150,000 students won’t find a place at university despite A* grades

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12 April 2012

The most intense scramble for university courses ever seen was under way today with 180,000 candidates chasing an estimated 30,000 spare places.

Another year of record A-level results saw more than a quarter of all university applicants without a confirmed place on a degree course. The intense competition means about 150,000 will be left without a place at all.

One in 12 entrants was awarded the new elite A* grade as the pass rate rose for the 28th year in a row.

Admissions service Ucas said an unprecedented 661,000 candidates applied for university this year. More than 379,000 candidates have had their university courses confirmed but 180,600 were left to fight for the remaining places in clearing. Last year nearly 48,000 students found courses through clearing but the number is expected to be far lower this summer.

One pupil achieved three A* grades and three As but has not been offered a place anywhere. Benedict Scheffer, 18, applied to Oxford, the LSE, University College London, Warwick and Bristol. "It's great I've got the grades," he said. "But it feels a little unfair that I don't have a university place."

Benedict, whose family lives in Germany and who is a boarder at Brighton College, said: "I'm not going through clearing this year because there are so few places, so I will reapply next year with my grades." Students were being advised not to be so ambitious and to consider re-applying to less competitive universities next year. An unprecedented 661,000 candidates applied for university places this year.

Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said 2010 was proving "perhaps the most competitive year for admissions" in the last 10 years. More candidates than ever had got the grades they needed, meaning fewer places were available through the clearing system for those who just missed out.

A Ucas spokesman said: "Competition will be harder than it has been for the last few years because of the record increase in applications. We're advising people if they can't find a place through clearing that there are alternative options like gap years, part-time study or apprenticeships."

Thames Valley University employed an army of volunteers to cope with the demand for clearing places. Nicola Miller, head of communications, said: "Within 15 seconds of our phone lines opening at 8am they were full. By 10am we'd had 1,200 calls and just tried to get through them as fast as we could."

There were around 800 clearing places available at Thames Valley last year but today only 300.

Vice-chancellors suggested that some students may have been too ambitious in their choice. Nicola Dandridge, of Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said: "With such pressure on places, it's vital that potential applicants receive high-quality advice on applying to university.

"If advice is poor, applicants may end up applying to the wrong courses and ultimately, not getting a place." Reforms such as the new A* grade were intended to make the exams harder and to help leading universities choose the best students from soaring numbers who achieve straight As. The number of modules was cut in most subjects from six to four. Only 8.1 per cent were given the new A*, awarded for pupils who score 90 per cent or more.

Exams expert Professor Alan Smithers, from the University of Buckingham, said: "The A* puts the clock back to 1965. We need that level of differentiation. The results of young people just got too good."

Privately educated teenagers dominated the new top grade. John Bangs, from the National Union of Teachers, said: "This is going to advantage independent schools over state schools and that is a massive concern."

Teachers condemned the Government's decision to limit the number of extra university places. Labour had planned to fund another 20,000 places but the Coalition cut it to 10,000.

Nansi Ellis, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "It is shameful that for many highly capable students the hard slog will not be rewarded with a university place. As well as being a waste of talent it is totally demotivating for students and teachers."

Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Ministers need to explain to those frustrated applicants what on earth they expect them to do. To abandon people in the midst of a perfect storm would be a personal tragedy for many but a national catastrophe."

How six London pupils fared

Dominic Waltz, 18

Offered places at some of the world's most prestigious universities after receiving five A* grades in maths, further maths, economics, history and chemistry, Dominic said: "Overall I'm very pleased with my five A* but I'm a little disappointed by my French grade."

St Paul's school is sending that exam — he got an A — for re-marking, expecting an A*. The Ealing teenager will study at Wharton business school at the University of Pennsylvania but was also offered places at Oxford, Harvard and Princeton.

Eigo Takeda, 18

A top violinist who was unable to speak English when he arrived from Japan 10 years ago, Eigo received four A* grades in maths, further maths, physics and chemistry from Queen Elizabeth's School in Barnet. He will study maths at St John's College, Cambridge.

He plays for the National Children's Chamber Orchestra and the English Schools Orchestra, but said: "I wasn't tempted to take music because I wanted to study further maths. I'm so relieved and excited to have got into Cambridge. It's going to be a responsibility studying there but I'm incredibly excited."

Rachel Dbeis, 23

After refusing a record deal because there "wasn't enough intellectual stimulation", Rachel is now set to study medicine at Cambridge. The pianist, guitarist and singer left Lebanon aged 16, and was accepted into a music college in Guildford. She said: "I'm so glad I didn't do it. There wasn't enough intellectual stimulation, I wouldn't have felt fulfilled."

She received As in maths and biology and a B in physics after an intensive year-long course at the City of Westminster College.

Kelly Sears, 19

A narcolepsy sufferer, Kelly was determined to finish her A-levels at Havering Sixth Form College despite her illness. She received an A* in business and A for history and sociology. She said: "I'm absolutely thrilled, it's more than I ever imagined! I am lucky to have a lot of support from my family and friends. Just this week I fell in Sainsbury's. To most people it would have looked like I fainted."

Kelly received a Jack Petchey Award, which recognises young people making a contribution to society, for her academic achievements.

Emma Wilson-Black, 18

Given a conditional offer to study English at Mansfield College, Oxford, she gained four A*s in English, history, philosophy and sociology and said: "It's brilliant, I'm so amazed. I can't believe I've got in."

Emma, who was at William Morris Sixth Form College, lives in a council tower block near Notting Hill Gate. She lived on a canal boat until she was 10 and said it gave her a love of studying English. She said: "We had no electricity. But because we had no telly, I got really into reading. It was a creative environment to live in."

Pierre Vila, 18

The teenager will go to Trinity College, Oxford, to study medicine after getting five A* grades for biology, chemistry, French, German and maths — despite finding time to watch the World Cup.

He said: "It's all good. I'm feeling very, very relieved that I got in. Anything more than the three As I needed for my place is a big bonus. I'm looking forward to going to the pub with my friends to celebrate."

Pierre also played water polo for his school and said the World Cup was "a good break from revision".

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