If your DC is going to their insurance choice how are they/you feeling?

[easterb]

My DS missed his firm offer by one grade and the Uni refused to flex (quite a surprise). We tried a grade review but nothing changed. So he’s going to his insurance and it’s all feeling a bit stressful. He seems a little bit flat about it all. I’ve suggested a year out to regroup but he doesn’t want to do that.

Still doesn’t know about accommodation (expecting it will not be great!) and finding the whole thing requires a bit of a mental gymnastics. Obviously there’s the disappointment with missing the grade and the firm offer. But it’s also the fact that he’s now going to a bigger city based Uni (non campus) whereas he thought he was going to a small collegiate Uni. The course is also slightly different. And it starts 3 weeks earlier than we had planned for.

Not sure what I’m asking really other than how are you / they feeling?

Some more happy stories to add:

A family friend missed their Oxbridge offer last year; insurance was Bristol. They have had an absolute blast of a year and done extremely well. Results day is already a dim and distant memory.

My elder DD sat her A levels in 2023 when there was significant downward pressure on A level grades post-COVID. Her offer was quite gentle and she met it but a large number of her friends missed both firm and insurance and went into clearing. Results day was horrible but all of them quickly found very satisfactory alternatives and were very where they landed; a number of them have graduated this year with 2:1s and 1sts and having had a terrific time at uni.

@Dery did you manage to get accommodation ok on insurance for Bristol. We are waiting for invitation to book.

DD went to her insurance uni and did very well and was very happy there.

We were in Spain a few years ago and a family we were chatting to got their daughter's A level grades - she had just missed Cambridge - but hadn't even looked at anywhere else because her grades all through Sixth Form were so good. They were in such a panic.

DD really liked both her insurance and firm, she got an unconditional from her insurance at which point I thought she'd slack off, but instead she decided she would really try for her firm.

On a different note, when DS applied to uni, they came back saying he couldn't do that course with his predicted grades but offered him another course instead. He got a 2:1 and has just finished his Master's in a similar field at the same uni.

Mostly, everything works out for the best!