A STUDENT has been turned away by a string of universities despite having SIX A-levels at grade A.
Philippa Scott has had five applications to study English literature rejected - even though teachers predicted she would achieve the amazing haul.
The 18-year-old Bury Grammar School for Girls student applied to Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, Durham and University College London - but was turned down by each one and didn't even get an interview at some.
Teachers at her independent school say universities are under pressure to bring more students in from disadvantaged backgrounds and are no longer judging students purely on academic ability.
Her predicament comes as tens of thousands of students face a scramble for places after the government placed a cap on student numbers.
Philippa of Braemar Drive, Bury, said: "I applied last year and I got my rejections back over three months. It wasn't much fun. I don't know what more I could have done.
"I put a lot of work in my personal statement. I got some feedback from Durham and they said that it was an oversubscribed course and other candidates were better.
"I got an interview at Cambridge, but I wasn't offered one at Warwick or UCL. I'm disappointed, but I'll try to make the most of my year out."
Pressure
She now plans to work at a French ski resort and will reapply for university next year.
Her head teacher, Bobby Georghiou, attacked universities for 'selective admissions'.
She said: "I don't think she was discriminated against, but universities are under pressure to offer places to people from a mixture of postcodes.
"Everyone wants to see our universities open to more students, but they have got to put academic ability first.
"She is a top-notch English literature student. I cannot see how she could have been bettered by so many others."
She said Philippa's achievements were all the more remarkable because one of her six subjects - religious studies - was virtually self-taught.
Durham University gets more than 2,000 applications for only 103 places on its English literature course.
Prof Anthony Forster, in charge of admissions, said: "Entry to Durham is extremely competitive and we receive considerably more high-quality applications than the places we have available.
"Our admissions policy is fair and transparent and we seek to recruit the most able and motivated students who can best benefit from a Durham University education, regardless of background."
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Voter (21/08/2009 at 07:44)
Gareth Hollyman, Manchester (21/08/2009 at 09:11)
Gareth Hollyman, Manchester Metropolitan University
local_lass, Burnage (21/08/2009 at 09:29)
A-levels are worth less simply because so many young people have them now. It used to be an acheivement to get 3 let a lone 4 A-C. Now its expected that everyone will have 6 A grades. How are universities and employers supposed to differentiate?
Bring back grading curves.
david duck (21/08/2009 at 09:38)
Knowall, stretford end (21/08/2009 at 09:48)
joanne card, manchester
why Joanne have you got one, the major difference in "A" levels is in how they are now marked with grades being awarded for a set score, i.e. 90% = an A grade, 80% = a B grade etc, in the past when I sat them the A grade was awarded to the top 5% in the upper quartile range of the Standrad deviation of the overall marks. Which means that in one year a student could get 70% and be awarded an A grade and the next year get 70% and be awarded a C grade. This marked the average ability of the year in question, so a year with lessor ability pupils would achieve high grades for lessor scores which meant a year on year comparision of the grades was not totally fair because every year 5% of pupils would get a grade A regardless of their score be it 95% or 65%. The current system with a set mark for each grade means that pupils know what score to aim for and will get the grade for that score, and not go into a grade lottery based on standard deviation.
wolftone, salford (21/08/2009 at 09:49)
However, and please correct me if Im wrong, I am told that universities are only required to offer a limited percentage of placements to UK students.
If this is the case its no wonder that home grown students are struggling to get a place because the UK intake requirement has been met. Why arent UK students given priority for university placements....and once theyve been accomodated any remaining places could be offered to foreign students.
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (21/08/2009 at 09:56)
Andrew Cathcart (21/08/2009 at 10:02)
Digster, Newton, Hyde (21/08/2009 at 10:07)
Foreign Students pay considerably more for their courses than British Students - Universities cannot afford not to give priority to foreign students unfortunately.
Jay B, oldham (21/08/2009 at 10:22)
as soon as he said that everyone was entitled to a university place i knew it was all going to end up like this!
thats why we ended up with a shortage of skilled labour as everyone thought they where university material! now even with straight A's you struggle!
why do you think he did away with student grants? because with more and more uni students it would have cost him and his government more money.
so he did away with it so it passed on the debts to the students themselves. then more money would be being spent but not his money!
flo, Manchester (21/08/2009 at 10:27)
Knowall, stretford end (21/08/2009 at 10:37)
we just followed what happens in every over country, where students have to pay for their university education, and I bet they are more dedicated to their studies than in my era when we got grants for what seemed like just to drink and party for three years.
Totty Lass (21/08/2009 at 10:41)
English is a very competitive subject and applying to Cambridge was always a risk.
She needed a safe second choice, not a list of equally over-subscribed institutions like Durham or Bristol, neither of whom have any problem filling their quota from people who have them down as their first choice.
Panzer 391, Salford (21/08/2009 at 10:46)
Mike S, Manchester (21/08/2009 at 11:08)
I did French and German A level in 1995 when I was at school and then recently took up Spanish and did A Level in 2005. The difference between the standards was unbelievable. The standard of the Spanish A Level was similar to the GCSEs I'd taken in the other two subjects in 1993. I'm sorry to say but A levels really are much easier than they used to be.
red (21/08/2009 at 11:20)
david duck (21/08/2009 at 11:36)
James, Lancashire (21/08/2009 at 12:15)
Top universities, especially in a popular subject such as English Lit, are heavily over subscribed. Places like Cambridge, Warwick and Durham all have hundreds of straight A candidates to choose from, and as I was repeatedly told at school, to have a chance to get in you need to show that you're better than the rest. That means a mind-blowingly good personal statement, and a few USPs to make you stand out from the crowd.
If Phillippa hasn't got in the odds are she just wasn't as good as the other candidates. Perhaps her teachers didn't spend enough time helping her to refine the all important personal statement. And I know at my school no one, no matter how many As they were predicted, was allowed to apply for entirely top-rate universities without putting in a 'safe-bet' just in case. Sorry, Pip, but that's life!
sammyzue, Manchester (21/08/2009 at 12:38)
Pushkin (21/08/2009 at 12:45)
reppick, salford (21/08/2009 at 12:55)
They just get on with life.
The MEN must be full of people who could tell the same story.
Kerry Chantrey (21/08/2009 at 14:45)
Paul Wall (21/08/2009 at 14:58)
Surely commentating on a person’s use of grammar when they are being critical of A Levels and education in this country is the whole point EXACTLY?!?!? Sorry to say this DAVID DUCK but I think even shelf-stacking is a little above your skill set. Get yourself back to college and get some qualifications, you may even find a personality there as well.
Crumpsall-Lass, Crumpsall (21/08/2009 at 15:39)
Mike S, Manchester (21/08/2009 at 16:00)