9000 per year but international students have a much higher fee status usually. This lead me to the sordid conclusion that my university accepted me to allow themselves their annual budget. Possibly there were local candidates better suited for this position but they would not be paying as much. That being said, the only other possible alternatives I can think of include most applicants getting lower grades than expected or the university may have been the Insurance choice for some who do not attend so there are vacancies. Either ways it is not too unusual.