Anyone else got DC applying for uni this year - beyond annoyed

[Lionlover11]

DD is 18 and applying for uni this year and the grades are literally insane. Good Russel groups
are asking for grades previously only oxbridge would ask for and former poly universities that previously would have been easier to get into have now shot up to 3 B’s. All because of covid deferrals. I’m absolutely livid on DD’s behalf that predicted of ABB (very good results imo) will not be enough to get her into a Russel group for the course she wants to do. It feels like this year group have suffered so much already because of the pandemic and now because of covid deferrals it’s bitten them on the backside again. I’m half considering telling DD to forget applying for this year, get the best a levels she can and just apply next year when hopefully the grades have eased off. Anyone else in the same boat?

DS has been offered ABB from a Russell Group (Birmingham) yet a non Russell Group wants A AA. That’s incredibly frustrating as he actually wants the non Russell Group but is unlikely to get an A .
At the moment he is seriously considering taking a gap year and then reapplying with his grades.You also need to remember that despite this cohort having a “normal” 6th Form experience they have also never actually sat a formal exam, slightly scary going into A levels without ever taken an exam. He may get an A* but if he hasn’t even been given an offer, then he has no chance of actually going where he really wants to go.

Ahh that should read the non Russell group wants…
A*
A
A

Those stars are causing issues!!

This

If anyone really likes data and wants to look up subject and university level data on things like graduate employment then you might like this: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/ and if you want to see what students think about their university then you might also like diving into some of the questions here: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/student-information-and-data/national-student-survey-nss/

I have a daughter applying but I don’t think grades have gone up I had one go to Brunel and he needed AAB to study Digital Design, one who went to Sussex to study Economics and needed AAA but they said ABB if he made them his first choice, one is currently at Bristol studying Biology and needed AAA. All took a gap year before they went. Daughter is currently applying and needs AAA or AAB so I don’t see much difference.

unis offered to pay students to defer last year & the year before. You can’t blame students it must have been awful for freshers during the pandemic and those that were studying during lockdowns or remotely.

It’s about time Uni’s upped their game. It’s for the cleverest of kids not for everyone.

I agree not a very supportive attitude. It was an awful experience for them. My son got his grades in his mocks and his final grades albeit pandemic ones were consistent with those. Those that went after then were locked down in halls with online tuition (not my son he had applied for deferred place before the pandemic).

Yes they would. Back in the day BBC was enough to get you on a law course at Cardiff or Liverpool.

It has become much harder.

Russell group was always like this? I did English at Exeter and graduated in 94. I had to have three A’s .

I needed AAB for Leeds 12 years ago. Don’t think ABB is Oxbridge type grades. It’s good but not the kind of results where you’re picking from any uni you want. Also some ‘poly’ Unis are now very good

I went to an ex poly type - it was a university college - but my degree certificate came from the better uni that actually turned me down!! Oh and another poly type place that turned me down became part of mine in the second year - just as a different city campus.

I’d never even heard of the whole RG thing until recently reading on here. Back in the 90s it was Oxbridge then everything else. But I personally just went for places that offered my subject, went to visit many on open days, decided against many after visiting and not liking them, getting declined from everything in the end due to bad grades but then getting a place through clearing in the end on a slightly similar but different course than my original plan. I recently completed a masters in my 40s and plan to do a doctorate eventually (at a rg uni but only because it’s the only one where I live).

Don’t discourage your child from applying if RG seems out of their reach. Consider all and everything. Go on some visits.

When was back in the day though, not the last couple of decades right?

Almost 20 years most of the 'smart' ones did 4 A levels & my friends in private schools were doing 5 or 6. Getting ABB predictions would be pretty low for of 4+ courses. My uni asked for AAB all those years ago.

My dc have been to various RG unis and this is par for the course!

I would consider apprenticeship. If the economy goes as badly as predicted. It will be a huge advantage to have skills and be in a job.

My DD was predicted AAA in Maths, Econ and Spanish. She was rejected by UCL, Manchester and Bristol. She then achieved AAA plus A in EPQ. Got accepted by Bath (which is not RG, but was voted 'Uni of the Year' by Times Ed). She went to a bog standard comp too.

Op I wouldn’t expect Russell group universities to accept anybody with ABB unless there were huge mitigating circumstances & my ds started uni 5 yrs ago. Yes, ABB are good results but many yp will get m
far higher. My dd was offered AAA apart from AAB at one uni but only if she put it 1st choice. Good luck to your dd & I hope she discovers the right uni & course for her.

Well, they might. Modern Foreign Languages is an obvious outlier, for instance. Our student DC (with attained rather than predicted ABB) was offered MFL courses at Cardiff, Manchester and QMU from the Russell Group; and at Surrey and Swansea, which aren't RG.