Lower Grade Than Offer on Results Day

Can anyone attest to getting a lower grade or two than their offer on results day and still getting accepted to a Russel group uni (or particularly Kings) for a niche course?

Reply 1

RM-UK

Original post

by compliant-castaw

Can anyone attest to getting a lower grade or two than their offer on results day and still getting accepted to a Russel group uni (or particularly Kings) for a niche course?

Universities are usually quite strict about their offer grades regardless of subject, some may even withdraw if the points are the same but the grades different (AAC instead of ABB, perhaps because the C was the key subject).

If you miss your grades the offer is usually withdrawn and flips to your back up, provided you meet those grade requirements.

If you miss all grade requirements and all offers are withdrawn, you can:

•

Use Clearing to find a place on a course with space (where others have lost their space).

•

Take a gap year and apply this autumn; you'll receive unconditional offers as you already have grades.

Good luck!

Reply 2

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post

by compliant-castaw

Can anyone attest to getting a lower grade or two than their offer on results day and still getting accepted to a Russel group uni (or particularly Kings) for a niche course?

It works like this. Universities get A level grades a few days before candidates. This enables them to work out how full their courses are.

If a course is full, then fine, no further action is required, they will reject all the 'near miss' candidates and no amount of ringing etc will change that.

If a course has a few spaces left, then they look at the near miss candidates and see if they want to take any of them. Usually then will fill with the nearest near misses. These candidates, depending on how the emails/post/updates work on results day, might see they missed their grades, but then see they've been accepted, or they might see they've been accepted, but then find they missed their grades, but they are already accepted as near misses.

Then there are courses where there are a lot of spaces and not enough 'near miss' applicants, or the uni would rather open up applications again, and they go in to clearing and offer the course there.

Basically, if on results day you miss your offer grades AND don't get your confirmed place, start working a different course plan. Don't waste time pleading with your original first choice, because they've already had 2-3 days to think about it.

RG or not doesn't make any difference in the basic options, except they tend to have fewer courses that fall short sufficiently to go into Clearing.

Reply 3

McGinger

Original post

by SiberianLIGER

If you only miss by a small margin, then I suggest that you immediately call the admissions office at your chosen uni to ask if they can still offer you a place. It's important that you act quickly because there will be many others doing the same. If your school has a HE advisor, then you may want to have them with you as you call.
It happens every year that a student narrowly misses their condition but is still accepted to the course, even for Russel group unis. If you do not call them they will not hold your place.

Please DO NOT phone any Admissions number on Results Day.
The decision is final and pleading will just get you another big fat NO to add to your misery.

Reply 4

McGinger

Original post

by threeportdrift

It works like this. Universities get A level grades a few days before candidates. This enables them to work out how full their courses are.
If a course is full, then fine, no further action is required, they will reject all the 'near miss' candidates and no amount of ringing etc will change that.
If a course has a few spaces left, then they look at the near miss candidates and see if they want to take any of them. Usually then will fill with the nearest near misses. These candidates, depending on how the emails/post/updates work on results day, might see they missed their grades, but then see they've been accepted, or they might see they've been accepted, but then find they missed their grades, but they are already accepted as near misses.
Then there are courses where there are a lot of spaces and not enough 'near miss' applicants, or the uni would rather open up applications again, and they go in to clearing and offer the course there.
Basically, if on results day you miss your offer grades AND don't get your confirmed place, start working a different course plan. Don't waste time pleading with your original first choice, because they've already had 2-3 days to think about it.
RG or not doesn't make any difference in the basic options, except they tend to have fewer courses that fall short sufficiently to go into Clearing.