A level Results - 18 days - anxiety rising....anyone else??

[Poppledopple]

Maybe because it is August tomorrow - but seems to have come round quickly. Had a nice break not thinking about anything since last exam and after full on year choosing, applying, getting rejected, getting offers etc....

Might as well switch off and try and get distracted for the next 18 days....as either way it will be v busy few days/weeks after results to get started on next phase of his life.

PFB -- any old hands out there want to give me a slap?

I had the same thought coconutty.

Where is the list with uni's already showing clearing places?

Some results e.g. IB and BTECS are already out. From what I have read, some universities also use clearing to expand their numbers depending on the course. Also in May when student have to choose firm/insurance, the unis also know who have rejected their places and what places they still have to fill.

Sadusername its here just type in the subject you want or the institution to see what vacancies they have

We are waiting here, too, with DD worrying that she will not have made her firm offer of AAA, or her insurance of AAB. She has already checked clearing, and both her courses are coming up, which I am taking as a sign that she might be OK if she drops a grade. She has also spotted courses at other Unis which could be a good alternative.

It is a nervewracking time - at least DS has his place, as he applied after A Levels and just had to pass his Foundation Art course.

Dotty - call her firm and ins dept and ask what was the lowest they haves offered on clearing over the last 3 years - can do this anonymously as a general enquiry - you might be surprised how low they go - we were - put us out of our misery immediately ....

Eatyourveg-thanks for the link, there seems to still be places on the courses DD is considering, at what I thought were fairly competitive institutions. Not sure what this means, they have expanded and so have lots of extra spaces to fill?

GloriaHotcakes- just say it's GloriaHoneybun!

Coco - not sure if that necessarily means that clearing places will not become available when A level results are known to uni's - it might open up then ? You can look at the last few years clearing lists to see if they routinely offer in clearing. I would imagine some v competitive or oversubscribed courses don't end up in clearing - or is it just uni's that manage their offers v well?

Could be either popple, last two years at dp's uni they've had a bit of a numpty doing admissions and they have got it wrong both years, ending up with making too many offers and everyone getting the grades-a couple of the courses aren't massively oversubscribed but will not end up in clearing as they just made too many offer to those who did apply IYSWIM. Obviously in those circumstances they accepted nothing less than the offered grades because they needed to reduce numbers if at all possible.

IT really is rather random. Depends so much on lots of things. My DD dropped a couple of grade for her firm but the course was in clearing so we felt hopeful but in the end she was taken by her insurance which had initially offered the same grades but dropped.

I don't think she has ever really settled.

What I think was really upsetting was the fact she was getting emails and FB requests from her firm uni the day before for accomodation etc welcoming her and giving lots of info. We mistakenly thought this was a sign that they knew she had been accepted as we knew the unis had the results that day so it was a dreadful shock that she did not get in.

Her predicted had been so much higher, but there us so little in between the grades.

Teacher here, very anxious. In the past, including last year, we've had students get fantastic places through Clearing even with poor grades; they need to call the universities and give a really good, persuasive, passionate account of themselves. Even Russell Group and ex "1994 group" unis have places available through Clearing. Make sure you have the website details and phone numbers ready for the 18th, just in case you need them.

Good luck to all!

There were lots of good deals if you don't mind too much what you do or where.

Signing in. We're trying not to think about it. Dd (also pfb) needs AAA for medicine. Sigh...........

Coco - same with my neighbour - AAA offer at Nottingham - got accepted with ABC and another neighbour AAA from Southampton got in on BBB last year.

IT depends on the course. My DD could have got in a straight academic degree at Nottingham but not the more vocational one she was after. She could have the degree she wanted but not the uni or the uni but not the degree. Frustrating times.

What I think was really upsetting was the fact she was getting emails and FB requests from her firm uni the day before for accommodation etc welcoming her and giving lots of info.

wow that is hideous - I have heard of others getting accommodation emails as well ahead of ucas track update - so they knew where the were going - but never like your case. what an awful experience for your DD.

ds is still getting emails and postcards from one uni he rejected in February no communicatin between the admissions and marketing depts at all

Yes the whole process made it into a horrid experience really instead of the positive exciting time it should be.

I just wanted to warn you all re those FB requests from accomodation reps do not mean anything.

I also think there is much to recommend a gap year and re applying to somewhere else if things don't go according to plan. You do get chance to get excited and picture yourself there better I think.