Help - university have rejected dd's request for deferral

[twosoups1972]

Dd was unwell in Year 13 with anxiety/depression. She was studying 3 A Levels and a BTEC and after some time at home getting well, she decided to just sit one A Level this year (English) and continue with the BTEC.

Her first choice of university (Birmingham) gave her an offer of an A in English and DDM for the BTEC. She got DDD* for the BTEC and a C in English which she was disappointed with, but Birmingham made the offer unconditional a few days before A Level results came out.

Dd really wants the place but doesn't want to go this year for 2 reasons - she doesn't feel ready especially after being ill, and secondly she wants to get the other 2 A Levels. She has a place at a Sixth Form college for this coming year to complete the A Levels.

However she has just found out that Birmingham have refused her request to defer the place as she didn't meet or exceed their standard offer which is AAB I think. Really upset for her as they gave her this (non-standard?) offer in the first place.

Does anyone have any experience of this and how should she proceed?

[twosoups1972]

Sorry the BTEC result should read DDD*

[twosoups1972]

3 D stars!

[RedHelenB]

I bet if she reapplied next year she'd get in. Its only filling in the ucas form again. No need for feeling upset the result will.be the same in that she gets to go to Birmingham to do English next year

[twosoups1972]

She's worried that if she reapplies for next year, the offer might be AAB which she doesn't think she will get.

[twosoups1972]

@HugoSpritz she is academically minded and always set out to do 3 A Levels. The BTEC was just something extra, she's a dancer and it was in Performing Arts. She found it pretty easy, it was the A Levels which caused her stress.

She wants to get the other two As because she feels (and dh and I agree) that she should have 3 A Levels going through life. Dh, as an employer, would question why someone would have just one, even with a degree.

[twosoups1972]

Also if she reapplies, I'm worried about the effect on her mental health. She was hoping she could have a fairly relaxed year knowing she has her place.

[twosoups1972]

Yes a Level 3 BTEC with top grades. But Birmingham are saying she didn't meet their standard offer of AAB. Why on earth then did they give her a non standard offer if it's so important??

[Wowzel]

She should either take the offer and go there this year, or reapply next year with her new results - but she runs the risk that they won't make her another one and she might have to consider somewhere else.

[Sooverthemill]

If she definitely wants Birmingham she may be best to accept the offer and go this year. If she's flexible on where she goes then reapply this year for 2020. Why does she want to redo A levels? She doesn't need to do them and it may be placing unnecessary stress on her. But you know her best

[Oakmaiden]

A level 3 BTEC is the equivalent of 3 A levels. I have no idea why your husband would question why someone didn't have 3 A levels as well as a BTEC. Unless he doesn't really understand what BTECs are...

[katmarie]

This is just my opinion, but once she gets her degree her a levels (or lack of) will be largely irrelevant in terms of how they support her in life. Having said that, it's absolutely not worth risking her health (and jeopardising her chance of getting the degree in the first place) if she doesn't feel ready to go yet. Has she considered if she doesn't go this year, and has to reapply, that there might be other universities which could offer her a place? Or does she have her heart set on Birmingham?

[BonnesVacances]

She wants to get the other two As because she feels (and dh and I agree) that she should have 3 A Levels going through life. Dh, as an employer, would question why someone would have just one, even with a degree.

I disagree. She can explain that she had, and overcame, anxiety issues at college and that university accepted her with what she had at that time. Surely this says more about a person's character and achievements?

I think you should be encouraging her to take life by the horns, instead of focussing on what she doesn't have yet. Especially with her latest problems.

[endoflevelbaddy]

I'm not sure I'd waste the offer tbh, if she has her heart set on Birmingham. No one has ever looked at my a'level grades after getting my degree and I'd worry about not getting such a good offer on a second application.

If she's looking to apply elsewhere then I don't think it will do any harm to just reapply for 2020

[katmarie]

Just to add as well, she doesn't just have one a level, she has one a level and a btec with a high grade. I would expect most employers to recognise that, however I do think the main interest will be in her degree when she comes to the job hunting stage of her life. I've done a lot of recruiting here and there and the only time I really wondered about things like a levels was when there weren't any further qualifications or experience on the cv to consider.

[Ironoaks]

I bet if she reapplied next year she'd get in.
She needs to put the grades she hopes to have by next summer into the offer calculator and find out how likely it is that she would get an offer again.

Also bear in mind that Birmingham have just overhauled their offer policy, so if she does get an offer it won't be unconditional (although they are planning to give out CCC offers in certain subjects to those predicted A* at A-level).

[Disfordarkchocolate]

I think the main consideration needs to be her health. If she isn't well enough then the rest is all irrelevant. She may end up at a different university or different course if she applies next year but she will be well.

[QuestionableMouse]

A levels don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I've never sat an a level in my life and I'm heading into my third year of uni predicted a first.

Sounds like she's fixating on them due to her anxiety. Uni is so different to school and even sixth form! She'd be daft to delay accepting the offer due to a levels which she doesn't really need.

[Gwynfluff]

The population dip is still working through the system, it started bulging again in 2004/2005 so there should be plenty of spaces next year. As there were this year with all the unconditional and clearing offers

Reject her space, finish her 2 a-levels and go when she feels ready. I work in student support in HE and really think have a low threshold for deferring or suspending study. It’s expensive and SLC only give one ‘gift’ year if a student needs a repeat period or to start again.

Once she does go, declare everything in terms of health and get any support going. Better to be signed up and proactive then trying to get things in place on a crisis.

If she listens to you, encourage to protect her mental health this year and if she still needs counselling or treatment to keep them up and not feel pressure to stop them.

[titchy]

If she magically had the other two A levels is she in the right mental state to go now?

Doing two A levels gives her something to do during her gap year, but it's in no way necessary. Your dh doesn't seem to understand what a BTEC ext dip is btw...

[bananasandwicheseveryday]

My only experience of university is that of a parent. Surely, if a btec is regarded as a sufficiently high level qualification to get onto a degree course, why would future employers want to see three a levels as well as a degree? What happens if your dd doesn't achieve high enough A level results next year? Was the university made aware of her illness? Is it possible that the offer was made with that knowledge? Because of so, next year she may find universities are not so happy to make an allowance.
I think you have to seriously consider what she will do if she does continue down the A level path and doesn't do as well as you hope.

[BrittleJoys]

Not being able to defer a non-standard offer is pretty usual, OP. She needs to decide whether the two other A-levels are more important than this degree at Birmingham, this year.

[helpmeiamatoad]

How odd that an employer would even look at a levels when someone has a degree