University 2020 :6: The one with the results at the end

[MillicentMartha]

Hopefully as the title suggests we will actually get up to results on this thread! Only 5 weeks to go.

Old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3918392-University-2020-5-Results-day-approaching-and-beyond?pg=40

DS's school is not open for in-person results collection (which is just as well as DS is in quarantine after we returned from holiday in Spain).

Yes, I’m getting nervous now. Trying not to talk to DS about it too much. I really hope he gets his firm or insurance, he’d be happy with either, but we’ll have a few Clearing options scoped out tomorrow. (Was going to type on Wednesday, ulp!)

I think I’ll have to start a new thread tomorrow, just for results and the aftermath! This one’s moving on apace.

MillicentMartha I thought that too,

What will you name the new thread?

Any good ideas? The day of reckoning?

The s*&t hits the fan?

Kingscote - I’m not experienced - but why not chance a phone call 👍 looks like someone earlier in the thread said their student was rung a few days later by a uni so at the very least ring them and say he is super keen? They get a few days to accept insurance so no risk I think?

Gin for breakfast?

Shit hits fab works 😂

Could the gin hit the fan?

That’s sound good!

@KingscoteStaff, I wouldn’t think the unis will have seen the CAGs, just the actual calculated grades, so it’s worth a shot if CAGs were higher. Obviously getting your DC to do the phoning.

I like 'The Shit hits the A levels fan'

thesunwillout that’s my favourite so far!

Strange question but who is it you actually need to speak to on the day if you miss your grades? My DS has applied for a combined social sciences course so is unsure who he will need to talk to. Should be be ringing the department or the college?

Did I just hear on the news that the likely outcome is Scotland reverting to CAG? We will have to do the same here, no?

But presumably they won't downgrade anyone who was upgraded. Thus grade inflation in Scotland at least will be worse than it would have been if they had just awarded CAG. What a shitshow.

Kingscote, DS's school have said they can request the CAGs by email from 14th to 21st August, but that it may take up to a week to get them. Will your DC get theirs on Thursday?

Railingsohno we're hoping to go to rural Provence. Most of the DC have been working in London right through lockdown incl two on busy Covid wards and I planned this trip last Sept - so fingers are extremely tightly crossed for no quarantine, because it won't work with their work. It's a great distraction though, watching for breaking news, I'll give it that :)

I heard that suggestion too, @ClarasZoo, but surely it can't be as simple as that?

However careful teachers have been there will always be borderline students and of course teachers will have erred in a positive direction, with some schools being a bit more generous than others, so just using CAGs without adjustment introduces a different kind of unfairness. I would hope, after all the fuss, that Scot Govt has been very careful to talk with experts and work out a more nuanced approach to addressing the problems that have come to light.

@DadDadDad - you might think that but I think they will just want a nice snappy headline and solution. Another attempt at any sort of messing with the CAG is going to take too long and risks the same outcome. We will see though....

True, ClarasZoo, there's a cynical side of me that suspects it will be done as crudely as that. New assessment procedures normally take years of design and consultation. They came up with one in a couple of months once we went into lockdown, so it was bound to be imperfect; now they've tried to rewrite it in a week, so yeah...

Also, there is no time to run any sort of consultation on any alternate model/algorithm. My personal solution would be to publish both grades and rely on the higher. At least future employers could see and draw their own conclusions from any mismatch.

@NotEnoughTime some of the unis already have contact details for Thursday on their websites and a link to pre-register for clearing updates.

I’ve written down admissions and department phone numbers for firm, insurance, and two clearing options, so DS doesn’t have to scramble looking for them if needed.

DS has announced he will NOT be looking at track before heading to school on the bus for 8.30am results collection - “where’s the fun in that?” I’ll be here with a large ready to spring into action if necessary.

Mind you he has form for playing it cool. We were in USA for GCSE results, so a relative collected and text him his results at 6am - he glanced at them and went back to sleep. Meanwhile DH and I were left on tenterhooks.

DD is climbing the walls slightly now. She has just arranged to go to a big Theme Park tomorrow for the day with friends as they all need a distraction.
School are emailing results from 8am - and it's that from that's causing me angst today! Does it mean at 8? Or 9? Or even later?!

I was not assuming I would be seeking to see the CAGs. How can I challenge an algorithm when it is trying out to balance out rankings across schools and historic performance. Plus, how can I possibly know what my DS would have got or whether the CAG is fair in the first place? He's an MC kid at a high performing school - he's not going to be like the kids who missed out in Scotland who might have been from more disadvantaged schools/backgrounds whose performance exceeded the historic record of their school.

Anyway, thanks for the tips re getting the phone numbers ready in advance, I will do that too. Anyone know when they expect to receive emails from schools? (Not check on UCAS).

@KingscoteStaff you can also ask the school to email the Uni as well and back you up if necessary