DS uni of choice has lowered offer

[JazzieC]

DS is waiting for his A-level results at the moment. His top choice of uni has emailed him today to say that instead of the 128 point they originally offered on, they are now happy to accept 88 points.

This is great news but I am wondering why this has happened - do they know something we don't about his results or maybe they've had less applicants than usual for that course? Just wondering really as I didn't realise this was a thing!

They won't have his results (they get them the Sunday before he gets them). They will be looking at their recruitment and income for 2024/25 and going 'Oh shit we need more bums on seats'.

Exactly, it's all just a business. They dont care what grades anyone has as long as they can fill seats.

They don’t have his results yet.

They’ve just looked at their numbers and thought “holy macaroni, this isn’t good”.

which might mean that your DS wants to think about what attracted him there in the first place and if that still holds.

That’s huge- if my maths is right it’s gone from ABB to CDD. So assuming he expected an A in the subject of study he’ll be alongside people who achieved 2 grades lower. That’s quite significant in terms of peer group.

I agree. There is a possibility that they might not run the course if there aren't enough students, so a plan B might be a good idea.

Thanks everyone - the uni is Nottingham Trent, which although not Russell Group has a pretty good reputation as far as I can tell.

The course profile asked for BBB but they gave him an offer of ABB - so I assumed the demand for this course had been higher than expected. They've now lowered it to 88 points, which I calculate as BDD or CCD. It just seems really odd that they have gone from asking for higher than expected to lower!

I agree it must be down to finances and bums on seats. We're looking at clearing options to be on the safe side.

There has been a massive drop in government funding plus international students - so unis are struggling for funds. Lowering the entry requirements will guarantee more student fees.

Now is a good time to apply for uni. Clearing will be a free for all.

It's nothing more than not enough students applied for the course with the higher standard so they'll now take anyone who applied.

More of the students will drop out with this big a grade difference. If it's a science based course the lower grade cohort will really struggle.

@titchy has compeltley nailed it, I used to be involved with admissions. Many Universities are making redundancies or have severance packages currently. Even some RG ones, three of my friends have left in the last 3 years taking severance, both RG Universities. Eighty years in HE between them. Trent does have a very good employment rate post graduation, one of the best in the country. Don’t worry about it not being RG, they are a self selected group of VC that met in a hotel in Russell Square in 1994, my first year as a junior member of staff in HE. They are good Universities but it doesn’t mean others are lesser.

This isn't good news at all in terms of the quality of the degree.

The demand for applications may have been higher hence the higher offer of grades for your son but having reduced the offer now suggests that not as many firmed or insured their place for the course so now they have more spaces than they thought they would hence now filling bums on seats to make the course financially viable for them to run.

They will have had the IB results and I think AP so they may seen a drop in grades there.

I can understand why the grades required may have lowered, but why say now? It is really bad PR. Why didn't they just wait until his grades were known as he had already firmed and if he didn't manage to get the offer, just contact him to say he was accepted regardless - at that stage he'd be delighted. Now he is just wondering if the course is worth less. Or is Ucas bound to transfer him from his firm to his insurance if he misses his grades, so they have to inform him now? Or they are offering lower grades through Clearing, so they have to offer him the equivalent lower offer now?

Interested as we have had similar. I thought it was good news and that my child had done a great personal statement but now concerned it means the course is in doubt.

There is a big chunk of truth to that but it's a bit more complex. Universities know that if they attract too many students at the lower end of the grade curve then those students are more likely to either drop out entirely, or leave with a poor degree and go on to a poorly paid job. Neither of those are good for university rankings.

I can understand why the grades required may have lowered, but why say now? It is really bad PR.

Yes, but it's possible they're gambling that by lowering the tariff now then they'll lock in more students rather than taking the risk in clearing.

I get your logic, but the Ucas deadline to 'firm' and 'insure' has passed. They can only 'lock in more students' on Extra before A Level results or on Clearing after results mid-August. At least that is my understanding. I don't know why they would pre-emptively reduce their offers to students who have already 'firmed' , unless Uni's are obliged to offer a level playing field both to offer holders as well as those offered via Extra/Clearing... Which I've never heard of before, but which might be the case... Does anyone know?

Hope it has all turned out well with results for everyone! We were told on Thursday at school that the Unis have known everyone's A level results for 3 weeks which gives them time to decide whether to accept people who have firmed them but not got their offer grades. Many at our school...my daughter included slipped one grade on overall offer but still got accepted....many at school were the same...so the Unis see what's happened with the overall grade boundaries and individual results and have time to take a view....for all medics/dentists/physios/engineers/PPE and all Cambridge offers there was no slippage allowed at our school