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?

Not sure really. Russell group unis were often asking for AAA/AAB when I went to uni... 20 years ago (god, I feel old). I suspect the deferrals have made it a lot tougher this year. Might be worth considering a defferal herself to get better options?

Ds 2 is applying and he has similar offers to DS1 that is in 3rd year. So pre covid.

Both applied to mathematics at Russell groups.

AA and A* for some but nothing lower than AAB

And I know he has contextual offers based on our post code.

2021 GCSE/A Level grades were hugely inflated, definitely not fair grades for many, embarrassingly so in some cases. I feel really sorry for those who genuinely would have achieved 8/9s or A/A at A level as it does feel like it belittles their achievements. My friends DD was only ever on track for 4/5s and got 7-9s, she cannot cope on her A level course and needs parental help constantly to complete her work. It's really stressful for my friend but they are in a really difficult position. My nephew was predicted CDD at A level and got AAA, he lasted less than a term on his Uni course as he couldn't cope (parents pushed him to do a much harder course which he managed to get onto after results day, similar but harder to his original course)

I think it's a bit of a myth that uni is easy to get into

There are still a handful of (lower ranking) universities who hand out unconditional offers.

I agree with @VeggieSalsa that university is now the default option when it it clearly isn't for a lot of students. There are more heartbreaking stories than ever this year on the WIWIKAU Facebook page from parents of unhappy students who have decided that university isn't for them.

Schools need to show students that university isn't the only option.

I graduated from a Russell Group uni with a high 2:1 in the late 90s. I got in with BBCD but they're currently asking ABB for the equivalent course. At the time my dept scored higher than Oxford for teaching quality and research in the league tables. I applied to eight RG unis and the only one that didn't make an offer was Bristol. I really wouldn't want to be a young person applying to university at the moment and I think I would take a year off after my A-Levels to give me time to think about what I wanted to do/earn some money for uni.

You sound snobbish OP. RG isn’t the be all and end all, and you sound like you’re looking down on former polytechnics. And suggesting your DD defers a year for this reason is ridiculous. She may as well apply and see how she gets on.

The class of 2023 will be competing mainly with their own cohort for places.
There was a clear disincentive to defer this summer because of the changes in student loan repayment.

And to say the class of 2023 is most affected by Covid is utter nonsense!

The class of 2020 were not 'awarded A stars for surviving Covid', their Y13 ended abruptly and they were not given the opportunity to take exams. Followed by freshers in lockdown. Awful.

The class of 2021 had it even worse, basically teaching themselves for half of Y12 and most of Y13. And competing against the 2020 deferrals/over subscriptions for their uni places.

The class of 2022 missed GCSEs so had no public exam experience for their A levels. And spent much of their best teen years stuck in their bedrooms.

So please stop feeling sorry for yourself OP, this really isn't about you. Your role is support your DC and manage their expectations in a positive way. Harking back to the past won't help either of you.

YABU to be "livid" and "beyond annoyed".
ABB has been a low offer for Russell Group universities for a long time.

I think you need to do a lot of research on this because you seem quite out of touch. You should not discourage your DD from applying but you should look into other universities which have lower grade requirements. Some of these have excellent reputations for teaching and for finding employment afterwards.

I suggest you go over to the Higher Education part of Mumsnet and post in there - change your name if necessary - and ask specifically for information about possible universities for the subject your daughter would like to apply for.

If her predicted grades are ABB she looks at uni that will make that offer,look at what’s achievable
Better to be realistic than apply for a course if the entry grades are too high and unattainable
I wish your daughter well, and instead of you being livid it’s your job to be supportive

Op, these aren’t inflated, they have been like that for years and years. My daughter went to a highly ranked Russel group and she needed 3 a’s. And that was over 7 years ago. It’s been like this for a long time.

the entry requirements are there to ensure the student is at a level of capability they can actually do the course. She might still get in, on clearing if low uptake. But many courses will be full and over subscribed at these levels. They wouldn’t have these entrance levels if either no one achieved it or if you didn’t need to be at that level to stand a chance of succeeding.

abb won’t have got you into many courses at a good Russel group unless extenuating circumstances for a long time now. It’s Really nothing to do with covid.

I personally don't think it is a covid thing but something that's been happening for a while.

Still shocked though we looked at my old university for DS - computer science more for wanted subjects - they want 3 A* - he hasn't started A-levels yet and may not be beyond him but still seemed really high.

Oh and I’d not recommend she defers, the entrance requirements won’t change, they have been like this for years.

I have to admit I haven't RTFT but I don't think these grade requirements are anything to do with Covid. I've been lurking on the Higher Ed boards for years and AAA/ AAB are have been fairly standard grades for lots of courses at lots of RG unis (obviously not all) for a long time.

I got ABB in 1997 and didnt get my first choice of edinburgh because it needed higher grades

I would have thought that ABB hasn't been high enough for a RG university in any year quite honestly. Maybe for a Poly...

DC applied last year and I didn't realise that grade requirements were up. Lots of their friends received unconditional offers (obviously not from RG unis). I don't think that Bs are very good and DC made the decision if they couldn't get As and Bs that they would look at apprenticeships instead of uni.

I wouldn’t worry about it having to be RG. My son is very clever (7 grade 9s plus 8s) and doesn’t want to go to one. He’s happy to go to a less prestigious uni as he wants to enjoy the course and the uni life without the stress of being in a wannabe Oxbridge.

Depends on the course I was RG uni 20 years ago science course was and got in with way lower - left with a 2:1.

Some courses like Medicine have always been really high - but DH a university lecturer says sciences are mostly high now - higher than when I went and they they can fill the course places.

Agree with others OP. DD was offered AAB for Edinburgh History 5 or six years ago.
Tbh, might even have been 3 A 's but I couldn't swear to it...

Depending on what career she wants she’ll probably be better off with an apprenticeship tbh

Not sure if you are aware but 'poly's don't exist anymore and haven't for 30 years - many rank highly in league tables for different subjects - many have high entry requirements and many have years more experience of offering vocational subjects such as social work and engineering.

This obsession with RG uni's must make so many young people feel like failures and let downs.

My degree was sat at my local college - I was a mature student (at 22!) I still have a piece of paper with a 2:1 from a RG university, a masters (vocational) from a 'poly' and a successful and highly rewarding career

And agree, a* was introduced in 2010, and it changed the dynamics somewhat. Abb is the same as bcc in pre 2010 money. I think thr op is maybe a little out of touch, so it’s good she asked as she was on the verge of poorly advising her child .as the current grade requirements are nothing to do with covid and will not ease up.

It’s to do with everyone and their dog now thinks they should go to uni, they only have certain amount of capacity And unis like Russel groups need students who are capable of a lot of self teaching, they can’t afford to take lower grade students in, they make sure it’s students who can do the course.

The lower the entrance level requirements the more support a student is given by the institution ie more spoon feeding, it’s a decent system that in the large, generally ensures students are directed to the course that suits their ability levels, with other students at their level . Not always, because that’s impossible. but often.

because it’s not actually just about getting in it’s about being able to do the course and every year gets progressively harder in a degree. It’s completely different to a levels in terms of complexity and what’s required. If you are only achieving b’s at a level, you could struggle hard at degree especially if in a cohort of straight a or a* students, with a lot of self teaching and you need to try to keep up with the work.

What course is she wishing to study?

I was looking at maths/actuarial science when I was applying (I’m now 34, so not that long ago relatively), my lowest grade requirement was AAB with an A in maths and a preference for further maths.

You can actually get into plenty of good universities (including Russell Group) with BTECs.