Everything seemed to go well. Very well in fact. You might have had a sneaking suspicion in the exam hall or it might come as a surprise, but this results day, a large number of you will have done better than expected in your A-levels and may be able to upgrade to a more prestigious university or choose a different course.
In the past, students that exceeded their offer may have managed to find a place through Clearing, or been encouraged to take a gap year and reapply the following year. However, since 2009, when Ucas introduced Adjustment, a formal system for overachievers, students now have a five-day period in which to see what other options are available while still holding on to their confirmed place.
Last year, 1,160 applicants were accepted on to a university place through this system. Although this figure is slightly down on the previous year (1,220), the number is expected to be much larger this summer as the student numbers cap has been lifted, which potentially means many more spaces for this kind of thing.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw much more activity in Adjustment this year,” said Lynsey Hopkins, head of admissions at Sheffield University. “The home EU intake has always been regulated, but in the last few years we have had free recruitment of applicants with AAB and above and in the last two years ABB and above. This year has no restrictions at all. If applicants with good grades come along there’s a good chance, in most cases, they will be able to be taken. We’re gearing up for a busy one.”
Although the number of people using Adjustment is expected to rise this year, Fatuma Mahad, director of operations at Ucas, points out that more students than ever are now placed through their firm “first” choice (73% of all acceptances in 2014) and students should be cautious about opting to change last minute. “It’s a significant step to switch at this point. Most students remain committed to going to their first choice university, having researched the course, attended open days, and forged relationships with current students or other applicants,” she said. “I would encourage those who are thinking about Adjustment to consider the practical implications and to talk to their school, college or careers office to help them decide if a move is the right thing.”
Hopkins agreed. She thinks students considering using Adjustment this summer should pay a visit to the university before making any decisions. “If they are happy with the place they have, if they’re excited about going and they’ve built up a relationship with the university already then in no way should they feel obliged to use the service. Their decision shouldn’t be cast into doubt just by the availability of Adjustment,” she said.
However, Martha Rumney, who achieved A*AB rather than the BBB she was predicted and secured her place at Queen Mary, University of London, through Adjustment, feels that it was better to take a risk than to just go with the safe option. “I had a bit of a wobble and thought maybe I’d go to my first choice, but my best friend encouraged me and said ‘if you’re capable of the grades you should go for it’.”
There are, however, some practical concerns and students applying to a university late often find themselves at the bottom of the pile for accommodation. In an effort to address this, some universities, including the University of Sheffield, are now guaranteeing accommodation for any Adjustment or Clearing places. “This can often be the clincher for somebody if they are keen to change their mind but don’t want to lose out on accommodation,” said Hopkins.
Although the range of courses and universities offering places through Adjustment is broad, the service is not available to everyone. Vacancies are unlikely in subjects such as medicine and dentistry, where numbers are limited and there is a complex admissions process. Similarly, not all universities accept students this way. As a spokesperson from the University of Oxford explained: “We don’t take students through Clearing and Adjustment as all our applicants are predicted top grades. The subject tests and interview play an important part as well, so we wouldn’t make offers to students who hadn’t been through the full application and admissions process.”
Other universities point out that despite the student cap being lifted, they will still only have a small number of spaces open to students this way. The University of Manchester say they anticipate having a limited number of vacancies available in science and humanities subjects. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the University of Durham said: “We will have a limited number of places available for exceptional students in specific programmes. All vacancies will be advertised on the Ucas website.”
Despite the drawbacks, Tom Elwell, a geography teacher at Stowe school in Buckinghamshire, thinks that teacher’s predictions are not always accurate and there will always be students who have had a good day in the exam hall and exceeded expectations. “For these students it is only right that they shop around, no matter how stressful and last minute the experience may be,” he said. “It may seem that doing this at the end of the summer will throw everything up in the air, but there’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.”
Keep up with the latest on Guardian Students: follow us on Twitter at @GdnStudents – and become a member to receive exclusive benefits and our weekly newsletter.
