School has jeopardized DNs UCAS success

[dinosaurinmybelly]

Hello my nephew had a rejection today from one of his choices and he called them to get feedback. He was told that his predicted grades were not sufficient for him to get an offer. The require A and 2As and he was predicted to get A and 3As.

On investigation it turns out the school sent in incorrect predicted grades of 4As. 3 of his 5 choices will therefor e outright reject him as he doesn't fulfill the criteria in their prospectus.

My sister is very worried and the school are unresponsive. The careers teacher who saw where he was applying and yet failed to make sure they submitted the correct grades for him is blaming a snowstorm for the error and saying that at least he has 2 more chances.

Anyone out there in University admissions that can offer us guidance? This is all a new world for us and it really feels like a lot at stake. Is it worth telling the Universities about the error at this stage?

Hi, no advice, but felt very sorry for your DN when I read your post.
Hopefully other MNers will be along with good advice for you soon

Bumping for you.

I don't quite understand this. I always thought that estimated grades were based on what a student was expected to achieve at A2. If every school supplies estimated grades based on what is required to gain entry to a course, then the grades are meaningless.

So are you saying that the school has underestimated your DN's potential grades or has failed to furnish the estimated grades needed for the course?

If it is the former I would go back and make a big fuss at the school. If it is the latter maybe he has been aiming for the wrong courses/unis.

SOunds as if the school has estiamted (more than) the required grades, but madea mistake filling in the form, as they have admitted it and trying to blame t on a snowstorm! I wuld immeddaitley contat teh Head and insit they inform UCAS and the unis, and make the snowstorm excuse to them. I would also get you DN to wriete himself to those bodies.

If I was him, I'd be contacting UCAS directly to ask them what they advise - it may be that if the school can confirm they sent the wrong info about him, he can be reconsidered. You'd think there would have to be a route by which errors could be corrected, given the numbers applying it must happen to a small percentage each year.

If he's only had the one rejection so far, at least the other 4 should be able to use the corrected information, and even the first one may be prepared to look at him again now they know there's been a mistake.

Def get him to speak to UCAS first for advice - then they may be able to deal with it for him, or he may have to contact each university. But he shouldn't just "wait and see".

Hello Rennie, sorry it wasn't very clear. His grades have been consistent throughout and his individual teachers had told him that they were predicting that he get an A, and 3 As. The careers teacher confirmed this and then went on to look through his choices, 3 of which required that A. They sent off the form, but made an administrative error and put 4 As as his predicted grades which will have meant that 3 of his applications will be rejected now.

Thanks so much for your advice - will pass on to my sister that they need to act quickly and contact both UCAS and the individual Universities

They should certainly contact UCAS and the individual universities as soon as possible but the school will probably also be required to give confirmation that an error has been made.

I had tremendous difficulty getting DC's school to correct an error last year even though an admissions tutor had already gone a long way to sort out the problem. It needed swift action from the school but the school was reluctant to admit error.

It did have a good outcome in the end and DC is at first choice university now.

Your sister should set aside a lot of time for telephoning on Monday.

Here's a tip - your sister should make sure she knows her lad's password if he has ticked the box on the UCAS form for e-mail communication. (Long story but there was a crucial e-mail for DC on her computer from an admissions tutor which gave an absolutely vital phone number to ring with only a matter of hours left to do this and DC was at school......)

Whoever did his UCAS reference or the school UCAS coordinator needs to contact the different Admissions Officers at the unis he has applied to. The e-mail needs to include his name, the course he has applied for, his code, his A levels and his predicteds. I suggest it goes out tomorrow or Tuesday at the lastest because results come out on Thursday and there may be a few more e-mails flying around saying sorry we gave the wrong predicteds.

Once the form is sent to UCAS it automatically gets sent on - even UCAS can not get the form back to make changes.

It has to come from the school otherwise anyone could be calling up and asking for grades to be change. I had this problem last year with a student and his parents trying to 'big up' his grades, alas he ended up with nowwhere but is trying more realistic options this year.

The UCAS forms at my school are done by the sixth form tutors and 'confirmed' by the Head of Sixth - so contact him/her first thing

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply. I have pass on your advice to my sister and will let you know how it goes next week.