Experts say that in recent years, out-of-school students have entered a “buyer market” on campus, with candidates having a good chance of talking about a good university even if they have lost a grade. But this year, with elite universities fearing over-recruitment as they were forced to admit more students than they wanted during the pandemic, and with a demographic increase in the number of 18-year-olds, competition was fierce. Andrew Hargreaves, founder of Data HE, a university consulting firm on imports, and former director of Ucas’s import service, said: “Ucas has not released official figures yet, but I have been told that more than 10,000 candidates with BBB grades do not have a fixed offer at any university. That fact must be taken into account. “ Students who provide BBB at Level A are generally considered to be strong college candidates. But with Russell Group’s elite institutions offering fewer offers or increasing their entry requirements to popular courses such as law, medicine and psychology, Hargreaves said those grades would not be good enough to secure a quote on many top university courses this year. Students can apply to five universities, but Hargreaves believes many BBB students have placed their choices too high. “This is a great failure of information and advice,” he said. “We’ve been saying for the last decade that it’s a buyer market, but the environment has changed and Ucas and school counselors really need to emphasize that.” Hargreaves said it was good for students to aim high by applying to “expansive” universities, but they should also have an insurance option at a university that requires lower grades. It is suspected that some 3B students may “endure” for liquidation in August, hoping to get a last-minute place at a top university. However, he warned: “I think they will be disappointed. “I have 12 Russell Group customers and they all tell me they will not be in liquidation.” Cardiff Russell Group University is among those with increased enrollment requirements for subscription subjects. Photo: Matthew Horwood / Alamy Last summer, some select universities were left struggling to find bedrooms, seminar space and staff, as thousands of extra students got the high A-level grades they needed to secure their place. Ucas CEO Clare Marchant wrote in a blog post Wednesday that the percentage of applications at so-called “high-duty” universities that led to supply had fallen from 60.5% in 2021 to 55.1% this year. Professor Colin Riordan, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cardiff, a member of the Russell Group, said: “It is absolutely clear that this has been a competitive year for applicants. We have increased the entry requirements in areas that are in danger of being over-registered “. He said Cardiff had expanded its capacity to address certain issues during the pandemic and “we can not just keep growing.” He added: “It will also be much more difficult for us this year to help people who are losing their offer by a degree, especially in popular courses.” “Most select universities were more cautious as they did not want to be lured for a third consecutive year,” said Mike Nicholson, deputy head of education services at Cambridge University. Nicholson said teachers at many universities were accustomed to “saying one thing about the grades they would receive and then actually being ready to drop the grade if they wanted someone.” He believes that many do not realize that this has changed in the top universities. He said: “I do not blame the teachers. “They often try to be realistic with the students, but ultimately the choice of where to apply depends on the applicants who can be influenced by the views of peers or parents.” Experts say, however, that frustrated candidates should think long and hard before deciding to postpone it all until next year. Nick Hillman, director of the think tank at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, said: “If this year’s candidates think they’re having a hard time, next year ‘s pressure could be much worse, as there will be more 18 – year – olds.” He added: “Students and parents need to know that there are really good courses across the industry, and not just at the most prestigious universities.”
