Students confident of A-Level success, despite Covid learning loss
According to the GoStudent Education Report, even though 79% of children in the UK stated that the pandemic caused challenges to their learning, just 15% of students thought they would not be able to catch up this academic year. And even though parents felt differently, with 60% citing that they felt as though learning gaps would possibly continue into the new academic year, it seems that students were right to be optimistic.
“Considering all of the pitfalls students have experienced over the past couple of years, a near record admission rate to students’ favoured universities is an incredible testament to their hard work.” Says Mya Medina, Senior Tutor Team Lead at 1:1 online tutoring company GoStudent. “We have seen first-hand how committed students are to meeting the grades, so today is a worthy day for much celebration after years of disrupted learning”.
“It is natural, though, for those students who did not get the grades they wanted to feel disappointed and upset,” continues Mya. “It is important to keep in mind that there are some steps that students can immediately take, if they are keen to still make it to university in 2022. Crucially, if they are in this situation, they need to act quickly.”
If you do find yourself in this position, here are three practical steps to take:
- Call your first choice university to see if there is any flexibility – If you have only missed the required grade by a couple of marks, then it might be worth contacting the university you want to go to regardless. Depending on how competitive the chosen university and course, there may be some leeway and you may still be able to secure your place.
- Explore clearing – Clearing is the UCAS system that allows universities to fill vacant spaces on their courses. You should be primed to go through clearing if you’re determined to go to university this year. If you want to go to your specific first choice university – it would make sense to resit exams the following academic year and ensure you get the right grades.
- Think about appealing the grade – Firstly, consider how close the result was to the higher grade band. If you’re a couple of marks off a grade then it’s likely worth a re-mark. If this is the case then it takes an average of 15 calendar days for your results to be returned. To avoid losing your place at your chosen university – appeal to them by reaching out via phone or email. In this case, you would explain you were a couple of marks off your entry requirement grade and ask if they would be willing to hold their place for you until the remarked grades are returned.
If they won’t hold their place for you (which can happen for particularly competitive universities), remarking is still worth it. If the re-mark is returned with a higher grade, you won’t have to resit your exams next year and can reapply with your correct required grades.
