This coordinator's guide to managing early application grade requests provides a practical September-November workflow for Diploma Programme coordinators. The aim is to produce accurate, evidence-based forecasts while controlling deadlines, document versions, permissions, and family expectations.
First, separate university-facing predicted grades, school transcript grades, and predicted grades later submitted to the IB. These may overlap, but they are not automatically the same values, documents, or submissions.
What an early application grade request involves
An early application may require:
- Predicted grades for six DP subjects
- Correct Higher Level and Standard Level designations
- A predicted Diploma total, possibly including estimated TOK and Extended Essay points
- A transcript showing completed school grades
- Current or interim progress grades
- A school profile and counsellor reference
- Confirmation that the student is pursuing the Diploma
- A university-specific predicted-grade form
The IB defines a predicted grade as the teacher's prediction of the grade a candidate is expected to achieve, based on available evidence and knowledge of IB standards. The IB guidance on student assessment states that predictions should be as accurate as possible, without systematic over-prediction or under-prediction.
University terminology is less consistent. Schools and institutions may use predicted grade, forecast, anticipated result, or application prediction. Define these terms in school policy and label every document by purpose and date.
Build the September-November timeline backwards
For the 2027 UCAS cycle, the equal consideration deadline is 15 October 2026 at 18:00 UK time for Oxford, Cambridge, and most medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine or science courses. The deadline for most other undergraduate courses is 13 January 2027, according to the UCAS key dates timeline.
US deadlines vary by institution, although 1 November and 15 November are common. Common App does not set one universal early deadline, so schools must verify each institution's requirements.
| Period | Coordinator priority | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Early September | Collect destinations and deadlines | Master application register |
| Mid-September | Confirm policy and evidence window | Staff and family guidance |
| Late September | Gather subject, TOK, and EE forecasts | Controlled grade sheet |
| Early October | Review anomalies and borderline cases | Approved submission set |
| By 15 October | Process relevant UCAS applications | Confirmation log |
| Late October | Complete US and direct applications | Reports and transcripts |
| 1-15 November | Process major early deadlines | Submission audit |
| Late November | Resolve missing documents and updates | Exceptions register |
Set internal deadlines several working days before external deadlines. UCAS allows centres to publish internal deadlines, and both the application and reference require approval before submission.
Use one controlled request process
Requests arriving through multiple email chains create avoidable errors. Use one form or case-management system recording the student's legal name, identifier, examination session, subjects and levels, destination, application platform, decision plan, deadline, time zone, requested documents, submission owner, and status.
Require the exact university instruction or portal screenshot. “Send my predicted grades” is insufficient because institutions may require a school report, signed PDF, direct email, or portal upload.
Use a status sequence such as requested, awaiting information, awaiting grades, under review, approved, submitted, and confirmed. Restrict access because transcripts and predictions are confidential records. The RevisionDojo global application guide can clarify students' responsibilities before they submit requests.
Protect the integrity of predicted grades
Subject teachers should make the initial academic judgment. The coordinator establishes a consistent process, checks completeness, and investigates anomalies, rather than raising grades to meet university thresholds.
Teachers should consider multiple relevant sources, including timed assessments, criterion-based tasks, sustained performance, coursework progress, and demonstrated improvement. A simple average can mislead when tasks cover different syllabus content or do not reflect final IB demands.
Moderation should test consistency and defensibility. Review large changes, missing grades, different approaches within one subject, and predictions unsupported by recorded evidence. The RevisionDojo explanation of how schools set predicted grades gives families useful context, although the school's policy remains authoritative.
A review window should address omitted evidence, data-entry errors, inconsistent policy application, or documented extenuating circumstances. It should not become negotiation based on an entry requirement. The guide to challenging predicted grades explains this distinction for families.
Match documents to the application system
UCAS
Pending qualifications require predicted grades from the registered centre. UCAS states that predictions cannot be changed after submission, making the final check essential. Its adviser portal guidance also warns that returning an application after entering predictions may remove them.
Check subject titles, levels, qualification status, grades, reference completion, and course deadline. The RevisionDojo guide to UCAS application assessment explains why total points and subject-specific HL predictions both matter.
Common App and direct applications
Common App colleges determine their required school forms. A School Report commonly includes the profile and transcript, while a counsellor recommendation may be required or optional. The platform's recommendation forms guidance distinguishes School Reports, Optional Reports, Midyear Reports, and Final Reports.
Do not present an IB prediction as an achieved result. Transcripts record grades already awarded by the school, while predictions forecast future outcomes. The RevisionDojo US application guide explains the distinction.
For direct portals, verify whether the institution needs a stamped form, signed letter, upload, or email from an authorized account. Record the recipient, filename, upload date, and confirmation number.
Manage changes and late requests consistently
Publish what may change, who authorizes changes, and when records lock. UCAS predictions cannot normally be changed after submission. In Common App, an Optional Report may communicate certain updates or corrections, but it is not a routine substitute for a Midyear Report.
If a genuine error appears after submission:
- Preserve the original record.
- Verify the correction with authorized staff.
- Follow the platform's official correction process.
- Contact the institution through an approved channel.
- Log what changed, why, when, and by whom.
- Inform the student without promising an outcome.
Apply the same late-request rule to every student. Prioritize external deadlines and document readiness, not parental pressure or institutional prestige.
Communication and final checks
Send one September notice stating the evidence window, internal deadlines, disclosure policy, review route, and distinction between predictions and final results. The RevisionDojo parent guide can support this communication.
Before submission, confirm identity, six subjects and levels, TOK and EE treatment, staff approval, document version, submission method, deadline, time zone, and proof of receipt. Retain a written audit trail for every correction or exception.
Conclusion
A reliable process depends on early collection, evidence-based teacher judgment, controlled documents, and explicit deadlines. Coordinators should distinguish forecasts from transcripts and later IB submissions, then apply one transparent review process.
RevisionDojo's admissions guides can reduce repetitive questions, while Questionbank, Mock Exams, and Jojo AI can help students respond constructively to academic feedback. These tools should support learning, not replace teacher judgment or school policy.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB student assessment and predicted grades
- UCAS key dates timeline
- UCAS guidance for managing references and predicted grades
- Common App recommendation forms
- RevisionDojo global IB university application guide
- RevisionDojo guide to how schools predict IB scores
- RevisionDojo guide to challenging predicted grades
- RevisionDojo guide to UCAS application assessment
- RevisionDojo guide to reporting the IB in US applications
- RevisionDojo parent guide to coordinators and predicted grades