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 :)

Not for just an E grade and wanting optometry no 🙄

How is it possible to find out if grades are low or high "C'? My ds only got a sheet of paper from six form with the grades on it. Also how do you request scripts?

One course I looked at which offered based on BBB is in clearing at BCC
However, if you had an offer from them already they are taking CCD

Congratulations to your DC Oxford rarely defers places already awarded but always worth asking incase their college is keen to free up a place this year. The worse they can say is no! Both our DC had a year out before Oxford but they applied for deferred places.

DC2 had the nerve to ask if she could switch from languages to law to which they obviously said no law being so competitive but the request had no consequences (and she's loving languages).

My daughter is disappointed she missed her PGs which were AAB and has got BBC. I’m secretly quite pleased she got the same results as her older brother for the sake of equality and family harmony!

She still got offers from her top 2 choices Leeds and Liverpool but Leeds offered a slightly different course which looks a bit dry compared to the Liverpool one so she has confirmed Liverpool which I think is a fab choice :)

However none of us have any money for accommodation so hoping they will accept waiting for the deposit until student finance has been paid otherwise she can’t go anywhere!

Thank you!

Ok, that sounds like it might be less of a dreadful idea than I’d maybe thought. Will discuss properly with them tomorrow (if there’s any sense available after tonight’s festivities!!)

Can he resit his Maths exam? Also why teachers weren't alert to this or fi he have a bad day ....it's so brutal. The system feels very weighted towards the academically successfully.

Is it worth reviewing mark? Maybe they added grades up wrong. My daughters teacher said one of her students grade went up 20 marks after a review last year

DSs friend has been accepted into her first choice Leeds with DDU... Things are certainly different this year.

@Cafeconleche You make a VERY good point. Both of my DC hate exams and neither of them thrive in those conditions. Both bright enough - lots of As in coursework, chatty, engaged, curious etc, so I think you are right. One of the reasons DS loved the visit to NTU was the History taster session - it was really contemporary, inspiring and whatever the opposite of 'dusty' might be... Lecturer was clear that they don't go in for exams and DS came away very excited by the style of teaching. I think that deep down I know he is in the right place for him, it's just hard not to be in the 82% that made their Firm.

@jamimmi Yes please to wine! I have it on good authority that Liverpool are still not budging from BCC - which is fair enough.

My DD didn't achieve her desired grades. She was aiming for at least one A. Late diagnosis of dyslexia followed a set of poor mocks. She got BBB and offered a place at firm choice of Manchester. Shea deferring as she's going through the Soccer Scholarship programme in the US. Anyone else doing this route got any tips. Her GPA has dropped from 4.0 to 3.4 so likely top unis will be out of reach. There's a possible remark as a couple points off an A. So could go up to 3.6 but any guidance helpful.

Deferral is possible. My daughter got her first choice which she was planning to reject and reapply to her favourite uni. Only with grades in hand it became apparent that they’d spectacularly dropped the offer and let her in anyway, despite grades she’s pretty disappointed with. It’s RG and she got a deferral agreed this morning. Shocked, surprised and pleased. Poor girl is now totally wired, zoned out and can’t decide whether she’s pleased with herself or not! Trying to reframe it for her as the most spectacular blag in university history. We think it might be on the basis of a strong personal statement.

Good luck to all students and hugs to parents, my son got his a level results last year and deferred for a year (start this Sept), to take a break from studying and do 6mths abroad. He's got accepted into Liverpool to study Chemistry, compared to some uni accommodation we looked at, the ones in Liverpool were among the nicest and decently priced.

Can speak as someone whos DD has been to both Sheffield universities fairly recently (Hallam for undergrad, UoS for Postgrad and currently PhD) that both universities are fantastic, though that may depend on course. I’d argue that for many career paths (though obviously exceptions apply) bachelors grade holds more weight than whether or not the university was RG or not.

The lower cost of student living in Sheffield shouldn’t be frowned upon either, DD and her friends paid less than £100 a week for a shared house including bills. Even now she’s in a studio flat for under £160 a week bills included, and nights out can be done for under £20 if you know the places to go (apparently) 😂

College will have marks for each script. Some share these on the results print out and for some you need to ask. Depending on exam board they may also have access to script or may have to request. Head of subject would be available at our college to go through. Basically, contact college tomorrow and ask about process to discuss with subject staff.

😳😳😳‼️‼️‼️

My DD had planned gap year but got grades to get into uni close to home. Not applied for tuition fees - are we too late or can we still apply?!
Course starts last week of September
Thanks

It is right that the system is weighted towards those who are academic. We are discussing exams and universities after all! You can’t be suggesting that universities shouldn’t consider how academic someone is when deciding whether to accept them?

My daughter applied later than this lastvy3ar and it came through very quickly - probably because we didnt apply for more than the minimum loan so no need for them to check our finances.

Maybe Leeds Beckett and friend is being vague saying 'Leeds'?
Nowt wrong with Beckett but just seems more realistic?

Of course I might be wrong, but Leeds are usually fairly ridgid.

I don't think Academic and 'good at exams' are necessary the same thing though.

Neither of my DC are good at exams. Both are extremely literate, curious, well-read, analytical, genuinely engaged with their subjects etc - all things you would associate with being 'academic' and yet neither of them thrive in exam conditions.

So many exams are really content heavy in terms of memorising names/dates/studies/references - you never have to remember that much data in the 'real world' so it seems a strange thing to measure intelligence by to me.

My son still hasn’t had his offer confirmed, I doubt he will get anything tonight, so another day of stress tomorrow. 🤯

My son took the same subjects and those are really tough A levels. Bio covers hugh amount of content. I would ask for the scripts back and review them. It may help him work out how to move on.

Are there unis in clearing that will accept his grades?

Agreed.

@Pinepeak2434 I think you said the Uni confirmed that he had met the requirement earlier? Do you have that in writing?

It sounds like a certificate/hub issue. Really frustrating but if Uni have said you're in, I think you are ok to crack open the champagne :)