Predicted grades for A level

[Puzzledmum]

My DD is in a very selective girls grammar school in year 12( nearly over). The school is very reluctant to give high predictions. They did not sit AS levels, but had internal final exams, which should be used instead of AS, I believe. She got 4A grades on these exams but is unsure if the school will predict her the A she needs for Oxford. If she did not get the AAA prediction, can she still apply for the course she would like to do (Biology)? I was left with the impression from the open day, that she may not be allowed to even apply if the predictions do not match the required offer. Any thoughts?

[Puzzledmum]

You are absolutely right, Stranger! It is quite possible that they simply have not firmed them yet. I’ll just patiently sit and wait for September while enjoying the summer

[goodbyestranger]

Puzzledmum I know it's very hard not to want your DC to succeed in whatever it is they want, but my advice would be to try very, very hard to mask your own anxiety, because if it's in any way palpable it will feed down to your DD and that can only be bad. If the Ho6 is encouraging then that's all you need - especially since it doesn't seem as though anyone is digging their heels in about predictions, it sounds as though they simply haven't firmed them up.

[Puzzledmum]

Many thanks Kitten. Yes, she has a couple of other options she is considering at the moment, so should be fine. Great advice to embrace it and to think of it as an exciting opportunity :)
The gin is already stocked and being successfully drunk ;)
I have marked my place on the other thread already. Thanks again.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

That's ok :) I suggest getting in early supplies of gin
It's also really worth looking at other places in depth and focusing on the positives they have over the oxbridge courses so that they don't get too hung up on it. View it as an exciting chance if you can.

There's an oxbridge 2019 thread going in higher education now.

[Puzzledmum]

Kitten - thanks for the heads up. I hope she gets to the interview stage first :D I am a very anxious individual, so you can only imagine what I am going through already and the real thing has not even started yet.
On a positive note - I spoke to the Ho6 and although she did not reveal the actual predictions, she said my DD should definitely apply, as she stands a good chance to get an interview. SO I suppose, I can't ask for anything else at this stage (not that I am going to get anything more) and shall leave it at that, until the beginning of Sept when we get the grades and then decide what to do.
Thank you all for the support!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I get you on the nerve wracking bit. Wait til the will they won't they get an interview bit, then the results of the interview, then the actual exams. It's all so horrible for anyone with even a slightly nervous disposition! You get about 5 minutes relief after each stage.

[Puzzledmum]

I completely agree with all of you!
Stranger and Summer - I am about to speak to the Ho6 , and shall ask directly to get a yes or no answer. That is exactly what I want so that we can plan ahead :)
Kitten - I hope I am worrying unnecessary! It may be that case, I just do not like being left in the dark and in suspense. I know they have told the girls, they do not feel will cut it for Oxbridge already, so hopefully no news is good news for us. I never expected this to be such a waiting game and also quite nerve wracking!

[goodbyestranger]

I'm struggling to see what all the mystery is about on the part of the school. It sounds to me as though they're too boxed in with redundant AS level results timing to shift their stand. Very silly and I wouldn't have much time for it. But then our school wouldn't tease its students like this (the final predictions have always been made in Sept but no Oxbridge applicant would be left in the dark about grades, and certainly not if they were, or were worried they were, on the boundary grades of being able to make a viable application). Did you ask the Ho6 direct if Oxbridge was a runner or did you simply ask about the timing of prediction of grades? Sendsummer is right - you/ your DD need to be direct and ask a question which will get you a yes/ no answer.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I think you might be worrying unnecessarily. There doesn't seem to be anything to indicate that she won't get the predictions she needs. The school sends a large number to oxbridge, so they clearly don't scupper lots of chances by underpredicting for everyone and for those who have AS exams, it's normal to wait until September to get predicted grades from school.

[sendsummer]

Then she needs to ask them specifically whether Oxbridge is an option.

[Puzzledmum]

Goodbyestranger - she has not been predicted at all. She only has her grades from the final year exams. And yes, I agree it is petty! That is exactly what I am unhappy with. Nothing is going to change between now and September, so why the suspense!

Sendsummer - she has done first draft of PS already, knows exactly where she would like to apply and has researched the courses. The school has been encouraging verbally and have told her she would be a good candidate for the course but have not indicated for which uni

[sendsummer]

Puzzledmum your DD would benefit from having the summer to start thinking about her PS and university options. In view of the official stance from the school for September she should ask her subject teachers and possibly head of sixth form whether they would encourage her to apply to Oxbridge. If they refuse to give official grade predictions she can at least get some advice and an indication from them of which universities she could aim for.

[goodbyestranger]

Puzzledmum I'm not clear if your DD has been predicted A grades thus far or simply hasn't been predicted grades at all. I'm finding it hard to believe that she'll not get the A* on the basis of what you've said , but it sounds as though the Ho6 has said no predictions until Sept (which I find petty, frankly).

[Puzzledmum]

Thank you RedHelen, I hope so!
Bonita - many thanks! I shall try TSR. I had a look a few times but could never really find a decent thread with good info. Shall try again and shall look at what you posted. My DD has asked the teachers for recommendations on how to improve further and presumably has got some directions. We shall see in September I guess when the grades are out!

[NeaterBonita]

It might be useful/reassuring to go to The Student Room. Both Cambridge and Oxford admission tutors run regular threads where you can ask quite detailed and specific questions. Although obviously not as common as over prediction of grades, they must have experience of under-predictions. Here's a recent Cambridge one.
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5440032 ithink for Oxford if you put @Brasenose in a post someone will pop up!

My daughter did what another poster suggested. She approached teachers and asked what she would need to do to get an A* prediction. And presumably did it. Though she do do AS level exams despite doing Linear A levels and the results of those must have made teachers slightly more confident.

[RedHelenB]

Puzzled mum I'm sure your daughters application will be looked at given her top gcses and grammar school.

[evenstrangerthings]

I hope things work out too for your DC 😊

On The Student Room, I've seen some students have success in getting their predicted grades increased by asking their teachers, "What would I need to do and when would I need to do it by, in order to be predicted XYZ?"

One of our Plan B thru to Z was for DD to apply for gap year placements. Many big companies such as PWC and IBM offer them.

[Puzzledmum]

evenstrangerthings - that is exactly what i would like to avoid (DD having to settle for something, which is not her first choice). I am sorry this happened to your DD and hope she makes the most of it and enjoys her current uni. Of course, nothing is the end of the world and they can reapply the following year, after a year out or, as you say, later for postgrad they can go to the uni of their choice. Good luck to your DS!
We are also discussing a plan B at the moment, just in case things do not work out in our favour.

[evenstrangerthings]

My DDs school was really strict with predicted grades and wouldn't budge and she was rejected by Imperial and UCL as a result. She ended up performing better than her predicted grades and getting good enough grades to reapply to both, if she wanted to take a year out. However she chose to go to her firm choice. Very annoying, but she's happy, and can always apply to those Unis or even Oxbridge if she chooses, for postgrad.

My DS has now received his (higher) predictions from the same school. I'm hoping that the fact that the school has a reputation for not inflating predicted grades will serve him well.

Hubby is always pragmatic about these things and as a family, we talked through what seemed to be plans B thru Z, based on various outcomes.

[Puzzledmum]

ballseditupagain I shall do this exactly, if I need to. I really hope I do not need to, as I am doubtful they will change the grade. Unfortunately, we have to wait until early September to know whether this is necessary.
I agree, if she has not got the predicted grades to match the required offer, she will not be considered at all, so no point in applying. I am only referring to Oxbridge. All other university have some level of flexibility, I think.

[ballseditupagain]

Personal statement won't help if your dd is in a performing grammar - she will need to meet the threshold.

When I was at school (many moons ago) my predicted grades were too low. I wrote to my first choice uni separately after they rejected me and they then gave me a typical offer. I didn't get the grade though so ended up in my insurance!!

If your dd has a chance of getting the a* I would push the school. She won't get a offer otherwise so you have nothing to loose.

[Blaablaablaa]

Oh and entry requirements are a guide only. Universities can make offers way below or above and will often do this based in individual applications. So, yes apply but write a shit hot personal statement

[Blaablaablaa]

Only 16% of predicted grades are accurate. Universities know this, schools know this....universities are wary of schools who consistently predict grades that end up being significantly higher than the actual grade.

[Puzzledmum]

Clairetree1, I have most certainly thought through the consequences very long and hard. Besides, I am not asking them to change anything yet, we have not had the predictions. I was just expressing my concerns that from what we have observed in my daughter's school recently, the school is very reluctant to give generous predictions, if anything, it seems they are prepared to lower the grades than boost them. This is not something that is observed across all schools and having applied to and got into one of the most competitive grammar schools in the country and then having worked very hard all her life, achieving very high results consistently, I cannot see how is it fair to be prevented to apply to her university of choice, just because a teacher is not willing to put a star to the A. Whereas, children from very average comprehensives will be pushed and encouraged to apply with inflated predicted grades. This is what I find unfair.

[Clairetree1]

It depends on the subject, as well, getting an A in AS then a C in A2 is fairly standard the second year of a subject often being harder than the first.