Results day what ifs

What if you don’t get your firm or your insurance offer? Or you have changed your mind about your degree? Here, Precious Adesina imagines the main scenarios results day might bring:

What if… …you miss your firm offer and your chosen university won’t accept you with lower grades?

Talk to your teachers and family about your options, which may include accepting your insurance offer, appealing your grades or taking your A-levels in October.

…you didn’t get your firm offer but got your insurance offer?

If one of your choices is confirmed then you’re in. Congratulations!

…you didn’t get your firm or insurance offer?

First, check Ucas Track to see if you have been accepted by your firm or insurance choices with lower grades. If not, the next step is to enter Clearing. This year, there’s a new element called Clearing Plus available through Track. Ucas will use what they know about an applicant, and what universities and colleges are looking for in a student, to match an unplaced undergraduate with courses they may be interested in. If you’re unplaced or have started a new application, a “my matches” button will appear in Track. This will take you to your top 50 course matches and you can show interest in as many courses as you want. If there are still vacancies and you meet the entry requirements, the universities you have shown interest in may call you.

If you want to apply for a different course that is not on the list, you can use the Clearing search tool to find other courses available. If you are not able to get on to your chosen course, there is also the option of sitting your exams in October or exploring the possibility of a Plan B (see below). Speak to your teachers about what you need to do next.

…you get different grades to what your chosen university has stipulated, but it equates to the same Ucas tariff points?

It depends on the university and is very much decided on a case-bycase basis. Ucas points are used by some universities (around a third) when making offers, so instead of asking for a BBC, a university may ask for 112 points. The more traditional the university, the more likely they are to make an offer stipulating grades and not points.

…you just miss the grades needed for your firm offer?

Don’t give up hope completely, because there is a chance that your chosen university might still accept you, especially in the current climate. “Universities always look at more than just results when making decisions about applicants,” says

Ucas. “We encourage them to be as flexible as possible when making decisions this year, given the circumstances.’

Check Ucas Track and if it says your place is “unconditional”, which means you have been formally accepted on the course, all good. If Track shows that you’ve been unsuccessful, it’s time to rethink. You might decide to go into Clearing or to take your exams in the autumn. If so, let your uni or college know, as they may delay a decision until an outcome is available.

…you missed your firm or insurance offer, but the university has accepted you for a different course?

Sometimes, the university will offer you an alternative option in a related course to your chosen degree subject. This will show up on Track as UCC (unconditional changed course) – with the new course code. You will have five days to decide whether to accept this alternative.

…you decide Clearing is not for you?

You may decide you want to take your exams in October and apply again next year, and you are under no obligation to go through Clearing. You can officially withdraw from the Ucas process for this year on Ucas Track, although there is no need to. If you are without a place you can just leave your applications. By not withdrawing, if you change your mind in the days that follow, you can easily call unis and add them through Clearing.

…you get your grades but change your mind?

If you no longer want to go to your firm choice, you can use the “decline your place” button in Track. There is no going back, so make sure you are certain. If you want to remain at the same university but swap courses, speak to the uni first. Using the button in Track will mean any arrangements you have made for accommodation or scholarships may also be cancelled. After declining, you will be entered into Clearing.

…you get better grades than you anticipated?

If you exceeded the conditions of your firm offer you might want to look for an alternative course and you can do this through Ucas Adjustment, which is available for up to five days between A-level results day (Aug 13) to Aug 31.

…you decide you want to take your A-levels?

Students will have the option to take exams in October (deadline for registering is Sept 4). Those who do will not have to worry about getting lower than their predicted grade as the highest of the two will be their final result. Previous coursework will not count, though this excludes practical science and geology work. In the case of art and design, students will be judged on a new task, set and marked by the exam board and taken under normal supervised conditions. According to Universities UK, if you decide to take your exams, in most cases it will be too late to start a university course in 2020/21 (unless your course starts in January).

…you suddenly want to do a gap year?

If you have had your place confirmed, you can contact the university and ask if it can be deferred. Theoretically, you can do it right up until the start date. A word of warning: your university may not agree to it if you leave it too late. If they don’t, you can withdraw your application and reapply next year. According to Ucas, fewer students are deferring this year.

…you choose to appeal your grades?

First, tell the university and ask if they are willing to hold the place for you (if possible, get it in writing). It is possible they may still accept you this year with lower grades. Even though the Ucas End of Cycle report from last year showed that 49pc of students were accepted with actual A-level grades below the stated entry requirement, be prepared that they may not accept you even if the result comes back in your favour.

If you exceeded the conditions of your firm offer, you can look for an alternative course through Ucas