The Student Room Group

Need help with Medicine contextual offers

The criteria I meet is:
Parents never went to uni
First generation to go uni
UCAT bursary
Was eligible for 16-19 bursary (but didn't know about it)
Receiving means tested benefit
African/Black

Which unis should I be looking at for contextual offers ? So many of them say that I should've done a programme in Y12 which I never even knew about back then but I was eligible for. I did well at A levels, I just need a reduction for the GCSE maths requirement.
What is your actual Maths GCSE grade? Contextual offers can mean a lot of things and even if you are eligible there's no guarantee your GCSE requirements would be lower or not scored, if that makes sense.

You will really need to go over every university's website as they all have slightly different criteria, but it sounds like you would likely meet them at many universities. While some will require you to have completed a summer school, many will also give extra points in scoring or a guaranteed interview, but not a reduced offer. That could help compensate for a lower GCSE grade as well at some schools.
Original post by becausethenight
What is your actual Maths GCSE grade? Contextual offers can mean a lot of things and even if you are eligible there's no guarantee your GCSE requirements would be lower or not scored, if that makes sense.

You will really need to go over every university's website as they all have slightly different criteria, but it sounds like you would likely meet them at many universities. While some will require you to have completed a summer school, many will also give extra points in scoring or a guaranteed interview, but not a reduced offer. That could help compensate for a lower GCSE grade as well at some schools.

Thank you for your reply! I got a 5 in Maths so I just about missed the minimum, but I got 9-7 for everything else. I got A*AA at A Level except I had to resit / do 3 years for 2 A Levels because of extenuating circumstances. So narrowing down unis that allow resits as well as lower maths GCSEs is quite hard, which is why I'm looking at contextual offers as a safety net.
Original post by stressedasff
Thank you for your reply! I got a 5 in Maths so I just about missed the minimum, but I got 9-7 for everything else. I got A*AA at A Level except I had to resit / do 3 years for 2 A Levels because of extenuating circumstances. So narrowing down unis that allow resits as well as lower maths GCSEs is quite hard, which is why I'm looking at contextual offers as a safety net.

Would you be able to resit Maths GCSE? That might just be the easiest thing to do.
It sounds like your circumstances are actually quite complicated so it may be worth emailing med schools individually to ask if you'd be acceptable - there's a list of schools that accept resits here as well: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6649138

Contextual offers may not be what you're looking for, even if you're eligible, as they often just lower the required A level grades? If you taking A levels in 3 years isn't acceptable to a school, the fact that you're contextual per se as opposed to having mit circs for having to resit won't mean they accept it, as I understand it?
Original post by becausethenight
Would you be able to resit Maths GCSE? That might just be the easiest thing to do.
It sounds like your circumstances are actually quite complicated so it may be worth emailing med schools individually to ask if you'd be acceptable - there's a list of schools that accept resits here as well: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6649138

Contextual offers may not be what you're looking for, even if you're eligible, as they often just lower the required A level grades? If you taking A levels in 3 years isn't acceptable to a school, the fact that you're contextual per se as opposed to having mit circs for having to resit won't mean they accept it, as I understand it?

I resat A levels bc of mit circs which some med schools allow but I was looking at contextual to help me get through with a low maths grade - I hope that makes more sense. So if I resit it during my gap year, can I put this on my UCAS application for 2022 entry and apply to these universities with a pending grade?
Original post by becausethenight
Would you be able to resit Maths GCSE? That might just be the easiest thing to do.
It sounds like your circumstances are actually quite complicated so it may be worth emailing med schools individually to ask if you'd be acceptable - there's a list of schools that accept resits here as well: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6649138

Contextual offers may not be what you're looking for, even if you're eligible, as they often just lower the required A level grades? If you taking A levels in 3 years isn't acceptable to a school, the fact that you're contextual per se as opposed to having mit circs for having to resit won't mean they accept it, as I understand it?

I resat A levels bc of mit circs which some med schools allow but I was looking at contextual to help me get through with a low maths grade - I hope that makes more sense. So if I resit it during my gap year, can I put this on my UCAS application for 2022 entry and apply to these universities with a pending grade?
Original post by stressedasff
I resat A levels bc of mit circs which some med schools allow but I was looking at contextual to help me get through with a low maths grade - I hope that makes more sense. So if I resit it during my gap year, can I put this on my UCAS application for 2022 entry and apply to these universities with a pending grade?

Yep, exactly!
I think that's your best bet as universities don't seem to usually reduce minimum GCSE requirements for contextual applicants, and your A levels are more than good enough anyway. Have you got teachers happy to evidence mit circs?
Original post by becausethenight
Yep, exactly!
I think that's your best bet as universities don't seem to usually reduce minimum GCSE requirements for contextual applicants, and your A levels are more than good enough anyway. Have you got teachers happy to evidence mit circs?

Yes thankfully, they are willing to help! Thank you so much for helping me clear this up !! :smile:
Original post by stressedasff
Yes thankfully, they are willing to help! Thank you so much for helping me clear this up !! :smile:

No worries! :goodluck:

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