‘It was not what I was hoping for’
“I AM disappointed. It was not what I was hoping for.”
Amy Turnbull was just one of thousands of students left upset after receiving her A-Level exam results this year.
The 19-year-old from Manchester studied at a college in Wigan, and was expecting to achieve an A* and two A’s on results day, but instead got three C’s.
She hoped to fulfil her dream of studying medicine at Lancaster University, but was rejected because of her results.
Amy had already postponed exams after breaking her back in a skiing accident. She sat mock exams just a few weeks later and achieved three B’s.
Despite achieving A’s in the majority of assessments before her accident and in mock papers sat at home, these predicted grades were sent off and downgraded to three C’s.
“I am quite disappointed that I did not get the grades that I wanted. It was not what I was hoping for,” Amy told the M.E.N..
“I had a place at Lancaster University to study medicine. I needed three A’s - that was a conditional offer.
“I called them on results day and explained my situation with being a year behind which they already knew anyway.
“They said that if my appeal comes back by the end of the month I will be guaranteed a place next year.
“But then again I’m being pushed back a year.”
Amy was also rejected from her second choice at Newcastle University and said she has spent the last few days looking for other options.
“Swansea have offered me a place. I’m trying to stay positive but it’s still not where I wanted to go”, she said.
“I’m still hoping to go on and study medicine. It might take me a few more years but that’s definitely what I want to do.
“There are quite a few people I know who are disappointed and have been downgraded.”
Charlotte Walker-Prosser, 19, also feels disappointed and frustrated after her results were downgraded.
The former Loreto Grammar School pupil, who lives in Cheadle Hulme, was due to resit two of her A-Levels after not getting the grades she wanted last year.
She was expecting to achieve two A’s but was awarded a B and a C.
Charlotte was studying for her exams at home, making her a private candidate. She said this has led to ‘discrimination’ and a lack of support.
“We are just expected to deal with it and move on,” she said.
“It feels like because I’ve taken one gap year I’m expected to just take another.”
Charlotte hoped to study economics at the University of Manchester but was rejected.
She is now in touch with the University of Sheffield.