2025 A Level Results Day and Sept Uni Starters - All Welcome

[SlightlyJaded]

I couldn't see board specifically dedicated to results day for our DC who have sat A levels this spring. And I know some of us STILL have questions about Uni starters.

DS has Liverpool as his first choice and Notts Trent as his insurance - both to study History. Anyone who recognises me from previous boards might remember the hell we went through with DD a couple of years ago, so DS has applied quite a lot of caution to his choices - perhaps too much, perhaps not enough. Neither of us have any idea what to expect with his results. He has genuinely fluctuated between a D and an A in some of his mocks....

I still haven't done anything about accommodation which is one of the reasons I am starting this thread.

But mostly, it's for nail biting, relief, tears, support, advice and all the other things needed to get us through the next few weeks.

Welcome :)

Before I forget, does anyone have experience f sorting out accomodation at Bath uni. Is there any good private student accomodation that isn't too expensive?

I just wanted to let the Liverpool potential starters know that Liverpool is a great city. DD is at Liverpool for post grad and absolutely loving it.

Good luck to everyone 🍀

Thank you that's very reassuring.

DD is keeping fingers crossed for Leeds too. She was quietly confident straight after the exams, but is currently waking up in a cold sweat every night after dreaming she's failed them all 😢.

She did well on her EPQ in year 12 though, so had her offer dropped to ABB which she is very grateful for now, despite it being a lot of work at the time.

I have a stupid question.

If your firm choice Uni has gone into clearing early (as Liverpool has), do you have to apply via clearing ahead of results day to be considered for the lower grade offer? Or do they automatically apply the new grade boundary to your application?

Or is that 'pre-results-day' clearing offer only for people with grades in hand and then it reverts back on results day?

You'd think I have the hang of this by now....

No you don't need to apply. Universities get the results 1 day before students. So they will try on the day before and early on results day to look through grades and decide whether to accept a student with a firm offer that didn't meet grade requirements. It depends on 1. Did lots of students who firmed them get much higher grades on average - if so they will fill the course with them first and may reject someone who missed grades but had firm offer 2. Many people may get grade requirements on average and a few lower - they may accept one grade lower to fill the course 3. Depends on the course, how many places they have (niche courses have smaller spaces or subjects which are less popular), and also how competitive it is (medicine, law are very unlikely to get in if they miss the grades) 4. If many people have other universities as firm (e.g Liverpool Hope) but get much higher grades they made trade up in clearing - so reject the firm they had and ask another uni to accept them because they did better than expected - if the uni gets more of these people and then they accept the people who meet grade requirements or even got higher as (and had Liverpool as firm) - they may not have spaces for students who firmed them but missed grades. Hope this makes sense

@Edinaandpatsyrule Thank you. He's done really well considering he has health issues too, which has meant he's missed 10-20% of school most years since year 4.
He did initially say he was going for apprenticeships, but changed his mind. he won't admit it, but I suspect the applications were just too daunting for him, whereas for uni he just needed to do the one.

He's already had to pay deposit for his first choice accommodation (it is refunded if he doesn't get in), which I felt was unfair because any student who is reliant on their loan won't be in a position to do that. However, it's good for him as he's not just been told he has accommodation, but also which room, which is good for his ASD mind.

@mumofsisi you probably are aware, but in case you aren't, unis aren't generally keen on a gap year for maths (dd1 did maths) unless there's evidence they're keeping their maths going. I know you've said he doesn't want one, but I thought I'd mention it in case.

@SlightlyJaded Also you can register an interest for pre-clearing at universities you haven't applied to. Some universities say they'll contact you quicker if you register interest in going there through clearing if you miss grades. But accepting a clearing offer pre-results day is only for those who have their grades already.

Forgot to add, UCAS opens at 8am (often takes a while because so many people on the website). So your DS can log in and see if 1. Liverpool have accepted or 2. NTU have. He may also see that they haven't yet decided (this could be because he missed grades and they want to consider it). But you can definitely get your DS to calm Liverpool and ask if they can be lenient with grades. If your DS has any extenuating circumstances during 6th form or exams - let the university know before results day. Many have a program called disrupted studies (so something after applying for UCAS and firming a uni which may impact the ability to meet grade requirements) - they often day they will not change grade offer but will be more lenient if they miss the offer.

@TheLivelyViperThanks for explaining that. I will suggest that DS registers interest with some of the ones he's jotted down as 'first port of call' should we end up in clearing.

I'm really interested in what you said about extenuating circumstances during exams. I have been having a bit of a battle with his sixth form and ended up calling the AQA Board direct yesterday. One of his A Level subjects was utterly disrupted by the serious illness of his teacher. A fantastic teacher but sadly, the only teacher for that subject in the whole sixth form. She was in and out of hospital for several months and then consistently absent and very ill in hospital for the last five months in the run up to the exam. Despite the students and parents pressuing the school to come up with something, they really failed and aside from a robot that didn't work, a one off zoom class/shared lesson with a school that noone could hear, and a supply teacher who wasn't a subject specialist but would sometimes turn up and 'sit in the room' whilst they self-taught, there was no provision at all.

The AQA chap was really apologetic but said that having a 'teacher' doesn't fall under 'minimum requirement' so they wouldn't be adjusting any of the outcomes for this cohort. When I said that the bar seemed pretty low if you don't need a teacher, he explained that it was because it gets complicated for being who are home-schooled. This is a whole other thread and I don't want to derail... but I wonder if it's worth letting DS first choice Uni know? Do you think they'd care?

Another prospective Bath parent of student here. That’s three of us, I think?

@SlightlyJaded The university might care but might not accept it. Often extenuating circumstances are personal illness or disability, being a young carer, being in care, bereavement, lower socio-economic background (they use postcode of home and school to see how many people go to uni, poverty stats etc) - if these are on the UCAS form when applying often those students can get a contextual offer - lower than normal entry requirements. Main point - each university decides their own criteria for contextual offers and Disrupted Studies (being lenient on results day) - so one uni might consider something and say if they miss the grades they'll consider accepting them still due to extenuating circumstances and others may not. Up to each admissions department

But I'd check the website and maybe call, (the school should have mentioned it on his application where they write 1. A reference from school and 2. A box with any extenuating circumstances.

Also whst subject was it for? If its not a subject he needs a particular grade in, they may be willing to be lenient e.g if he needs AAB but has to have an A in history then if the teaching issues were for that they may be nicer. Also does he do 3 or 4 A-levels? If he has 4 (and he doesn’t do as well in that subject) it may not matter if his other three are AAB providng history had the A.

It also wouldn't qualify for special consideration bu exam boards or JCQ as that is for things which happen during the exam e.g minimal disruption get 1%, depending on sickness (chronic or sudden) 2-3% (if they sat the paper and weren't in hospital).

Yes three for Bath already
Three for Liverpool
Some Leeds and Lancasters as well.

I wish everyone could just be put out of their misery!

It's not his future subject thankfully and to be honest, it hadn't occurred to either of us to bring it up - it was all just really unfortunate and badly handled.

You are so knowledgable, I am going to try and not bombard you any more tonight, but thank you.

@mumofsisi I absolutely relate to the sleeping all day vs setting alarm clock at ridiculous o'clock to 'reset my circadian rhythm...'

My YP is coming to the end of a gap year so will be starting uni in a few weeks. Accomodation sorted thanks to having results already, so that took some pressure off.

NTU here. My dd has been on a gap year, so already has place and accommodation sorted thankfully. Good luck to all those waiting for results!

DS has firmed Sheffield and needs AAB. His course is in clearing but no grade drop. He has no plan b-doesn’t want to go to his insurance (Surrey) anymore so may have to go through clearing if his prediction is correct that he messed up economics!

DS has also firmed Sheffield (AAA) and has no plans for if he doesn’t get it (no accommodation reserved at insurance). On holiday now but will need to think about what happens if he doesn’t get them when we’re back.

Ds firmed Nottingham but unsure if he will get the grades. He may have a year out but we are waiting until the 14th to see. Accommodation is booked. Elder ds went to NTU and loved it so we do know Nottingham well. Ds now does not want to go to his insurance. Ds did work hard so I hope he does get what he needs.

Uni of York is the hope here.
Someone upthread said Universities get the results 1 day before, it's actually nearly a week, on the Friday prior normally. Schools get them 1 day before.

DD firmed Leeds and needs AAB.

York here as well!

I think the deadline has passed where 7 campus/city uni accommodation are chosen. I think private is only chosen by those who accept Bath as insurance if uni places are not available for year 1. Best to contact admissions if you've missed the selection. I don't think it's a big problem as they don't allocate until results are in.

Joining the thread for mutual support…DS has firmed an offer from Uni of Manchester with Liverpool as insurance. He needs three As for the Manchester course & I gather they aren’t usually flexible. He had some health problems last year which meant he didn’t sit his A levels & redid year 13. Unfortunately the health issues aren’t completely resolved & he was in hospital the week before A levels this year. Was determined to still take the exams - very proud of his resilience but concerned his grades may be affected. Because of his medical issues he has applied for accommodation early & both the unis have been very helpful. Crossing everything here - good luck to all the DCs at this pivotal stage in their lives!

Joining the thread in anticipation of results day 🤞

DD needs AstarAstarAB for engineering. Wishing everyone the best of luck!

Also here for results day! DS is going to have a gap year, although he's still unsure how he'll be spending the first few months of it, and really needs to focus on planning that. So in one way things are less urgent for him, as if he misses his offer he'll apply next cycle with grades in hand. (Cambridge firm, Nottingham insurance.)