Applying with 'not quite' grades

[BrickSteps]

My DC did A-levels in 2021, so has achieved grades, and is applying to university now for a 2022 start.

He would like to apply for some places for which he hasn't quite got the stated grades (he has one grade lower). Some of these places have foundation years that he would more than meet the grades for, but would prefer not to study if he can go straight to the standard course. We've heard that sometimes there's flexibility from the standard offer grades.

If he applies for the standard course, and they choose not to offer him a place with his grades, might the university offer him a place on the foundation-year course instead? Does he need to use two UCAS options putting both the standard and foundation-year courses down separately? What is the best thing to do?

He'll include some courses for which he definitely meets the stated requirements, and wants to use his other options aspirationally but wisely.

Phone them and talk to them and do the form afterwards

It is worth a try. Just apply for the standard course. Does his subject require a specific level for entry though ie. Maths for Engineering ? Hopefully his ps demonstrates an enthusiasm beyond the grades.

@5zeds

Phone them and talk to them and do the form afterwards

Yes, this feels like the sensible process, but repeated emails to several universities are getting ambiguous / non-committal responses (variations on "we can't say what we'd do with your application until you apply"). Should he be trying to talk with the course leader rather than the admissions email?

I've no experience, but I'd be wary.
The 2021 grades were if anything viewed as 'inflated'. So from the uni's perspective he'd be applying with possibly inflated grades for a course he doesn't meet the standard offer for.
Whereas they can make offers to students sitting in 2022 whose grades will be more tested.

In the absence of contextual evidence (search contextual offers) universities with oversubscribed courses do not make offers below the minimum requirements.
Otherwise they often do but depends on the candidate. The course leader might be a good idea

Also to add - if a uni has extra places they can go through clearing anyway

There is a website which shows actual entry grades by course rather than offer grades, so you can see if they are flexible.

It will very much depend on which uni and which course.

This coming year has a higher number of deferrals than before, students are also reapplying with higher grades than potentially they will have achieved at exams and even though there will be some adjustment the number of A*/As will be higher than a regular year coupled with a high birth rate year.

On a FB page the director of admissions at Bath posted this:
"Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Bath, said "the 2021 admissions cycle was the most competitive I have seen in my 30 year career. At Bath, 93% of those we admitted met or exceeded their offer grades. The remaining places went to near miss students with extensive mitigating factors. In a typical year, around 75% of our accepted students would have met or exceeded their offer. Until we see evidence to the contrary we are assuming a similar distribution of grades for 2022 entry, and with higher numbers in the school-leaver cohort in the UK increasing the application pool for all universities. We therefore anticipate making fewer offers than we made in 2021 to reduce the risk of over-recruiting. I anticipate other highly selective and competitive courses and universities will do the same."

I think that may be the way forward for universities - don't increase the offer grades, just offer fewer places. Otherwise, a bit like tuition fees, most universities will be wanting Oxbridge type grades to gain entry.

Predicted grades/TAGs are not accurate. DD achieved 2 grades below her predicted grades and DS achieved 3 grades above his.

@LIZS

There is a website which shows actual entry grades by course rather than offer grades, so you can see if they are flexible.

@LIZS, do you have details of that website?

His 2021 A level grades will have been teacher assessed grades and therefore inflated. Universities know this, so, if anything, his grades need to be higher than those of the 2022 cohort.

discoveruni.gov.uk
Although may only be in ucas points rather than grades.

He could try calling the admissions department rather than an email. He should also ask more about the foundation course as these are sometimes really for students who have taken A levels not relevant to the degree. For example engineering without maths. Rather than students who could be viewed as underperforming in A levels.
I think 2022 admission is a bit of an unknown because of the teacher assessments.

It has been made public that the A*/A grades will be pegged for 2022 at 35% - not as high as 2021 , more in line with 2020 and not as low as the 20% in 2019 and beforehand. It still means a greater number will be applying with higher than usual grades. Thus if he is presenting with "lower than" grades he would be unlikely to get offers at COMPETITIVE unis or for COMPETITIVE courses. (Caps for emphasis rather than shouting)

The October takers get a raw deal which ever way you look at it. They are tested on the whole of the syllabus and their grade boundaries are based on the 2019 A levels, so the 20% A*/A distribution of grades.

@fairyfield

The October takers get a raw deal which ever way you look at it. They are tested on the whole of the syllabus and their grade boundaries are based on the 2019 A levels, so the 20% A*/A distribution of grades.

This shouldn't be an issue as they are by their definition retakes. With 49% A*/A grades achieved in Summer already there really shouldn't be even 20% who did not achieve that grade during the summer assessment sessions.

This years grades were not typical but for some the grades were below what they would have achieved had examinations taken place - I agree that the evidence points to much inflated grades and that is true if we look at all entries but within that for both 2020 and 2021 there were some who performed lower than they would have done in a "normal year."

Yes @twelly I am sure that is the case for some but conversely it also means that there are very many that have overachieved and would have gotten lower had their been exams. Bath said in a normal year that 75% of their offer holders meet their offer grades. This year it was 93%. The issue remains that there will be more than normal reapplying with their better (possibly better than expected) grades in hand already, coupled with a greater number of deferrals leading to unis making fewer offers than they normally do so applications with "not quite" grades may still be fine for recruiting unis but will probably not generate offers from competitive unis.

*there been

How can they be 'retakes', when students have never actually sat the exams?

@fairyfield

How can they be 'retakes', when students have never actually sat the exams?

Because they are specifically for students who are "retaking" albeit first takes to better their Summer grades. I accept they aren't retakes in a true sense but actually the student will be allowed to use the better of the two grades for UCAS applications. If they don't take in this sitting but next summer then they have to declare both results.