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 :)

That's great news @wizbit93 Well done to your DD!

I don't know ANYONE who thinks the current system is fit for purpose. It's an absolute shambles and I completely agree that students are playing chicken up until results day, given months to go and look at what they 'might be able to have', feel committed and inspired by a particular institution, find accomodation, pay deposits, mentally plan life in a specific city, and then are expected to U-Turn and make an expensive and life-changing new plan in a matter of hours. It's actually ridiculous.

Completely agree Clearing should open on the Monday with Uni's offering a weekend of staffed and managed open-house for students in clearing

Completely agree that applications should be with grades in hand, and starting in January makes complete sense.

It's so stupid that I can't even fathom that we are still doing it this way.

Forgive my ignorance but do the unis now have results?! I had presumed they were released to them on Monday…

I’m wondering if some unis do contact the students in advance of Thursday as they did for @wizbit93 ’s dd (congrats to her btw!), or is that very unusual?

And I completely agree that the system is NUTS. It would be so much less stressful if they all applied with grades in hand…

DD (and we) definitely on tenterhooks. She absolutely loves her firm and I can see it would be exactly the right place for her but she needs A stars in maths and FM plus a further A 😬 She’s going to visit a friend for a few days over the weekend so hopefully that will take their minds off results a bit.

She is my eldest and in hindsight, especially for steep offers and exams like FM where the boundaries can be so tricky, I wish she had planned for a gap year and was applying for 2026 with grades in hand. It is a bonkers system and it’s only when you’re going through it do you realise just how bonkers. DD has decided if she doesn’t make her offer she would like to resit and reapply anyway rather than go to her insurance (firm has confirmed resits ok) so it would have made this all a lot more calm! Fingers crossed and best luck to all!!

I read on MN today uni got results so could easily be wrong but it is a few days before - so will be looking at clearing early next week just in case.

TBH DH - lecturer- dislikes clearing says in his experience students are much more likely to drop out or struggle though not all - and has experience of them being misinformed about ablity to swap course by admissions - current department it's possible due to closely shared first year last uni it wasn't without repeating the first year but they were often told they could by admissions people. There's also pressure to keep them for first year - which DH refuses to do - as that's a mointored figure while drop outs in second isn't.

It's more worry about potential funding changes in Wales and DS looking more grade secure meaning less emphasis on back up plan than with DD1 that means we'll look this time if needed.

Thanks @CatHairEveryWhereNow. It was about ten days/2 weeks ago she had the email.
Thank you @SlightlyJaded . I agree, such a stupid system. A couple of months ago she had to pay a deposit for her halls accommodation so it’s all madness!

Unis do receive results today, but usually it's quite late and then it takes a while to download (old systems). The embargo is in place from when the results are sent out so no one will hear anything that might in any way portray their results ahead of 8am on results day

So relieved to find this thread. @SlightlyJaded - thanks for starting this thread!!!

Like everyone - anxiously waiting. DD can only achieve her preferred subject combo at her firm and the offer is rather high so there’s a lot riding on it. We had an easier ride with elder DD (subject combo more widely available and offer was lower).

Best of luck, everyone!

Placemarking. DS could go from a total disaster to average marks. He's not going to uni this year though as he couldn't decide what to do. We'll sort it out the other side of results.

Yes they are sent to unis today but they don't know grade boundaries or the marks students get - those come out at 8am on results day. However they shouldn't communicate any indication of results or offers till 8am on results day, but many do get emails around 6 or 7am sometimes. UCAS doesn't show anything till 8 am though, and they cannot change anything on it, so it's a bit strange that it changed.

I think some universities are getting better with accommodation, I know some don't do deposits till after results day and everything is confirmed which I think is surely the best for everyone. Universities don't have to do refunds and students can pay once they're definitely going.

Placemarking
DS2 is another Bath hopeful, need A*AB.

His DSA assessment (he's autistic and has a history of anxiety and depression)
saw him unravel, and he's gone back on medication. He'd messed up his accommodation application slightly, but the university were really helpful and have processed it all.

His insurance is Exeter but I'm not sure if he'd actually take it up.

His school doesn't use an online system so he has to collect them in person. Hopefully he'll be able to access UCAS beforehand. The only person on either side of mine and DHs family to go to university is my brother, so we're clueless.

Had a chat with DS over dinner about options if he doesn't make either his firm or insurance. I've been quietly hopeful until this week that if he misses it won't be by a lot but he's a lot more pessimistic. He's doing a good job of convincing me he's right, I hope he's not but I'm starting to feel more nervous. My main wish was that we don't have to contend with clearing.

We've come up with 5 potential clearing options plus a foundation year option at one of his chosen Uni's that might work out.

It's been over 10 years since I did this with DD and I'd forgotten how truly awful this bit of the process is. I did point out that everything went a bit pear shaped for his sister on results day and she still ended up on a course she enjoyed with some good opportunities.

I still feel a bit sad that he might not get his choices because he's worked a lot harder at college than his sister who never saw a class she didn't feel like bunking off in favour of socialising. 😁

It's interesting that so many schools still don't give the results online. Ours were all online for both GCSE and A Level.

Many places will put results online/email and also issue in/person at 8am.

Although students can go online to find grade boundaries etc, it’s often confusing with so many specification options and not all paperwork necessarily shows the marks achieved for different modules.

Going to school or college can be invaluable as teachers will know the overall cohort picture of results and be able to advise about possible re-marks.

One problem every year is students who don’t access their actual grades until late in the morning. They look at UCAS and see if into form/insurance etc. However without their actual grades (not on UCAS but via school or college) they don’t know if they exceeded their offer, met it, were an accepted near/miss or didn’t get their offer by what margin.

So much us in Clearing these days that kids can ‘trade up’ or access really good options via Clearing…but the best is gone by 10.30, so you need your rlesukts early and to be ready to phone.

Every year people post on MN on Friday - day after results. Results were disappointing and they’ve had a think and want to speak to school or consider a review of marking. But the teachers have gone and won’t be in until the next Thursday for GCsE results. Priority re-marks, advice and script requests and clearing communications - it is the early bird that catches the worm. Being in school or college for results and with access to advice and info can make a massive difference. It’s worth going in.

I'm not saying they should do online instead of going in. It's just interesting that some schools don't give the choice. Neither of mine wanted to go in although some of their year groups did later in the morning to talk things through. It was nice for them to digest their news at home and have time to read and think through.

Congratulations @wizbit93 - that's brilliant news for your DD.

Those at college like my DD has been the cohorts are really big it’s not much of an option to go in it feels like. They are all told to get their results via email online so depends on the set up really.

Such a stressful time in our house. DD firmed Durham and has Nottingham as insurance. Both same grades required for the course and have it in clearing too. To make matters more stressful DDs BF also firmed Durham! They currently live 3 hours apart so a lot hanging on this …ahhh

anyone seen the article on bbc today? Hopefully they are right!! I will find the link

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy85edr2xlpo

Same here. Not even an email, there are just 3 blank boxes left on the "Progress" page of their college web login which will update with the grades. It seems quite soulless to me and not very supportive. Fingers crossed the website will work at least.

I've just been through my inbox looking for results day info from DS Sixth Form. Finally found an email called 'Getting your GSCE Results' which I'd ignored for obvious reasons, opened it and it turns out that it should have said A Levels...

Anyway, long and short, they are asking pupils to come in at 8am to pick up results and there is no suggestion of having them emailed or being able to log into any sort of hub to get them. DS does not remotely want to do this.

He is feeling sick with nerves and just wants to be at home with us and open them in private. I've just emailed the school but it's unlikely that anyone will respond now and even less likely that there is going to be any provision for getting results online/via email as if they were going to do that, surely it would have been mentioned?

I am completely thrown. It didn't occur to me that this wouldn't be an option and DS is now doubly stressed.

Brilliant.

@SlightlyJaded we don't get the option to go in. Really not sure where we will be with dd results and the only option for support is to message the collage by Microsoft message and wait for them.to get back to you. Really not helpful if you want to manage fast clearing before 1030! I'm really disappointed with the support here. Sat in on a foundation year talk for.the uni she has firmed , just in case . The foundation year is taught at her current collage 45 mins plus from campus down the moterway and they were full.of how amazing they are. TBH from.out experience I'm not sure they are.

I mean, yes, collecting them at 8am means you will get them on time and not be at the behest of an internet crash. And I suppose he could pick up and come home and then open them here Just seems like time wasted because he doesn't want to open them at school.

They are offering staff/support/clearing help and prioritising anyone who doesn't get their first choice (or insurance, of course) so I do think they are doing a good job in that regard, but surely in this day and age, getting them online should also be an option?

Those at college like my DD has been the cohorts are really big it’s not much of an option to go in it feels like. They are all told to get their results via email online so depends on the set up really.

It's the same for my DD. TBF I'm not sure how they'd hand out around 1000 sets of results quickly so I think email/logging into the student hub makes sense! They can book an appointment to go in and see teachers if need be.

My Y11's school is also pretty much insisting GCSE results are picked up in person. I don't know if this is common but they say it is to make sure every student has an adult to support them when they open their results, parent or teacher. The student can nominate a parent to collect (though the form for that was due in months ago) because quietly, if a parent picks up then the parent is there for that student. Most students will go in themselves, and just so happen to have the teachers there for them even if their parents need to be at work etc.

It hadn't occurred to me until they spelled it out, and I know Y11s are younger, but this school is huge on pastoral care and I think it's 100% coming from a place of looking out for their students. Maybe that is why I'm a bit miffed at DD's college's very different (but more modern) approach. TBF the chances of DD even seeing a teacher she knows in such a huge college are quite small, so perhaps there is less point.