UCAS/Maths predicted grades question

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aliportico
Posts: 888
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:19 pm

UCAS/Maths predicted grades question

Post by aliportico »

Not for me, for a boy I tutor maths to!

I've been tutoring him for about 5 years (he is hearing-impaired, so it started off because he was missing stuff in the classroom, and has carried on although I frequently tell him he doesn't need me ;-) ) and he's in y13. He's doing Maths A level, and FM AS, i.e. 9 modules. Was a solid grade A student at GCSE, but everything has just totally clicked in the 6th form, and he's doing really well - 100 ums for C1 and 92 for C2. Also has good solid marks for D1, S1 and FP1 so far. Doing C3, C4, S2 and M1 this year. He's also incredibly conscientious, works really hard, and usually does better in tests and exams than most of the students doing the complete double Maths A levels!

Anyway, he's doing his uni application atm, and the school (where he's been since y7, so they know him well) have said that they won't predict him an A* for his Maths. Given that *IF* he gets his 180/200 in C3 and C4 (which I know isn't a given!) it will be pretty much impossible for him to screw up so much that he *wouldn't* get an A*, am I being unreasonable (yes, I know, wrong site!) to be a bit annoyed about this?

Just needed to vent about that really.

Also, I had thought that your module ums went on your UCAS form, not just the grades (because the grade of one module doesn't really mean anything by itself) - I thought I'd read that the universities got all the details of your AS levels, and had assumed that was what it meant. But he told me that he has only got his grades on his? And so obviously if you just put A for C1, there's a big difference between 80 ums and 100 ums. I suggested that he should check with his teacher but maybe put his C1 and C2 scores in his personal statement and say something about aiming for an A*? Would that be sensible?

Fortunately the universities he wants to apply for will be asking for A's not A*'s, but it still seems a bit harsh. Apparently they will only predict the double maths students A* in Maths A2, despite him frequently outperforming them!
Thingsbehindthesun
Posts: 463
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:25 pm

Re: UCAS/Maths predicted grades question

Post by Thingsbehindthesun »

From Becca-Sarah on the student room.
"There is nowhere on your UCAS form to enter UMS - if you have any extraordinary scores, you can ask your referee to mention them. If you're applying somewhere that want your UMS, like Cambridge, they want you to put these on the supplementary application form you need to fill out. "
But I think the school are being unfair-can he go in and talk to the head of sixth form?
asdguest
Posts: 144
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:06 pm

Re: UCAS/Maths predicted grades question

Post by asdguest »

It does seem unfair, but if the universities he wants to apply for don't ask for it then I would probably leave well alone. Some universities ask for the A* if it is predicted and don't if it isn't - yes, silly.
leanmeamum
Posts: 736
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:14 pm

Re: UCAS/Maths predicted grades question

Post by leanmeamum »

Some schools have a policy of predicting lower grades to be on the 'safe side' as they have been accused of giving too optimistic predictions and not producing them.

But if this child is a solid A* student, it is unfair of the school not to predict it for him. Maybe he can ask his referee to mention that he is working on a good level and is capable of getting the A* and that will be an indirect prediction.
SteveDH
Posts: 464
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:30 pm
Location: Harrow

Re: UCAS/Maths predicted grades question

Post by SteveDH »

You can put the ums for the modules, but you have to put them in the 'other' box. put them in a format something like 'A 290/300'
and leave the overall mark as a grade.
Steve
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