REFERENCES AND PREDICTED GRADES

You are entitled to read your school reference, and make sure it is the final one that is sent off to UCAS and not just the tutor's original draft ,as it might have been changed before being sent to UCAS. If you are refused, for whatever reason, then you may obtain a copy of the complete application form from UCAS which will cost you £10. This however is the reference that the universities will see, and you will not be able to change it.

Under The Data Protection Act, you can receive a copy of your application as part of the information UCAS hold on computer. Normally you would request this in writing. If you have a credit/debit card, you can ring our Customer Service Unit on 0870 1122211 and arrange to receive a copy of the information that UCAS hold.

Keep your aspirations high but, be realistic!

If you have gained C or D grades at A/S then it is unlikely that you will gain A grades at A2.

Subject tutors will be honest when predicting grades and these will be based on your track record, so do not expect to negotiate!

• Because some schools do not cash in A/S grades, then the only actual exam grades that admissions tutors see are your GCSE grades.
• N.B. This may well change as from 2006/7 if universities are allowed to see your  module results in order to differentiate between those who not only gained the highest marks but perhaps those who only gained the high marks through re-sits.
• However if you have obtained excellent A/S grades, say 3 As and a B or 280 plus UCAS points then ensure these are mentioned in the reference.
• Some of the more competitive courses( Medical schools for example)  will require at least 4 or 5 A* grades with few if any B grades for the rest.
• If you only have a  B  in GCSE English for example, you may not be offered an interview for some courses. However if English is your additional language or you have only been in the country for less than a year or two, make sure this is mentioned both in the reference and your Personal Statement.
• References will be as positive as possible and you are entitled to read it. If you are refused for whatever reason then you may obtain a copy from UCAS which will cost you £10.
• In addition to your personal statement the school's predicted grades and references are two of the most important things that universities use to decide whether to offer you a place or not.
• If you are predicted an A/B for A2 instead of a straight A grade then the majority of admission tutors will read this as a straight B!
• Predicted grades will be based on past and current performance.
• Module results will also be very relevant
• Subject tutors’ comments also provides important information for the school reference, so check that all your work is up to date and of a high standard in order to ensure positive comments.
• It is best to have a long term, excellent track record! 
• However read your recent reports carefully and also those from previous years.
• Look for any criticisms your teachers have made, and try to address them.
  
   

Below are two common criticisms.

“Doesn't participate enough in class”. Solution: ask more questions in class. Obviously playing a more active part in lessons and answering questions that the teacher asks shows that you have been attentive. 

”Not working to his/her full ability”. There is no easy remedy here, apart from hard work. That said, it's surprising how quickly a few good, well-researched essays/projects can change opinions.

Obviously make sure you are up to date with your work and you have a good reliability record. This is a good indicator of your commitment.

N.B. If you are applying for a course which, normally invites applicants  for an interview, make sure that you re-read your personal statement carefully before you attend the interview.

 Admissions tutors may well base questions on your personal statement. You do not want the embarrassment of forgetting what you wrote. It may be a number of months since you wrote it

If you have the opportunity of seeing the school’s reference take note of the information contained there,  as some questions may also based on this.

It is advisable  to experience at least one mock interview, preferably with someone you do not know. If this is not possible then why not arrange some mock interviews amongst your fellow students. They may also have already attended an interview and they may well be able to ask some pertinent  questions, particularly if they are applying for the same course.

 B Lucas