Unconditional offer and grades well below preficted

[dollysmum222]

My DS has an unconditional offer after predicted grades of ABB ( which was always unrealistic- head of 6th was very generous) I was always concerned whether he should accept it in case his grades fell well short. So his results are CDD! He's very disappointed but still wants to fill the place. I have suggested that he speaks to someone at the university for advice. Is anyone else in this position ? TIA

Has his place been confirmed on UCAS Track?

I have a sibling in a similar position and called uo this morning- did not get first choice place but is in second choice place and seems happy enough.

Give them a call but prepare him for dissappointment/ the need to go through clearing.

Did he slack off when he got the offer, or are these grades his best effort?

Did he work hard for the exams? Some DC do take it a little easier if they have unconditional offers.

Thanks for replying. His trac has not updated from his original unconditional offer in February but he got his enrolment pack through this morning from the university

Presumably his place is confirmed by UCAS. If the course is in clearing are the entry grades lower? How relevant are the A levels to the degree work.

He worked harder than before but could have done more. I think CCC may have been doable.

The C was the subject he is hoping to study. I have checked unistats and the lowest grades previous students have had for his course is 96 points and he has 80. I presume they have to accept him but probably begrudgingly. It's whether it's the right thing to do. I cannot get him to ring the university at the moment. He's gone to bed !

I think the grades are still BBB in clearing

He may want to think very hard about whether he is up to the course. CDD is a very low result for a course which accepted him at ABB.

Sometimes, high entry grades are there to act in part as demand management; but they are also there to indicate the level of achievement we think is required to thrive on the course.

He may still be OK - as long as he's OK with the possibility of getting low marks throughout his course ie 2, ii or 3rd class module results no whining to tutors about low marks being 'unfair' as some students are wont to do nowadays

And that may spur him on to improve - learning is cumulative. What he is now will not be what he is in 3 or 4 years time.

OP there is hope if he really wants to turn things around. I know someone who messed up in the exams pulled his socks up and recently achieved a 2.1 in his chosen degree. All the way through he felt he had something to prove and the lecturers could see from the start he was working well. You don't know if you don't try. Let him decide if the possibility is still there for uni and he wants to. I didn't do great at the same age many many tears ago. Working and studying meant i tried years later and achieved my goal but with great working and life experience behind me. No right or wrong way to turn things around.

I think it depends on your DS's attitude to his A level results - has he learnt anything from not doing well?

DS had an unconditional offer for his 1st choice uni (2nd in the country for his subject) and took the opportunity to stop working for his A levels. He fell well short of his predicted grades, but took the place. His results were far lower than he was capable of achieving.

He's just finished his second year and on track for a 2:1, but lots of people on his course, who had unconditional offers, dropped out in the first couple of terms or failed 1st year exams.

This is part of the problem with unconditional offers... students take their foot off the pedal as the pressure is off and end up underachieving.

If his offer is unconditional usually that means that he is offered a place whatever his grades are. If he has confirmed and accepted the offer then he should still have the place.

Thank you for your replies. I had a bad feeling this would happen all along. Unfortunately I am not sure he will change his work ethic so am not sure whether he should go for it. He sailed through GCSES with very little effort but the last 2 years has had the ' head in the sand' approach. Typically his reaction to his results is to take to his bed and refuse to discuss it.

Accept the place, he'll be fine. It's a whole different kettle of fish at uni and this may be a wake-up call that he needs. DS2 did badly at A level (just not massively academic and panicked in exams) but is now entering his final year and on track for a 2:1 in Law and Criminal Justice.

And DS1, who is extremely bright, took his foot off the gas and did just exactly what he needed to get his offer - no more and no less. He could have easily got straight As, but couldn't be arsed with the extra effort, got the three Bs he was asked for and was delighted with himself for his efficiency!

Unfortunately I am not sure he will change his work ethic so am not sure whether he should go for it

I would let him try if he wants to go - but maybe emphasise that he will have to repay the student loan whether or not he finishes the course.

If he is uncertain, could he defer the place til next year? If he can, that would give him a year to grow up and to face the realities of the working world. DN's attitude to learning completely changed after a year of working in Sports Direct and he has just graduated with a first.

I think a lot too depends on the subject, with some areas, like maths or sciences if the expected standard is an A , or a minimum B then that is the minimum level the subject will be pitched at and he will probably struggle because his knowledge/skills/capacity to learn is not sufficient to keep abreast of his peers, many of whom will be working and thinking at a level above an A standard.

In other subjects he might be able to make up any deficiency by solid hard work and reading, but I think it will be hard.

HIs school has done him no favours by over predicting grades and if you have other children at the same school I would be very wary.

He may well find this is the push he needs to try harder at uni. I wouldn't try and talk this through if he is in bed feeling disappointed at present but maybe in a few days see if you can talk it through with him. Uni and school have both seen something in him.

He wants to go. I just don't want him to be with a cohort of students that all got higher grades and deserved their place! There may be students in clearing who have much better grades that won't get the place that he has taken. I am concerned that the lecturers will have to take him begrudgingly. If he hadn't had the unconditional then he would be in clearing now applying to study along side students with similar grades. Oh gawd , I'm overthinking it all ! Thank you for the positive stories though.

He probably didn't try hard enough as he knew he already had the place. I would let him take up his place but impress upon him he will have to try doubly hard once he gets to uni!

It's highly lightly he's still got his place. University are fighting for student numbers this year (I work in a uni). The quicker he can go online and confirm his place through UCAS the more likely he is to get uni accommodation. His results are not a total disaster. There will be many in his boat. Please look on the bright side.

And yes, you are totally overthinking it. Please don't be so hard on him (from an Associate Professor :) )

I would also see if he would consider a year out. The taking to his bed is not a good method of dealing with problems and if the same tactic is used at Uni it's going to be even less successful than it is now!

He must be disappointed though, so he'll need some time to get over it.