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Son off to Uni, concerned about clearing

19 replies

sallyhill · 12/08/2014 09:06

Hello, It's my first post and I would be grateful of any help. My son is hoping to go to University this year, he's applied to Lincoln with derby as his back up. After talking a lot last night we think there's a possibility he may not get in. He has his heart set on Lincoln and is saying he might not even go to University if he doesn't get in. As much as I much love him, I really think that going to university would be what he needs. I'm not too sure about how clearing works, but would Lincoln offer him a place through clearing. All advice would be appreciated

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Four125 · 12/08/2014 09:16

The Universities already know his results now, and whether they will offer him a place.
As soon as he gets his results on Thursday he needs to get in touch with his first choice if he didn't get the grades he needed.
Universities often stay with their original offer if you are only one or two grades (or points, in fact) out.

Why do you think he won't get the marks he needs?
How far do you think he will fall short?

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 12/08/2014 09:16

It's possible. If his course asks for fairly high grades, and Lincoln runs other courses with lower grades, they might. If he looks as the prospectus he could work out whether this is likely. For example, you often find that there are different grades for, say, History on its own and History and French, or something like that.

Only issue is, even if there are places, he'd need to be really focussed because I think it is easy, in the stress of results day, to jump at anything and then find yourself doing a degree you either dislike, or you find isn't as useful as your original choice.

I'm sure others will be along who know more.

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 12/08/2014 09:17

Sorry, cross-posting with four, and I should make clear, my post applies only if he doesn't get in, including any attempt to ask them to accept lower grades for his original course. Which should of course be the first option.

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Lindor · 12/08/2014 09:23

Hi Sallyhill,

We,re in exactly the same situation with Ds. He really wants to go to his first choice (Needs ABB), but unsure as to what results will be. We're going to go into his college on Thursday morning, as staff there will be available to advise and help make phone calls. He isn't keen to take a year out to retake and improve his grades, but he won't consider other unis now, because he's heard so much good stuff about his first choice,

the joys of parenting!

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sallyhill · 12/08/2014 09:58

Thank you all for your advice. Hopefully, if he doesn't get the results he needs, it will only be by a grade which would get him into Derby. If he's close to what what his offer was, Lincoln may give him a place. Fingers crossed for thursday!

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Four125 · 12/08/2014 10:32

Good luck offspring of sally and Lindor.

sally if he is close, say ACC when Lincoln wanted ABB they really might offer him a place.
Universities need bums on seats and clearing is bothersome for them too. Better for them to offer a place to a candidate they already 'know' with lower than expected grades than to a candidate they don't.

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uiler123 · 12/08/2014 10:42

Numbers of students with grades less than ABB are capped, so it is often beneficial for a university to make up their numbers by taking extra ABB+ students on other courses rather than taking ABB- students. An ABB- student can still get a place, but universities will need to look at their quotas for ABB-, possible financial penalties for exceeding their quotas, and balance these against filling places on available courses.

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sallyhill · 12/08/2014 11:27

He needs ABB to get onto his course and there was only one subject he is unsure about, so may go down to 300 points. I've just found on Lincoln's website that they are having a q&a tomorrow afternoon so I'm going to send in my list of questions to them.

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badgerhead · 12/08/2014 13:19

My dd started at Lincoln last year with slightly different grades/points to what they wanted & had no problem getting in. I see that they already have a list of subjects which are going to be in clearing, so if his one of those I would say he has a good chance as long as he is close on his grades.
Good luck to him, dd1 is loving it there, & her fiance (husband as from next Saturday, eek!) starts there in September as well studying MEng. Grin

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sallyhill · 12/08/2014 15:18

Thank you all for your help. We live not far from the university and i've always held it in high regard. It would be great for him to get in as its the only place in the country that does this course, so we're really hoping he gets the grades. I'll have another look over their website. There's a phone number for clearing already on there, I may give them a ring.

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purplepenguin86 · 13/08/2014 02:48

May I suggest that communication with the university should be done by the future student rather than the parent. Universities want motivated, keen students, and I can't imagine that calls from parents would be helpful.

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TeenageMutantNinjaTurtle · 13/08/2014 04:49

I agree with penguin! I have worked on a clearing helpline and we didn't talk to parents... The student should be the one phoning.

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sallyhill · 13/08/2014 09:01

I shall get him to get in touch with them. He's a bit shy, but he needs to start getting into the habit of being more independent. Thank you all for your help

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Mrsgrumble · 13/08/2014 09:07

I would encourage him to ring. He is not at secondary school anymore.

Best of luck to him.

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CatherineofMumbles · 13/08/2014 09:11

Thinking of you tomorrow - very best of luck. And to think the toddler years seemed tough....

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UptheChimney · 13/08/2014 11:30

He's a bit shy, but he needs to start getting into the habit of being more independent

By all means rehearse it with him at home, but he needs to make the call! But really, why not leave it until tomorrow? If they have space, & they made him an offer, and he's close to it, in all likelihood they will still confirm the offer.

Committed students who make a degree course their first choice, but who miss their offer by a grade (particularly in a non-related subject) are often a far better bet than random students through adjustment or clearing.

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sallyhill · 13/08/2014 13:36

He's got a list of questions ready for tomorrow in case he needs them. Hopefully all this will just us being over prepared!

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sallyhill · 13/08/2014 17:52

Hi all, just noticed noticed in the guardian, a professor from Lincoln has done an article about how to be a parent during clearing! www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jul/31/perfect-parent-on-a-level-results-day?CMP=twt_gu I think I may have gone against most of these points already and its not even results day yet!

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PumpkinPie2013 · 15/08/2014 10:47

How did it go?

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