The Student Room Group

IB or A Level? Help please?????

I'm currently doing my GCSEs but will have to very shortly choose my options for next year.... (actually in a weeks time)

I was wondering if anyone could help me out and like tell me everything they know for the best possible way
to get into Oxford and study PPE.
I then want to take a conversion course and study Law afterwards.

I've sort of chosen the subjects:

Economics HL
History HL
Latin HL
Maths SL
English SL
Science SL

Would I need to study Maths and Histiry HL?
thanks
Reply 1
in my opinion, i think higher level history is probably good for PPE/ law. but at the end of the day, econ, math and history are all challenging subjects at higher level,I don't think any of these choices would make a big difference. DO what you are good at...do well at it...and your predicted points in the 1st year of IB will probably be the determining factor.
Reply 2
you don't have to study any subjects in particular for PPE, but personally I'd advise doing maths; I don't and it nearly scuppered my application. I was one of two or three out of 19 applicants who didn't do it. But I did get a place, so it can't be too important.
Reply 3
Maths Studies or Methods?
Reply 4
kildare
Maths Studies or Methods?


Certainly, Maths Higher Level, I should think.
Reply 5
I was thinking more maths methods.... I know i know.... I'll "walk it" as my teacher said because it's not much harder than gcse.... but isn't Maths HL really hard?

I've chosen both Econ and History at HL.....
Econ at HL is hard???? Is it? I only chose it coz I thought it'd be easy..... and a big problem.
The Econ teacher at my school is like always late and never turns up to lessons.......
Reply 6
Odd Senex
you don't have to study any subjects in particular for PPE, but personally I'd advise doing maths; I don't and it nearly scuppered my application. I was one of two or three out of 19 applicants who didn't do it. But I did get a place, so it can't be too important.

I'm definately doing maths (have to) but what did you do? Did you not do it? Were you really disadvantaged?
Reply 7
I do English, History and Economics I was doing Biology until I dropped it after my offer excluded it. I definately felt that not doing maths put me at a disadvantage. It also means that I have to teach myself maths by next year (assuming I meet my offer), if I'm to stand any chance of doing well :frown:
Reply 8
So you didn't do maths at all? But you have to in IB.... or are you talking about A level?
Reply 9
Hmm, well Methods is certainly much harder than GCSE, (are you sure you're not referring to Studies?) if you really would 'walk it' as you say, then there is nothing really to stop you doing higher, ultimately HL is not THAT difficult. Methods would still be perfectly acceptable for PPE tho, it certainly wouldn't automatically exclude you by means. As regards Economics well, I suppose it depends on you, it's one of those subjects in which people tend to do very well or very badly. A serious Oxford PPE candidate shouldn't find it too difficult by any strecth of the imagination though.
Reply 10
lorrii
So you didn't do maths at all? But you have to in IB.... or are you talking about A level?


Sorry, I'm talking about A-level.
Reply 11
It might be worth mentioning that our lecturers/tutors rant against the failings of A-level economics regularly, and people with it often say it hasn't helped at all. I didn't do it, and don't feel like I'm at a disadvantage.

Obviously I don't know what it's like at IB though.
Reply 12
um... so HL Maths is probably more useful than HL Econ right?

Is HL Maths harder than A levels and further maths or easier?
Reply 13
HL maths is probably more useful yea. Not knowing anything about maths myself I'm basing this purely on hearsay, but I have heard that IB Maths HL is harder than A-Level maths yes, for one thing you can't repeat any units in order to push your grade up, it all comes down to the final exam.

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