Getting crap GCSE's.. but still hoping for top unis. Doable?
I'm currently doing my GCSE's but I know that i'm not going to come out with good grades.. probably c's and d's.
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
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Original post by shahj_123
I'm currently doing my GCSE's but I know that i'm not going to come out with good grades.. probably c's and d's.
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
Is there a reason that you expect your grades to improve so dramatically between GCSE and A level?
Universities are looking for applicants who will peak while at university (and not people who peaked at A level) so showing an improving trajectory can sometimes make up for poor performance. But at the same time the universities and courses you're talking about are over-subscribed with applicants all predicted AAA or higher and they tend to use GCSEs as a way to shrink that list down.
With a supportive reference and good predictions at A level then you might be lucky enough to get an offer. You might be better off expecting to take a gap year after A levels and reapplying once you've demonstrated that you're capable of getting A*s at A level.
Original post by IAmNero
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Sorry, but why are you even asking? Unless you turn yourself around and outperform at A level then there is no chance of you getting into any top uni.
And if you are getting C/D at GCSE , you are NOT going to get A* at A level, especially in mathematics and English lit.
Sorry about being harsh, I'm just keeping it real.
Sorry, but why are you even asking? Unless you turn yourself around and outperform at A level then there is no chance of you getting into any top uni.
And if you are getting C/D at GCSE , you are NOT going to get A* at A level, especially in mathematics and English lit.
Sorry about being harsh, I'm just keeping it real.
I did say would i have a chance if I get those grades at a levels which literally means turning myself around.
And yh im pretty sure ill be able to get those grades despite getting **** gcse's
Original post by shahj_123
I did say would i have a chance if I get those grades at a levels which literally means turning myself around.
And yh im pretty sure ill be able to get those grades despite getting **** gcse's
And yh im pretty sure ill be able to get those grades despite getting **** gcse's
I mean, why are you doing bad?
As above. Also, if you're getting Cs/Ds you'll probably find some places won't let you do A-levels in those subjects. Stop worrying about universities for now and concentrate on doing as well as you can in your GCSEs.
Original post by shahj_123
I did say would i have a chance if I get those grades at a levels which literally means turning myself around.
And yh im pretty sure ill be able to get those grades despite getting **** gcse's
And yh im pretty sure ill be able to get those grades despite getting **** gcse's
Do you even know how you get an A* at A level? I'm presuming not... Even the brightest in the country struggle to get A*s, let alone across all 3 or 4 subjects.
Anyway, would you get an offer for Oxbridge, most likely not. As said before me, they shrink the application lists down with GCSEs, and considering you'll be in the cohort sitting all exams at the end of your second year, there's even more reason for them to believe that you won't get the grades. Oxbridge isn't everything though, you still have a good chance at getting into other great Unis around the country.
Original post by shahj_123
I'm currently doing my GCSE's but I know that i'm not going to come out with good grades.. probably c's and d's.
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
Why would you get a better mark in maths A level than maths GCSE? You're not going to get an A* at A level, no matter how hard you try, if you get a C or a D in maths GCSE. The people getting A*s at A level maths can get an A* (or, at the very least, an A) in GCSE maths without trying. Same with English lit.
What course would you be applying for at Oxford or Cambridge?
Most applicants have at least 6 A*s at GCSE, the rest As.
Original post by shahj_123
I'm currently doing my GCSE's but I know that i'm not going to come out with good grades.. probably c's and d's.
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
I'm sorry if this sounds rude or anything, but you need to improve your work in order to get the best GCSE grades. If you already know that you are going to get bad grades, why don't you do something.
Also, no, you won't get in. The website and prospectus of those universities may not say that you need A*s and As in GCSE, but many students do, and through competition, you will lose to those with the better GCSEs.
One last thing, if you are getting these grades in GCSEs, it is highly unlikely that you'll get A*A*A in A-level due to the significant jump in difficulty.
How do I know, well, I've been through the same thing.
Original post by PQ
Is there a reason that you expect your grades to improve so dramatically between GCSE and A level?
Universities are looking for applicants who will peak while at university (and not people who peaked at A level) so showing an improving trajectory can sometimes make up for poor performance. But at the same time the universities and courses you're talking about are over-subscribed with applicants all predicted AAA or higher and they tend to use GCSEs as a way to shrink that list down.
With a supportive reference and good predictions at A level then you might be lucky enough to get an offer. You might be better off expecting to take a gap year after A levels and reapplying once you've demonstrated that you're capable of getting A*s at A level.
Universities are looking for applicants who will peak while at university (and not people who peaked at A level) so showing an improving trajectory can sometimes make up for poor performance. But at the same time the universities and courses you're talking about are over-subscribed with applicants all predicted AAA or higher and they tend to use GCSEs as a way to shrink that list down.
With a supportive reference and good predictions at A level then you might be lucky enough to get an offer. You might be better off expecting to take a gap year after A levels and reapplying once you've demonstrated that you're capable of getting A*s at A level.
Half way into yr11 i just sort of gave up on gcse's because i didnt see myself going to uni.. didnt have any interest in academia. But ive had a few talks with people here and there and im convinced that getting a degree is what i need to do. So thats why im expecting my grades to improve between now and a levels.. having an actual interest in what i want to do will make me work harder.
Original post by IAmNero
I mean, why are you doing bad?
Stopped going school and doing any work lol stupid now that i look back at it
Retake your Maths and get a grade A, then go and do your A-levels and try to get an grade A, go to the classes, ask the straight A students on topics you don't understand, practice a lot of mock papers, easier said than done.
IAmNero is right, if you cannot get an A in your retakes, you are not going to get an A at A-level. I've seen people with grade A's at GCSE, get C/D at A-level.
However, I heard of a guy a guy who got grade B at GCSE Maths, got a equivalent A in A-level Maths and go onto get a 1st in Mechanical Engineering at Leeds.
IAmNero is right, if you cannot get an A in your retakes, you are not going to get an A at A-level. I've seen people with grade A's at GCSE, get C/D at A-level.
However, I heard of a guy a guy who got grade B at GCSE Maths, got a equivalent A in A-level Maths and go onto get a 1st in Mechanical Engineering at Leeds.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by shahj_123
Half way into yr11 i just sort of gave up on gcse's because i didnt see myself going to uni.. didnt have any interest in academia. But ive had a few talks with people here and there and im convinced that getting a degree is what i need to do. So thats why im expecting my grades to improve between now and a levels.. having an actual interest in what i want to do will make me work harder.
Then why not look at the other 100+ universities in the UK instead of looking straight for the top.. I'm all for ambition but you're being ridiculous.
Original post by shahj_123
Half way into yr11 i just sort of gave up on gcse's because i didnt see myself going to uni.. didnt have any interest in academia. But ive had a few talks with people here and there and im convinced that getting a degree is what i need to do. So thats why im expecting my grades to improve between now and a levels.. having an actual interest in what i want to do will make me work harder.
Work your arse off then.
I'd recommend resitting Maths and English GCSE in Yr 12 alongside your A levels if you don't get higher than a C (a lot of jobs need those grades).
Make sure you get on well with your college/sixth form teachers - they'll be writing your reference and giving you your predicted grades.
Take ASs at the end or Yr 12 if your school/college gives you the option so that you have something solid on your application demonstrating the big improvements you're planning.
Apply in Yr 13 anyway but be aware that you might not get offers from the universities you're aiming for (this will give you experience of applying so that if you need to reapply after leaving college you wont feel clueless). You've got 5 choices so apply to a mix of places. Decide during that year whether to take up any offers you get or whether to take a year out after your A levels to apply once you've got your results....figure out what to do with that year so that it's a good use of your time.
Original post by Kaneki
Then why not look at the other 100+ universities in the UK instead of looking straight for the top.. I'm all for ambition but you're being ridiculous.
Yh your right, Im just asking about these top unis because if someone can get a place there then they would get places at less sought after unis
Original post by shahj_123
Yh your right, Im just asking about these top unis because if someone can get a place there then they would get places at less sought after unis
Your answer's 99.9% no then
Original post by Epitype
I'm sorry if this sounds rude or anything, but you need to improve your work in order to get the best GCSE grades. If you already know that you are going to get bad grades, why don't you do something.
Also, no, you won't get in. The website and prospectus of those universities may not say that you need A*s and As in GCSE, but many students do, and through competition, you will lose to those with the better GCSEs.
One last thing, if you are getting these grades in GCSEs, it is highly unlikely that you'll get A*A*A in A-level due to the significant jump in difficulty.
How do I know, well, I've been through the same thing.
Also, no, you won't get in. The website and prospectus of those universities may not say that you need A*s and As in GCSE, but many students do, and through competition, you will lose to those with the better GCSEs.
One last thing, if you are getting these grades in GCSEs, it is highly unlikely that you'll get A*A*A in A-level due to the significant jump in difficulty.
How do I know, well, I've been through the same thing.
If you dont mind, what a levels did you get?
Original post by shahj_123
If you dont mind, what a levels did you get?
A-Levels (Predicted):
Biology: A
Chemistry: C
Geography: A*
Computing: A*
Original post by Epitype
A-Levels (Predicted):
Biology: A
Chemistry: C
Geography: A*
Computing: A*
Biology: A
Chemistry: C
Geography: A*
Computing: A*
thanks
Original post by shahj_123
I'm currently doing my GCSE's but I know that i'm not going to come out with good grades.. probably c's and d's.
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
I want to do law/politics at university and I've read up on the requirements for these degrees at places like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other top unis. None of these universities have any GCSE grade requirements for their courses although Oxford does say it likes applicants who have a strong set of GCSE grades.
For a levels I will be doing Maths, Eng Lit, Gov&Politics and Economics/History. If i come out with A*A*A* or even four A*'s do you think I could still see myself getting a place at Oxbridge for example?
If not.. any suggestions on what i could do to help my application alongside with top a level's?
Well considering the new A levels are Linear for all the subjects that you are doing except maths. The only data they can realistically offer you a place on is your GCSE's. In that case, your pretty screwed considering the amount of people that will be applying with grades higher than yours. Sorry but you realistically have no chance of getting an offer with these predicted GCSE grades.
Original post by Duncan2012
As above. Also, if you're getting Cs/Ds you'll probably find some places won't let you do A-levels in those subjects. Stop worrying about universities for now and concentrate on doing as well as you can in your GCSEs.
Ofc grammar schools and the such are a big no but theres a local comprehensive sixth form that takes practically anyone
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