Another Path to Greatness - Part II

[BigWoollyJumpers]

Here we are.

Chopc

"I know of two people who have got offers of AAB for History at Durham. One is contextual, other I am not sure."

Not sure if the evidence will hold up in a court of law but it's on the Durham offer holder's Facebook page. And remember I said "I know of" because I don't actually know these people ........

Don't feel right to screenshot and paste it here but if you want I can pm you a screenshot of the conversation as it's a public forum after all

DD’s offer for Durham is exactly the same as OnTheBenchOfDoom’s dc .. but for a different subject.

Sorry, like you I was responding to Percy’s unequivocal statement, which I quoted.

You and I have both observed exceptions. Whereas she is one of the board’s long-standing legal experts.

Sorry, I made a mess of that. I also believe you. I am sure all sorts of weird things happened last year. Sadly the chaos continues and they are likely to happen again this.

Aah no issues @Needmoresleep

I know of a student - how do you find out if they are contextual? Parents definitely both went to uni; school is very average comp I would say - who has been offered significantly lower grades to study at Birmingham or Bristol if they firmed them. I would have thought those were all prestigious enough institutions not to bed to offer incentives but they have (this year but before A levels were cancelled). The student in question has an offer from O so isn't firming the other options but was still offered them.
DD is pretty certain that the person she knows with a history offer at Durham has been offered less than the standard offer but we know they are contextual.

Durham don’t offer lower grades only to contextual. This was asked at open day, but I think Birmingham do quite often.

Bristol a weird one as a friend of DS had his offer reduced v significantly. They were quite dumbfounded as they have no published contextual criteria. Maybe a less popular subject?

@Applepieco

Durham don’t offer lower grades only to contextual. This was asked at open day, but I think Birmingham do quite often.

Bristol a weird one as a friend of DS had his offer reduced v significantly. They were quite dumbfounded as they have no published contextual criteria. Maybe a less popular subject?

Having just done some stalking the person I know of does not meet contextual criteria for Bristol or Birmingham. Maybe, like you say, it's a less popular subject or maybe they just really wanted them. Their GCSE results were very far above the average in their school so maybe they have information about students that don't quite meet contextualisation but nonetheless have significantly exceeded expectations.

Applepie - do you mean that the applicant does not meet the published criteria rather than Bristol have no published criteria.

Bristol have rather a lot of published criteria.

Durham -lower than standard offers are contextual offers usually based on where applicant lives and may still qualify even at a good school

With regard to Birmingham, how they make offers is on their website here:
www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/requirements/your-birmingham-offer.aspx

If the 'very low offer is for CCC, then it is what they term an Attainment Offer - sort of, they have seen that the candidate is a very good one and therefore are happy to take the pressure off because even if the outcome is indeed CCC, the university knows that they are capable of much better.

@SeasonFinale

Yes - my statement isn’t that clear! The student & family - who are good friends, are confused because the standard offer for the course is AAA and their son was offered ABB. They meet none of the contextual criteria at all.

@MarchingFrogs

With regard to Birmingham, how they make offers is on their website here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/requirements/your-birmingham-offer.aspx

If the 'very low offer is for CCC, then it is what they term an Attainment Offer - sort of, they have seen that the candidate is a very good one and therefore are happy to take the pressure off because even if the outcome is indeed CCC, the university knows that they are capable of much better.

Ah. I clearly hadn't read enough information. My friend's DC's offer was indeed CCC if they firmed it (can't recall but I think ABB if not, maybe AAB) so that was presumably the reason.

Just catching up on a weeks worth of posting. Don’t know where the half term break went.
DS is in 2 minds as to whether to take a gap year or go for it this year. After what was in the news recently and statement from c, I can’t help but think the issues of this year are going to be repeated next year, particularly for C. Also it’s the same pondering on what he can do usefully in his year off, given there will still be effects of the pandemic albeit, hopefully to a lesser degree than this year.
On a brighter note, his offer from Durham came through yesterday evening. So that’s all his universities now, with offers from KCL, St. Andrew’s and Nottingham.

Congratulations @WarmAndco3y to your DS. Perhaps he will be the second DC in the group to firm and insure. What do you think he would do?

Echo your feelings about a gap year. I think if this is what's decided, it shouldn't be with the sole purpose of an Oxbridge place. The disappointment of a second rejection would be too much to bear ........

For the avoidance of doubt for anyone dipping in most Bristol contextuals are available if you have been in care, the UCAS application address is in a POLAR 4 area, or the school is on the list attached. (There are a couple of other things too that qualify such as pathway courses)

www.bristol.ac.uk/media-library/sites/study/documents/aspiring-schools-2021.pdf

Congratulations WarmAndco3y. Can I ask what was the statement from C? Are unis suggesting remote learning will go on into September?

Why would this be if the plan is to have all adults vaccinated by the end of July?

Yes the Bristol link of "aspiring" (which means failing but we live in an Alice In Wonderland world...) is above and those schools are not the only factor Bristol considers for its long standing contextual offers - see
"Could I get a contextual offer?
You may be eligible for a contextual offer if one of the following statements applies to you.
You have attended an aspiring state school or college

You live in an area with low progression to higher education

You have completed a University of Bristol outreach programme

You have spent time in care

You attend a Venturers Trust secondary school"
www.bristol.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/entry-requirements-qualifications/contextual-offers/

Aspring means failing? At least one of the school sixth forms on that list is 'Ofsted outstanding' and has remarkably good results. It's just rather small compared with the local massive sixth form colleges. I'd take the list with a pinch of salt.

Fantastic to be holding 5 offers @WarmAndco3y

Yes, presumably O & C making far less offers for 2021 entry, as a method of ensuring they have enough seats for bottoms to land on when the music stops this year, may cause many interviewees who didn't receive an offer to decide they want to try again next year.

The ripples of the 2020 algorithm/CAGSs debacle possibly spreading to 2022 entry too is certainly believable.

This year's Y13's have endured a more stressful and challenging scenario all round with schooling missed due to patchy distance learning provision in lockdown 1, an autumn of being in/out of school with bubbles bursting etc/worries over whether exams will be sat or what might be used to determine grades/having to compete with 19 year olds with grades in hand (and some better than expected). Add in the situation of far less Oxbridge offers being made partly to compensate for 2020's bulge intake/places already taken by those persuaded to defer to starting in 2021, partly because of concern over the greatly increased likelihood of the offer holders then making the grade offers as there may be no formal independent exams to perform the task of whittling down numbers at that final stage and you can see why some applicants might be keen to write this year off and try again in the hope that next year's whole UCAS process will resemble something closer to a pre-pandemic year.

Great news @WarmAndco3y in completing his offer selection. I didn’t know that St Andrew’s was up and running yet - has anyone’s child heard on history yet?

Up I wish we could take the list with a pinch of salt but if you are on that list which I think is the 40% of Uk schools with worst A level results then you get into Bristol with 1 or 32 grade lower than my 3 children who went there had to go. So sadly it is absolutely vital to know the list and used as Gospel truth by Bristol to decide who gets a place. If instead your mother has worked like a dog to pay school fees then no matter how tough life is at home and how little money is left over you are in the better 60% of schools and get no such credit for the "failure" of the school.

@SATSmadness unfortunately I don’t think next year will be much better. With reduced offers this year there are simply not enough places leading to more students deferring to next year. Personally I think if a student has an offer at a university they like they should grab it.

@Xenia quite !

Oh and don't get me started on the POLAR quintiles being blunt enough in our area to actually increase the bumps in the uneven playing field rather than moving towards levelling them.

Anecdotally however, the success rate of contextual applicants doesn't seem to have been affected to anywhere near the same extent as the non contextual applicants. I'd go so far as to say it has not changed at all in several areas I've come across.

Obviously this is right and proper. Great for widening access but presumably it too came at the cost of higher casualties elsewhere in this years Y13 cohort because without these candidates colleges/Universities might not hit their increased inclusivity/widening access targets.

It's totally understandable that some dc may want to try again next year. I just hope DD isn't one of them, on account of my nerves .

@bendmeverbackwards I see we are in agreement about more Y13s deferring to next year.

Whatever happens , it will need to be DD's choice. I think if she gets an offer somewhere she'll take it, the thought of delaying starting when they're already planning on 5/6 years studying would probably put most medicine applicants off deferring.

I think ultimately I need to accept my DS is privileged. Plus he has parents who can advise and help steer him in the right direction irrespective of where he goes to university.

There are several DC who are not in this situation and who needs the legs up

Do I feel good about it? No? But that's the reality isn't it?