Uni grades - really??

[Shoutymomma]

All the unis we are looking at seem to want AAA or AAB, regardless of subject. How realistic is this? I do believe in my smart, beautiful daughter, but this seems like a big ask. In the bad old days, you only needed such grades for things like medicine, veterinary medicine, rocket science, etc. Also, do personal statements make any difference? Good lard, Y13 has a lot to take in.

OP, it depends on the subject. Popular courses at RG universities look for high grades, but less popular courses often have lower grade requirements.

She looked at Law or English initially, but the presentations for Law left us both a bit cold. The Open Day Lecture by York’s English dept was tremendous and now she is set in English. I want to encourage her to look at non RG settings, but how do I do that without it appearing that I don’t think she will get the grades? Tricky.

Interesting courses, nice campuses or towns, back-up. The bar for law and English is v high. Is there wriggle room re the subject?

apply anyway - lots take in on lower grades

Excluding the top very selective universities I do find that many of the AAA, AAB or ABB want the high grades but do not seem to take as much notice of the subjects. Nephew was accepted on AAA for history with two of his A levels being media studies and film studies which he knew would overlap, had coursework and believed he could pass and leave plenty of time for history. his mate refused with AAB for the same course with history, physics and Math (b in physics). It just discourages students pushing themselves with known difficult subjects and rewards safer (although I know still difficult) subjects. His friends got his insurance but was really upset with himself doing physics when he believes he could of got an A in quite a few other subjects. DS asked is he should take a subject he finds boring but could get a high grade in. So he chose Politics instead of Chemistry just because the grade was more important.

However politics ended up being his favourite subject.

Hi Shoutymomma
I would do this: support her choices for a couple of unis wanting the AAA/AAB grades if they are a possibility. If she gets an offer then hold it. Choose 2 others ( try what used to be called the 1994 group ones) such as Lancaster Loughborough (depending on subject) Uni of East Anglia, Keele etc as they may give her a lower offer, and put in a combined Honours Degree for your 5th choice at a post 1992 Uni - these are generally the old Polytechnics - she probably won't hold this one but she'll be on their radar if she needs them later. Go and visit all the ones you sensibly can.
Remember that she can reject her decision after the results come out now thro the UCAS portal, so a change is possible even late on.
We visited some RG's for DS1 but have looked at a wider range for DS 2 (entry 2020) and we were very impressed with some of the 1994 and post 1992 one's - more so than some of the RG ones we saw. Sorry to go on, hope it helps

propertyfaux I could not agree more with your statement. This is exactly what happened to my DC - pushed themselves with hard subjects, missed out on a grade by 1point!!!! And had to take insurance, when others picked easiest subject and got in ! Such a disappointment the system is, beyond words!

Thanks PBLR, that is the kind of advice I was hoping for. X

No problem. Pleased it's useful x

I know what you mean. I have kept my old RG uni prospectus and even medicine didn't ask for all As, and most courses asked for Bs and Cs.

Loughborough seems to have high grades for all subjects, English is AAB and Criminology and Social Policy is ABB so still high. I don't know about the other universities but Dh went to Loughborough, it was never considered an insurance choice uni.

I agree with Hugo about being coerced to do A levels, some of Ds's friends have just okay grades from GCSE but the apprenticeship/A level or job option makes A levels an easier choice for some as they don't have to decide their career choice at 16.

HugoSpritz- thanks for this one. I feel so much better now about my frankly terrible A level results from early 1980's - I'm practically a genius

Loughborough is considered equal to RG though. Like Bath and a few others. Look at UWE, Oxford Brooks, Royal Holloway and Portsmouth etc for lower grades but English will always be highish. Whether Social Policy really gets ABB students might be questionable. Are any of these courses in clearing? If they are, they probably don’t fill up with students with the grades quoted.

I don’t understand why a DC would do Maths and Physics and History. Surely he thought he would use the sciences? Many schools have been criticised for pushing sciences onto humanities students. They then don’t get the grades and have to compromise on university. Anyone wanting to do History doesn’t need Maths or a Science. They are of no advantage at all. So, take the easier route and choose complimentary subjects.

If she wasnt predicted AAA or whatever she wont get offers. So by definition if she gets offers then she is deemed capable of these grades. School should be making sure she is not applying to entirely unobtainable institutions.

You can see whether any particular course was in clearing this year which MIGHT indicate they will be flexible when it comes to results day if things slip slightly.

Having said that you should choose at least one with a slightly lower entry requirement as a back up

Is she doing the EPQ? UEA's, typical offer for BA English Literature is ABB or BBB with an A in the EPQ, for English Literature with Philosophy BBB dropping to BBC. Their typical offer for their 'flagship' BA Eng.Lit. with Creative Writing is AAA / AAB with A in the EPQ, though.
www2.uea.ac.uk/study/course-finder?atoz=E

Ds is doing Maths, Business & Geography (Y13). We encouraged that spread of subjects as he had no real idea what he wanted to do & felt it kept his options open. However he has chronic fatigue syndrome & is struggling. His plan is to take a year out & then hopefully get a business degree apprenticeship but have a uni place as back up. I'm looking at the grades needed, worrying he's not going to get them & wishing he had gone for "softer" subjects.

Well business is “softer” than economics. Maths is obviously good for business but maybe the geography could have been an “easier” subject? However when DC are ill doing any 3 is a struggle. I do know DC who have done 2 and then 1. You would have to see what the universities thought about the dates though.