Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

1 2 3 4

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Higher education

A level results day

77 replies

Lasteleven · 03/08/2019 18:23

I’ve read on here that the UCAS track is sometimes updated on the morning of results day, so some students know whether or not they got their place before collecting results. I wondered if those with older dcs can clarify a couple of things.

Is it all, most or just a few students whose track will be updated? I’m not sure if dd should expect to see this or be worried if nothing shows when she logs in?

Is this just for automatic acceptance, I.e. where a student met or exceeded an offer, so presumably no need for someone in the uni to make any decision? Or might some decision-making have happened e.g. if a student dropped one grade but was still accepted. When would the student know in this type of situation, and how long before they are passed on to the insurance choice or clearing?

OP posts:

Report

LIZS · 03/08/2019 18:31

Some unis/departments are quicker than others, relatively few candidates will know by 8am but it is possible.
Unis get results a day or so ahead so could well have made individual decisions on borderline offer grade misses or been tolerant if course undersubscribed/in clearing.

Groovee · 03/08/2019 18:36

Last year my DD's UCAS was updated on the 2nd of August but she hadn't checked it. As we're scotland the SQA must have given them the results then. She couldn't log in until 9am though as her results came through at 8am.

Sunndowne · 03/08/2019 18:37

My experience is that most students know on track their uni result by 8am. My 2 learnt a few mins before. A level results came later on e school was open.
This seems true of my students too. Good luck

Marmie4 · 03/08/2019 18:40

My DS found out about 7.45, he found out he was in his first choice before he saw his results, made collecting results a lot less stressful.

Pebbles574 · 03/08/2019 18:51

Mine found out on track as we were leaving the house to go to school. It was stressful as he'd dropped and grade and missed his first choice but the uni offered him a different (vaguely related) course instead. But this wasn't explained - it just said Uni X confirms their offer for XYZ, so he was confused.

DH was VERY unhelpful as he hadn't been involved in the UCAS process with DS at ALL (I'd done all the hand-holding etc) but waded in saying "oh, there's clearly been a mistake - let's get to the school and sort it out!" I guessed what might have happened and was giving him dagger looks to shut up.

If your school opens early (e.g. 7 am) my strong recommendation would be to get there for the opening. That way, you'll get the results and know exactly what to expect. Also, if your DC has missed grades etc you will be able to make a dignified and quick exit back home to start making phonecalls and look at 2nd preferences / clearing etc.

It's horrible for them if they miss their grades and they have to plough through hoardes of their friends who are celebrating/ being photographed etc .

(For the record, DS rejected the alternative course and went to his reserve and is very happy, so don't panic if all doesn't quite go to plan!)

Sunndowne · 03/08/2019 19:00

Nice advice pebbles. Agree
But many schools won't open until 9 or 10. In that case, I'd consider calling firm and insurance and get DC to reiterate their dedication to course and ask if they would consider or reconsider. Be an early bird- it can help. Know a pupil who got first choice after phone call and a dropped grade. Did before school

titchy · 03/08/2019 20:02

It's ALWAYS updated the morning of results day! VERY occasionally it still shows the firm as conditional - but that's either because the uni is still considering the applicant - rare and bad practice so late, or because there remains a condition to be met - E.g. Maths GCSE.

Universities get the results next Friday so they spend a few days considering whether to take the near misses. Any they don't take are then released and go to the insurance for them to either accept automatically, or again consider if near miss.

Danglingmod · 03/08/2019 20:06

I've known lots of students drop grades in the last couple of years but still have track show place confirmed only for them to arrive at school and find out they'd got lower grades. Obviously, didn't matter for acceptance on to their course but still a bit of comedown on arrival at school.

Indicative · 03/08/2019 20:16

DSS saw at 6am he had been accepted at his INSURANCE place so knew he hadn't made his firm. Indeed he had missed his insurance grade by a grade too so it was nice to collect results with the knowledge he was already accepted.

Lasteleven · 03/08/2019 21:28

Thanks for all the replies - very helpful. I think dd’s school opens at 10 on results day, so I was hoping there would be a chance she’d know already if her place was confirmed or not. She is worried about opening the envelope and having to deal with possible disappointment in public.

It sounds like some of you went with your dcs to collect results? Is that usual? I was planning to work from home so will be on hand, but am hoping I won’t be needed.

OP posts:

Mykingdomforanickname · 03/08/2019 23:06

Would be grateful for clarification of a couple of points: (a) does the insurance choice only get asked to make a decision if the firm choice has made a decision not to accept the student? So if Track says you've been accepted by your insurance choice, it's effectively telling you you've been unsuccessful with your firm? (b) If you are unsuccessful in obtaining a place at your firm choice, will your insurance choice normally have updated Track with its decision by 8am on Results Day?

LIZS · 03/08/2019 23:10

a) yes, believe so b) not necessarily. Lots of unis only so during the course of the day, especially if the insurance offer has not been met.

Leeds2 · 03/08/2019 23:28

My DD didn't apply to uni in the UK, but found out her results from an email from her school. She didn't go into school at all, and I think most that did were girls who hadn't got whatever grades they needed so wanted some help.
I know a few DC who found out from UCAS that they had been accepted into their first, or insurance, choice but didn't at that point know their grades. I do know of one or two who were accepted into their first choice, assumed that they had met their offer and were then disappointed to find out that they hadn't (albeit had still got in with dropped grade(s)).

pumpkinpie01 · 03/08/2019 23:36

@Leeds2 that's exactly what happened to my DS , he was quite disappointed when he collected his results , but obviously relieved he had still got on his chosen course.

Mykingdomforanickname · 03/08/2019 23:49

LIZS, thanks for that.

In the scenario where you haven't made the grades for either choice, but the insurance is not yet showing a decision in Track, is there any merit in phoning up the insurance choice and letting them know you are keen to do their course?

Sunndowne · 04/08/2019 05:26

Yes. Call insurance or firm uni early. If they have a space, they can often be persuaded. Low birth rate year, so few more available places this year.

titchy · 04/08/2019 10:27

Insurance only gets to consider the applicant once the firm has rejected them, so if insurance shows as unconditional in Track no point phoning the firm as they've already considered them.

If no decision shows in track then yes, get on the phone ASAP - it's a bit naughty not to have made a decision by Thursday actually - they've had the results to think about for six days, although if it's the insurance that's still deciding it might be that the firm rejected them very late in the day.

Have a plan B, and C, ready by 7am - look at clearing lists on ucas the day before, check websites for likely clearing grades needed, make a list of phone numbers and the time the clearing lines open, have results to hand as soon as possible, have ucas id ready.

As an aside applicants with unconditionals on track can now self release, rather than having to wait for their university to release them. Should make life easier for those who do better than expected and are eligible for adjustment.

Sunndowne · 04/08/2019 12:43

I know a student at a top 5 uni who missed her grades by one. She didn't get in so she called them. They decided to offer her a place after all. She rang early. Fairly rare but does happen.

Malbecfan · 04/08/2019 14:39

DD1 knew she had met her Cambridge offer just after 7.30 am on results day via UCAS track. Going into school was quite nice. We both went with her. I teach in the school so it was lovely for me to see her friends/my former students and share their success.

DD2 gets her results on 15th. She has an unconditional offer, so won't know her results until we get to school. I'll drive her in so I can park in the staff spaces.

One of DD1's friends missed her firm choice by 3 grades and insurance by 2. She started ringing round and on the insistence of her mum, called her firm choice. They called her back later in the day to offer her a place. In her 2nd year exams there, she achieved a first, so they must have seen something in her. This is a highly regarded institution on a par with Oxbridge.

Puzzledmum · 05/08/2019 18:48

If DC has narrowly missed for the firm, who do they call on the day, please? Where do you get the number you need to call from? Is it admissions you need to call or the actual department? Would the uni have a dedicated line for this?

Puzzledmum · 05/08/2019 18:48

If DC has narrowly missed for the firm, who do they call on the day, please? Where do you get the number you need to call from? Is it admissions you need to call or the actual department? Would the uni have a dedicated line for this?

Puzzledmum · 05/08/2019 18:48

If DC has narrowly missed for the firm, who do they call on the day, please? Where do you get the number you need to call from? Is it admissions you need to call or the actual department? Would the uni have a dedicated line for this?

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Puzzledmum · 05/08/2019 18:48

If DC has narrowly missed for the firm, who do they call on the day, please? Where do you get the number you need to call from? Is it admissions you need to call or the actual department? Would the uni have a dedicated line for this?

Puzzledmum · 05/08/2019 18:49

If DC has narrowly missed for the firm, who do they call on the day, please? Where do you get the number you need to call from? Is it admissions you need to call or the actual department? Would the uni have a dedicated line for this?

Puzzledmum · 05/08/2019 18:49

If DC has narrowly missed for the firm, who do they call on the day, please? Where do you get the number you need to call from? Is it admissions you need to call or the actual department? Would the uni have a dedicated line for this?

Flip

1 2 3 4

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.