I got AAB, I need atleast AAA. Any advice?
so I got an AAB in my alevels (B in chem) and I need an AAA.. I'm really disappointed and I'm hoping to apply to med this cycle for sept 2025 entry. How would anyone recommend going about this? I've got 2 options:
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Do you know your mark? If you don’t, email your teachers for a mark breakdown. Grade boundaries have been released so if you are narrowly missing, it may be worth remarking.
Original post by greentiger
Do you know your mark? If you don’t, email your teachers for a mark breakdown. Grade boundaries have been released so if you are narrowly missing, it may be worth remarking.
unfortunately im too far off an A .. I'm right between and A and B. ☹️
Original post by MonMargo
so I got an AAB in my alevels (B in chem) and I need an AAA.. I'm really disappointed and I'm hoping to apply to med this cycle for sept 2025 entry. How would anyone recommend going about this? I've got 2 options:
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Gap year, resit and reapply. There are more med schools accepting resits than accept AAB without contextual flags. SOme may want an A* in the resat subject, but not all. You apply in Oct with both an achieved and a pending chem grade
Original post by MonMargo
so I got an AAB in my alevels (B in chem) and I need an AAA.. I'm really disappointed and I'm hoping to apply to med this cycle for sept 2025 entry. How would anyone recommend going about this? I've got 2 options:
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
If I were in this situation I would just apply for AAB med schools. For medicine the standard level of teaching has to be around the same for every university because they need to be able to teach actually qualified doctors. So you will still learn the right stuff and the course won't be much worse than at higher grade unis. As well as this I would say if you want to apply to universities and resit Chem, check if they allow resits because many universities do not allow this aside from extenuating circumstances.
Original post by ellawheeler
If I were in this situation I would just apply for AAB med schools. For medicine the standard level of teaching has to be around the same for every university because they need to be able to teach actually qualified doctors. So you will still learn the right stuff and the course won't be much worse than at higher grade unis. As well as this I would say if you want to apply to universities and resit Chem, check if they allow resits because many universities do not allow this aside from extenuating circumstances.
How many med schools accept AAB without contextual flags?
Original post by GANFYD
How many med schools accept AAB without contextual flags?
There are a couple,
Buckingham
Hull
Kent and Medway
Plymouth
Lancashire
And some others probably
Original post by ellawheeler
There are a couple,
Buckingham
Hull
Kent and Medway
Plymouth
Lancashire
And some others probably
Buckingham
Hull
Kent and Medway
Plymouth
Lancashire
And some others probably
Really? Without contextual/WP flags?
KMMS is the only standard entry that will accept AAB for 2025 entry
Except Buckingham, which is £40K a year fees
Original post by GANFYD
Gap year, resit and reapply. There are more med schools accepting resits than accept AAB without contextual flags. SOme may want an A* in the resat subject, but not all. You apply in Oct with both an achieved and a pending chem grade
@MonMargo ^^ this is the best advice given by the TSR medicine application's GOAT. Heed it.
The idea of resitting is daunting I know. But many do it every year. GANFYD maintains a which Unis allow resits thread, and there are gap year / resit retake threads to maintain momentum. It may feel like you are alone, but I can assure you, you aren't. Esp with pesky Chem !
Book and prep for your UCAT and aim for as high as you can to keep your options open.
Congratulations on your grades. You may not feel like it, but celebrate them. You've done so well.
You will find next year that resitting chem.is easier because you already know quite a lot of it. This allows you to consolidate your knowledge and focus on the bits you didn't quite get last time around. It will take effort, and you will probs want to strive for an A* BUT it's not like learning it from scratch.
Also many people find applying to medicine a second time much easier too. More stuff to reflect on, and more familiarity with the process second time around. Lots of people do very well (if they apply strategically) second time around.
Good luck.
(edited 1 month ago)
How about looking at other degree courses? You might find something else other than med appealing
Original post by MonMargo
so I got an AAB in my alevels (B in chem) and I need an AAA.. I'm really disappointed and I'm hoping to apply to med this cycle for sept 2025 entry. How would anyone recommend going about this? I've got 2 options:
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Hi
I saw a suggestion just to apply to other med related courses like bioscience I assume. Don’t do this because you are settling and at 9k a year this won’t serve you well. Resit your chem aim for A*. Also take a year out do some work experience and get ready for the interviews. Also check in with the schools if they accept resits. That’s important.
Original post by MonMargo
so I got an AAB in my alevels (B in chem) and I need an AAA.. I'm really disappointed and I'm hoping to apply to med this cycle for sept 2025 entry. How would anyone recommend going about this? I've got 2 options:
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Option 1 :
Apply to AAB med schools (limited options tho) such as Kent and Medway, Lincoln etc and hope for the best.
Option 2 :
I apply for a private resit with a private college this September, receive a predicted A/A* in chem (with a private tutor/school) - which lifts my grades to atleast an AAA , and then apply to unis this September with a predicted A in chem and achieved AA in bio and geography. This option might allow me have a stronger application and would give me more options to apply. Then I would hopefully achieve an A in chem next year and get accepted.
My question is that:
First off, is that even allowed? and secondly would I be at a disadvantage if uni's see this? I know that some unis allow resits, --if the first attempt was atleast an AAB-- but I'd appreciate any advice on how to go about it.I don't want to apply to 2026 entry because I'd rather not waste another year when I'm already taking a gap! Would it be wise to do this? Application deadline is mid October and I'm not sure what my next move should be. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Edit: I also don't qualify for contextual offers, I only qualify as low income household but I think contextual requires more conditions.. So I'm not eligible for widening participation etc
Hi there!
Please don't be too disappointed with these grades as they are brilliant! If you're planning on taking a year out anyway to reapply, you could always apply to a range of universities (e.g. some AAA and some AAB ones) whilst you're resitting and see what happens!
It is worth reaching out to universities as some will accept resits and some won't and it is best to check this before you apply!
Finally, I would try and attend some open days so you can have a chat to the staff there about your situation! If you are local to Preston then we have an open day tomorrow that you could pop along to!
I hope this advice helps,
-Rebecca, UCLan
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