Big problems for 2021 university applicants - Anyone realise that with this year's A level results regrading, next year's student applicants for universities will be badly disadvantaged? Percentage of top grades (A and A stars) this year have gone up by almost half from 25.5% to 37% compared to normal trend and universities have to honour all offers. Next year, this is what applicants will face:
- Lower number of spaces as students defer from this year to next, which is being encouraged by overstretched universities (sometimes with money) especially Russell Group ones. Durham offering £2000 to defer.
- Lower number of spaces anyway as over-stretched universities are likely to compensate numbers downwards from this years bumper intake.
- Higher number of applications from foreign students than would be normal since many have taken this year off, who moreover are the preferred intake for unis since they pay higher fees.
- Unfair competition from this year’s students deferring applications because of inflated grades awarded this year.
- For yr 2021 students who would like to defer to 2022, they will face unfair competition from the year below who have received inflated GCSE results.
- All this after a four month disruption to schooling from Covid in their formative first year of A levels.
We have to wake up to this and make sure next year's students are being looked after. They matter too.