Applying for uni with grades already.

Harry190207

Hello

I completed my Alevels this year and achieved BBB with no EPQ. How would this work with applying to Unis? I’m used to everyone applying and receiving offers before grades. I presume I wouldn’t be able to apply for a course ABB with my grades as I already have them even if they’ve accepted BBB in the past on results day, or would the uni be open to this as I already have my physical grades?

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

ageshallnot

Original post

by Harry190207

Hello
I completed my Alevels this year and achieved BBB with no EPQ. How would this work with applying to Unis? I’m used to everyone applying and receiving offers before grades. I presume I wouldn’t be able to apply for a course ABB with my grades as I already have them even if they’ve accepted BBB in the past on results day, or would the uni be open to this as I already have my physical grades?
Thanks :smile:

Yes, it's perfectly reasonable to apply to one (or two) unis asking for ABB, especially if they have a history of accepting those grades in the past.

Try applying to your favourite ABB uni and a couple of BBB (or lower) unis initially. If the former accept you then it's job done. Hopefully you will also receive decisions from the others reasonably quickly. You can then decide at what level to pitch your other choices, should you need them.

Reply 2

McGinger

You can apply to ABB courses - but just be prepared for No.

Reply 3

Scotland Yard

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Harry190207

Hello
I completed my Alevels this year and achieved BBB with no EPQ. How would this work with applying to Unis? I’m used to everyone applying and receiving offers before grades. I presume I wouldn’t be able to apply for a course ABB with my grades as I already have them even if they’ve accepted BBB in the past on results day, or would the uni be open to this as I already have my physical grades?
Thanks :smile:

As above, you can try but you might not succeed.

UCAS now very handily includes A-level data on each course page, near the bottom, detailing what are the average grades that people on the course have, which I find is a very useful tool to decide where to go. There are a fair amount of places that the average A-level performance of the people that end up on the course is one or two grades below the entry requirements, those might be good places to apply to.

Reply 4

McGinger

Original post

by Scotland Yard

As above, you can try but you might not succeed.
UCAS now very handily includes A-level data on each course page, near the bottom, detailing what are the average grades that people on the course have, which I find is a very useful tool to decide where to go. There are a fair amount of places that the average A-level performance of the people that end up on the course is one or two grades below the entry requirements, those might be good places to apply to.

These UCAS stats are misleading - they are the grades that applicants were accepted with in August, not the grades they applied with, and they can never tell you if you will be accepted with these grades in a totally different year. Not reliable.

Reply 5

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

The usual guidance for applying to one or two aspirational choices still applies. Having achieved grades doesn't make a huge difference.

Reply 6

Scotland Yard

Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by McGinger

I saw you called me out on this elsewhere but only after I posted here. My bad! I'll be more mindful in the future.

But, I'd still argue that those universities that have shown some leniency in August are probably better aspirational choices than those that haven't? You're one of the most knowledgeable people here about uni admissions so I would really value your thoughts on this.

Reply 7

McGinger

Original post

by Scotland Yard

I saw you called me out on this elsewhere but only after I posted here. My bad! I'll be more mindful in the future.
But, I'd still argue that those universities that have shown some leniency in August are probably better aspirational choices than those that haven't? You're one of the most knowledgeable people here about uni admissions so I would really value your thoughts on this.

Its not a reliable way to make Uni course choices. There are so many caveats to be applied to these UCAS stats that their publication is, and always has been, essentially pointless - they are UCAS data-marketing twaddle and not something any Universities have ever requested. The advice note from @Admit-One about having one or at best two 'above' choices is the most sensible, and one that you will hear from most folk here who are actually involved in University admissions.

Reply 8

ringi

You can email universities and/or go to open days and ask them if they will consider you with your grades. Any addation experience you have that relates to the course and what you are doing this year may effect their answer.

(Some universities/couses will like a retake of an A level, others will only look at grades from 1st attempt.)