AS results, Uni choices. NEED ADVICE from year 13's and above! :o

Hey, so I just got my results today:
OCR (MEI) Maths: A (273/300)
OCR Chemistry: B (213/300)
OCR Biology: C (192/300)
Exdecel Geog: C
AQA ICT: D (118/200)

II was wondering what good universities there are in London that are likely to take a person with my situation to do Biomedical sciences or Pharmacy (related)? I know these courses are highly competitive and I stand even less of a chance since I retook AS. Will I be able to get into a university if I aim to get ABB/AAB for A level? If so which universities? I know I probably don't stand a chance getting into King's College London, but please help me out with the Universities choices.
Also, if you think I'm aiming for a too competitive course, what other course would you suggest which I will be able to get a stable career from, clearly my strengths lie in Maths and Chemistry.

Please help me out! :frown:

Reply 1

Charcoal

If you don't get any answers, I'd try asking in a Biology or Medicine sub-forum instead of this generic a-levels one. Much more likely for someone to be familiar with these unis.

Reply 2

Champagne Supernova

Well done on your results :smile:

I'd firstly say you can drop ICT - if you wish to do Biomed you won't be needing it. :smile:

Also, if you want to go into a reputable London uni to do a Biomed degree you'll need to bump up that Biology grade by resitting an exam. It's unlikely you'll go from a C at AS to an A at A2. Once you get that Biology grade up though you have a solid foundation to get where you want to. If I recall correctly, you'll need ABB to get into KCL to study Biomed. By resitting a Bio exam that's well within your grasp. It may also be worth dropping Geography, as the workload of 4 A2s may be a bit too much (it was for me, but those grades indicate you're smarter than me :wink:

). Have a word with your school/college and see what advice they give, see if they think you have the potential to get what you want to do. I've also seen plenty of Biomed degrees requiring BBB at reputable universities (though not all in London).

Reply 3

Hirarara

Original post by Champagne Supernova

Well done on your results :smile:

I'd firstly say you can drop ICT - if you wish to do Biomed you won't be needing it. :smile:

Yey! Thank you so much for the advice! :smile:

I will definitely consider resitting a biology module.
But what if I don't resit it and just bump it up to a B by doing well in the A2 modules and chemistry from a B to an A? Also, would it be possible for me to get an A* in maths? I got
C1: 94
C2: 93
S1: 86

I would apply out of London but I actually don't think I could manage financially.
Yes I'm dropping ICT because it was boring and I had no previous GCSE knowledge.

Reply 4

Champagne Supernova

Original post by Hirarara

Yey! Thank you so much for the advice! :smile:

You're welcome. You're lucky I applied for Biomed at KCL with those very subjects (exc. ICT) :wink:

I didn't get in but that's because I didn't work hard enough - so take note, really work hard in the A2 year :yes:

Firstly, good that you're dropping ICT. :yy:

If you don't resit it, then you could end up with a B at A2. Looking at those UMS, that seems like a high C (I don't know the UMS boundaries this year)? It's something that could be worked on. You could make your life easier though by resitting a Biology exam but it's your call - something for you to discuss with your school/college for sure.

Chemistry could go from a B to an A but I would predict you stay at B in Chemistry. A2 Chem is a lot harder than AS Chem though.

You could get an A* at Maths, they're very impressive scores but don't set your sights to high. Keep your feet on the ground and you'll probably get an A. C3 and C4 are a lot harder but they go hand in hand and elements of C3 are essential in C4 :yes:

Fair enough about going to a uni outside of London. :smile:

You can luse the Course Search feature on the UCAS website to see what the required grades of certain universities are :smile:

Reply 5

Hirarara

Original post by Champagne Supernova

You're welcome...

Fair enough, my teacher will probably allow me to retake unit 2 for Biology.
Yes I know chemistry is a lot harder in A2. But for some reason I tend to be better and more mathematical subjects and I guess I'm not as good with the wordy ones.
Also, would you suggest any other good course, because I actually don't want to go into medicine after biomed?
And wouldn't it damper my chances of getting into a University like KCL because I re-took year 12? :/

Reply 6

Champagne Supernova

Original post by Hirarara

Well, discuss it with your teacher they might agree with you and think you don't need to bother resitting that exam :smile:

Fair enough then, as long as you know the task ahead of you. :smile:

I don't really know to be honest, have a look on the UCAS website and see if there are any other similar course that take your fancy. There are plenty of specialised courses down the bio route like Neuroscience. Studying Biomedicine doesn't mean you have to do Medicine though, it's a very broad topic and after 3 years your options are still very much open :yes: