The Student Room Group

Missed my offer as an international student - resit?

I applied to university as an international student, but I’ve been studying at a private school in the UK for the past few years. I was predicted A*A*A in geography, biology and chemistry. I ended up opening my results to see A*BB. I was extremely shocked and disappointed as I‘ve consistently been working at an A*-A for the past 2 years. I had chemistry and biology sent off to be remarked/reviewed because for biology I was 1 mark off the grade boundary for an A, and for chemistry I was only 2 marks off an A as well. I sent all three bio papers and paper 1 and 3 for chemistry. My chemistry remark has come back and my mark even went down. I now need 3 marks to even secure an A, so I’ve sent my paper 2 off the be remarked even though it was my best paper, just in case it can do anything for me at all. Biology hasn’t come back yet. I feel completely defeated because I was hoping to reapply to schools such as KCL, UCL and Imperial, but if I can’t even secure all As then I’m not really sure it would be worth it to reapply. I would want to resit, but I’ve read up and from what I know, resitting could make my application less competitive (especially as an international student - because of how oversaturated it can be), and that adds onto my lack of direction right now because I don’t know what’s the right choice. If anyone, especially any intl students could offer some advice or share their experiences if they’ve gone through anything similar - with reviews of marking, with the London unis, resits, etc, I would really appreciate it.
Original post by jl2005_
I applied to university as an international student, but I’ve been studying at a private school in the UK for the past few years. I was predicted A*A*A in geography, biology and chemistry. I ended up opening my results to see A*BB. I was extremely shocked and disappointed as I‘ve consistently been working at an A*-A for the past 2 years. I had chemistry and biology sent off to be remarked/reviewed because for biology I was 1 mark off the grade boundary for an A, and for chemistry I was only 2 marks off an A as well. I sent all three bio papers and paper 1 and 3 for chemistry. My chemistry remark has come back and my mark even went down. I now need 3 marks to even secure an A, so I’ve sent my paper 2 off the be remarked even though it was my best paper, just in case it can do anything for me at all. Biology hasn’t come back yet. I feel completely defeated because I was hoping to reapply to schools such as KCL, UCL and Imperial, but if I can’t even secure all As then I’m not really sure it would be worth it to reapply. I would want to resit, but I’ve read up and from what I know, resitting could make my application less competitive (especially as an international student - because of how oversaturated it can be), and that adds onto my lack of direction right now because I don’t know what’s the right choice. If anyone, especially any intl students could offer some advice or share their experiences if they’ve gone through anything similar - with reviews of marking, with the London unis, resits, etc, I would really appreciate it.

Have you let the unis know you are having a remark??
Reply 2
Original post by mesub
Have you let the unis know you are having a remark??


Yes, I have let my uni know. But I’m more interested in reapplying to other unis.
Original post by jl2005_
Yes, I have let my uni know. But I’m more interested in reapplying to other unis.

Reapplying or applying through clearing?
Reply 4
Original post by mesub
Reapplying or applying through clearing?


Reapplying. I have an offer from clearing but frankly it’s at a university I’m not keen on going to, I spoke to them out of obligation for my parents.
Original post by jl2005_
Reapplying. I have an offer from clearing but frankly it’s at a university I’m not keen on going to, I spoke to them out of obligation for my parents.


Okay, let's wait for the remark and see what happens (unless you're really not keen on going to your firm/insurance)
Reply 6
Original post by mesub
Okay, let's wait for the remark and see what happens (unless you're really not keen on going to your firm/insurance)


Really not keen on going there. The clearing offer was from my firm, but for a course with a lower requirement. I was rejected from all my top choices this year, so I just put down my firm for the sake of having something there. I’m just trying to decide what the best course of action would be considering I want to reapply to UCL/KCL/Imperial etc
@PQ @Admit-One Could you offer any advice here please?
There’s a lot of really great universities outside London. Is there a particular reason you’re looking at London only?

What is it you’re hoping to study?
Reply 9
There’s a lot of really great universities outside London. Is there a particular reason you’re looking at London only?
What is it you’re hoping to study?


The opportunities/connections available, prestige, as someone who lives abroad these universities are very well known. I’ll have better access to good opportunities both in my home country (internships, etc) and in London. It’s also just a matter of preference, I’ve lived in the UK as a student for many years and most of the time whenever I wasn’t at school I was in London, so I wouldn’t have to worry about accommodation/settling in as I have friends and family living there. I’m studying biology/biological sciences
Have you tried to do a foundation year?
Original post by jl2005_
I applied to university as an international student, but I’ve been studying at a private school in the UK for the past few years. I was predicted A*A*A in geography, biology and chemistry. I ended up opening my results to see A*BB. I was extremely shocked and disappointed as I‘ve consistently been working at an A*-A for the past 2 years. I had chemistry and biology sent off to be remarked/reviewed because for biology I was 1 mark off the grade boundary for an A, and for chemistry I was only 2 marks off an A as well. I sent all three bio papers and paper 1 and 3 for chemistry. My chemistry remark has come back and my mark even went down. I now need 3 marks to even secure an A, so I’ve sent my paper 2 off the be remarked even though it was my best paper, just in case it can do anything for me at all. Biology hasn’t come back yet. I feel completely defeated because I was hoping to reapply to schools such as KCL, UCL and Imperial, but if I can’t even secure all As then I’m not really sure it would be worth it to reapply. I would want to resit, but I’ve read up and from what I know, resitting could make my application less competitive (especially as an international student - because of how oversaturated it can be), and that adds onto my lack of direction right now because I don’t know what’s the right choice. If anyone, especially any intl students could offer some advice or share their experiences if they’ve gone through anything similar - with reviews of marking, with the London unis, resits, etc, I would really appreciate it.


Why don’t you just look at the „easier“ courses in ucl and the other unis they have different acceptance rates and different grade boundaries ucl for example has if I remember correctly a few courses in the ABB range. Hope it helped a bit… Good luck!!

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