More than 10,000 students who dropped out of school who are expected to have three Bs in high school this summer do not have a firm offer at any university as it increases competition for places in the places of major institutions.
Experts say that in recent years students who had finished their studies were entering a “buyer market” in universities, and candidates had a good chance of entering a good university even if they were not on a grade. But this year, with elite universities fearing over-recruiting after being forced to recruit more students than they wanted during the pandemic and a population increase in the number of 18-year-olds, competition it has been fierce.
Andrew Hargreaves, founder of Data HE, a consultancy advising universities on admissions, and former director of the Ucas admissions service, said: “Ucas has not yet released any official data, but I have been told that more than 10,000 sol · BBB bidders do not have a firm bid at any university. This is really shocking. “
Students who predict BBB at level A are generally considered strong college candidates. But with Russell Group’s elite institutions offering fewer offers or increasing their access requirements in popular subjects such as law, medicine and psychology, Hargreaves said those grades would not have been good enough to get an offer in many major college courses this year. Students can apply at five universities, but Hargreaves believes many BBB students have submitted their options too high.
“This is a big failure of information and advice,” he said. “We’ve been saying for the last decade that it’s a buyer’s market, but the environment has now changed, and Ucas and school advisors really need to highlight that.” Hargreaves said it was okay for students to score high by applying to “stretching” universities, but they should also have an insurance option at a university that requires lower grades.
I suspect some 3B students may be “waiting” to clean up in August, hoping they can get a last-minute place at a top-tier university. But he warned: “I think they will be disappointed. I have 12 Russell Group customers and they all tell me they won’t be clean.”
Russell Group’s Cardiff University is one of those that has increased entry requirements for over-subscription subjects. Photo: Matthew Horwood / Alamy
Last summer, some select universities struggled to find dormitories, seminar space, and staff, after thousands of additional students got the high-level A grades they needed to secure their place.
Ucas CEO Clare Marchant wrote in a blog post on Wednesday that the proportion of applications to so-called “higher-rate” universities leading to an offer had fallen from 60.5% in 2021 to 55 , 1% this year.
Professor Colin Riordan, Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, a member of the Russell Group, said: “It is absolutely clear that this has been a competitive year for applicants. We have increased our entry requirements in high-risk areas. subscriptions “.
He said Cardiff had expanded capacity on some issues during the pandemic and “we can’t keep growing”.
He added: “It will also be much more difficult for us this year to help people who lose their offer for a grade, especially in popular subjects.”
Mike Nicholson, Cambridge University’s chief education officer, said: “Most select universities have been more cautious in not wanting to get caught for the third year in a row.”
Nicholson said professors had become accustomed to many universities “saying something about what grades they would accept and actually being prepared to lower the grade if they wanted someone.” He believes that many do not realize that this has changed in the major universities.
He said: “I don’t blame the teachers. They often try to be realistic with students, but ultimately the choice of where to apply depends on the applicants who may be influenced by the opinions of parents or peers. “
Experts say, however, that disappointed applicants should think long before deciding to postpone everything until next year. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, said: “If this year’s applicants think they’ve made it difficult, next year’s pressure could be worse, already that there will be 18-year-olds again. “
He added: “Students and parents should know that there are very good courses in the whole sector, and not just in the most prestigious universities.”