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Want to do history at Oxbridge. What AS levels should I pick?

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I've never really heard of it before at A-level so I wasn't expecting that, I stand corrected!

Same, I was surprised when I first saw it there. Especially as so many snobby people sneer at History of Art at degree level :rolleyes:

Reply 21

username941859

Original post by colourtheory

Hi,

I have no idea if this thread is dead but I would just like to ask if the following AS-Levels would be suitable for a place at Oxbridge:

History
History of Art
English Literature
Photography
Graphic Design

Any advice would be great :smile:

Thanks in advance

Not photography or GP. Do something more academic like a language.

Reply 22

TheNoobyPotato

Classics would help i think or maybe philosophy, instead of Photography.

Reply 23

R583

I want to do history at Oxbridge too! :awesome:

For a-levels I'm either doing:
History
English lit
Latin
Classics ,
Or the same but philosophy instead of classics. I would recommend that you should change either photography or graphic design to something more academic. Keep one of them as an extra and to show you have varied talents. Good luck! :getmecoat:

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9003

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my GT-I9003

Reply 24

Prettygeek

Original post by Chibelta

I went to a lecture/presentation on how to choose AS levels in Cambridge a few years ago when I was looking into studying History at Oxbridge.

(Quick background info: applied to Oxford, got an interview, then rejected.)

They said there were FOUR core subjects that they are looking for which strengthen an application for an arts, their "primary list":

English Literature, History, Language, Maths.

Why does Maths strengthen an application? How is it relevant to arts subjects? :/

Reply 25

Alexandra's Box

Check that a History and History of Art combination is OK - there may be an overlap like that between PE and Biology, which is why those two are not counted separately.

Reply 26

colourtheory

Hi,

thanks for all of your advice. I emailed the admissions department at both Oxford and Cambridge who assured me that the following A-Levels were "perfectly acceptable":

History
History of Art
English Literature
Photography

I was unsure of whether both HoA and History would overlap but apparently they both use different skill sets so doing both won't be a detriment. I considered a language but it's not really my thing. As you can see I dropped down to 4 as per your advice, I never realised how much work would be involved in studying 5 AS levels :smile:

So, I think these options should be okay as both unis said they would be acceptable, unfortunately my college doesn't offer classics or Latin otherwise I would probably have done that instead of Photography :smile:

Are any of you prospective Oxbridge applicants? If so, which subjects are you currently studying?

Reply 27

colourtheory

I don't know if anyone will actually see this but just to update you all:

I am about to start a History degree at Oxford! At A2 I got:

History - A*
History of Art - A*
English Literature - A
(AS) Chemistry - C
EPQ - A

I also got offers from Exeter, Edinburgh, UCL, KCL

Apparently History and History of Art were perfectly acceptable and my interviewing tutors actually had research interests within the field so it definitely helped :biggrin:

Reply 28

Minerva

Original post by colourtheory

Congratulations - glad it all worked out for you :smile:

Reply 29

colourtheory

Original post by Minerva

Congratulations - glad it all worked out for you :smile:

Thank you

I've seen so many of these threads over the years and people very rarely post an update, just thought it might be useful in some way for somebody with the same panic. :colondollar: