Page 35 | A levels 2023 - Results day and beyond

HereWeGo2023 · 2023-08-17T05:47:35+00:00

Hi all. I thought I’d make a new thread as the countdown one is filling up. Results day is here and I’m sure we will all value each others support, today and for the next stage of their journeys.

DailyMaui · 18/08/2023 19:23

SlightlyJaded · 18/08/2023 18:39

@Szboox Also MMU! Verbal offer yesterday morning, followed by email confirming provisional offer. DD put it as her choice on UCAS Hub and nothing... tumbleweed. Checked this morning and there was an email saying "we are considering your applicatinon" which sent DD into a bit of a spin so she called to ask whether her offer was in jeopardy, and we are just getting lots of "just wait' and 'we are working over the weekend' etc....

We then got the invitation to to do the clearing tours (we've gone for the 30th) but I'm loathe to book trains/day off work etc without the fucking Hub updating. Also DD now exhausted from her disappointment and rallying yesterday and not even able to post a second option (that she doesn't have) because the MMU application is sat there. She had got her head around MMU but is now feeling like the ground is shaky. It's shit.

MMU too! You'd hope they would realise there are young hearts and minds holding out hope

UnfunnyJester · 18/08/2023 19:34

Anyone going for remarks?
Ds missed a grade by 3 marks so thought may as well try.
I hope they're quick as waiting and being on hold for a place is really stressful.

Thefatbutteredpig · 18/08/2023 19:41

Motherland2624 · 18/08/2023 18:46

We have received this from Plymouth
he has already booked his ucat again
alot of his friends are in same position with their predicted and they fact they have worked so hard it’s devastating
im keeping a close eye on him I’m not sure how long we will be waiting for a final answer

Not sure if this will help but Hull York are in clearing for medicine on ucas

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 18/08/2023 19:45

I’ve started my own thread about this but thought I’d add it to this thread too as seems to get more traffic.

My dd is having a huge panic about this and I’m hoping someone with more knowledge can help.

dd had two offers after getting lower than expect A level grades, one from her insurance choice, which she decided wasn’t for her and one from her first choice uni for a different course.

she decided that she actually wanted to do a different course (not the one offered) at her first choice uni and so applied through the clearing hotline. She had an interview today and was offered a place. She accepted and got an email from admissions saying telling her that she would need to refer her application through clearing. To be released in to clearing she had to decline her other offers.

when she declined her offers, the one from her first choice uni stated the name of the first course, but after she had declined it it said she had declined the name of the new course. She has added the new course to her ucas now, but it’s still pending.

now she’s having a massive panic that she’ll loose her place. The uni said she would have to release herself into clearing and refer her application through clearing by midnight tonight. So she has done what they asked, but she’s panicking as the declined course now says it’s the new one and ucas was saying it updated, but she swears it was still the name of the old course until after she declined it. Would it just update without going through clearing?

is there anyone that can help reassure her? She’s done what was asked of her but can’t get through to anyone to speak to until Monday.

sorry if this is confusing. It’s been a stressful couple of days

Szboox · 18/08/2023 19:46

DailyMaui · 18/08/2023 19:23

MMU too! You'd hope they would realise there are young hearts and minds holding out hope

Show quote history

Gosh they’re certainly a pattern. That’s where we waiting for confirmation too

SlightlyJaded · 18/08/2023 19:58

@Ohhelpicantthinkofaname I don't KNOW this but I think it's ok. I think it's a glitch. The reason I think it's ok, is that her first choice Uni would have had to confirm the offer of the new course (the one she wants) on the Hub in order for her to reject it. So as long as she has the course she wants as the pending course on the Hub, she hasn't rejected it. She can't have rejected something on the UCAS site that was never officially confirmed on the hub I don't think. Does that make sense?

SlightlyJaded · 18/08/2023 20:00

Also @Ohhelpicantthinkofaname A lot of clearing offices are open tomorrow, so depending on what Uni it is, she may well get though in the morning.

aleC4 · 18/08/2023 20:08

The whole clearing thing is a mystery to me. Ds phoned Nottingham Trent earlier to enquire about a course and they said there were spaces and with his points he could apply.
He applied through the uni website and his Ucas immediately said his application was being reviewed.
He rang back at about 5pm to ask if they had any idea how long it would take. They didn't take any details but asked what course it was and when he applied. After his answers they said it should be today.
Obviously the clearing line is now closed and no update on ucas. It's so stressful, he'll ring again tomorrow.
Meanwhile he still hasn't heard from his degree apprenticeship.

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 18/08/2023 20:13

SlightlyJaded · 18/08/2023 19:58

@Ohhelpicantthinkofaname I don't KNOW this but I think it's ok. I think it's a glitch. The reason I think it's ok, is that her first choice Uni would have had to confirm the offer of the new course (the one she wants) on the Hub in order for her to reject it. So as long as she has the course she wants as the pending course on the Hub, she hasn't rejected it. She can't have rejected something on the UCAS site that was never officially confirmed on the hub I don't think. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the reply. I’m hoping it’ll be ok. Unfortunately the clearing office at her uni isn’t open tomorrow.

when she looked back at her ucas status it said it had updated. This is why she is panicking so much. But when she declined the course it still said the name of the old course, only after she declined it did the name change. Everything I’ve read says that you have to decline your offers to go into clearing and then add the new course as a clearing choice. Which is what she did and it also what the uni told her to do.

she emailed them straight away and called the well-being hub, which was the only phone line still open and they could see her as a prospective student and that her application said referred, but couldn’t say any more than that.

fingers crossed it’ll be ok. Such a stressful time!!

Disconcerto · 18/08/2023 20:43

mummymeister · 18/08/2023 15:54

Hmm I have been reading this thread and I am sorry but I just have to put my opinion out there. Universities exist to teach students. If there were no students paying admission fees there would be no universities. At the moment, the people bearing the brunt of the problems with this system are the students. Unis continue to behave as they did when education was free/ no tuition fees and I am sorry but really this has to change. there are no insurmountable reasons why application with grades cannot be introduced. @Katbum "....This interferes with fairly well established rhythms of working in both unis and schools...." so what? we have all in our jobs and businesses had to face change at some point. I bet the drop out rate would decrease if we went to this system and I also bet we would see many many more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds getting places at the top institutions. The system should exist to the advantage of the people paying for it ie the students. I dont have an answer to the perfect system but surely there must be someone out there that does? what we have at the moment is so imperfect, so cruel and so devastating for far too many young people it has to be overhauled it really does.

Agree. Things can change. There would be a year of disruption, yes. Maybe less academic content for Y13s one year and universities would have to make allowances and adapt. But I also don’t believe a shift of a couple of months is impossible.

honeyandfizz · 18/08/2023 20:47

UnfunnyJester · 18/08/2023 19:34

Anyone going for remarks?
Ds missed a grade by 3 marks so thought may as well try.
I hope they're quick as waiting and being on hold for a place is really stressful.

Ds was 3 marks off got BBD with the 3 marks being off a C. Not sure yet of to ask for a remark - how much does it cost?

Disconcerto · 18/08/2023 20:48

stilldumdedumming · 18/08/2023 17:10

I'm just popping in to say that ds finally got someone to look at his application properly. The problem was apparently because he had not come via a school or college. I mean that can't be that unusual. And it only took about 8 phone calls. But it is now all confirmed on UCAS.

Just as we were starting to look at accommodation for Sussex! And he was coming round to it.

I really don't think he will be well looked after where he is going but he is quite used to fighting his corner. And at least he knows that all admin will have to be completely locked down.

Thanks goodness for that. What a farce.

tealgate · 18/08/2023 20:53

We went to our Sixth Form College today to chat about remarks. She was 3 marks off on two subjects, so we went through the individual marks for each paper and selected one from each subject where we thought she might have done better than the marks driven. Each remark is about £50 and should be back next week, although we are a non-priority as we are having a gap year. Hope that helps.

Disconcerto · 18/08/2023 20:59

SlightlyJaded · 18/08/2023 18:56

DD's course is Human Geography.

I have been transparent on this thread around the DISASTER that is her grades so anyone will note that they are below the published grades, and this is what is worrying me. She repeated the grades three times in the clearing call and they made the offer. They said "you have made the threshold we have set". They then followed up with an email confirming the provisional place and she spoke to someone from the department about the course. So far, so clear.

But her application on the hub is stagnant and my fear is that they are waiting for people with better grades to come along and fill the places and will then fob her off with some excuse as to why they are withdrawing the offer. But in DDs head - she has a firm offer (actually in my head too) and I just don't think I can cope with this being withdrawn after the hellish disappointment she has already contended with. Because she is already distraught and exhausted, she has made peace with the MMU place and I just don't think either of us has the gumption to find something even further away from her original plans...

I feel worse today than yesterday. We can't move forward. We can't look at accomodation and DD doesn't have the energy or motivation to look at other clearing options because she believes she has an offer that she can work with.

I am so sorry. This is just cruel.

OK they need to change the system and release results on a Monday. To give time for systems to update and staff to be available at universities to sort out the chaos before the next weekend. It’s simply not fair for families such as yours to be in limbo.

Or is this change also impossible for universities to manage I wonder…

Hidinginplainsightnow · 18/08/2023 21:01

DS got D*, C,C which I reckon is 120 points and so should be good for something if he ever decides what…. Gap year here we go! 🤣🤣

aleC4 · 18/08/2023 21:22

Ds has his place at Nottingham Trent confirmed on ucas! I'm so relieved.
The change in him is clear. He just wants a plan. It may not have been his first choice but he's excited about it.
We live local to the uni (about 6 miles) and doable by public transport so he will live at home, one he's thing to worry about.
Good luck to everyone else still navigating clearing or waiting for decisions.

Iamblossom · 18/08/2023 21:24

Hidinginplainsightnow · 18/08/2023 21:01

DS got D*, C,C which I reckon is 120 points and so should be good for something if he ever decides what…. Gap year here we go! 🤣🤣

My DS got BCD which is 96, so are you sure?

MrsHamlet · 18/08/2023 21:28

honeyandfizz · 18/08/2023 20:47

Ds was 3 marks off got BBD with the 3 marks being off a C. Not sure yet of to ask for a remark - how much does it cost?

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It depends whether you want priority or non priority, and which board. If you search their websites for "review" or "enquiries after results", it will tell you.

It's not a remark though. Reviewers are not looking for extra marks as they were in the past. They're looking to see whether the marking is reasonable, or whether clerical errors have been made.

lanthanum · 18/08/2023 21:30

Iamblossom · 18/08/2023 21:24

My DS got BCD which is 96, so are you sure?

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I think the D* is a top grade in a BTec, not an A-level grade.

FarEast · 18/08/2023 21:35

Universities exist to teach students.

No, they don’t. They exist to teach undergraduates, postgraduates, and to produce research. And all of those things are equally important. We write the books your DC will read and study. Some of our research changes the world. The UK punches way above its weight in research terms which is why the EU is desperate for the UK to sign up to Horizon Europe.

UnfunnyJester · 18/08/2023 21:37

That's annoying that it's not a remark but looking for clerical errors,,I would have been better off just requesting the script then?

Weedoormatnomore · 18/08/2023 21:38

aleC4 · 18/08/2023 21:22

Ds has his place at Nottingham Trent confirmed on ucas! I'm so relieved.
The change in him is clear. He just wants a plan. It may not have been his first choice but he's excited about it.
We live local to the uni (about 6 miles) and doable by public transport so he will live at home, one he's thing to worry about.
Good luck to everyone else still navigating clearing or waiting for decisions.

Good news he got a place. Fingers crossed he still gets the degree apprenticeship could be the person to make decision is in annual leave!

SlightlyJaded · 18/08/2023 21:46

aleC4 · 18/08/2023 21:22

Ds has his place at Nottingham Trent confirmed on ucas! I'm so relieved.
The change in him is clear. He just wants a plan. It may not have been his first choice but he's excited about it.
We live local to the uni (about 6 miles) and doable by public transport so he will live at home, one he's thing to worry about.
Good luck to everyone else still navigating clearing or waiting for decisions.

Oh well done. I can imagine that your DS is just relieved to know what he is doing. Really pleased for you.

BlissBlakeney · 18/08/2023 21:48

I've got to give credit to the way Nottingham University are handling clearing. DD's friend is staying with us, she called them around 9 on Thursday morning. They told her "it's first come, first served" and she had a firm offer by 10am.

MrsHamlet · 18/08/2023 21:48

UnfunnyJester · 18/08/2023 21:37

That's annoying that it's not a remark but looking for clerical errors,,I would have been better off just requesting the script then?

The centre should have advised you really. It's not been a "remark" for years. We used to regularly get whole cohorts remarked strategically to bump their grades up, but you can't do it now (and rightly so!)
Reviews check for clerical errors (missed pages or questions, wrong adding up etc) Those can go up or down.
Academic judgement: is the mark awarded for the question reasonable? Again, it can go up or down.
Has the mark scheme been applied accurately? Same.
I'd always suggest getting someone with experience to look over a script before going to review - but priority review timescales are tight, so it's not that straightforward.