Disappointing Gcse results

[verydisappointedteen]

My Ds was predicted all a stars & 8s; hovever reality is a lot different. He got 6 a & 4 b & 1c and now feels results are worthless and universities won't consider him. Am trying to console him but would be useful to hear any stories about people with similar results getting into well regarded universities to give him hope that this is not a career defining moment! Thanks

Just to let you know, riceuten:

University of Bristol: "You can find out what weighting we give to GCSE grades in our admissions statement" (for each subject).

Medicine: 15%, Mechanical Engineering: 40%, MFL: 30%.

What utter rubbish about Oxford and Cambridge. At least of you are ging to say something, try and make it remotely factual. Their statement gives a profile of the typical student but says A level results count more and you can make up for lost ground. This will not be much different to Bristol with the weightings above. A levels count for more, but GCSEs are in the mix at the premier institutions. They willno longer have As levels so look at what the student has achieved at the timeof application. They also, believe it or not, weight Personal statements at some universities too.

I haven't read back but dc1 had similar - predicted 7s & 8s but got 2 7s, 1 6, an A, 5 Bs and a C. They know they are a good set of GCSEs but having had smoke blown up their arse that they are an A* student for the past 2 years, it is disappointing. Thankfully friends and most family have reassured DC1 that they are good results and most importantly,allow them to study the subjects they want at 6th form.

Read back now and there are a lot of reassuring posts. I also realise it looks like I was disappointed - I really wasn't (there were 2 that didn't think were a given C/pass). I am delighted she can do the next step but sad that her reaction on opening the envelope was sadness and disappointment.

It's perfectly reasonable to be disappointed with a result that is lower than expected, or delighted at a higher. Whatever the level.
If you say you shouldn't be disappointed with a A if predicted an A* then by the same argument you shouldn't be thrilled with a D when predicted an E.

Dm taught maths to all levels including degree, and still reckoned her greatest success in 40 years of teaching was one child who got a G at GCSE. There was a child in the same year who regularly got 100% in practice papers and sp she would have been disappointed if she hadn't got an A (no A*).
It's relative.