Unattainable offer?

[mixedmessage]

Dd has predicted grades of AAB and has received an offer for classics at Leeds (her preferred option) for ABB. Sounds great except that the offer includes a grade A requirement for the subject she’s predicted a B in and as this is a diploma course she’s already had 50% of her grade and achieving an A is nigh on impossible. I know there’s usually some flexibility in grades come results day but is there any point her putting this as her first choice or is it likely to be a flat out no without the A grade diploma? Her other 2 subjects are pretty solid so she’s very hopeful to achieve at least As in those

Depends on how popular the degree is- it's still worth doing I think (no point in putting something else as firm if it's not really your first choice). At the end of the day, they need to fill places but it will depend on what everyone else gets as well.

Only at lunch time around here - 30 mins.

I'm really happy to be able to give a very quick update as DD received a response before 9 am this morning.

They've clarified that these specific offers are common for them when the candidate has more than one qualification type.

More importantly, they've also said that where they have spaces left after all offers have been made, that they look to candidates with equivalent grades first. So providing DD achieves at least ABB, she'll be amongst the top of that list.

She's absolutely delighted!

Thanks once again to everyone who provided input on this thread, I hope it might be useful to anyone else in a similar position.

Great news @mixedmessageand shows it was worth the email. She may even now be on their radar as someone who is really keen (tho I’m not in uni admissions and that may not be a factor). All the best to her.

Great, and well done them for the speedy response. Good to have the clarity, and she should definitely firm Leeds if that's her top choice. I'm glad she feels upbeat about it now!

Great news, OP!

Only DD can make the decision and there is no guarantee but I think it sounds pretty good.

Unless DD needs to Firm early for purposes of accommodation, she might want to postpone her decision until the admissions team can tell her how likely it’s looking that she will get an offer. (Assuming DD is a Home student, this will be the no of Home students who have firmed by a reasonably late point in the cycle vs the Home target. Of course, if the no of offers does not meet the Home target - which DD would only be told by inference, I imagine - that will be known very soon.)

In smaller courses, and as joint honours this probably is, she may very well be on the radar as keen. I've seen it happen.

Is she’s had a diagnosis any chance she could flag this and get a contextual offer? Mine had very similar circumstances and got contextual offers from some Unis (not her top choice). On results day she missed the offer by 2 grades (main subject that too) but her place was confirmed (and thankfully before we saw the result or we would’ve panicked). After recheck the grade improved but she was still not 100% on offer grade. I think Leeds will take her in if she highlights her diagnosis circumstances and achieves her offer grade even if the A is not in the required subject.

My ds did Criminology with two A Levels @mixedmessage and he also has ADHD. Criminology is not an easy option! He thought it was going to be....

So it's slightly annoying that an RG uni would stipulate a higher grade in the level 3 diploma, as they must also be assuming it's easier.

But I'm sure it will all work out ok, as Classical Civ is one of the courses that seems to usually be in clearing at lots of RG unis. I scoured clearing last year for ds, looking at Politics/Philosophy/Theology type courses and came across Classical Civilisation a number of times! I didn't look at Leeds but fingers crossed they will accept her.

This.
Many universities, inc RG ones, are desperate for students and do accept students with lower grades. A telephone call on Clearing Day would probably get a positive result, but as there are no guarantees, she needs to be happy with her insurance option too.