I’m hoping some parents here might be able to share advice, as I’m feeling quite lost about what to do next.
My child missed her UCL offer after not achieving the required A-level grades. Her predicted grades were AAA, so this has been a huge shock.
There is a long background to this.
Before GCSEs, my child developed severe depression and started counselling. Despite this, she achieved strong GCSE results. We were advised to seek ADHD and autism assessments, but the waiting list was around two years.
During Years 12 and 13, the depression improved, but school became very difficult. She struggled with attendance, motivation, and what looked like school refusal and exhaustion. Despite this, they still received AAA predictions and an offer from UCL.
In Year 13, things worsened. Concentration and study became very difficult, and performance declined sharply, with very low mock results.
After nearly two years, She was finally diagnosed with autism and ADHD, which likely affected their learning, focus, and behaviour. However, this came just as exam leave began, so there was no time for school support or adjustments.
There was also a serious issue with a private maths tutor, where boundaries were crossed from his side and we had to stop lessons about three months before exams, causing further disruption.
In the end, she achieved an A in English and a D in Maths, which was very upsetting given her earlier GCSE success in maths.
She still want to go to UCL. She is now on ADHD medication and is determined to try again. As a parent, I feel she faced many challenges without proper understanding or support during A-levels.
We are considering reapplying to UCL, but I’m unsure how realistic this is with her current grades. I also wonder whether her late diagnosis and lack of support could be explained in a future application.
I’m also confused about the reapplication process. Since she has left school, how do we get a reference or predicted grades for UCAS? Their grammar school says they do not support former students. Is this normal?
I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has successfully reapplied to UCL or a similar university after lower-than-expected A-level results, especially where ADHD or autism was diagnosed late.
Any advice on reapplying and possible options would be very helpful. Thank you.