Disappointing highers results – mitigating circumstances

Results day for my daughter, she didn’t get the grades she hoped for.

There were mitigating circumstances – last summer my nephew committed suicide, this severely impacted my daughters focus and motivation for most of the autumn term. She only really recovered her study focus after Christmas, playing catch up from then.

Question is, if she wants to apply to Uni courses are allowances made for mitigating circumstances?

There are allowances made for various circumstances but you need to contact the course leader admissions folk.

If she is looking for this year then do it asap.

Yes they can, you’ll have to get in touch with the University’s directly as they might have different approaches

If she is looking for this year then do it asap.

She is doing some advanced highers and a couple more highers this year, so she would be looking at courses starting autumn 2025. But she would have liked to applied this year really.

No appeals these days but it might be worth speaking to the school about requesting a remark. Whether they advise it or not will depend on the circumstances. Just remember that like shares, the value can go down as well as up!

She is doing some advanced highers and a couple more highers this year, so she would be looking at courses starting autumn 2025. But she would have liked to applied this year really

I’m not sure how you’d flag this on an UCAs application. Probably best to contact unis after term starts and have that discussion with departments if you can.

I am sure you already have but make sure she knows everything will be okay.

Its taken me like 20 years to accept that these things are the most minor set backs the worst thing to do is carry it as some kind of **** up that will destroy your life.

many universities are generally pretty flexible these days on grades (because they’re all skint). So it’s definitely worth applying.

The other thing to bear in mind is that uni’s want to accept the person, rather than the grades.  They’d prefer someone with lower grades (within reason!) who is motivated and hardworking, than someone with better grades but drops out after a year. So it’s worth mentioning on the UCAS form (does Scotland use UCAS?).  But if your daughter gets better grades next year anyway, she should be in with a very good shout of getting in where she wants.

This is really one for the higher ed officer/adviser at her school/college.

I’m sure you know it already but alongside her personal statement (though it won’t be a personal statement from next year) will be a reference. It is possible to write this sort of stuff into the reference. In extreme circumstances it is possible to attach (virtually) a letter to the application in addition to the reference – maybe explaining confidential information, possibly from a doctor etc. When being more involved with this sort of stuff was part of my job I’ve had good success with this with situations where a child lost a parent in the last year of school or significant health issues made an provable difference. It’s much more impactful for the school/college to do the ringing up and letter writing than a parent.

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, we are making sure she keeps it in perspective.

we are making sure she keeps it in perspective.

How are you managing that? Any tips very much appreciated*

*from Dad of a 16 year old daughter who hasn’t left her room since 8am today, despite getting B C C in her subjects.

Tell her that a random guy on the internet says great job, he got similar, spectacularly failed uni, had a great time, started an engineering job, got a degree as an ancient apprentice.

Now he spends his time designing flood defences, and coastal defences for a living.

The only thing i would change? Letting the slip ups hold me back from going for it. The route to here doesn’t bother me, but how i felt aling the way could gave been much more fun.

Has she considered college instead? All Scottish colleges offer articulation pathways from many HNDs to third year of a matched degree so she could study 2 years at college then 2 at uni and end up in the same place as she originally planned (potentially).

If she’s doing advanced Highers and the like this year then it may not be necessary but it’s worth being aware of. Colleges are fantastic and very underrated. There are loads of pathways available- even into law, engineering and medicine.

Or a graduate apprenticeship….

Don’t worry. Get the school to ensure it is emphasised in the UCAS Reference. There is a section specifically for this kind of thing.

It is possible that she could get in contact with the Admissions offices for her chosen courses to see if they would accept her/ what extra she would need to get this year.

Thanks all. Yes, I have been in touch with the school and they will be providing support to fill in this section of the UCAS form.

How are you managing that? Any tips very much appreciated*

She isn’t a hide in the room type… Big hugs, got her to walk the dog, encouraged her to go to work even though she didn’t want to talk to anybody. We are all different though, that wouldn’t have worked with our other 2. Good luck!

I never got good grades at school.

I applied for an HNC, then applied for an HND, then applied for a degree, (Glasgow uni made a B/Technol for a few years) then I applied for an honours year. (All in an environmental field).

I now lead a team examining railway structures.

As long as she works hard and is willing to learn, she’ll be grand.

I now lead a team examining railway structures.

Aka swinging from a rope with a special hammer.

As long as she works hard and is willing to learn, she’ll be grand.

Even not working hard she’ll be grand.

I try to do as little swinging as possible and me and it may be a hammer, but it’s my hammer.

I never did well at school and have been fairly successful in jobs from a measure of money and not minding the work I do.

However I count that as 100% luck of just somehow accidentally getting into a an area which turned out to be something I was pretty good in (went for any job going and took first one I was offered).  Others will not be so lucky so not really that good advice to just say it was okay for me especially given than these days without a degree I wouldn’t haven’t even got the first job I did which I managed to get despite very bad A level results.

@robola just keep an eye on her and ask the school to do the same. Might be useful to drop individual teachers a quick email (I’d not normally suggest this but these are special circumstances) just outline concerns and to keep a weather eye on how she’s doing.

My cousin died and his daughter was doing fine, in fact smashed her exams just a few months after. She had a fall apart a bit later which did affect her.  I’ve seen it a few times and was only able to get parents informed and help in place because I knew otherwise it’d be a “couldn’t cope with the pressure” situation.

Others will not be so lucky so not really that good advice to just say it was okay for me especially given than these days without a degree I wouldn’t haven’t even got the first job I did which I managed to get despite very bad A level results.

It wasn’t  advice it was evidence that it can work out okay the advice is “don’t let what has already happened bring stop you” . What would you prefer, “you **** it, your life will be shit from now on” thats clearly not true.

Yes it was evidence that it can work out okay, but likewise it can very much not work out okay so not sure what the point was – keep positive I suppose.