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Higher education

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

Original poster

Predicted CCC

60 replies

Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 13:49

Bit gutted tbh.

School is massively cracking down as have over predicted historically so teachers have clearly been told to resist parental pressure!

Just really need a bit of support as DS now feeling really demoralised. Shocked really as he got a B in his internal History exam at the end of last year. They’ve predicted C-D for History “which could be a B with work and consistency “. But he’s been told that it’s the C that’s going on UCAS. The school gets the applications in early (by November.)

What would be the level of aspirational entry requirements we should look at? We were looking at ABB aspirational but that feels pie in the sky now.

Having a gap year anyway so he was applying this year for 2021 entry. He’s dyslexic and struggles with focus and work ethic is not always brilliant (to be fair I think he gets exhausted) so hopefully an extra year will help.

Hand hold please!!!! Sad

OP posts:
Choufleur · 19/09/2019 13:52

What does he want to do? Does he have any idea where he would like to study? CCC (96 UCAS points) may be enough to study a subject he wants at a lot of universities.

Boyskeepswinging · 19/09/2019 14:01

Yes, it will depend on what he wants to do but if it's possible he may do better than predicted (eg BBB) he may be better off waiting and applying in the next cycle. Achieved BBB opens many more doors than predicted CCC. Or even just waiting for Clearing next year, again depending on subject. If he doesn't do so well in his exams this year he could retake next year. But it's certainly not too late for him to get his head down and do his best this year.

Original poster
Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 14:06

Thank you both for being nice!

He wants to do History/Ancient History. He loved Liverpool ABB. We’re also going to look at Reading and Manchester Met also Cardiff has a low BCC on their site for Ancient and Medieval.

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Original poster
Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 14:10

I don’t think we want to retake to be honest. I don’t think he would be motivated.

The plan is a gap year of working then travelling. This will be better for him. Even a Foundation Year at Uni would be better than resits I think.

Do you think he should not apply this year? Can he apply, see how it goes then apply again next year if he gets better grades?

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GCAcademic · 19/09/2019 14:10

He could apply now to courses that will accept those grades and then “trade up” during Adjustment if he does better than predicted.

Original poster
Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 14:12

Ps thanks! I’ve asked the school this and am waiting to hear back. Just a bit shocked as I’d really convinced myself we were looking at ABB predictions

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Bronzegate · 19/09/2019 14:49

I think it would be fine to put one aspirational in there (e.g. Liverpool), so long as the other choices are more realistic.

DS was in a similar position applying to History courses a couple of years ago. His predicted grade for History was C. He included an aspirational choice on his UCAS form and they gave him an offer (ABB). He got BBC (including B in History) and they accepted him.

Bronzegate · 19/09/2019 14:53

I would suggest looking at places like Kent, Leciester, Keele, Reading or UEA.
And maybe Lincoln or Essex.

Original poster
Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 15:11

@Bronzegate - that gives me hope!!! Do you mind my asking where he went?

I think it helps that my son prefers older periods of History as they seem less popular 😆

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Original poster
Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 15:15

Ps @Bronzegate - he wants a city based uni. We’ve been to Kent but he found it too remote. Not interested in UEA. Prefers the big city idea.

We’re not in England so it’s a hassle to visit! So far we’ve been to Liverpool -loved Liverpool John Moores-didn’t like. Kent liked but too remote. Going to visit Reading, Man Met and Cardiff.

Wondering too about Hull as they do a foundation year and their course looks amazing for him - civilisations, Crusades etc... that’s what he gets excited about! Leicester also looks good but ABB

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Bronzegate · 19/09/2019 15:24

He's at Leicester. He likes the fact that the course is quite global rather than being too anglocentric / eurocentric. The teaching is good and the staff are helpful/supportive. And the cost of living in Leicester is very reasonable.

He got five offers despite the modest predicted grades. To be honest I think that at this level in the league tables they are undersubscribed and will offer to anyone who looks like they might be within reaching distance of getting the grades.

stucknoue · 19/09/2019 15:47

Leicester let people in on bcc as long as the b was in history. Good department, dd loves it.

RedHelenB · 19/09/2019 17:08

I would still apply this year. My dd has just started at Liverpool doing history. She got her grades but some got in with lower so no harm putting it down.

Hippobag · 19/09/2019 17:11

Kent isn't that remote and has fantastic support for dyslexia and accessibility.

CointreauVersial · 19/09/2019 17:31

Hmm....I would sooner be under-predicted than over-predicted, tbh.

DD1 performed unusually well in her L6 exams and ended up predicted AAB, so we duly visited and shortlisted various universities with those entry requirements. However, she never really performed at that level and ended up with BBC. Fortunately (because I could see what was going to happen!) we had chosen a more realistic Insurance choice, and she's actually delighted to be going there, but we wasted a lot of time looking at and applying for places which, in hindsight, were too aspirational for her. Had we not been very sensible with the Insurance choice we would have had to go through Clearing, which she would have devastated about.

In contrast, DD1's best mate did the opposite - despite being an A* student she performed badly in mocks and ended up with low predictions. She accepted a university place, but when she aced her A levels she was able to go through Adjustment and got a place at the university she had wanted from the start.

Both stressful situations, but at least in BF's case she was aiming to find something better than she'd expected, rather than settling for something "worse".

My advice is to choose something aspirational (if you REALLY think those grades are in reach - look carefully at the level he's working at) and hope he is offered a place, but choose a sensible Insurance choice in line with his predictions that he will still be very happy to attend.

SunnySummerDays · 19/09/2019 17:40

We went to an open day at Worcester and as early went in on the archaeology talk for something to do... and it sounded amazing... and reasonable attainable grades to get in. Links to history too? Look at unis too that offer scholarships exams... my son got offered unconditional on his results in it but a level results dire!!

ZandathePanda · 19/09/2019 17:55

Hello. Don’t know what subjects your Ds is doing other than history, but 48% of humanities grades are ‘wrong’ anyway(!) so I never know how they can make predictions.
Dd got almost full marks in history - she had been predicted an A. The school were a bit surprised that she did so well. Dd independently really scrutinised how to answer the history questions according to the exam board she was taking - it was a matter of technique. She told them what they wanted to see in the clearest way for an examiner to mark.
Same with English Literature.
Politics was a weird one - the examiners didn’t appear to mark the way they were told to, according to her teacher!!

Leeds2 · 19/09/2019 18:01

If he is planning on having a gap year anyway, I would probably apply next year when he knows his results, and what universities are within his reach. Once he has the results, draw up a shortlist and get him to go and visit to see how he feels about each place.

ZandathePanda · 19/09/2019 18:03

...which was a long winded way to say get him to practise essay technique as this may drastically increase his marks in the exam, even if doesn’t ‘know’ more history.

Zorba345 · 19/09/2019 18:40

My DD’s school have also done a massive crack down and predicting at or one grade below summer exams. That’s fine but when everyone else is inflating grades it’s going to look doubly bad. There was some missed offers in the summer so her year are paying the price.

Original poster
Notsureabouthis · 19/09/2019 19:27

Thanks so much everyone- lots to think about!

He’s doing History, Geology and Business Studies.

I’m really confused now as to whether he should apply this year or not! 🙈

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Propertyfaux · 19/09/2019 19:55

I can only go by DS1 and some of his friends, top grades hold their value so a gap year can be absolutely fine as you can meet the offers. His sixth form advised going through the system as there may be instances that an offer may be made for a desirable course that cannot be guaranteed the following year because of grades. He had a few friends who got offers despite dropped grades that were not excepting the same grades at clearing.

happychange · 19/09/2019 20:01

What's his long term goal? Might be better studying a trade or going into apprenticeship rather than spending his time at uni and ending up with loads of debt?

GoGoJo · 19/09/2019 20:01

Apply this year. Then he has three chances- predicted grades, adjustment/clearing and a fresh app next year. And it will be better if he can sort his personal statement and references whilst he is in school with teachers help.

It's a buyers market at the moment. If he gets the grades he can trade up and loads of uni are being very very flexible.

Bronzegate · 19/09/2019 20:02

If he is feeling 50:50 and has no strong opinions either way, my advice would be to apply this year.

Next year he would have to be self-organised about deadlines (no school to chase him) and references (no school to add it automatically).

The birth rate dip was 2000-2002, so next year will probably have slightly more applicants.

If he applies this year he has lost nothing, and may gain some offers at places he likes. If he doesn't, then he can apply again next year after A-levels, and no harm done.