Posing as a prospective student with very low grades, THES reporter Natasha Loder tried to get onto physics and history degree courses for 1998-99.

Despite a D in maths, an E in physics and a U in chemistry it was surprisingly easy to get onto a physics course.

The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Northumbria and Nottingham Trent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ gave me an unqualified "yes". The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Teesside, in the absence of a physics course, was able to offer a place doing mechanical engineering.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College of Wales, Aberystwyth, was more circumspect - it wanted to know why my physics grade was so low. On offering, rather lamely, the excuse that I was ill during the course, the college tutor said that it might be possible for me to get a place if I came for interview to discuss my "poor physics result". UCW would pay my train fare.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Of eight universities, only Heriot-Watt 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ gave an unqualified 'no' to my grades. Three universities said their courses were full - but the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Warwick may have been letting me down gently. I called back later with rather improved grades and was promised that a course tutor would get back to me.

For history degrees, the story was very different. Most of the same universities were already full. Those that were not were uninterested in my E grade history and U grade English. The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Teesside, which was happy to take me for a science degree, gave me a straight "no" for history.

51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

It looks like my low grades will take me into the sciences rather than the arts.