Will your DC be going back to their first choice uni as a result of CAGs?

[Boredbumhead]

We've spent all week clearing. We're all exhausted. We are a mid ranking University and are now worried that the caps have been lifted the first choice Universities will be poaching the students back or the students will be releasing and changing uni. Will your DC be sticking with their clearing place, or going back to the UCAS system and trying to get their original place back?

You can study English law at Strathclyde. I think when my daughter was looking 8 years ago only 1 Scottish uni did but it seems more the norm to run an English law course too now.

It's interesting to hear how excited and pleased students are going to their insurance or a clearing university. Imagine how much stress could be avoided is our education system changed to applications after A level results are received.

It's also a good reminder to make sure Dd really likes the insurance university she chooses next year and to big up both, and generally big up the excitement of studying her choice of degree rather than become fixated on one perfect institution.

She is studying a 4 yr scits and english law, so yes fully aware, and quite excited now

*scots and english

DS is sticking with his insurance, even tho his firm RG uni offered him a (slightly) different course on results day due to a grade drop. He was really happy with both unis tbh, but felt the fact that his insurance is a campus which guarantees on site accommodation and his dream course was enough for him. He was sooooo lucky not to have had an awful experience last Thursday.

However, I really do think that one of the big lessons to be learned from this whole debacle is to try to ensure that DC consider the implications when choosing their insurance and to see it as a viable alternative to their firm, rather than as some sort of fuzzy-end-of-the-lollipop consolation prize.

Revised grades are filtering through as DD has had email reinstating her offer for 2020. She has to go back into ucas to reject her current offer (with the same university) and then accept this offer. Who knows if they'll hold her accommodation.
For her, the institution trumped the course; she preferred to take an associated course at the same university than go to her insurance. It was the only place that really made her smile and we visited a fair few since the end of y11. I don't know how she'd have made her mind up if she'd been in y12 this year.
I agree with whoever said that post A evel application is the only sensible way forward and one that would serve the customer best. Young people are paying an awful lot of money for a system that doesn't really put them at the centre.

It's also a good reminder to make sure Dd really likes the insurance university she chooses

one of the big lessons to be learned from this whole debacle is to try to ensure that DC consider the implications when choosing their insurance and to see it as a viable alternative to their firm, rather than as some sort of fuzzy-end-of-the-lollipop consolation prize.

In previous years, I have been totally bemused by posts along the lines of, 'but even if DC doesn't get into their firm, of course there is no way that they will be going to their insurance'. So why choose one, then?? It's not compulsory to have one, and makes no sense to do so if you know from the outset that you have no intention of going there. There will almost certainly be something available in Clearing on the day, if things don't go to plan re the firm choice.

('Unfortunately, since they chose their universities, they've had a complete change of heart about their insurance' / 'a drastic change of circumstances means that, sadly, going there would no longer be a possibility' etc would be something completely different, of course).

DD never did want her firm but having not done it before she had no idea what would be available in clearing, felt under pressure to have an insurance and struggled to find one she'd even consider. To be fair if she'd actually have sat exams and not got her firm then she would have genuinely reconsidered her capabilities but to have not even say the exams, she definitely would not settle for anything less than her firm without taking an exam.

Good to hear how York are handling things. We have a family member who went to York in clearing a few years ago and only has immensely positive things to say about it! Massively underrated uni IMHO.

The uni has really pulled out all the stops to provide a safe environment for students and has created a fab new outdoor socialising space called 'the Forest' - looks great!
www.yorkvision.co.uk/news/the-forest-yusus-new-venue-announced/14/08/2020

@Nothingoriginalhere

I absolutely cannot believe that Gavin Williamson and the ofqual guy still have jobs!! An absolute shambles

Nor their equivalents in Scotland and Wales??

DS got into his firm on the initial grades despite 2 of the A levels being 1 grade lower than the offer. RG uni. He was delighted as he really wanted to go to the firm uni. Got to school and gutted to find out his lowered grades. CAGs now awarded and they match his original firm offer but thanks to the lovely firm uni (RG), the stress was taken away for my DS.

@Kazzyhoward
Yes absolutely their counterparts in Scotland and Wales. although the English government having seen the scottish failures 1 week before A level results definitely should have acted much sooner.

Yes we have heard very many good things about York since 13th too. And less good about Durham!

DD has decided to stick with York which was her insurance despite now being offered a place at her first choice uni - York have been great at keeping in touch whereas the first choice didn’t seem to bother until yesterday.

If only we knew this time last year what we know now! The glossy open days are one thing but you see what the unis really are by how they respond to this situation.