How to Survive A Level Results Day 2017

This blog on How To Survive A level Results Day is by Higher Education Consultant Sally Markowska, an expert in university applications. 

• Do not go to bed very late the night before Thursday August 17th. This is going to be a long, significant day, whatever your results. You will need to remain calm, cool and collected as you may need to make quick decisions.
• Ask a parent or mature friend to make themselves available to you either in person or on the phone; whatever way the results go, you will need someone to share tears of joy or pain.
• Get your UCAS log in details ready the night before- you will need these and you do not want to be scrabbling around for them.
• It would help to have ready the telephone numbers of the direct lines to the admissions’ departments of your firm and insurance places; if you need to speak to someone at these places, you will have the data ready.
• Make sure your mobile phone is charged.
• At 8am UCAS Track will spring to life: your firm choice may confirm your place (it will say UNCONDITIONAL) OR it may not. Do NOT panic if you cannot get online or your universities haven’t posted anything yet. Remember UCAS will not post your exam results but may show if your place at university has been confirmed.
• If your firm place is confirmed, dance around the kitchen and call Granny. You will receive the AS12 email from UCAS: read it carefully and respond accordingly.
• If it showing as ‘Conditional’, don’t panic: it may not have been updated OR you have your insurance place OR you will have to get ready to find somewhere else.
• EAT something: will help your energy levels even if you feel nauseous at the thought of what is to come…
• Before your results are given to you either in school, online or on the phone, make sure you have your mobile, a pen and paper and a calm, supportive adult (if possible).
• Once you have your results confirmed, you will know where you stand.
• YOU HAVE MET YOUR FIRM OFFER: Well done! Feel proud and open the champagne.
• YOU HAVE MET YOUR INSURANCE OFFER: Well done! You have a place at one of your top two university choices! You will have to tell the Student Loan Company and contact this university to sort out accommodation.
• YOU HAVE DONE BETTER THAN PREDICTED AND THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO APPLY TO A UNIVERSITY WITH HIGHER GRADE REQUIREMENTS: This is called Adjustment and you do not have to give up your firm place to enter into this stage. Look on the UCAS website for more details.
• YOU HAVE MISSED BOTH YOUR OFFERS FOR FIRM AND INSURANCE PLACES: This is hard, especially if your friends are shrieking with delight all around you. Try to go somewhere quiet to talk with someone you trust. Your school will have helped many students in this position so listen to their advice. Don't worry, soon with careful thinking and acting, you will have a plan.
• It is worth calling your insurance university to see if they can still consider you. They may even offer you a different course. Don’t make hasty decisions about this; make time to look at the course content to make sure you would be happy studying this subject.
• CLEARING: If you have missed both your offers, you will be entered automatically into Clearing. The UCAS website will list all available courses- search by subject and be open to different courses/institutions.
• You may wish to re-take your A Levels- this is a perfectly respectable course to take. We all make mistakes and, learning from them and moving on is a mature approach to take. You could see it as a year to re-think, re-adjust and perhaps get a part-time job.If you decide to defer your place, you will need to contact your university and ask if they will hold your place for another year. Gap years spent wisely can be an excellent way to gain life experience before you go to study again.

If you would like to get more advice about University choices or clearing you can find out more about how our team can help you here. http://independenteducationconsultants.co.uk/applying-to-uk-university 

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