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A-levels: Relative Difficulty and Uni Admissions Selection criteria

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Paulwhy
Well having only 3 colours (Green, Red and black) is (very?) crude.
(maybe I should try and instead attempt to sort A-levels increasing difficulty/value?)

But in terms of results Computing using the different measurement schemes varies from 5th to 13th. So that is pretty good to me.

If you have a link to the Trinty list then I would pleased to look at it with the intention of updating the initial post.
(Similarly if anyone else has any data on either A-level results or uni student's qualifications then I would be happy to add that in if possible).


http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=604

No problem :smile:
Reply 81

I updated the first post. It is now structured according to the 3/4 Trinity Categories.
Also there have been some colour changes:
Music black-> Green
Geography yellowy Green -> Green
PE pink -> Red
Computing Green->Blue

I suspect that some people may not like the extra focus on one of the most exclusive colleges at one of the most exclusive unis. But I think it does add shape. e.g. having 1st/2nd, 3rd and 4th A-level is potentially clarifying.
Reply 82
Paulwhy
I updated the first post. It is now structured according to the 3/4 Trinity Categories.
Also there have been some colour changes:
Music black-> Green
Geography yellowy Green -> Green
PE pink -> Red
Computing Green->Blue

I suspect that some people may not like the extra focus on one of the most exclusive colleges at one of the most exclusive unis. But I think it does add shape. e.g. having 1st/2nd, 3rd and 4th A-level is potentially clarifying.

I don't mind. After all, they want the best and it gives people a better idea of what is the best, regardless of how close to perfection people can actually get.
Reply 83
I have to admit, seeing this thread makes me feel particularly nauseated! I'm studying English literature (which I thought was a traditional essay subject thus very respected... this thread has scared me somewhat); history (and, regardless of any point scores, that is DEFINITELY tricky); politics (also scared that this isn't deemed "good enough") and psychology (won't comment on that choice...). Does that rule out top 10 Unis in general (considering I wish to drop psych.)?

I am now officially quite concerned!
Reply 84
I have now given English Lit and RE the Green light as:
1) Trinity are happy with them
2) We do not have uni representation data for English Lit or RE. So the only issue was the high performance of students in those subjects compared with otehr subjects. That could well be down to students doing well in English it or RE becuase conditional on choosing them it means:
i)They must really like those subjects. i.e. no one has to do Eng Lit or RE in order to get into uni for another subject
ii)They have spent many years studying those subjects so there are few surprises.
i) and ii) would suggest that students doing those subjects do well in the exams becuase they are good at the subjects rather than becuase they are easy.

Also equating Politics with "Government and Politics" puts into group 3.
Reply 85
Ambielina
I have to admit, seeing this thread makes me feel particularly nauseated! I'm studying English literature (which I thought was a traditional essay subject thus very respected... this thread has scared me somewhat); history (and, regardless of any point scores, that is DEFINITELY tricky); politics (also scared that this isn't deemed "good enough") and psychology (won't comment on that choice...). Does that rule out top 10 Unis in general (considering I wish to drop psych.)?

I am now officially quite concerned!

english literature now deemed good
politics is very good depending on what you want to do at university
history is a perfectly good subject
psychology is not well respected, good for a psychology degree obviously!
Reply 86
Ambielina
I have to admit, seeing this thread makes me feel particularly nauseated! I'm studying English literature (which I thought was a traditional essay subject thus very respected... this thread has scared me somewhat); history (and, regardless of any point scores, that is DEFINITELY tricky); politics (also scared that this isn't deemed "good enough") and psychology (won't comment on that choice...). Does that rule out top 10 Unis in general (considering I wish to drop psych.)?

I am now officially quite concerned!

Firstly sorry for any unecesary concern.
Secondly English Lit (and R.E.) have been reclassified as Green.

English Lit 1Art
History 1Art
Politics is now 3(Arts))
Psychology is 3(Arts).

You do not give any details about what subject you are looking at for uni or what grades you expect. But:
i)you have 4 Arts subjects
ii) Two of them are suitable as 1st subjects and two as 3rd subjects.
So as long as you are going for an Arts Subject at uni that sounds ok to me.
Reply 87
Paulwhy
Firstly sorry for any unecesary concern.
Secondly English Lit (and R.E.) have been reclassified as Green.

English Lit 1Art
History 1Art
Politics is now 3(Arts))
Psychology is 3(Arts).

You do not give any details about what subject you are looking at for uni or what grades you expect. But:
i)you have 4 Arts subjects
ii) Two of them are suitable as 1st subjects and two as 3rd subjects.
So as long as you are going for an Arts Subject at uni that sounds ok to me.


Oh, sorry! I should've been more specific. I'm intending to study politics for undergrad but, as it's not a requirement for any politics course, I'm wondering if I made the wrong decision in taking it instead of something more academically rigorous. In any case, I was intending to drop psychology next year (hate it...) and am predicted all As. =/

Thank you!
Reply 88
Can I put mine up for consideration especially seeing as one wasn't on this list.

Economics
French
Eng Lit and LANG (combined)
Theatre AS
Maths AS

Hoping to do PPE or Economics and Politics
Reply 89
what about classical civilization? essay based although not as traditional as eng lit, i think its quite hard so should be respected.
Reply 90
girlodnyu
Can I put mine up for consideration especially seeing as one wasn't on this list.


Economics 1Arts
French 1Arts
Eng Lit and LANG (combined) 1Arts/3Arts
Theatre AS 3Arts
Maths AS 1Science

girlodnyu
Hoping to do PPE or Economics and Politics

Check out the PPE Alternative League Table
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=870981
Maths A-level would be better than AS Maths.
Reply 91
I have added in all the other languages from the Trinity list. And they are green as the existing languages (French, German and Spanish) are green.
Good as a 1st choice A-level: Generally Suitable A-levels (view of TRinity College Cambridge)
Chinese 1Arts
French 1Arts (2.1, 1.9) A(1.4,1.2) A+B(1.6,1.4) (8th, 5th)
German 1Arts (9th, 5th)
Irish 1Arts
Italian 1Arts
Japanese 1Arts
Russian 1Arts
Spanish 1Arts (18th,11th)
Welsh 1Arts


hendy16
what about classical civilization? essay based although not as traditional as eng lit, i think its quite hard so should be respected.

Classical Civilisation is also 1Arts.
Reply 92
Case study: what do research-intensive universities think of Law A-level?
Law A-level is a striking example of a potentially ‘soft’ subject that might fox parents and students as it sounds
impressive and ‘professional’. LSE highlights Law as a non-preferred subject but most others fail to comment upon it
in their admissions guidance. However, our data shows that many research-intensive universities admit relatively low
numbers of students with Law A-level, suggesting that they do in fact regard it as a non-preferred subject. Of all Alevels
accepted, Law comprised very few entries at Imperial (3), Queen’s University Belfast (6), St Andrews (12),
UCL (23), Oxford (47) and Bristol (62).

When it comes to reading Law at university, Law A-level often seems to be regarded with something less than
enthusiasm. One admissions head explained this, saying: “They want a blank canvas. A little knowledge can be a
dangerous thing.” Another said that objections to the A-level were generally not based upon its content, but on “a
general scepticism for non-traditional subjects”.

The Law department website at Queen’s University does not mention the suitability of Law A-level. However, for
undergraduate Law admissions at Queen’s University, 2 out of a total of 738 A-level entries were taken in Law Alevel.

The admissions page of the Faculty of Laws at UCL states “there is no necessity” for taking Law A-level but does
not rule it out as non-preferred subject. However, for undergraduate Law admissions at UCL, 6 out of a total of
242 A-level entries were taken in Law A-level.

Durham Law School states on its FAQ page “we welcome applications from students studying A-level Law.”
However, for undergraduate Law admissions at Durham, 18 out of a total of 527 A-level entries were taken in Law
A-level

.
Yet, highlighting what a difficult job teachers, pupils and parents will inevitably have understanding what universities
want, there is some disparity across the sector about Law. We have already noted that Cambridge does not include
the subject on its non-preferred list. Other Law departments are admitting much higher numbers of students with
Law A-level than those listed above. For example, at Surrey University 74 applicants with Law A-level were admitted
to study Law out of a total of 474 A-levels accepted (if we assume each student took an average of four A-levels, this
equates to about 60% of the total students admitted).

Other Law departments have moved to accept Law A-level over time. One head of admissions explained that while his
university now accepted Law A-level, “this hasn’t always been the case…there was a time where we didn’t, probably
more than six years ago now”. And another noted: “[We are now] using what we know about how successful
students with non-traditional subjects are in the programme.”

Finally, there is also a suggestion that game-playing is taking place within some universities. A head of admissions
admitted: “It’s very important to all Law Schools what ranking they have on the league tables. League tables take
into account average A-level grades of accepted students, so with the ranking of Law Schools there is now a big
incentive to admit the best A-level grades, and not necessarily the best combination of A-levels.”

http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/publications/pdfs/The_Hard_Truth.pdf

Here is a link to an article in The Times:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/student/article5516630.ece

For context here are the A-levels categories given by Southampton Law School:

Preferred

Ancient Greek

Ancient History

Biology

Chemistry

Critical Thinking

Economics

English

English Language

English Language & Literature

English Literature

French

Geography

German

Government & Politics

History

Human Biology

Italian

Latin

Mathematics

Mathematics (Applied)

Mathematics (Pure)

Mathematics (Further)

Modern Greek

Philosophy

Physics

Religious Studies

Russian

Spanish



Suitable

Archaeology

Business Studies

Classical Civilisation

Computer Studies

History of Art

Information & Communication Technology

Information Technology

Law

Music (Academic)

Psychology

Sociology




Accepted, but less suitable

Art

Art & Design

Design & Technology

Drama

Film Studies

Media Studies

Performing Arts

Textiles

Theatre Studies



Not accepted

General Studies

Music (Practical)

Photography

Physical Education

Sport Studies


http://www.soton.ac.uk/law/ugopportunities/files/most_commonly_asked_question_2008-09.pdf
Reply 93
What about Ancient History?

I have Maths, FM, Accounting and Ancient History and i'm hoping for Accounting and Finance
Reply 94
KyriakosCy
What about Ancient History?

I have Maths, FM, Accounting and Ancient History and i'm hoping for Accounting and Finance

Well it is a good sign that Southampton Law School give it their top status out of four. Trinity have:
Maths 1science
FM 1science
Accounting 4. but you are applying for A+F so that should go up a bit.

And you do want the unis you apply to to rate both Accounting and Ancient History highly as Maths and FM may be considered as one subject. So the best thing is to:
i) Check out the wesbite and UCAS Course Search for A+F.
ii) email each of the unis you are interested in.
Reply 95
SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES – LIST OF PREFERRED A-LEVELS


List A (Preferred science/maths subjects)

Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics

List B (Other science and science-related subjects)

Geology
Environmental Science
Psychology
Geography
Computing, Information Technology
Economics

List C (Preferred non-science subjects)

English (Language, Literature)
History
Foreign Languages
Business Studies
Art & Design, Design & Technology

List D (other non-science subjects that may be acceptable depending on school’s reference and personal statement)

Music
Art
Drama
Photography
Fashion
Media studies
Sports studies

List C&D are not exhaustive but shows those subjects most commonly accepted as suitable non-science subjects. General Studies is not considered as a qualifying A-level.


Candidates will be ranked not only on their predicted grades but also on their particular combination of subjects. Those applicants studying our preferred subjects will be more likely to receive an offer.

http://www.bio.bris.ac.uk/admiss/List%20of%20preferred%20A%20levels.doc.
Reply 96
Listed of prefferd A-levels for Accounting and Finance at Bath (Maths is mandatory):
* Economics
* Accounting
* Ancient History
* Any Language*
* Biology
* Business Studies
* Chemistry
* Classics
* Economics and Business Studies
* English Literature
* Further Mathematics
* Geography
* Greek (Classical)
* History
* History of Art
* Latin
* Philosophy
* Physics
* Psychology
* Pure Mathematics
* Sociology
* Statistics

http://www.bath.ac.uk/management/courses/undergraduate/baf/entry_requirements/
Reply 97
Paulwhy
Well it is a good sign that Southampton Law School give it their top status out of four. Trinity have:
Maths 1science
FM 1science
Accounting 4. but you are applying for A+F so that should go up a bit.

And you do want the unis you apply to to rate both Accounting and Ancient History highly as Maths and FM may be considered as one subject. So the best thing is to:
i) Check out the wesbite and UCAS Course Search for A+F.
ii) email each of the unis you are interested in.


ok, thanks!
Reply 98
As the representation figures for Media studies at Top 20-50 unis are high: 0.8 for all grades, 1.1 for A grades and 0.7 for A+B grades. Hence I have made them purple. The A-level data for Media studies is joint with Film Studies. So they are both now Purple:
Film Std Bc 3(Arts) (33rd, 33rd)
Media B 3(Arts) (0.1,0.2,0.8) A(0.2,0.3),1.1) A+B(0.1,0.2,0.7) (32nd, 30th)
Reply 99
Added a new introductuary question:
How important is A-level selection?
Well you need to do subjects:
1) firstly you are good at and enjoy
2) secondly form a good basis for further study. This matters both in terms of the knowledge contained in the course content and the study skills required.
i) Some degree courses require specific A-levels. e.g. sciences (this includes Economics) often require Maths.
ii) Do some A-levels that are in the same category (e.g. Sciences, Arts, Languages, Humanities) as the degree you may be targetting.
iii) Avoid subjects with overlapping content (e.g. Businees and Economics).
iv) Especially if you are aiming for a competitive uni or subject than look at how many A-levels you have chosen in each of the 3 categories above. i.e. good to have atleast 2 subjects in the Generally Suitable Category.

But Remember:
i)an A in business studies is more appealing than a D in maths - and playing to your strengths and interests is always going to make it easier to excel.
ii) even LSE and Cambridge will pick somone with an AAA prediction including a blacklisted subject over someone with an AAC prediction excluding all blacklisted subjects.



And also some details on which unis are included in each category:
Which 8 uni are used for the Top 10 rating?
Oxford (1st), Imperial (3rd), St Andrews (5th), Warwick (6th), UCL (7th), Durham (8th), York (9th), Bristol (10th).
So the missing two are Cambridge (2nd) and LSE(4th).
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php

Which 13 unis are used for the Top 20 rating?
Oxford (1st), Imperial (3rd), St Andrews (5th), Warwick (6th), UCL (7th), Durham (8th), York (9th), Bristol (10th), Loughborough (12th), Exeter (13th), Leicester (14th), Bath (15th), Nottingham (16th=),
So the missing seven are Cambridge (2nd), LSE(4th), Kings College London (11th), SOuthampton (16th=), Edinburgh (18th), Lancaster (19th), Newcastle (20th), Glasgow (20th).
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php

So 2 of the top 10 and 7 of the top 20 unis are missing?
Yes but given how static the data is over the unis we do have, I don't think it would make a big difference

And what about if a different measure of which are the top 20 unis were used?
Again I don't expect that to make a difference

Which unis make up the 20-5o unis?
14 uni from the Russel and 1994 groups of unis are used:
Sheffield (22nd), SOAS (24th), Birmingham (25th), Cardiff (29th), Manchester (27th), Royal Hooloway (30th)Liverpool (34th), Queens University Belfast (31st=), Reading (31st=), Queen Mary (37th), Sussex (38th), Surrey (39th), Essex (42nd), Goldsmith (46th)

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