DS missed grades but accepted anyway- will he cope?

I went though similar, loved school, did well at GCSE, unexpectedly hated sixth form but was predicted decent grades of ABB. I got CCD but was still accepted at my first choice uni which was RG. I worked hard and the environment suited me a lot better than sixth form, I came out with a 2:1 and went on to do a Masters.

I am a current professor. This may be true, but what the offer of a place is about is getting in paying customers who shouldn’t be too much bother plain and simple.

Test grades don't always denote potential. I am a retired professor who thinks learning isn't always simple. He must have shown ability somewhere.

Have him figure out his "learning style" before he starts. Talk with his advisor.

Yes. Most RG unis have to do this now. Students are a wide range of abilities plus often lots of international students with limitef English- let the uni choose. He certainly won't be the only one.

Also worth remembering how grades were inflated during the covid years. So as awful as it sounds, his grades would have been higher a few years ago yet the uni would still have been requiring the same as now

Wow @NCworries I agree that is a big drop and I would be concerned about it.

I wonder if it is possible to find out from the uni roughly where he sits in the cohort? As a pp says, he probs is not the only candidate accepted with CDD. Gosh tho. DD had RG offers of ABB and got BCC and no chance of either of her offers or any other RG unis accepting her (this was in 2019). It turned out OK in the end tho and in fact where she went (Leicester) was good in lots of ways. Anyway.

I also agree - why did his grades drop so much? Assume his PG was ABB or similar? Two grades per subject is a big drop. Does he struggle with exams? Will the uni course be exams or assessment (DD's was the latter and she shone there, like @Cinaferna's DC she avoided exams)? Or is there poor revision technique? Were his GCSEs better than this? Was there some personal issue (breakup with partner, family issue) that meant he did worse than expected? If it's some reason like that then that may be less of an issue for uni.

Can you say what uni and what subject? That may make a difference. Some PPs say "the uni think he will cope" but really they may just want people on seats there. I don't imagine they know him well enough based on his application to know if he will cope or not. Apols if that sounds harsh.

Good post friom @WombatChocolate yes I agree with that advice.

And @rhabarbarmarmelade I agree re non RG unis as well. Both my uni DC are/were at non RG and both are having or have had a very good experience. This is Lboro and Leicester – but see also Lancaster, Bath, Keele, Kent – I know students at all these and don't see that a very much more amazing offer is availabel at Liverpool or Cardiff or Southampton tbh.

In a similar situation but have been offered Foundation year on original first choice course (if they reject this, the insurance offer is now unconditional). Bit torn as an extra year of fees etc - but now thinking may be best in the long run as the A level results have knocked their confidence. Also considering gap year to be sure it is what they want. Such big decisions as do feel the Unis are about keeping the coffers topped up ( so pleased to note contrary views from those working in the sector). Good luck with your deliberations.

@NCworries I would be very wary in that situation. My eldest missed lots of grades during the pandemic and I was astonished to see they had been offered an unconditional place. A uni with a great reputation in the subject but I think they just really wanted numbers. Needed to repeat a module after failing the resit and eventually dropped out after two and a half years having met some great friends but also acquiring a huge amount of debt.

Could a foundation year be incorporated to help bridge the gap between school and uni and encourage good study skills?

My son got CDD and yes, he had to do a foundation year which mainly boosted his confidence but he ended up with a 1st in Physics and a Distinction in a Physics research masters at the top uni for this particular field. He flourished at uni-a different way of learning. Hopefully, your son will find the independent learning suits him a lot better-they wouldn’t have made the offer if they didn’t think he would be ok. Universities do not want their students to drop out or fail.

Depends a bit on the type of degree t to bh

His ability to cope will cone down to his work ethic.

I'm not clever. I've never been academic. My degree was a slog. I got a 2:1 from a RG University because I studied. I attended every lecture and I started very essay weeks before the due date.

DC needs to ask himself if he's prepared to consistently put in the work. Why does he want to go to uni? If it's for the experience or the social iife ge should bother. It's an expensive experience.

My university has taken decisions out of admission tutors hands and it's bums on seats over student welfare frankly. I am cross that one applicant missed their offer by absolutely miles and they still waved them in. There's no way they'll cope with the grade they got (lower than your DC).

IMO decisions are being made without thought about if students will cope or not.

DS got accepted last year with BBC for a course that typically offered AAB. (Although in his case he actually had a contextual offer of BBB, so only dropped a grade). He’s been absolutely fine. His marks have been around the high 2:1 /1st borderline for the first year. He says it’s much easier when you’re only studying your favourite subject, and not having to find time to do an extra couple of subjects you find dull.

He will be fine! As a lecturer I’m always amazed at how well students do at undergraduate level after doing not so well at A’level

Agree totally.

The few genuinely elite unis in the RG should form a organisation if they want to work together. There is no longer any rationale for some of the unis in that group being seen as "better" than the rest.

And this is how RG kills the rest of the HE sector which they have not allowed to join the magic RG club….but how, in all honesty, are they different, if students with same A levels are being taken? It makes me sad because my brilliant uni suffers because of this.

I’m sure universities do broadly care, but you and your son know their strengths and weaknesses best and you need to match that to the course and look at the gap. I’ve had two family members drop out of university in the last few years due to course and skills mismatches, and that is painful, and expensive.

Exactly the same scenario and grades for my DC, thank you for sharing on what has been an up and down day. RG uni have accepted them, it was the insurance offer, was initially upset them, but firm was aspirational. C grade has taken us by surprise was in their strongest subject

What I should've added is - therefore they hopefully are expecting him to be able to cope, and wouldn't offer the place otherwise.

My dh works for a RG uni.

He said its def not in the uni's interests to take someone who is likely to drop out - they want 3 years of fees, not 1 - all the financial modelling for the uni is based on on students working for 3 years. It's not good for the uni's reputation if lots of people drop out, plus they do care about their students.

Hope that helps! Good luck to him.

I think it depends on what he’s studying- if it’s something like maths he may struggle

and also depends on why he got much lower grades than his offer - is he really A & B level but just had a bad few days or didn’t revise enough?

and also I think it depends on what level the other students are at. DS was given conditional offers of ABB from RG unis and those courses have been in clearing for weeks now at BCC, CCC and CCD. So there could be lots of other students at a similar level to your DC rather than all A grade students.

I agree that he needs to think about why he got those grades. And is his work ethic up to independent study at uni. It could be, or not.
So I wouldn’t automatically be accepting. It’s a moment to pause and reflect as a degree is v expensive and not just something to do as you can’t think what to do next.
It’s worth thinking about. A study was done about how Clearing students were more likely to drop out or fail units. On one hand it’s obvious that they’re more likely to, but a lot of it was about not being emotionally committed to the place they ended up. And he’s not a Clearing student so hopefully he is committed to going there.
Many middling unis are finding the insurance students they used to rely on aren’t coming as the firm choices are taking more near misses. That means they have to drop their own accepted grades substantially. Your DC is being taken with a 6 grade drop. That’s a lot. Unfortunately it will be more about bums on seats than if he can cope.
Could you chat to his Sixth Form for advice?
It could be abs fine but I think you’re right to think about it and not just say ‘phew’ and rush in.

I was predicted AAB at A level, and got CBB. I had an unconditional offer so got to my firm choice, and graduated with a first class sciences degree. I found A levels significantly harder than university because they want very precise answers and try to trip you up. If he is willing to study and put the work in, he'll be fine.

Yes exactly - university is a big investment of time, money and effort, it’s worth a bit of thought.

Bear this in mind. They want his money. What matters is whether he thinks he can cope, whether he is fully engaged with the work, whether he got CDD because he didn't get around to revising properly and struggled with understanding or whether it's due to external forces like illness, exam nerves, ADHD, which can be worked through. (DS2 had terrible exam nerves and managed to organise his degree so that he never sat a single paper. He did a lot of extended essays instead.)

If he's just not that into the subject and academic study please don't encourage him to saddle himself with huge debts. He may well drop out but the money will still need to be repaid. He could defer for a year and take a gap year, do a bar job, some travelling etc and work out what he wants.