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 :)

Another new Liverpool resident here too @MonkeyTennis34

Loan may help with living expenses. Accomodation costs will have to be met by us.

@Alevelsarehere82 It was a long time ago (probably 10 or so) but firmly within the ucas times.

My sister didn’t apply and did get in on clearing without a UCAS. Went on to get a first distinction.

Many at the school couldn’t believe it. Apparently it is not possible and some were annoyed about it. But it was. So I assume it is still?

My nephew has got 5x A stars. Which is incredible.

@PennywisePoundFoolish I am doing a masters at Exeter and the communication has been excellent, the staff super friendly and keen to help. Way more than my undergrad (although that was in 2013!). I think your DS will be very well supported.

I would ask the schools advice on that.

My son did get a B regraded to an A so sometimes it’s worth it. As long as it doesn’t risk their uni place being retracted if the B did get remarked as an C - unlikely but possible.

Convention here is that students go in and parents wait in the carpark! Ds kept me waiting 10 full minutes for the text and I think I aged 10 years - I checked and with GCSEs he texted at 8.33! He got two A *s and A in French. He's a ridiculously competitive high flyer and is disappointed with the A, but he knew it was a possibility. He's into Oxford so that's the main thing.

He's with friends and I can breathe again!

That really is! Wow! It’s amazing he even took five.

Hi @TheLivelyViper

The problem is DC has sorted out two accomodations and got into two universities. One didn't go through UCAS and has private accomodation.

They were on a reserve list without any real hope they would get in. Having choice is a good problem to have.

If they go to the non UCAS choice, happy days. If they go to the UCAS uni he will either stay in the other accomodation (if that's possible) or we will have to find an alternate to get out of the contract. Hopefully with clearing that will be a realistic possibility.

The school will send out the results envelopes to students who don’t collect them (maybe phone to check but that was the case at schools I worked in). Or he could collect them in September if there’s no urgency.

He can’t use Clearing but at least will be applying next year with known grades. And he could retake one or two if he thinks he could do better. Again, good to discuss this with the school and there should be staff around today to talk to.

As far as I know if the offer grades are met they have their place so it must be something else which is holding up the confirmation. The uni can't not give a place if they have the offer grades.

DD into Economics at Manchester with A star, A star and A. She knew she had had one bad paper in Politics (the A) but hoped the other two politics papers were good enough to still secure an A...and seems she was right. I was worried it might have dropped to a B and when Manchester had no clearing vacancies last night in any Economics course, I was getting very nervous. Feel I can breathe now for first time in 24 hours!
Congratulations to all the students getting their offers and good luck to those looking at clearing.

I didn’t realise. Thought he was taking 4. I knew he taught himself one as the school couldn’t facilitate it. So no teaching and still got an A star

That's true, although his insurance is Lancaster, which is lovely. He's always been his own harshest critic so I think that when he's had time to talk through it he'll be fine. We visited Lancaster twice and were really impressed, particularly by the staff, so I think that he should confirm and get accomation sorted asap, but it's his life 😄

Same results as my DS 7 years ago, he was gutted as had been predicted ABB but he crumbles under exam pressure.
Went through clearing and got several offers, accepted Nottingham Trent but this was Covid years so his uni experience wasn’t what he’d hoped for, anyway, he’s now got a great job and was out earning his older sister (A*s, 1st class Masters, ACA qualifications) for a while!

That shouldn’t ever happen.

What makes you feel sure all the offer grades have been met? ( sorry if I’ve missed a post).

I would go for it. My son was 2 marks off a grade boundary in an essay-based subject, he got one paper remarked and he got 3 extra marks. With one mark there is no risk of dropping one grade. Some people say there is no point in remarking once you get your uni of choice but I disagree: your A level results stay with you forever, and they may impact your chances of getting into a master's, a grad scheme... it is also just nice to get a higher grade.

Liverpool University accomodation is more straight forward. Thanks for sharing these links. I guess they will need to make a decision asap. They are out getting results and coming back to sort it.

They may be 18 and technically adults. There is an expectation and need for parents to provide significant financial support imho. The loan system and funding requirements is set up that way. That being said, they will decide where to go and we will help sort the accomodation issue out.

DD is so disappointed as she is 2 marks off an A for EngLit.

WOW!! That deserves to be shouted from the rooftops. That is excellence and then some… to do one off his own back. Just…WOW! Tell him a random on MN sends a heartfelt congrats!

Ooh that's so close, those are brilliant results. Is it worth looking at clearing? I have no experience, as DS2 is the first one (bar my brother) on either side to go to university. But those results may have other options he prefers?

Wow, that really is stellar - well done him! My DS got 5 A Stars, but the fifth one was in his EPQ so not sure that counts 😂

Second that - my son went to York for chemistry in 2016 and stayed! He’s so happy there.

Has anybody else’s teens got vastly lower than their predicted grades?

Thank you. This is really positive to hear!

My D got A*AA and is off to Warwick! Super proud as she had to repeat Y10 after spending several months in hospital battling anorexia, and took her smaller than usual number of GCSE’s in a special provision school.