Did you miss the grade? Don't panic!

Mohamed Ahmed Cantoobo
Tuesday, August 26, 2008

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It is 3 years since the postman brought the letter I had been waiting for from Cambridge University. I can still hear the noise of the letterbox flap. I can still see the envelope on the mat. I bent to pick it up, wondered whether I dared to open it, stopped breathing and did. They were sorry but, no, they could not offer me a place: stiff competition and all that, hope all goes well. Then the film stops. I don't know what I did next, my disbelief, anger and self-pity remain pretty vivid.

Did it make any difference that I went to Bristol (on of the most prestigious universities in UK) rather than Cambridge? not at all. And that is the first thing to realise if you are sitting there wondering why you did not get the necessary grades and what the hell you are going to do.

It is a setback and a shock but it is not the end of the world. It may even be good news because you now have a chance to think seriously about the rest of your life.

You did well at GCSEs, or A-levels. Everybody else was applying to university, so you did too. Well, think again. Do you really want to go to university? And, if so, why? Many employers are saying that it makes sense to recruit 18-year-olds who can be trained on the job.

You don't need me to tell you that three more years as a student means some hefty debts. An increasing number of graduates cannot find work that requires degree-level skills. An increasing number of students don't even graduate; they decide a year or two into the course that it's a waste of time and money.
You have a chance to avoid their mistake. If you want to be a doctor, then you need a degree in medicine. If you want to work in film or television, however, a technical apprenticeship – for example, with the BBC – will probably prove more valuable than a degree in media studies. Use this apparent setback to decide what is really right for you.

Neither should you feel that you have to make an immediate decision. If you are absolutely certain that you know what you want to study, then fine, you can start to pick up the pieces. If you are not, then the best thing might be to take some time out. Travel or find a job that will help you to make up your mind and may well strengthen a subsequent application to university. It is far better to delay university entrance for a year than to rush into an application that commits you to a course you are going to hate.

If your marks are unexpectedly low, it may be worth asking your school to request a remark of your papers by the exam board. There is a fee, but examiners do make mistakes. Last summer 23,000 GCSE and A-level grades (in UK) were changed on appeal. If you are certain you want to go to university and your marks are not increased after being checked, you can either resit your A-levels to improve your scores or find a university that will accept you with the grades you have got.

If you choose to try again, you might achieve grades that would win you a place at a more prestigious university than the one that has just rejected you.
The alternative, of course, is to apply now to the clearing system run by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). Clearing is used by applicants who have not managed to secure a place at university or college for the current year. it can help people to find suitable vacancies on higher education courses. Last year nearly 40,000 people, who were feeling just as downhearted as you are now, picked themselves up by clearing.

Make sure you investigate all the options. Highly competitive courses at popular universities may be full, but many courses will still have vacancies. You are about to make a decision that will affect the next three years and possibly your whole life. So look before you leap.

A sensible first step is to contact a careers adviser or, better still, a teacher who knows you well, to discuss courses that may meet your aspirations. Once you are sure that a course is of interest, contact the relevant university as soon as you can. Visiting the university means you have a chance to meet the tutors and to check out the accommodation and the social life.

The course might be right, but you need to feel comfortable with the city or campus as well. Most universities will make arrangements to meet you and show you round. It is in their interest to help you make the right choice and you may be wise to think again about anywhere that can't be bothered to do this.
Make sure you have thought through why you applied for this particular course because candidates who appear to have stuck a pin in the prospectus are going to be accepted only if the university is desperate. You may be asked about your exam results, so be prepared to give an honest answer that is as positive as possible.
If the conversation goes well and the university decides to offer you a place, you will be asked to forward your clearing passport, which Ucas will have sent you. Do this only if you are sure that the course is the right one for you. If you are not sure, explain politely and contact other universities. If you are sure, send the passport or take it with you if you have not already visited.

All offers are unofficial until the university has received your clearing passport and informed Ucas. Once this has been done, Ucas will write to you confirming your place. You can then uncross your fingers and start planning your future.

Mohamed Ahmed Cantoobo
University Of West of England (Bristol)
[email protected]

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