A LEVEL RESULTS DAY ADVICE!

[Phil Seaman]

-Oº°‘¨Phil²¨‘°ºO-

www.ucas.co.uk/appenq/index.html

UCAS and the universities and schools/colleges are still in negotiation about when UCAS Track will go live.UCAS Track website will be down for a week for a week before results date (ie not be updated at all).

It will *definitely* be up and running at 11am.

It *might* be up and running at 7am, however a lot of schools and colleges are protesting about this as they think people should only know if they've got a place or not when they're at school and surrounded by people who will help them/support them if things don't go right. UCAS and universities want as many people as possible to know if they've been accepted as quickly as possible - to cut down hugely on the phone calls from people who've got a place and leave the lines free for people who really do need to speak to admissions tutors about their results etc.

All that UCAS Track will show is whether your firm/insurance unis have confirmed your place (if they have your CF/CI will change to UF/UI), if they've rejected you (CF/CI changed to Unsuccessful) or if they've still not decided (CF/CI will be unchanged).

It will NOT show you your grades - the only place you will be able to get your grades is from your school.

This year UCAS are also planning to send out as many AS12 letters (final confirmation of your place - have to be sent on to your confirmed uni within 14 days to secure your place) as possible for arrival on the morning of Thursday 18th - so if you happen to get your post delivered early keep an eye out for a UCAS letter - it'll be good news.


"I've changed my mind about going to my Firm/Insurance"
It isn't possible to reject your firm or insurance. Even if you've missed the grades of your offer, if your firm or insurance accepts you then you are obliged to go there. However universities and admissions tutors are not nasty evil people determined to make you miserable. If you've honestly changed your mind about the place or the course then contact your unis, explain the situation and ASK them to release you. They don't have to, and they certainly don't have to rush the release through, but in 90% of cases they will do whatever they can to help you find the right course/uni for you.

If you're reading this before Friday 12th thinking "I don't want to go to my firm/insurance" then you should contact them ASAP and ask to be released before results day (note: you don't get to pick a second insurance). It's much much less stress for everyone if you go into results day with a firm/insurance uni that you WANT to go to and if you miss the grades go straight into Clearing.

Read on...

[Phil Seaman]

"I've met my firm offer grades"
Congratulations
If you haven't recieved your AS12 letter this morning from UCAS then check on UCAS Track that your firm uni has changed to UF. If it hasn't then contact your firm uni directly (by PHONE not email) to just make sure that everything is alright and they've recieved all of your results. If they haven't recieved all of your results ask them for a fax number and fax a copy of your results slip, your full name, UCAS number and course applied to to the number provided ASAP.
Celebrate!

"I've missed my firm offer and/or my insurance offer"
If you haven't recieved your AS12 letter this morning from UCAS then check on UCAS Track. If your firm uni have decided to accept you with lower grades then your status will have changed from CF to UF. If it is showing unsuccessful then they've decided not to accept you with lower grades - check your insurance uni status (CI should change to either UI or UF), if this is also showing unsuccessful then you'll be automatically entered into Clearing and should be recieving a CEF form from UCAS soon (see below for Clearing advice). If you've been accepted by your firm or insurance and this is showing on Track then the only thing left to do is celebrate.

"I'm in Clearing - now what?"

Firstly don't panic - over 35,000 people found a place through Clearing last year and places are available on a vast range of courses at all sorts of universities.

Secondly drop everything: finding a university place over the next few days should be your number one priority - cancel all engagements for a few days.

Next you need to get access to the full Clearing listings - they're available online but it's worth getting hold of a copy of the Independent as well. Vacancies will also be published in the papers listed here www.ucas.com/clearing/further.html

If you haven't yet recieved your CEF (Clearing Entry Form) from UCAS then contact UCAS ASAP on 0870 1122211 to find out when you will recieve it - until you hold a CEF any offer/acceptance made in clearing will be unofficial.

Read on for more on clearing...

[Phil Seaman]

Clearing: Top Ten Tips
Don't panic! 2005 is a good time to be applying to university. There are more places than ever before, with the Government moving towards its target of 50% of under-30s in higher education. So if you're prepared to be flexible and have reasonable qualifications, you have a good chance of getting in.

Phone the university Clearing line yourself - don't ask your parents or a tutor to phone, it looks weedy. You want to show independence, and we want to know who you are. Keep trying if you don't get through first time - Clearing hotlines normally receive several thousand calls on the first couple of days after A level results. You should do some preparation before phoning. Have all your grades to hand and jot down what you want to ask. If you've planned your questions, you'll feel more confident - and save time and money! Admissions Officers will be impressed if you've thought about what you want.

It's not easy, but try to sound confident even if you don't feel it! Be positive, show your communication skills and let us know you're keen. It can help to run through your questions with a friend or teacher before phoning. Above all, don't say 'I'll take anything, any course' which makes you sound desperate!

Do remain in contact with universities after the initial approach. Leave contact numbers if you have to go away.

Please don't contact the University by fax - they get overwhelmed - but by phone or email or via the web.

Do visit the University if you can - many places hold Clearing Open Days for people made an offer via Clearing and other students who have a place but haven't yet seen the campus.

Above all, don't rush into anything. Take some time - a few hours or even a day - to think it over. Ask for time if necessary, any Admissions Officer will respect you for that.

But don't leave the decision too long- although there are quite a lot of places, they still go quickly.

Finally, don't be embarrassed to ring back and say you're not accepting the offer. They need to know. Universities are looking for people who work and play hard, who will make a contribution - people just like you.

[Phil Seaman]

WEBSITES AND PHONE NUMBERS


www.ucas.com/clearing
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife
www.ucas.com/wap/index/wml (wap)
www.getsmaart.com/article83.html
education.guardian.co.uk/clearing/
www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,591,00.html
www.support4learning.org.uk/careers/clearing.htm
education.independent.co.uk/higher/

UCAS Helpline

Please make sure that you have your UCAS application number ready before ringing.

The Helpline (0870 1122211) will be available:

Monday to Friday 15 August to 2 September 8am to 6pm

except for 18 and 19 August when the Helpline will be available from 8am to 8pm and Bank Holiday Monday 29 August when the Helpline will be available from 9am to 12noon.

Saturday 20 August: 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday 27 August: 9 am to 12 noon

[Phil Seaman]

Links to individual uni Clearing websites and their dediacated clearing/confirmation hotlines...

In alphabetical order....
Aberstwyth: 01970 622000 (2004 website still)
Abertay Dundee: 01382 308080
APU: No phone number yet
Aston: No phone number (website not live yet)
Bangor: Number not yet posted "call us immediately on xx"
Bath: No number yet (2004 website still)
Birmingham: 0121 414 2222
Bolton:01204 903 903
Bournemouth:01202 524111
Bradford: 0800 073 1225
Brighton: No number available yet
Bristol (no link): (0)117 928 9000
Brunel: 01895 272273
Cardiff: [phone] (2004 website still)
Central Lancashire: No number available yet
City: 020 7040 8877
Coventry: 02476 791 791
Derby: 01332 621300
DMU:08459 45 46 47
Dundee: 01382 345464
Durham: 0191 334 0048 (2004 website still)
East Anglia: [phone] (2004 website still) - good uni
East London: 020 8223 3333
Edinburgh: 0131 651 1500
Essex: 01206 873666 (00 44 1206 872694 (International Callers))
Exeter: 01392 263035
Glamorgan: 0800 716 925
Glasgow: 0141 330 2999 (2004 website still)
Glasgow Caledonian: 0800 027 9171
Gloustershire:01242 544001
Greenwich:0800 005 006 ([phone] international number)
Heriot Watt: 0131 451 3376
Hertfordshire: 01707 284 848 (2004 website still)
Huddersfield: 01484 472777
Hull: 0870 129 6070 (Hull campus), 01723 357256 (Scarborough campus)
Imperial: (0)20 7594 8001 (2004 website still)
Keele: 01782 243000 / 583000
Kent: No number available yet
Kings College London: (0) 20 7836 5454 (website appears to be down atm)
Kingston: [phone]
Lampeter: 01570 424829
Lancaster: 0870 999 1011
Leeds: (no number on site yet)
Leeds Met: 0113 283 3113
Leicester: 0116 223 1069
Lincoln: (no number available yet)
Liverpool: 0151 794 8585 (for students already holding offers), clearing number to be posted on site.
Liverpool John Moores: 0151 231 5090 (for students already holding offers), 0500 564 565 (for clearing vacancies)
London Met0800 032 44 41
LSE (no link): [phone] | [phone] | [phone] | [phone]
London South Bank: 020 7815 7815
Loughborough: No number available yet
Luton: No number available yet
Manchester: 0161 275 2077 for students with offers, 0161 275 7402 for clearing (website currently unavailable)
Manchester Met: 0800 915 0668
Middlesex: (0)20 8411 5555 ([phone] international number)
Napier: 0500 35 35 70 ([phone] from overseas) (2004 website still)
Newcastle: 08457 887722 (2004 website still)
Newport: No number available yet (website not live yet)
Northumbria: No number available, no website available until 8th August
Nottingham: 0115 951 6565
Nottingham Trent: 0115 848 2814 (clearing enquiries), 0115 848 4868 (for students already holding offers)
Oxford Brookes: No number available yet
Paisley: No number available yet
Plymouth: 01752 232 232
Portsmouth: no phone number online yet
Queen Mary's London: 0800 376 1800 or 0800 096 6263 (website down atm)
Reading: (no phone number)
Roehampton: 020 8392 3000
Robert Gordon: (01224) 26 27 28
Royal Holloway: 01784 443883
Salford: 0161 295 4545 (2004 website still)
Sheffield: 0114 222 8015 (2004 website still)
Sheffield Hallam: 0845 147 3503
Southampton: 023 8059 8888 (2004 website still)
Staffordshire:0800 590830
Stirling: 01786 466166
Strathclyde: No number available (2004 website still)
Sunderland: Arts, Design, Media, Journalism and Culture - 0191 515 3003, Business, Law & Psychology - 0191 515 3001, Computing, Engineering & Technology - 0191 515 3008, Education - 0191 515 3002, Health, Natural & Social Sciences - 0191 515 3006, JOINT HONOURS SCHEME - 0191 515 3005
Surrey: No number available (2004 website still)
Sussex: 01273 678416 (2004 website still)
Swansea: 01792 295097 (2004 website still)
Teeside: 01642 384243
UCE Birmingham
UCL: (0)20 7679 2000 (2004 website still)
UWE: [phone]
Warwick: [phone] or [phone]
Westminster: 020 7911 5000
Wolverhampton: 01902 323232
York: 01904 433020

Please note that most phone lines wont be open until 7/8/9am on Thursday morning.

[Phil Seaman]

Other Options:

Appeal your grades
The grades that glare out at you from the scrap of green paper that arrives in August may look pretty final, but - as the very small print on the back of the slip will confirm - nothing is definite until your A-level certificate is issued. Examiners do occasionally make mistakes, and exam results can be subject to change.

If you are convinced that your results do not reflect your performance or ability, you can question them through an increasingly complicated appeals system. In 2001 25,406 candidates queried their A-levels results. Of these inquiries 4,644, approximately 18 per cent, resulted in a change of grade.

"Even examining board are not infallible," says George Turnbull, of the Assessment and Qualification Alliance (AQA) Britain's biggest exam board. "We do make mistakes, some of them quite embarrassing. But we do always upgrade students when we see an error has been made, even if it's months after the exam."

Not all appeals are successful and it helps to be realistic about your grade expectations and your performance on the day, but if you do want to query your result, it is best to start thinking about it quickly.

Philomena Waldron, Principal Officer at the Examination Appeals Board says: "If a candidate wants to appeal it's vitally important that they do it as soon as possible because queries do get dealt with on a first come first served basis. It's a good idea to start to process before the holidays are over."

Deadlines

The initial deadline for inquiries is September 30, but if a query is made within a week of results day it will be fast-tracked, which means an initial decision is guaranteed within 30 days. Since 2000 it has been possible for students to request copies of their exam scripts, so you can look at your paper and see exactly where they examiner may have been wrong before requesting a full remark.

Inquiry Procedure

A candidate cannot appeal independently. Exam boards will only consider your case if it is put forward by the school or college which entered you for the exams, so discuss any action you want to take with your teachers first.

Papers being reviewed can receive a basic clerical check (where the marks are added up, pages counted and it is checked that every answer has been marked) which costs about £10 - the prices vary between exam boards, a clerical check with the return of your scripts, which costs about £21, or a full re-mark and clerical check with returned scripts, which costs about £50. If your grade is changed the fee will be refunded.

Although you can order each inquiry component separately, the AQA recommends that those students with imminent university places to consider go straight for the re-mark.

Before you decide to fork out the cash, you should be prepared for the possibility of a nasty shock. Since last year exam boards have been able to adjust grades downwards as well as up. So be absolutely sure you want to appeal before you risk making your already disappointing D into an E.

Appeals

The further appeals process, particularly in its later stages, can be painfully slow. Although most complaints are settled within the 30-day period, disputes can drag on for up to a year as a case is passed to the examining board for an initial investigation - carried out by an appointed officer - and if that fails, to the board's committee appeal hearing.

If all these are unsuccessful and the candidate and school are still convinced the result is wrong, then a last resort is the Examination Appeals Board, the equivalent of an A-level high court, but this only deals with a handful of exceptional cases. So far this year it has handled six.

University

Even waiting for a month can jeopardise your university place, particularly when - if your inquiry doesn't work out and your chosen university will not take you - you want to go through clearing in time to start university this year. Rather than wait for the results of an inquiry that could take weeks, the best option is to go for a place on the basis of the grades you have been assigned. This keeps your options open and you can reconsider your choice if there is good news.

Most universities are sympathetic about glitches in the A- level system and will be understanding if your grade is eventually pushed up to come within their original offer. A spokeswoman for Manchester University says: "We would do our absolute best to accommodate a student who had achieved the required grades after an appeal. If it proved absolutely impossible to fit them in, we would offer a deferred place the following year."

[Phil Seaman]

Retake/Resit

Quote from 'The Times'

ONE option for students disappointed with A-level results is to retake their exams at an independent tutorial college, or crammer. Usually, retake courses take place from September to November or September to January, depending on the subject and the examining board.
The increase in university places has led to an overall decline in retakes, which are sat increasingly by those wanting places on the most competitive courses such as medicine or veterinary science. However, retakes are still in demand by students who want places at their first-choice universities.

Is it hard to get into popular universities after retakes? No, says David Lowe, principal of Cambridge Tutors College in Croydon, Surrey. He explains: “Medical schools, for example, are looking for people who are dedicated. Pupils doing retakes often have a strong vocational pull to being a doctor. They are often more mature and have high motivation.”

Tutorial colleges often advise that students start a new A level from scratch to show breadth and commitment. Kate Ingramgained C grades in mathematics and economics from Coloma Convent School in Croydon, South London. She chose to resit maths and converted her C grade to an A. But she also took up law, and got an A.

Colleges are keen to provide examples of people who have done well after resits. Prijesh Patel left Dulwich College, South London, with C grades in maths and physics and grade D in chemistry. After studying at Cambridge Tutors College, he improved those grades to three As. He is now at City studying actuarial science.

For a one-year retake A-level at Abbey Tutorial College in Cambridge, a student would be offered eight hours’ tuition per subject per week. What makes the difference is the unlimited individual tuition available to students alongside a system of personal tutors, which Glenn Hawkins, principal at Abbey Tutorial College, likens to the tutorial attention offered by an Oxford or Cambridge college.

Mr Hawkins describes the service offered by colleges like Abbey as “reassuringly expensive”. At £12, 600 for three, one-year A-level retakes, such tuition does not come cheap, but he maintains that such a threshold “facilitates offerings such as unlimited individual attention and personal tuition, which are unavailable elsewhere.”

Tutorial colleges aim to mould students who are creative as well as exam-machines, but there is naturally a strong emphasis on exam technique and preparation. Mr Lowe says: “If someone needs to be sthingy-fed for a time, then we can and will do it.”

Conscientious institutions are quick to spot situations in which the parents are more enthusiastic about the prospect of weekly exams and a rigorous academic regime than their children are. Abbey interviews students for up to an hour to gauge their commitment, rejecting 20 per cent of applicants on motivational grounds. Mr Hawkins says: “It is important to study in depth what went wrong the first time around and what they are going to do to put it right. To an extent, they have to convince us that the college is right for them.”

Dr Nigel Stout, director of the MPW Group, emphasises the importance of careful research into the credentials of individual colleges. “Every year,” Dr Stout says, “new institutions appear. If you have never heard of a college before, it is important to watch out for the accreditations and the professional organisations to which it is attached.

“It’s a good idea to meet a reasonable proportion of the staff who will be involved. Check that the college is focusing on what the student needs, not just what fits into their timetable.”

Membership of the Council for Independent Further Education (CIFE) provides some guarantee of quality. CIFE colleges are inspected by the British Accreditation Council (BAC), Independent Schools Council (ISC) and, when appropriate, the Department for Education and Employment (Dfee). The BAC independently audits all examination results published by CIFE colleges.

Mr Hawkins believes that the new AS level system will make little difference to business for tutorial colleges. He says: “Students have always been able to retake individual modules at centres such as Abbey and this is likely to continue.”

However, colleges expect a high demand on staff resources as students push for specialised retakes in particular areas and with specific exam boards. Dr Stout underlines that not all conceivable combinations will be available. “We will have to see what the demands are like and take it from there.”

[Phil Seaman]

Oh and good luck ;D

Phil