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Higher education

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

Original poster

DD ucas predicted grades AAD.

69 replies

itsokaynow · 12/12/2019 09:17

My DD is in year 13 and wants to go to university next year. Her predicted grades are AAD. The D is in Art and Design, and she made a mistake in choosing to do it at A level (She got a 6 at GCSE). If she were doing an academic subject; instead, she would most likely be getting 3 As. She can't study Art more and get better, but she is trying hard to improve her course work to get a C.

She feels she can't now go to a good university. She has GCSE 9 and predicted an A in the subject that she wants to study. Her subject teacher has given her an excellent reference. She has a very strong personal statement related to her subject areas.

She is worried if she is wasting her choices applying to the better universities, but I feel it is a shame as very academically bright. She wants to study English Literature, and she says it is a popular degree subject so feels they won't even consider her application with a D

Any advice I can pass on to her would be gratefully received?

OP posts:
waltzingparrot · 12/12/2019 11:01

I'd ring a couple of uni admissions departments and get their thoughts/advice.

HugoSpritz · 12/12/2019 11:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 12/12/2019 11:04

Could she sign up for an extra a level via evening classes?

myrtleWilson · 12/12/2019 11:05

Is she doing an EPQ too as that can help?

CobaltLoafer · 12/12/2019 11:06

Why do you think she can’t study Art more to get better? As far as I understand it’s not how ‘good’ the art is, but how fully worked the concept, how well explained, and how her art practice shows development of the idea...and how she reflects on that process and brings it into her work.

I’d speak to the Art teacher and ask how she can raise her grade using her academic skills.

OdeYellerBelly · 12/12/2019 11:11

@CobaltLoafer is correct, I used to teach A level art.

titchy · 12/12/2019 12:03

Where has she applied to - I assume she has applied given the deadline is imminent? While she won't get Oxbridge offers with AAD predicted there's no reason she wouldn't get offers from other good universities.

FanSpamTastic · 12/12/2019 12:17

What does her school advise?

I would suggest she takes a gap year and sits one additional subject - or alternatively applies next year with her known grades for a 2021 admission.

LIZS · 12/12/2019 13:19

Where does she want to apply to? Is the D a shock really? Usually you pick two or three aspirational, one or two "safe", others in between. If she gets no offers she can reapply in the summer or go through Clearing. Does she want to do straight English lit or could she combine with another subject (maybe related to her third A level subject).

Original poster
itsokaynow · 12/12/2019 13:57

She originally had a C on her UCAS and trying to get it up to a B; the teacher had dropped it to a D. (She was about to submit it when she noticed the grade drop, the teacher never told her.) it is A level photography. Only two students are taking the subject. They are placed with the art class. The teaching is geared to the art students.

She wanted to go to St Andrew's for her aspirational (She was hoping to get a contextual offer of AAB). Safe choices were Dundee or, Kent. She is now also looking at Bath Spa, Bangor, or MMU as safe. They ask for UCAS points rather than grades. She wants to do English & Film. She did a journalism work placement during the school holidays.

She doesn't want to take a gap year.

OP posts:
LolaSmiles · 12/12/2019 14:01

English literature courses at top universities would probably have an issue with the D because of how popular they are. They may overlook it if she has EPQ.

She could look at some joint honours courses Literature and something else as sometimes more niche subjects have slightly lower entry offers and are a little less oversubscribed.

Or, she could contact universities she's interested in directly for more advice.

LIZS · 12/12/2019 14:05

RHUL? What's her third subject?

Original poster
itsokaynow · 12/12/2019 14:15

The third subject is Psychology.

OP posts:
Original poster
itsokaynow · 12/12/2019 14:17

She did an EPQ in French last year.

OP posts:
LIZS · 12/12/2019 14:17

Bournemouth or Portsmouth for film?

titchy · 12/12/2019 14:52

She will get an offer for Kent. If she's happy with that as her insurance she may as well go as aspirational as she can!

Kent will also take her if she drops a grade to two...

CrazyToast · 12/12/2019 15:39

If she does better than the D she can apply to universities via Adjustment or Clearing, or wait a year and reapply. It is difficult though. I would speak to the Admissions departments for the courses she is interested in. Some will accept grade drops.

ladynozzer · 12/12/2019 16:07

Can she study for an EPQ as well? Unis tend to like these as they are good prep for uni study.

The alternative is wait for clearing. They have fantastic offers, and if she can squeeze the D to a C and get an A* in one, it's a whole different ballgame

Or, if necessary, take a gap year. Strengthens the personal statement no end. My son as of today has offers from Leeds and Manchester despite not getting the grades they say on the website because he got an A in an EPQ and had what I believe these youngsters would call a banging personal statement 🤗

ladynozzer · 12/12/2019 16:11

Sorry, just joined this forum and can now see you've answered my points!! But honestly, there's a low birth rate in this cohort and they will make offers so as not to miss out on their fee income. Very best of luck

PBLR · 12/12/2019 17:25

If she could push the Art up to a C and hold the AA for the others she will have 128 UCAS points. As already mentioned it's a low birth rate year. The points equate to ABB and many places will adjust accordingly. Eg this year ABC got you into Chemistry at Lboro altho the standard was BBB at clearing as the A compensated for the C as it were. I would have a good look round, stay aspirational and look for joint hons as other post said as you can often drop the second subject by yr3. Don't be frightened to look at possible clearing places in the run up to results day too.

BubblesBuddy · 12/12/2019 22:57

This DD wants English!!! Not a science where there is a shortage of applicants. All the best unis will want AAA or AAB. So it’s a case of doing English and Film and not being choosy.

My DD did Photography A level and it requires excellent teaching. Many schools seem incapable of this. Nearly all of DDs class got A*s. The school and teacher knew the time of day in the subject and your DD is being short changed. That’s very very sad. She needs a far better steer on how she can improve. What’s wrong? Is it the actual portfolio or the written element of the course? If she can get a better result, she would be able to trade up.

My DD got a B for Art GCSE several years ago. She got A* for Photography A level and A for Art BUT she changed schools to do it. That simply wouldn’t have been possible at her previous school. It’s such a shame your DD choose to do this subject in less than great circumstances. Is the school remotely concerned?

RedPandaMama · 12/12/2019 23:02

Apply anyway!!

Two A's is fantastic. I got on to an A*AA English course when I applied 6 years ago with my AACDD predicted grades. Ended up with ABCCD on results day - yes my college was crazy and made us do 5 A-Levels this spreading ourselves too thinly and getting lower results.

I still got on to that course and completed it. This was at Lancaster Uni.

MarchingFrogs · 12/12/2019 23:40

This was at Lancaster Uni.

Ah, but would Lancaster pass muster as one of the best universities?

(Sorry, I really am not being serious with that slur on Lancaster's character, so to speak).

Is Film Studies not the area of expertise of @Piggywaspushed? If so, perhaps she could advise re potential universities / courses.

carrots555 · 12/12/2019 23:45

If she has an EPQ these count as 50% of the points you'd get for an A-Level so that's a great help. She'll need to look for tariff based, rather than grade based unis if relying on the points from EPQ.

A fair few unis are just looking for 3 x grades from A-Levels.

RedPandaMama · 12/12/2019 23:56

@MarchingFrogs

I mean, it's consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country in every league table so Wink

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