I’ve seen quite a few “I got disappointing grades but still went onto professional success” tweets. Well-meant, I’m sure, but misplaced. I say that as someone who missed my university offer by a single IB point & now counts myself lucky I did so. But it misses the point.

It was mostly, if not entirely, *my fault* I missed my offer. It was excruciatingly close, but ultimately I learnt a good lesson & was better for it in the long run. Here, students are being denied by a bad algorithm. There is no lesson or personal growth: it’s just unfair.

I’m not sure what the right answer is, but I am quite sure it hasn’t yet been found. The key thing in short term is university places (although longer term we need to pay more attention to those not going to university for whom A-Levels will be their main academic qualification).

Over the last few months, I’ve seen universities planning to offer all their courses remotely for the next year, to avoid having students back in halls & on campus. Very sensible. I also expect that many will see overseas student undergrad numbers plummet for a year or two.

In that context, I have very limited sympathy for claims of universities being “over-capacity” because they gave too many offers. No lecture hall capacity online, nor student halls capacity for accommodating 1st years. Many degrees don’t have that many smaller tutorials/seminars.

I know Higher Education has budget constraints like all areas of the public sector, but this is a crisis & having 5% additional British undergrads (when overseas student numbers are low) for a year of remote learning is a manageable task. Or if it isn’t, it needs to be explained.

Absent an explanation, here’s my pledge. Not 1 of the 4 universities I’ve attended will get a brass pfennig from this alumnus unless they accept – even if deferred or on another course - all students to whom they gave a conditional offer this year. Vote with your wallets, alumni.

Several people have pointed out that Gvt has capped student numbers, with fines if universities over recruit by more than 5% (although not clear if this includes offers accepted before 1 June this year), to stop predatory recruitment for financial reasons. Will it be enforced?

But I still don’t see that it would stop universities helping those who missed conditional offer by (a) going up to 5% over capacity this year (including offering alternative undersubscribed courses); or (b) offering deferrals to next year before Year 12 apply for those places.

Universities prepared to do this could send *a clear, immediate signal* to this cohort that they will get to go to their first choice university (even if a different start year or course), whatever ultimately happens with grades, appeals etc over the coming months.