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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

AABB in AS, possible for Oxbridge?

81 replies

star2013 · 13/08/2015 15:18

Dd got AABB in her AS result today. School's predicted grade are A*AA for the best three subjects. Dd desires to go for Oxbridge. Is it possible?

OP posts:
sassymuffin · 14/08/2015 13:20

These things can sometimes feel like a lottery and you've got to be in it to win it. Tell your DD to go for it, what is the worse that can happen? She may receive a" thanks but no thanks" response or she may get in.
My DD said to me that if she didn't at least give it a try then she would always wonder what if.
They can apply for up to five uni places on UCAS so why not take a chance?

OutOfWine · 14/08/2015 13:21

What type of school is she at? It used to be that they set lower requirements for state than private, though I may be out of touch.

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 13:23

I don't think so, sorry OP. I was in a similar situation when I did my AS levels 8 years ago and things are even more competitive now.

What I did was, I didn't bother applying to uni at all in my A level year, I just took a year out to work and then applied with the A level grades I got (4 A grades).

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 13:27

PS I now work for a top ranked university (not Oxbridge) and for most subjects candidates not predicted AAA at least haven't got a hope.

Original poster
star2013 · 14/08/2015 13:34

OutOfWine Dd is in an independent school. I'm not sure if Oxbridge would set lower/ higher requirements to these students.

OP posts:
Kez100 · 14/08/2015 13:35

xavierfondue It was sciences but I don't want to mention the Uni.
If you look on Which Uni? and search for UCL and History it does seem that the "applicants getting offers" percentage is quite positive! Although from what maybebaby says....maybe not?

Whether she thinks her predicted final grades will be enough for the offers they give, that's a different matter. What subjects were her B and C in?

Kez100 · 14/08/2015 13:37

This all goes to show why places should be issued after results!

Original poster
star2013 · 14/08/2015 13:37

maybebabybee - Predicted AAA, for humanities students also?

OP posts:
maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 13:39

It really depends on the uni and subject. I can't say which uni I work for as might out myself but I genuinely don't think we have, in the last few years, offered to anyone with a B grade at A level. Only exception would be if the course was severely under-applied for but that doesn't seem to happen where I work.

I would honestly be shocked if she was accepted to Oxbridge with a B grade. In your dd's position I would not bother applying, or I would wait to see what I actually got for my A levels, and then reapply after taking a year out.

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 13:46

star yes for humanities subjects too, generally speaking, although without knowing the exact subject she wants to apply for I couldn't say for sure.

Many websites will say AAA or AAB or whatever on their websites but don't forget many students are predicted over and above this these days, so if we have a year where we get inundated with students predicted AAA* etc those tend to be the students admitted.

I don't agree with it, I personally think we should be interviewing rather than just relying on grades and personal statements, but there it is. Of course, Oxbridge do interview but even if your daughter did amazingly at interview, if they are trying to decide between her and someone who got AAA at AS level, they are going to choose the second person.

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 14/08/2015 13:50

this year our school's had a candidate just accepted a place at Oxford for a v competitive course who got AAAB at AS, then made the A* AA offer. They were happy enough with the B at AS it seems.

3littlefrogs · 14/08/2015 13:50

Digressing a bit here, but I thought you couldn't get A* at AS level, just at GCSE and A2.
Can anybody clarify?
thanks

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 13:52

3 little yes you're right, my post was shockingly unclear as I'm typing on my phone and trying to bold things which clearly isn't working!

nonameatall01 · 14/08/2015 13:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

xavierfondue · 14/08/2015 13:58

maybebabybee and Kez .... Here comes the bad news - The B was in History (4 marks off an A) which is why she's beside herself. She got an A at GCSE, with full marks for her coursework and she can't understand why she's gone off the boil. I think she's over stressing about it which will clog her brain. Her teacher says that she is going to predict an A but if what maybe says is right, and she isn't predicted an A for History, then UCL is definitely out.

star/OP - as a mum with a kid in the same school year, why the hell not let your DD apply? They can only say no. However, the applications need to be in very quickly next term so her personal statement will need to be written and perfected by the beginning of September.

I tell my DD "Keep trying until someone else tells you "No."" - I also, helpfully, said "Those A2s won't pass themselves" so I hoiked her out of bed and made her watch a programme on Shakespeare's mum that I'd Sky+d. Bizarrelly, I think it helped.

Kez100 · 14/08/2015 14:04

There is no A* at AS. You get it at A2 if your marks meet certain criteria.

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 14:05

Xavier can she get it remarked? My sister was 2 marks off an A for English at A level last year, and got it remarked and got an A. Might be worth looking into.

I can't comment on UCL as I don't know about their admissions processes per se - again it really depends on the quality of applicants in each individual year. We've had a few years we've admitted some weaker (on paper, not saying your DD is weak) candidates because we've had a year where fewer people have applied. So she could certainly apply but should prepare herself for the fact she may not get in.

I know I keep repeating myself on this but honestly if anyone is seriously disappointed in their AS level results it really wouldn't hurt to take a year out and apply with the actual grades you get in your A levels - you tend to get in to more places because you're not a gamble - they can give you an unconditional offer.

NewLife4Me · 14/08/2015 14:11

We have one excellent 6th form in our borough and every year one or two make it to Oxford. As a deprived area of the NW it is usually front page news.
In the last 15 years the profile of those accepted has been A throughout GCSE approx 11 subjects and all A at AS and A at A level.
B's just don't cut it I'm afraid.
I think the standard is so high because this is the standard that will enable the students to work at the required level.
Those with lesser results would struggle, so if it was me I'd encourage other uni's and forget about the very academic ones.

Kez100 · 14/08/2015 14:13

A* at GCSE is a completely different kettle of fish to A level. to start with she is now in a far more able cohort. I suspect the GCSE "jumping through hoops" type answers need more depth and different skills at A level. She clearly has some of those as a B is hardly a poor grade but she will need to work on how to improve. So, if she is getting good grades in class work, she needs feedback somehow on her exam (can you get copies?) to learn where she went wrong and to work on it - well, I'd think that's what she needs to do, I am not a history teacher! A chat to her History teacher is the next step I would think.

if she thinks she can turn this around and dearly dreams about UCL then I would recommend a year working like billy-oh on her courses and taking a gap year with the intention of applying when she can complete the UCAS form with known grades. Or applying this year and crossing her fingers she gets an offer from them in the well, if I get refusal, I will apply again next year.

Other courses are available, of course they are. But somehow, University is so expensive nowadays that if they might be able to make their dream by waiting 12 months, then why not?

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 14:14

Also I should add that Oxbridge really isn't the be all and end all it's made out to be - I know it feels like everything when you're 18, but honestly if you go a decent enough uni it doesn't really make the most enormous difference (as someone who has also worked in postgrad admissions and grad recruitment).

What I mean is, an Oxbridge is not a one way ticket into a dream career etc etc. Your DD will be ok :)

maybebabybee · 14/08/2015 14:15

kez totally agree. the amount of debt she will be in is really not going to alter drastically from one year to the next.

TessDurbeyfield · 14/08/2015 14:15

There are September open days, partly because lots of people think about it after their results. Why not go along and ask there:

Oxford

Cambridge

xavierfondue · 14/08/2015 15:56

Bless, thank you both - we have asked for the scripts (History & the Biology one - where she got a d but A & B for the other papers, hence the C) and the teachers will assess whether it's worth getting them remarked.

A gap year is an option. The son of a friend of mine didn't get into the Central School of Speech & Drama so he reapplied the following year, got in and is now their star pupil.

Next year will be better for her as she was shoved into a new school, as a boarder, with the knowledge that husband was being relocated through work and we didn't know where we were going to live, nor when we were going to move. The poor thing has had 3 different houses since September as well as contending with making new friends, sussing out the new teachers and finding out where the loos are. On the whole, I think she's done remarkably well, especially as she scored 96% for English. Why she isn't doing an English degree, god only knows!

Anyway, sorry, OP, have hijacked your thread. Hope you get the answers you need x

Original poster
star2013 · 15/08/2015 01:35

Thank you all for the inspiration! We have already started working on application. So much to do. No time to think about the disappointment to the AS results but I have a feeling DD would be accepted eventually. Maybe naive. But why not. Wink

xavier Sorry for your DD. Mine is in the same boat: B in History, which is the strongest subject my DD thought she would definitely got an A. She attained A in one paper and B in another. Just need 1 UMS to reach the A. Exam board: OCR, a notorious board for estimating students' grades. If you see my previous post, you will know I'm not the kind of mother who doesn't let her child to pursuit her dream. Good luck to your DD. She has worked so well!

OP posts:
Kez100 · 15/08/2015 03:10

Surely estimates are only used where things like exams have gone missing and then they are more likely to be matched to predicted grades than underestimated?

Good luck on the remark though!