Negotiation is King! Top Tips On Securing Your Place if You Fall Short of the Grades

Don’t despair if your exam results aren’t quite what you expected. If your results fall short of your predicted grades and your requirements for accepting your provisional place, there is still hope – negotiation. 

Universities want to accept students, and it is in their best interest to fill the positions in all the courses that they run. Because of this, they are often willing to negotiate if you haven’t quite made your predicted marks. Over the past few years, education has been disrupted on numerous occasions, first by Covid-19 and then by strikes over pay, and then the RAAC investigation, which saw hundreds of schools and educational buildings closed for months at a time. It all adds up. And universities are more understanding than ever before about students missing the mark when it comes to predicted grades.

It doesn’t hurt to attempt a negotiation.

Before you go to straight to the University to negotiate, you should do a couple of things first. 

Speak to your subject teachers.

Often on results day, teachers or advisors will on hand to offer advice about your grades. If you haven’t received the results you wanted, then the first port of call should be your subject Teacher or an advisor at your current school. Their job is to advise you about your choices, whether you can/should retake the exam before pursuing a university place, whether you have grounds to appeal your exam result, or whether you should try and negotiate with the university or go through clearing to find another suitable course. 

Research other courses to see what your options are. 

Not everyone wants to go through the stress of negotiation and clearing. It may be that there are other options for courses which require lower grades or are perhaps not university level but will get you onto the career path you are looking for eg. Apprenticeships, NVQ’s, experience-based courses, internships. 

The gov.uk website has more information on vocational options.

Once you have decided that you really do want to try to negotiate follow the steps below: 

1. Understand Your Audience

While universities sell themselves as academic institutions, they are also a business and need income to stay afloat. Understanding this explains why they will be willing to discuss applications on a case-by-case basis, offering you a glimmer of hope when your grades have left you deflated.

It is worth doing a bit of research on your university of choice to see how strict they are on grades as admissions criteria. It may be that you extra curricula activities, work experience or other factors could single you out as an ideal candidate, even if your grades fall below the offer you were given. 

Research can be done using blogs and online resources. In fact, UCAS has a page, powered by Unibuddy, where you can contact and get advice from previous students who have gone through the same process. Perhaps the university itself will have information on this in its own FAQ section on its website. It is also worth revisiting the course page to find out what the minimum grade is, as this will give you a clear idea of how far off you actually are and how much negotiating will be required.  

2. Know What You Want and What You Can Compromise On

Before you contact the university, it is a good idea to work out what you are willing to compromise on and what you cannot. For instance, you may be happy to take a slightly different course but want to be within the same academic school. You may be happy to take any course that fits your studies, but only if it offers a year in industry.

The university of your choice might insist that you take a foundation year as part of your degree, this could turn a three- year course into a four-year course, or it could be integrated, meaning that you do a lot more work in year one. It is worth considering if this is something you’d be willing to do in order to get onto the course you have chosen.

Check out our blog article all about Foundation Years.

Some universities have multiple campuses and it may be that they can offer you a course which is run on a different campus by different acaedemic staff, this could be sometign to consider, but if you have your heart set on studying at a specific campus or under a particular person, they make sure you have thought this through and take it into consideration. 

Writing on this and having it to hand when you speak to the admissions team is a great idea. This will help you keep a clear head during negotiations and not overlook something vital to your decision-making about your future. 

When you speak to the admissions team, do not hold back from telling them what you are willing to flex on if they do not appear to be willing to consider letting you take your first-choice course. However, do not show all your cards immediately if there is a chance that they seem willing to consider you for the course you initially applied for.

3. Show What Makes You a Great Choice

When you contact the admissions team, avoid focusing on how much you need them to let you in; instead, see it as an opportunity to show them what makes you an excellent choice for their institution. This is where you can highlight your academic interests, personal achievements and your work history.

For example, if you are applying for a veterinary course and have spent the summer working at a vet practice as a receptionist – then mention this. If you are applying for a degree in film and have spent time volunteering at the local amateur dramatics’ groups recording and editing videos of their performances – then mention it. Don’t be shy. 

Proving that you are a well-rounded candidate will help a university see that you have plenty to offer and will be an asset to them and their reputation. Be proud of who you are and help the admissions team see you for who you are rather than just another applicant. Don’t let them see you as a number on a sheet but rather as a fully-rounded person who will be an asset to their institution.

See our articles about extra-curricular activities and how to make your personal statement sing.

4. Speak to Academic Staff

If you find that you are not getting very far with the admissions team or you want to try a different route, there is nothing stopping you from reaching out to the course leader and requesting a telephone consultation. If they feel you would be an excellent addition to their course, they will be able to liaise with admissions on your behalf.

Information about course leaders and heads of department will be available on the university website under the faculty page. 

It is worth noting down the points you want to make and the questions you want to ask so that your conversation is well structured. Remember that you have a genuine case for discussing any grade anomalies this year, and university staff will understand the impact of this on potential students. Although it’s best not to mention Covid-19 directly, it can be alluded to that your education has been interrupted over the past few years, which will understandably have had an effect on your grades. 

If you find that your attempts at negotiation are not resulting in an admission acceptance, then you may want to start the process of contacting other universities with courses that you would be interested in. Admissions teams will be pleased to discuss your results, course requirements and aspirations and will let you know if they feel they would be a good fit for you.

When you call, have to hand in the types of courses you would like to do, your results and any questions you want to ask. They will then confirm what they can do for you and how many spaces are available before you need to amend your application with UCAS through Clearing or Adjustment.

It is obvious to see that university entry requirements are a guide from which you can negotiate to earn your place. 

If you want more hints, tips and advice on making that transition to university then take some time to check out our website today!

For more helpful tips for students read this post on How to Navigate a Virtual Open Day.