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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Has anyone's DC managed to 'upgrade' their uni in year two?

30 replies

WoodforTrees · 27/09/2023 19:52

DS didn't get the grades he wanted or expected. It was all a bit of a shock. He did reasonably well in his mocks (ABB) was predicted AAA and consistently turns in strong work. Did well at GCSEs as well - a couple of 7s then 8s and 9s. just for context.

I know that this year quite a lot of students dropped grades, but DS dropped more than 'a grade'. Ended up with CCC - was absolutely gutted and none of us could quite believe it.

Long story short - he took a place to do his preferred course though clearing (missed out on his insurance as well) but he already hates it there. He says it's just 'not him' and if he'd had the chance to view it before he had to commit, he would have known it wasn't for him. It was all a bit 'desperate times' as clearing tends to be and he took a chance. He has also said that the people on his course don't seem like they care much for the subject or really want to be there either and that he is finding it hard to get enthused when it just feels like he is with a bunch of misfits who didn't end up where they hoped to be.

Anyway.... he tells me that a friend of his (who I do know) didn't get his first choice or insurance last year and ended up somewhere else (Leeds Becket fwiw) on a different course (History) and that three people from his course have this year transferred to a RG uni on the basis of having a strong first year at LB.

Is that really a thing? DS is now pinning all his hopes on being able to do something similar. Has anyone any experience of 'upgrading' and if so, how did you go about it please?

OP posts:

DisforDarkChocolate · 27/09/2023 19:57

I know of people who did this when I was at university in 2006/9. I'd assume you still can but I'd start looking early.

Original poster

WoodforTrees · 27/09/2023 21:17

Thanks @DisforDarkChocolate that's encouraging.

Has anyone heard of doing it more recently? Or know if Uni's that are more likely to consider such a move?

OP posts:

GodessOfThunder · 27/09/2023 21:28

Where is he now?

GodessOfThunder · 27/09/2023 21:29

He can also “upgrade” for MA. I did.

titchy · 27/09/2023 21:49

Do you mean reapplying to start again at a preferred uni next year, using this years results? Or applying to transfer next year into year 2? Former very possible, latter less so. But both options worth him getting in touch with potential unis for next year.

Em2ds1dd · 27/09/2023 21:50

Friends DD did this, went into 2nd year on same course at different uni, but neither were RG.
From what I remember, she applied through ucas for direct entry into 2nd year I think she also contacted the tutors at her preferred uni separately to discuss whether she was likely to be accepted, and had to submit examples of her work and have an interview before they made the offer.

Has he considered leaving it for this year and reapplying next year for first year, possibly with a foundation? I think it would be miserable to spend a year with people you have nothing in common with.

Original poster

WoodforTrees · 27/09/2023 22:08

The 'friends of friends' have gone into their new Uni at Year 2. So their first year at LB still 'counted'. I don't know how he would feel about starting again next year but his worry about taking a gap year is that he will still have the same A Level results next year, and with the harsh making of this year, the competition may well be even stiffer (plus he still won't have the required grades for a RG).

So he is pinning hopes on working REALLY hard this year in the hope that someone will look at his body of work and lets him transfer. I've suggested we start exploring that early (as in now) to see if it's even a possibility and now we're wondering where we would even start...?

OP posts:

fruitbrewhaha · 27/09/2023 22:18

Did he consider retaking his a levels? Did you speak to his 6 th form to find out if the t had an opinion on what went wrong?

Could he drop out of uni and go back to get he grades he needs. I think there is less risk with this strategy.

clary · 28/09/2023 00:13

Ah OP if he hates this uni so much I would suggest he leaves - if he does so now he won't be liable for much in the way of hall fees/tuition fees.

With CCC he will be able to find a course at a uni - if he takes the time to look now he will surely find something he likes better than where he is. No it won't be a RG - if that's really important, can he apply now and resit next summer?

YY what do his teachers say - they must have been surprised? I assume you have called his papers in to see if a review of marking would be worthwhile?

Marmitemyway · 28/09/2023 07:34

I dont have direct experience but has friend last year whose ds didn’t get what he needed with grades
he took a gap year, worked, retook his a levels by self study and private tutors, reapplied hit same offers and results second time round were what he needed. Plus he felt in s better place at 19 to go to uni with a bit of £ behind him
my DS took a gap year with a deferred place and I really think that year was good grounding in being more ready to live away from home. Good luck

Depresssssion · 28/09/2023 07:38

Honestly? I went through clearing 20+ years ago and I still wish to this day that I’d quit and restat one A Level and gone where I wanted to the following September. I didn’t have the guts to do it though (and my parents would have been furious and I didn’t like disappointing them). But I knew the particular uni and that course wasn’t for me!

It’s only September. Either he can look for a course at his preferred uni to transfer now, or resit an A Level or two and try again for next September?

Lizziekisss · 28/09/2023 07:46

@clary That wasn’t the experience of my friends son. He completed his first term, so was further on than OPs DS, so that might make a difference, but had to pay full tuition and halls for the whole year even though he dropped out.

Lizziekisss · 28/09/2023 07:49

OP I know that isn’t what you were asking, but if he might also be thinking of dropping out, it’s worth confirming what will happen re fees etc.

FlySwimmer · 28/09/2023 08:15

I would say OP to really do your homework on where might allow a Year 2 transfer, and whether it would really be an ‘upgrade’. Some unis would be absolutely inundated with requests from students such as your son, and they’re already at capacity with their own students. My own RG uni doesn’t allow it (at least not in my subject, maybe less popular courses would?) and none of the nearby RGs for the same subject allow it either.

Would second what others have said about looking into A-Level retakes and reapplying.

FlySwimmer · 28/09/2023 08:18

PS Where we have accepted a transfer student (usually a case of strong medical need, due to our being located in a big city & student attends one of the hospitals) it wasn’t unknown to ask them to start again in Year 1, as they hadn’t completed the kinds of modules we expect our Year 1s to have passed. So potentially factor that in.

Lampzade · 28/09/2023 08:21

Your ds will probably need to retake his A levels
Those grades may be too low for some non Russell universities tbh.
I suppose it depends on the subject.

jellycat · 28/09/2023 08:28

A little bit different but one of my dses started in Sept 2020 and had a miserable time (lockdowns and remote learning etc). He dropped out in the middle of his second year. He received a certificate for passing first year. We looked at a local college’s courses and talked to them about him doing a course in the same subject area (they do HNC/HND so we were hoping he could start at HND level) but when they saw the details of the modules he’d done in his first year at university they said he couldn’t skip the HNC year. So you may well find he can’t transfer into the second year elsewhere-it might depend on the exact modules he does this year.

Lampzade · 28/09/2023 08:30

Also Op, you must try and find out why he dropped from a predicted AAA to CCC. This is not just a drop of one grade in one subject., he dropped two grades for all his subjects
This will be important if he decides to resit his A levels which I actually think is the best option.

Steev · 28/09/2023 08:31

Where is he and where does he want to move to?

kistanbul · 28/09/2023 08:32

If he wants to secure a place at a better uni, he needs better Alevels.
But he might start to enjoy his course. It’s possible that he might be able to move in 2nd year, but wouldn’t bank on it.

MrsMitford3 · 28/09/2023 08:34

A friend of DS did this-

She had her heart set on Newcastle which she did not get so took a place on one she was not that keen on and did manage to transfer in year two-this was only a few years ago so fairly recent.

I would def investigate but also it is such early days-maybe things will settle?

gotomomo · 28/09/2023 08:50

Dd restarted elsewhere, Russell group rather than middling. The new university took into consideration the first she got in university first year exams so it wasn't a waste but she did start back in year 1

RedAndWhiteCarnations · 28/09/2023 08:55

I know of a couple if people who did that recently. They all have transferred in the same town so Leeds Becket Leeds Uni, Sheffield Hallam to university of Sheffield.
They had to fight hard for it and have really good grades in their first year.

SandyIrving · 28/09/2023 09:06

Good advice about checking with unis as some consider end of 1st year transfers in same pool as new applicants so will look at A levels.

Also how affected is your DS uni with UCU strikes. My youngest has only had 50% of modules marked last year so if similar this year he might only have a limited set of results to show new uni by start of 2nd year.

clary · 28/09/2023 09:38

Lizziekisss · 28/09/2023 07:46

I think there is a point at which it costs less. Mate of Ds quit Lboro (!) as it wasn’t for him, he did it about mid Oct, that was the key I think. He was only liable for a small payment.

He reapplied and went to Brum the following year. So speedy decision is key - but Yy check it out.

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