Hundreds of A-level students in Merton are scrambling for university places despite recording top scores at the borough’s schools yesterday.

Up to 200,000 school-leavers nationally are braced for disappointment with unprecedented oversubscription for university places.

And in Merton specialist careers advisors have been drafted in to offer help to scores of students narrowly missing the required grades for their preferred university course.

Julia Waters, head teacher at Ursuline High School said: “At the moment we’re sifting through all the results and we will be in the school for the next two days offering as much support and advice as we can.

“Fortunately most of the girls have made their grades but there’s no doubt this is an extremely difficult year to be applying to university - that’s why we’ve had a specialist careers advisor working at Ursuline three days a week this year.”

South Thames College, Merton student, Cynthia Olajuwou said: “I got an A* in German but a C in Sociology, and because I needed 3 Bs to get my place at Manchester, it’s left my in limbo.

“I couldn’t sleep last night and I’m so happy with my results - but I still don’t know if I’ve got my uni place. It annoys me so much when people say A-levels are getting easier because they have no idea how much hard work we put in and how stressful the process is.”

Wimbledon High School was Merton’s top performing school after Kings College School Wimbledon students sat the International Baccalaureate examination this year.

Of all grades, 67 per cent were A or A* and 97 per cent were A* to C. Ursuline and Wimbledon College performed similarly to last year with 80 per cent and 75 per cent of grades A* to C respectively.

But students at South Thames College notched up the most improved results - a year after the former Merton College merged with two other nearby further education centres. A-levels graded A* to C soared to 63 per cent compared to 48 per cent 12 months ago. The overall pass rate of all exams was 97 per cent.

College Principal Sue Rimmer said: “With results like these we can be sure that those enrolling with us will exceed their expectations.“