The University of Bath has seen a significant increase in the number of offer holders who have met or exceeded the grades needed to secure their place for 2021 entry. Whilst we had assumed the grades for 2021 would be at least as strong as the 2020 intake, and we had reduced the number of offers to manage this, we have also seen an increase in the number of students who have opted to hold Bath as the Firm choice, and this, combined with the increase percentage of students achieving A* grades in their A-level, has resulted in a very strong intake.
Given the very strong A-level results it has not been necessary to open any of our courses for Clearing vacancies this year, and we do not have the flexibility we have had previously for students who have narrowly missed their grades because so many courses have met their targets. However, we will obviously welcome applications for 2022 entry from students who now have their grades when the new UCAS admissions cycle opens in September.
The University recognises that our offer holders, their teachers and relevant organisations have worked hard this year to ensure that we have been able to receive the A-level results at least a week earlier than in previous admissions cycles. We are also very aware of the disruption the pandemic has caused to students. The University has given a great deal of thought to how we can best support our new intake this autumn, using our existing expertise and the learning we have built up over the last 18 months.