Rejected by Loughborough Uni your opinions please?

[Fairyliz]

Daughter wants a career in textiles so is applying for Art Foundation course.

She has 8 GCSE's inc Art and Textiles both grade A.
She is doing A level Art, Textiles and Graphics all predicted grade A. She also has a part-time job in a fashion store. She has been rejected by Loughborough for 'not having the required depth of experience' Two of her school friends have been accepted both doing one art subject predicted grades C.

What do you think she should do? How does she get more experience? Could she have been rejected because she looks chavvy? The entry requirement is two
'A' levels grade C. Any advice opinions welcome.

Can she call the admissions people and very politely ask what they'd need her to do, in order to qualify as having the right experience, saying she's prepared to go out and get it, in order to gain a place? Can she ask them if they'd consider her after a year off, getting work experience (don't know if that's possible for you / her but sometimes it helps) if she reapplied?

Half the battle is making your case that you're committed and dedicated. It can't hurt.

I had to go up to the University I wanted to attend and beg them to hold my offer over while I re-took one of my A levels (for the 3rd time). I took them essays and they agreed - so eventually I went. But it was stressful and so worrying at the time, so I do understand!

I would have thought that for an Art course they aren't looking for work experience at all its to do with her portfolio and the skills she has covered.

OP your DD seems very over qualified for the Loughborough course and she might have more success somewhere that recognises her the breath of work that she has already done in her A levels. My friends DD didn't do the foundation course because the university considered she had covered enough in her A levels and so she went straight in at undergraduate level. Has she applied anywhere else?

Did they see her portfolio? All three a levels are quite similar - does her portfolio overlap a lot? Maybe the'd prefer her to have 2 art based a levels and one completely different?

Just guessing - what do her teachers say? I'm guessing it's her portfolio that's let her down not her appearance! What do she wear though?!!!

I got rejected from one Uni then they offered me a place after the application process had finished.
Hopefully it'll end up for her like that.

I agree with ringing up, ask to speak to the course leader/the one who turned her down. It could give you some advice. Did they look at her portfolio or just turn her down upon application?

Sorry slight x post their!

Ring them! Ask to speak to the course admissions tutor and ask for feedback. Do it now before they get bogged down in end of year exams.

Get your DD to ring and talk to them (don't do it yourself!) as others have said.

A university that's asking for higher entrance grades may actually be more interested.

If she doesn't get in anywhere and still wants to go this year there is always clearing, my sister got a clearing place to do fine art.

You can't get rejected from university for looking chavvy!

It may be that someone rushed through her UCAS file just before their lunch break, or while they had a bad cold, and didn't give it enough attention. With thousands of files being handled every year, this sort of thing happens very occasionally, more often if the Admissions team is fairly new.

I would get her to phone up the Admissions team and speak to a Senior Admissions Officer if possible. Get her to explain she is a bit flummoxed and she'd appreciate it if the Admissions Officer could have a quick look at her file to make sure that it has been processed properly, as it seems that her friends at school have got offers with lower predicted grades and experience. If they are nice, they might also chat with her about how to improve her prospects.

In terms of experience, I think the following types of things are what I might expect on a UCAS form for a high flyer:

1. Organising a charity fashion show locally and dealing with designers directly, especially if this is an event that happens more than once.
2. Putting together a small but exciting collection of clothes for sale, designed and made by your daughter, and getting the local paper or free magazine to write an article about her work and how innovative it is.
3. Setting up a small local dressmaking business from home, offering alterations, outfits made according to commercial patterns, bespoke outfits, curtains, fancy cushions, adaptations of vintage garments, and so on.
4. Starting up a small magazine and/or blog, dealing with latest trends in fashion and design, aimed at people her own age.
5. Work experience at any kind of commercial fashion business. This might be a factory where they sew pants for a living for sale to M and S, shadowing a buyer at the Head Office at the company she already works for, or working for an ethical fashion related company as a volunteer (Sundae Sandals, People Tree, that kind of thing).

Good luck!

A thought - is there a reason she hasn't applied to the London College of Fashion? I would have thought that might be a better career move.

Theirs really good advice their boffin!