Help!: Will my A levels make up for my poor GCSEs upon applying to these universities

Hey

I am currently in Y11 studying my GCSEs. Anyway, my school is a terrible school and therefore I am only going to end up with 6 (or more-than-likely 5) GCSEs. There are two reasons for this;



The GCSEs I will end up with, upon completion of secondary school, are;



I am taking these AS/A levels;



I am also taking some GCSEs during my AS and A2 years to get up to 8 GCSEs (or maybe 9, so I can say I passed 8 if I failed French);



I want to study a BA in English Literature (or BA English). I have chosen two lists: an "unrealistic" list and a "unrealistic-but-realistic" list for universities I wish to study at;

UNREALISTIC


UNREALISTIC-BUT-REALISTIC


So providing I get AABb/AAAb AS levels (I am prepared to work a lot harder) would I get into the universities mentioned. I am attending one of the best colleges in the country and I think AAAa is achievable. If I got AAAa at A level and had those GCSEs what universities would I get into?

Sorry for the long passage

Right, I'm going to have to break this up

Your school
Awful that they mixed the results up. I had to read that twice but I finally gathered that you meant before you started GCSEs they muddled things up and placed you in a Btec group when you should have been capable of doing the GCSE? Correct me if wrong, it's not relevant really I was just wondering

Your results
5 or 6 GCSEs is not a total failure. True, most people who go on to college tend to have a couple more than that but requirements are different to actually get in. e.g. at my college we had to have 6 GCSEs but at a local one apparently you only need 3. i.e. my point is that if you can get into your college (and presumably you can/have) then the college is confident that you can get into university too, I'm sure.

Doing more GCSEs
I can't stop you from doing this, nobody on TSR can . However, I know someone who started GCSE German in year 11 and planned to take the exam at the end of his AS year. Now that he's started year 12, GCSEs feel like a blast from the past. He cannot be bothered to complete it (although I think he has forced himself to). I couldn't imagine doing more GCSEs now. They feel like they're just over, and everyone seems to just accept that you need to pick up your results sheet, file it away, and move on with A levels because at the end of the day GCSEs are relatively unimportant to A levels, and I feel there is not much point in trying to take more exams next year when you have A levels to concentrate on. One or two is bad enough, but taking another four is so much. Now, I have to be completely honest, and seeing as you've asked us on TSR of, essentially, our opinions, I will have to give you mine. Retaking Maths higher tier seems absurd to me. Your teachers will have entered you for foundation for a reason. A C is a pass, and when it comes to it, universities wouldn't probably see much different in a B or a C. It's probably important to note that some universities ask for a minimum grade B for their courses (in Maths). Judging by your A level choices and science/maths GCSE predictions, it probably sounds like you won't do something Sciency, and so this probably won't apply for your course. But if it does, I'd say this is the only justification for retaking Maths to try and get a B. Otherwise, I'm afraid I have to advise you to not do it and to just forget about it. Your aim is to get more GCSEs, and that is a big enough aim. Having a second aim of getting a higher grade in one of the ones you've already passed is something I really think you will regret.
As for Science, I do actually think, despite what I've said, that this might be a good one to retake. A GCSE in science might make life a little bit easier for you? I don't know this for sure, but it just makes sense that a GCSE in Maths, English and Science might be a good thing.
Forget the other two. Concentrate on passing French this year. It's the most logical thing to do. Then, if you do all of that you'll have 7 (if I've added it up correctly). That is good enough.

Your predicted A level results
I don't mean to be rude, I really don't. But you will have to work unbelievably hard to get AABb or AAAb. The step up is immense and, without sounding patronising because I know how annoying that is, you don't know what you are letting yourself in for taking on all these AS/A levels plus all those GCSEs. Your predicted results at GCSE indicate to me that you struggle with certain things, whether it is workload or grasping some subjects, or something completely different. While the predicted grades are good, it isn't a set of straight As and A*s. My sister gained 9 GCSEs grades A* and A (all of them), and went on to get AABc. That's just for you to get an idea of how hard those grades will be to achieve, let alone with the added work of GCSEs. You don't need the extra work, A levels are more important!

Your universities
To sum up, any of them are currently possible. You haven't got your results yet and haven't started A levels. Anything can happen. Providing you took my advice with the GCSEs and gained those sorts of results at A level. Then yes, to answer your question, your A levels will make up for GCSEs and you can get into any of those universities (although I am a bit sceptical about Bristol and maybe KCL, as others have pointed out).

Sorry to waffle. I understand how long and boring that was.
Hope I helped in some sort of way.

Thank you very much

What you say makes a lot of sense. I don't think I am capable of AAAa or AABb. However, I think I may be able to get ABBc in AS and AAB in A2. I am considering taking a year out to rack up GCSEs as the bottom line is I won't get into the universities mentioned with 5 GCSEs. It's the bare minimum. Some sixth forms ask for 6 GCSEs so that just shows that.

One more question: If I applied for a AAB course would I be accepted with ABBc providing I could get up to AAB?

I came from a bad school, did 6 GCSEs and 3 Btecs. Just sitting my A2 exams now. I have offers from Warwick, Bath and Bristol. Had an interview at Cambridge. I've never been to a good school/ private school. My secondary school got 34% 5 A* - C GCSE results. Universities take this into account. If your AS results are good enough you can do anything. I doubt many universities will place much weight on GCSEs if you have good AS's. I'm sure if you get the AS's you can be considered anyway. Look at the entry requirements for where you want to go and aim for that in A level. If you pass maths and English that's all universities want for GCSE.

And for lou_100. Although there are people who do get 9 A*s at GCSE then find A level harder. There are others who do much better in A level. For instance I got 5 A*s and an A at GCSE (All my GCSEs) and got 4As and a B in AS and predicted A*A*A at A2. So really Alistair, anything is still possible.

Oh yes, I do agree that anything is still possible. Things are subjective I suppose. There are many reasons why someone would do better at A level e.g. more motivation to work after mediocre GCSEs, better at A levels due to more interest /better skills in the subjects you actually chose to do etc. I just meant, on the whole, it seems logical to assume if someone carries on at the same level of effort at A level as with GCSEs, you might not do as great. Of course there are exceptions. I was just trying to communicate that the difficulty level increases so taking on lots of work might create problems.

Good luck for getting those results, that's brilliant